W. A. Kardash
Encyclopedia
William A. Kardash (June 10, 1912 in Hafford
, Saskatchewan
– January 17, 1997) was a politician and member of the Manitoba
legislature
.
Kardash was a veteran of the Spanish Civil War
, having fought with the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
. He was a member of the Communist Party of Canada
and, after 1943 the Labour Progressive Party which was the legal front of the Communist Party after it was banned. Kardash became the first leader of the Manitoba LPP in 1943, and retained the position until 1948 when he resigned for health reasons.
In 1941 he was elected to the provincial legislature as a representative of Winnipeg's working class
North End and was re-elected in 1945, 1949 and 1953. He was defeated in the 1958 general election, due in part to the pressures of the Cold War
and due in part to the abolition of multi-member constituencies requiring him to contest a single-member seat for the first time.
The LPP's support base declined after 1945, and Kardash was the only candidate to run for the party in the Manitoba elections of 1953
and 1958
. After his defeat, the LPP would never again elect a candidate to the legislature.
Kardash ran in Point Douglas
in 1969 for the (renamed) Communist Party of Manitoba
, but received only 421 votes.
Kardash remained active in Winnipeg's Ukrainian
community for the rest of his life. In 1995, he attended a public dedication ceremony at the Ontario
legislature which honoured the veterans of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
.
After Kardash's death in 1997, the Manitoba legislature held a moment of silence in his honour.
Hafford, Saskatchewan
-Education:The Hafford community was served firstly by the Whiteberry School District which constructed their school building over two years 1906-1908, opening in 1909 followed by the Rus School District opening 1910. In this area, the Alberton School District, Gooseberry School District, Slawa...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
– January 17, 1997) was a politician and member of the 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...
legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
.
Kardash was a veteran of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, having fought with the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
The Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the XV International Brigade on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Except for France, no other country gave a greater proportion of its population as volunteers in Spain than Canada. The...
. He was a member of the Communist Party of Canada
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
and, after 1943 the Labour Progressive Party which was the legal front of the Communist Party after it was banned. Kardash became the first leader of the Manitoba LPP in 1943, and retained the position until 1948 when he resigned for health reasons.
In 1941 he was elected to the provincial legislature as a representative of Winnipeg's 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...
North End and was re-elected in 1945, 1949 and 1953. He was defeated in the 1958 general election, due in part to the pressures of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and due in part to the abolition of multi-member constituencies requiring him to contest a single-member seat for the first time.
The LPP's support base declined after 1945, and Kardash was the only candidate to run for the party in the Manitoba elections of 1953
Manitoba general election, 1953
Manitoba's general election of June 8, 1953 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. This was the first election held in Manitoba after the breakup of a ten-year coalition government led by the Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives...
and 1958
Manitoba general election, 1958
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1958 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was the first to be held in Manitoba after a comprehensive electoral redistribution in 1956...
. After his defeat, the LPP would never again elect a candidate to the legislature.
Kardash ran in Point Douglas
Point Douglas
Point Douglas is a part of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, surrounded by a bend in the Red River. It is the namesake of a larger city ward, represented by a member of Winnipeg City Council...
in 1969 for the (renamed) Communist Party of Manitoba
Communist Party of Canada (in Manitoba)
The Communist Party of Canada was founded in 1921. It was an illegal organization for several years, and its meetings were conducted with great secrecy. Until 1924, the "Workers Party" functioned as its public, legal face...
, but received only 421 votes.
Kardash remained active in Winnipeg's Ukrainian
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...
community for the rest of his life. In 1995, he attended a public dedication ceremony at the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
legislature which honoured the veterans of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
The Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the XV International Brigade on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Except for France, no other country gave a greater proportion of its population as volunteers in Spain than Canada. The...
.
After Kardash's death in 1997, the Manitoba legislature held a moment of silence in his honour.
External links
- Hansard Condolences made in the Manitoba legislature on the death of Bill Kardash (part way down the page).