Liberal Party candidates, 1995 Manitoba provincial election

The Manitoba Liberal Party elected three candidates to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 1995 provincial election. Some of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.

Naty Yankech (Burrows)

Yankech first campaigned for the Manitoba legislature in a 1993 by-election for the St. Johns division. She was a 46-year old licensed care giver, and ran a guest home for seniors with medical problems. [Larry Kusch, "Health-care issue strikes responsive chord in riding", "Winnipeg Free Press", 13 September 1993.] She defeated Edson Sanecki to win the Liberal nomination, and lost to New Democratic Party candidate Gord Mackintosh in the election. ["In the running", "Winnipeg Free Press", 21 August 1993.]

Yankech charged her campaign manager with sexual assault after the election. She said that her manager had attacked her in his van, pinning her to the seat and kissing and fondling her, and that she had fought back by "pretending to relent and then striking back when he relaxed". She also said that she was initially in shock, and decided to remain silent about the matter. She went police in December 1993, and her manager was convicted after a two day trial. Yankech had the legal right to remain anonymous, but instead chose to inform the media of her situation. Former Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs praised her for her "courage and strength". [Gerald Flood, "Sexual assault victim fights", "Winnipeg Free Press", 8 April 1994.]

Yankech defeated Sandi Funk to win the Liberal nomination for Burrows in the 1995 election. Funk had actively sought the support of Yankech's former campaign manager, whom she believed was innocent. After her victory, Yankech said "I defeated my assailant". [Treena Khan, "Grit nominee celebrates double win", "Winnipeg Free Press", 21 July 1994.] She lost the general election to New Democratic Party incumbent Doug Martindale.

John S. Petryshyn (Elmwood)

Petryshyn was born in Berlin, Germany, and moved to Canada as a child in 1948. He was a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba, and is a lawyer with the Winnipeg firm Glowacki & Libitka.

He was elected president of the Manitoba Liberal Party in 1979, at age 33, defeating rival candidate Beth Candlish by almost one hundred votes. ["Liberals pick leader ...", "Globe and Mail", 5 March 1979, P9.] He served in this capacity until 1982, and was appointed to the Immigration Appeal Board of Canada the following year. The board was eliminated by Brian Mulroney's government in 1989, and replaced with the Immigration and Refugee Board. Petryshyn and other Liberal-era appointees were offered two year "temporary appointments" on the new board if they agreed not to make any claims against the federal government for their lost positions. He served as an Immigration Appeals Office from 1989 to 1992. [ [http://www.heritagewinnipeg.com/about_board.htm "John Petryshyn/2nd Vice President", Heritage Winnipeg] , accessed 15 September 1993.] In 1993, a judge found that Petryshyn and the others had been treated in an unfair and coercive manner by the Mulroney government. [Stephen Bindman, "Judge hits Tories over five Liberals who lost jobs", "Globe and Mail", 17 June 1993, A14.]

Petryshyn later served as vice-president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, and as chairman of the Canadian-Ukraine relations committee. [Dan Lett, "G-7 summit on Ukraine here", "Winnipeg Free Press", 8 September 1994.] He announced the creation of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation in 1994, to finance projects in Ukraine. [Paul McKie, "Foundation to foster close ties", "Winnipeg Free Press", 27 October 1994.] He is also active with Heritage Winnipeg.

He sought election to the Manitoba legislature in 1995, and lost to New Democratic Party incumbent Jim Maloway. He also made an unsuccessful bid for election to the River East School Board later in the year. Petryshyn was president of the Liberal Party's Winnipeg—Transcona riding association in 2003, and was one of 259 presidents who endorsed Paul Martin's bid to seek the party leadership. ["Martin Nominated for Liberal Leader by Grassroots Party Members", "Canada NewsWire", 6 March 2003.]

In 2001, Petryshyn represented several Royal Canadian Legions in Manitoba in a lawsuit against the province and the city of Winnipeg over education taxes. ["Mba legions suing Wpg, province for 20 years of education taxes", "Canadian Press", 8 January 2001, 23:49; Aldo Santin, "Tax suit splits veterans", "Winnipeg Free Press", 12 March 2001, A1.]

He was an international observer for the 2004 Ukraine presidential election and 2006 Ukranian parliamentary election, and has also overseen elections in Croatia, South Korea and Tajikistan. [Jen Skerritt, "Family returns to Ukraine to observe", "Winnipeg Free Press", 19 January 2005, N4; Jen Skerritt, "Manitobans to observe election process in Ukraine", "Winnipeg Free Press", 19 March 2006, A3.]

Linda Cantiveros (Point Douglas)

Cantiveros is a prominent member of the Filipino community in Winnipeg. She has been an international division director of Agrif Global Training, Inc., has worked as editor of the "Filipino Journal", and has served on the board of directors for the Philippine-Canadian Centre of Manitoba. She was a founding member of the Filipino-Canadian Business Council, and remains an active member of that organization. Cantiveros received 1,132 votes (23.05%) in 1995, finishing second against New Democratic Party candidate George Hickes.

In 2002, she endorsed Mike Pagtakhan's successful bid to represent Point Douglas on the Winnipeg City Council.

Bob Turner (Portage la Prairie)

A 2003 report from the Manitoba Association of Teachers of English lists Bob Turner as having thirteen years experience as an S2-S4 English teacher, and working at Arthur Meighen High School in Portage la Prairie. [http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:UHLiYgk2NJEJ:www.mbteach.org/sag%2520brochure/MATE_25-27.pdf+%22Bob+Turner%22+Portage&hl=en] It is likely that this is the same person.

Turner received 2,117 votes (27.34%) in the 1995 election, finishing second against Progressive Conservative incumbent Brian Pallister.

Harry Wood (Rupertsland)

Wood emphasized the need to develop a regional economy in Churchill. He received 1,018 votes (23.00%), finishing second against New Democratic Party candidate Eric Robinson.

The Support Working Group of "Diabetes: A Manitoba Strategy" lists a Harry Wood of St. Theresa Point as a contributor. This is likely the same person.

Bob Douglas (Sturgeon Creek)

Douglas finished second against Progressive Conservative incumbent Gerry McAlpine.

Ingrid Pokrant (Transcona)

Pokrant was the leader of Alliance Action, a women's health group. During the 1995 election, she argued against the taxpayer funding of abortions. [Bruce Owen, "Grits' abortion flip-flop", "Winnipeg Free Press", 23 March 1995.] She refused to use campaign signs, describing them as environmentally wasteful and a visual blight on the neighbourhood. ["Candidate chooses no-blight campaign", "Winnipeg Free Press", 16 April 1995.] She received 1,216 votes (13.69%), finishing third against New Democratic Party incumbent Daryl Reid.

Footnotes