Nestor Gayowsky

Nestor Gayowsky (1934), Canadian diplomat.

Gayowsky was born in Brandon, Manitoba to a Ukrainian Canadian family, and was a career diplomat for thirty-six years before running for public office. He served in Scandinavia, Finland, Italy and the Soviet Union, and became Canada's first consul general to Ukraine in 1991 (Edmonton Journal, 29 December 1990). After Canada recognized Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union, Gayowsky was named chargé d'affaires of the Canadian embassy (Toronto Star, 27 January 1992). He later represented the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Kiev (Financial Post, 20 November 1993).

He received 7,600 votes (15.79%) in 2000, finishing second against Liberal incumbent Mauril Belanger. A newspaper report from the election lists him as 66 years old. He supported a bridge over the Ottawa River east of Kettle Island, and criticized the Liberal government's record on taxes and patronage (Ottawa Citizen, 18 November 2000).

Gayowsky later moved to British Columbia, and was campaign manager for Conservative candidate James Lunney in the 2004 election (Victoria Times-Colonist, 17 May 2004). He remains interested in Ukrainian affairs, and was an OCSE observer for the late 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, won by Victor Yushchenko (Ottawa Citizen, 4 December 2004).

References

• Canada's Ambassadors since Ukraine's Independence
• Canadian Alliance candidates, 2000 Canadian federal election