(Park Funeral Home/paNOW Obituaries)

By Susan McNeil

Myron Kowalsky

Former teacher, MLA Myron Kowalsky had a wonderful life: Don Cody

Jun 10, 2022 | 11:51 AM

A long-time resident of Prince Albert, a teacher at Carlton High School and provincial politician Myron Kowalsky has passed away.

Another former provincial politician and current city councillor, Don Cody, said that Kowalsky was an amazing person.

“He was just one of the kinds of guys you could always talk to. Myron would listen to you and he would have his say and we would have our say and it was a very, very great experience,” said Cody.

“He was one of the finest guys you ever want to meet. You never heard him raise his voice or anything like that. He was always a gentleman.”

As the MLA for Prince Albert – Carlton, Kowalsky was instrumental in securing the funding to build the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts, which welcomes all travellers to Prince Albert coming from the north.

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Kowalsky and Eldon Lautermilch were city MLAs in the NDP government of the day and both worked to get provincial and federal money to construct the building, completed almost 20 years ago.

“Today it is there as a shining example of what people can do when they work together,” Cody said.

Kowalsky was first elected in 1986 and then re-elected continuously, leaving office in 2007.

During his time in the Legislature, he was government whip, Speaker of the House and chaired multiple boards and committees.

He was born Peter Myron Kowalsky on July 11, 1941, in North Battleford, attending school there but graduating in Saskatoon.

As a youth, he joined the Sea Cadets and learned to love sailing and tying knots, spending time in various sports and activities.

One activity was the Ukrainian dance ensemble, the Yevshan Dancers, but he balanced that out with time in 4-H.

A trained teacher, he met his future wife Olesia Kindrachuk on a university school trip to Prince Albert.

Kowalsky started his teaching career in Quill Lake but then relocated to Prince Albert in 1967, where he and Olesia started their family, having two daughters.

He taught at Riverside Collegiate but then moved to Carlton Comprehensive where he remained until 1986 when he became MLA.

His Ukrainian ties were strong, with time spent in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s choir and as a board member of the TYC and Ukrainian Museum of Canada.

In teaching and political careers, Kowalsky visited Ukraine many times and observed the 2004 presidential election along with the 2014 Maidan Revolution.

He passed away peacefully at home on June 8, 2022, and is survived by his wife, his daughters; Lisa Leis and Lara Kowalsky, two grandchildren, his siblings and nieces and nephews.

His funeral is Monday, June 13 at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Holy Trinity in Saskatoon.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com