Rick Boychuk
Encyclopedia
Rick Boychuk is a labour leader and former politician in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
. He served on the Winnipeg City Council
from 1989 to 1995, representing the Transcona ward. Boychuk is a member of the New Democratic Party
.
Boychuk was born to a working class
Ukrainian Canadian
family in Transcona. He became a conductor with CN Rail in 1967, at age 20, and continued to hold this position during his time as an elected official. He first ran for city council in the 1986 municipal election
, and lost to George Marshall. He ran again in 1989
as a candidate of the centre-left Winnipeg into the '90s
(WIN) coalition, and defeated Marshall by about 450 votes amid a municipal shift to the left.
The number of municipal wards was reduced for the 1992 election
, and Boychuk was required to run for re-election against fellow councillor Shirley Timm-Rudolph
in an enlarged Transcona division. He was successful, winning by nearly 2,000 votes. This election was marked by undisguised animosity between the candidates: Boychuk had previously accused Timm-Rudolph of having violated conflict-of-interest guidelines, and declined to apologize when she was cleared by a provincial investigation.
Boychuk was an opponent of Sunday shopping
in the early 1990s. In 1993, he released the results of a private survey demonstrating that most residents of his ward were against the initiative. He called for a permanent dike and drainage system in 1993, after overland flooding caused extensive damage to parts of his ward.
Unlike most WIN councillors, Boychuk initially supported construction of the Charleswood Bridge in the west-end of Winnipeg. In late 1993, however, he argued that municipal spending would be better directed toward infrastructural renewal. He indicated that he still supported the bridge in principle, but favoured a delay in moving forward. Like other WIN members, he opposed using municipal funds on a new arena for the Winnipeg Jets hockey
team and instead supported efforts to refurbish the existing arena. In December 1994, he argued in favour of selling the Jets. Some hockey fans blamed Boychuk and other WIN councillors for precipitating the team's eventually departure from Winnipeg. One fan was arrested in the spring of 1995 for allegedly uttering death threats against Boychuk, and his family was harassed by neighbours on other occasions.
In 1994, Boychuk voted in favour of extending benefits to sex-same partners of municipal employees. He endorsed the principle of campaign finance reform in the same period, arguing that tax credits would encourage more citizens to donate money to their preferred candidates. In the spring of 1995, he brought forward an unsuccessful motion to introduce an overnight curfew, in a bid to reduce youth crime.
In 1994, Boychuk criticized the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
for its decision not to broadcast an award winning documentary entitled "Freedom had a Price" (http://www.yluhovy.com/MML/FHAP.html), addressing the internment of Ukrainian Canadians during World War I
. He wrote that "this terrible part of our history has been largely overlooked", and suggested that the CBC was failing to live up to its mandate by declining to broadcast the piece.
In the buildup to the 1995 municipal election
, Boychuk encouraged fellow WIN councillor Glen Murray not to run for mayor on the grounds that an openly gay candidate would not be able to win a city-wide contest. He said that many people in his ward found Murray unacceptable as a candidate, and was quoted as saying "If I was an average working guy on the railway and I didn't know Glen, I wouldn't vote for him because he's gay. That's the way the guys out there feel. [...] He has to wait his time until morality changes." He instead supported the candidacy of Terry Duguid
, a left-leaning member of the Liberal Party
. Boychuk's comments were widely criticized, including by some in the national media, and some Transcona residents argued that he portrayed their region in a bad light. Murray himself offered a qualified defence of Boychuk's remarks, saying "I think he said it innocently and out of concern. Rick is a very open person. He's not self-censoring. Other people have the same biases but put it in more sophisticated language." On another occasion, Murray described the substance of Boychuk's advice as "baseless". Despite the criticism, Boychuk declined to apologize for his remarks. Murray did not run for mayor in 1995, but was elected in 1998
and re-elected in 2002
.
Boychuk was defeated by Shirley Timm-Rudolph in the 1995 municipal election
, in a rematch from 1992. He was subsequently chosen as president of the United Transportation Union Local 1874 in Winnipeg. Boychuk led an informational picket of CN Rail workers in August 2001, arguing that CN's decision to cut back the number of inspection workers was creating a danger to employees and the public. He lamented what he described as an "Americanization" of rail services, and argued that the federal government should return to its role of regulating Canadian rail safety standards.
Boychuk's former assistant, Russ Wyatt
, was elected to Winnipeg City Council in 2002
. Boychuk endorsed Bill Blaikie
's bid to lead the national New Democratic Party
in 2002-03.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served on the Winnipeg City Council
Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors.-2006-2010:Council elected in the 2006 election:-2010-2014:...
from 1989 to 1995, representing the Transcona ward. Boychuk is a member of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
.
Boychuk was born to a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
Ukrainian Canadian
Ukrainian Canadian
A Ukrainian Canadian is a person of Ukrainian descent or origin who was born in or immigrated to Canada. In 2006, there were an estimated 1,209,085 persons residing in Canada of Ukrainian origin, making them Canada's ninth largest ethnic group; and giving Canada the world's third-largest...
family in Transcona. He became a conductor with CN Rail in 1967, at age 20, and continued to hold this position during his time as an elected official. He first ran for city council in the 1986 municipal election
Winnipeg municipal election, 1986
The 1986 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 22, 1986 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Bill Norrie was re-elected to a fourth term as mayor, defeating former Member of the Legislative Assembly Russell Doern and ten other...
, and lost to George Marshall. He ran again in 1989
Winnipeg municipal election, 1989
The 1989 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1989 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Bill Norrie was re-elected to a fifth term as mayor without serious opposition.-Councillors:...
as a candidate of the centre-left Winnipeg into the '90s
Winnipeg into the '90s
Winnipeg into the '90s was an alliance of progressive and left-leaning municipal politicians in the Canadian city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It endorsed several candidates in the city's municipal elections of 1989, 1992 and 1995, including future mayor Glen Murray and future provincial Premier Greg...
(WIN) coalition, and defeated Marshall by about 450 votes amid a municipal shift to the left.
The number of municipal wards was reduced for the 1992 election
Winnipeg municipal election, 1992
The 1992 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 28, 1992 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Susan Thompson defeated Greg Selinger in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
, and Boychuk was required to run for re-election against fellow councillor Shirley Timm-Rudolph
Shirley Timm-Rudolph
Shirley Timm-Rudolph is a former politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She was a city councillor from 1986 to 1992 and again from 1995 to 2002, and served on the city's Executive Policy Committee from 1997 to 1998...
in an enlarged Transcona division. He was successful, winning by nearly 2,000 votes. This election was marked by undisguised animosity between the candidates: Boychuk had previously accused Timm-Rudolph of having violated conflict-of-interest guidelines, and declined to apologize when she was cleared by a provincial investigation.
Boychuk was an opponent of Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping refers to the ability of retailers to operate stores on Sunday, a day that Christian tradition typically recognizes as the Sabbath, a "day of rest". Rules governing shopping hours, such as Sunday shopping, vary around the world but some European nations continue to ban Sunday shopping...
in the early 1990s. In 1993, he released the results of a private survey demonstrating that most residents of his ward were against the initiative. He called for a permanent dike and drainage system in 1993, after overland flooding caused extensive damage to parts of his ward.
Unlike most WIN councillors, Boychuk initially supported construction of the Charleswood Bridge in the west-end of Winnipeg. In late 1993, however, he argued that municipal spending would be better directed toward infrastructural renewal. He indicated that he still supported the bridge in principle, but favoured a delay in moving forward. Like other WIN members, he opposed using municipal funds on a new arena for the Winnipeg Jets hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team and instead supported efforts to refurbish the existing arena. In December 1994, he argued in favour of selling the Jets. Some hockey fans blamed Boychuk and other WIN councillors for precipitating the team's eventually departure from Winnipeg. One fan was arrested in the spring of 1995 for allegedly uttering death threats against Boychuk, and his family was harassed by neighbours on other occasions.
In 1994, Boychuk voted in favour of extending benefits to sex-same partners of municipal employees. He endorsed the principle of campaign finance reform in the same period, arguing that tax credits would encourage more citizens to donate money to their preferred candidates. In the spring of 1995, he brought forward an unsuccessful motion to introduce an overnight curfew, in a bid to reduce youth crime.
In 1994, Boychuk criticized the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
for its decision not to broadcast an award winning documentary entitled "Freedom had a Price" (http://www.yluhovy.com/MML/FHAP.html), addressing the internment of Ukrainian Canadians during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He wrote that "this terrible part of our history has been largely overlooked", and suggested that the CBC was failing to live up to its mandate by declining to broadcast the piece.
In the buildup to the 1995 municipal election
Winnipeg municipal election, 1995
The 1995 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1995 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Susan Thompson defeated Peter Kaufmann and Terry Duguid in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
, Boychuk encouraged fellow WIN councillor Glen Murray not to run for mayor on the grounds that an openly gay candidate would not be able to win a city-wide contest. He said that many people in his ward found Murray unacceptable as a candidate, and was quoted as saying "If I was an average working guy on the railway and I didn't know Glen, I wouldn't vote for him because he's gay. That's the way the guys out there feel. [...] He has to wait his time until morality changes." He instead supported the candidacy of Terry Duguid
Terry Duguid
Terry Duguid is a politician and activist and executive in Manitoba, Canada. He has campaigned for elected office at the municipal, provincial and federal levels, and was served as a City Councillor in Winnipeg between 1989-1995...
, a left-leaning member of the Liberal Party
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
. Boychuk's comments were widely criticized, including by some in the national media, and some Transcona residents argued that he portrayed their region in a bad light. Murray himself offered a qualified defence of Boychuk's remarks, saying "I think he said it innocently and out of concern. Rick is a very open person. He's not self-censoring. Other people have the same biases but put it in more sophisticated language." On another occasion, Murray described the substance of Boychuk's advice as "baseless". Despite the criticism, Boychuk declined to apologize for his remarks. Murray did not run for mayor in 1995, but was elected in 1998
Winnipeg municipal election, 1998
The 1998 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 28, 1998 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Centre-left candidate Glen Murray defeated populist right-winger Peter Kaufmann in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
and re-elected in 2002
Winnipeg municipal election, 2002
The 2002 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 23, 2002 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Glen Murray, the city's centre-left mayor, was re-elected to a second term over challenger Al Golden.-Councillors:...
.
Boychuk was defeated by Shirley Timm-Rudolph in the 1995 municipal election
Winnipeg municipal election, 1995
The 1995 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1995 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Susan Thompson defeated Peter Kaufmann and Terry Duguid in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
, in a rematch from 1992. He was subsequently chosen as president of the United Transportation Union Local 1874 in Winnipeg. Boychuk led an informational picket of CN Rail workers in August 2001, arguing that CN's decision to cut back the number of inspection workers was creating a danger to employees and the public. He lamented what he described as an "Americanization" of rail services, and argued that the federal government should return to its role of regulating Canadian rail safety standards.
Boychuk's former assistant, Russ Wyatt
Russ Wyatt
Russ Wyatt is a politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He has represented Transcona on the Winnipeg City Council since 2002, and is currently a member of the city's executive policy committee...
, was elected to Winnipeg City Council in 2002
Winnipeg municipal election, 2002
The 2002 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 23, 2002 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Glen Murray, the city's centre-left mayor, was re-elected to a second term over challenger Al Golden.-Councillors:...
. Boychuk endorsed Bill Blaikie
Bill Blaikie
William Alexander "Bill" Blaikie, PC is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since April 2009, representing the Winnipeg division of Elmwood as a member of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and Minister of Conservation and Government House Leader...
's bid to lead the national New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
in 2002-03.