Harry Harapiak (September 17, 1938 - November 14, 2000) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Howard Pawley. His brother Leonard Harapiak was also a cabinet minister in the Pawley administration, and his sister Rosann Wowchuk was a cabinet minister in the governments of Gary Doer and Greg Selinger and retired before the 2011 Manitoba election.
Harry Harapiak was educated at Minitonas College and Coniston Continuation; he did not attend university. He married Carol Anne Eastwood in 1962 in Coniston, Ontario and they had five children together - Marianne, Mark, Christine, Kelly and Chad. Harry served as a Kelsey School Board trustee in The Pas, Manitoba from 1973 to 1981.
He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1981, for the northern riding of The Pas. Pawley's NDP won a majority government in this election, and on January 30, 1985 Harapiak was appointed Minister of Northern Affairs with responsibility for the Communities Economic Development Fund Act and some aspects of the Manitoba Natural Resources Development Act. He was re-elected without difficulty in the 1986 election and kept in his portfolio, without the additional responsibilities. On February 4, 1987, he was appointed Minister of Government Services with responsibility for the Workers Compensation Act (except as regards Worker Advisers).
The New Democrats were unexpectedly defeated in the legislature in early 1988, and were defeated in the election which followed. Harry Harapiak was re-elected for The Pas, and sat in the opposition benches for the next two years. He did not run for re-election in 1990, and returned to his private career as a VIA Rail Canada engineer.
On May 19, 1984, Harry's eldest daughter Marianne married Todd Lamb, the grandson of Tom Lamb from The Pas, Manitoba.
April 13, 2005, Harry's daughter Christine Harapiak was appointed as a Judge in Manitoba.
Harry's eldest son Mark Harapiak is an actor based in Toronto. He has appeared in many productions at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Mark's wife, Blythe Wilson appeared in Mary Poppins on Broadway in 2011-2012.
Harry Harapiak died November 14, 2000.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Harapiak, Harry |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | Canadian politician |
| Date of birth | September 17, 1938 |
| Place of birth | Cowan, Manitoba |
| Date of death | November 14, 2000 |
| Place of death | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
Famous quotes containing the word harry:
“It is now many years that men have resorted to the forest for fuel and the materials of the arts: the New Englander and the New Hollander, the Parisian and the Celt, the farmer and Robin Hood, Goody Blake and Harry Gill; in most parts of the world, the prince and the peasant, the scholar and the savage, equally require still a few sticks from the forest to warm them and cook their food. Neither could I do without them.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)