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Wilson Dwight Peter Parasiuk
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Civil servant, MLA (1977-1981), MLA (1981-1986), MLA (1986-1988).
Born at Stenen, Saskatchewan on 6 May 1943, one of two children of Wasyl Peter “Bill” Parasiuk (1908-1984) and Lillian Gogal (1912-2007), in 1948 his family moved to a small farm in North Kildonan and he later attended Transcona Collegiate, where he was student president, and graduated in 1961. He attended the University of Manitoba, receiving a BA Honours degree (1965) and serving as Senior Stick of Arts. After completing an MA degree in Political Science (1966), he was selected as a Rhodes Scholar to study at Oxford University.
He returned to Canada in 1968 and worked for the Department of Regional Economic Expansion at Ottawa. He returned to Winnipeg in 1970 and worked as an Assistant Deputy Minister in the Schreyer government. He was a New Democratic candidate for the Riel constituency in the 1973 provincial general election but was defeated by incumbent Donald William Craik. He was successful in the 1977 general election, in the Transcona constituency, and was re-elected in 1981 and 1986. He held several ministerial portfolios, including Energy and Mines (1981-1986) and Health (1987-1988). Defeated in 1988, he was not a candidate in the 1990 election.
In recognition of his community service, he received a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977).
“'66 Rhodes scholar,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 November 1965, page 27.
“U of M to grant degrees, diplomas May 26-27,” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 May 1966, page 26.
Obituary [Wasyl Parasiuk], Winnipeg Free Press, 23 March 1984, page 44.
Obituary [Lillian Parasiuk], Winnipeg Free Press, 25 August 2007.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 17 December 2024
