Michael Starr
Encyclopedia
Michael Starr, PC
(born Michael Starchewsky) (November 14, 1910 – March 16, 2000) was a Canadian
politician and the first Canadian cabinet minister of Ukrainian
descent, his parents having immigrated from Ukraine, then a part of the Russian Empire
.
from 1944 to 1949. From 1949 to 1952, he was the mayor of Oshawa. In 1951
, he ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
.
First elected to the House of Commons
in 1952 as a Progressive Conservative
, Starr was re-elected six times until he was narrowly defeated in the 1968 election
by future New Democratic Party
(NDP) leader Ed Broadbent
. Starr served as Minister of Labour
in the government of John George Diefenbaker from 1957 to 1963, and served as Opposition
House Leader
from 1965 to 1968.
In 1967, Starr stood as a candidate at the PC leadership convention
, but was eliminated on the second ballot.
When Robert Stanfield
became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1967, Starr became Leader of the Opposition
for two months until Stanfield won a seat in the House through a by-election
. He lost his seat by fifteen votes in 1968
to Ed Broadbent
, failing to retake it in 1972
.
From 1968 to 1972, he was a citizenship court judge in Toronto. Starr was appointed chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board of Ontario
in 1973, and served in that position until 1980.http://www.vindicator.ca/In_Memorys_Eye/4_Honourable_Members_2.asp
In 1979, Starr was appointed Honorary Colonel
of The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)
, a reserve armoured regiment based in Oshawa, Ontario. He held this appointment until 1983.
He was invested into The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, (Order of St. John
to use its short title) as an Officer and subsequently promoted to the grade of Commander. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
, Canadian Centennial Medal
, and the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
.
In 1983, an Ontario government building was named in Starr's honour. The Michael J. Starr building at 33 King St W in Oshawa
is seven floors, each floor with an acre of working space.
Starr is remembered for his work in furthering the cause of ethnic groups and minorities. He helped to build the policy of old age pensions for the Progressive Conservatives. He worked to make the national employment service more humane in its approach to the unemployed and, in his tenure as minister, extended unemployment insurance benefits to women and seasonal workers, and extended federal financial assistance to the provinces under the vocational training coordination act.
He was predeceased by his wife Anne Zaritsky, whom he married in 1933, and his son, Dr. Robert Starr. His daughter, Joan Nicol, survived him.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born Michael Starchewsky) (November 14, 1910 – March 16, 2000) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and the first Canadian cabinet minister of 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...
descent, his parents having immigrated from Ukraine, then a part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
Biography
Born in Copper Cliff, Ontario, he was an Alderman for the City of OshawaOshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
from 1944 to 1949. From 1949 to 1952, he was the mayor of Oshawa. In 1951
Ontario general election, 1951
The Ontario general election of 1951 was held on November 22, 1951, to elect the 90 members of the 24th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, he ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
.
First elected to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in 1952 as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, Starr was re-elected six times until he was narrowly defeated in the 1968 election
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
by future New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) leader Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
. Starr served as Minister of Labour
Minister of Labour (Canada)
The Minister of Labour is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for setting national labour standards and federal labour dispute mechanisms...
in the government of John George Diefenbaker from 1957 to 1963, and served as Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
House Leader
House Leader
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament and an expert in parliamentary procedure...
from 1965 to 1968.
In 1967, Starr stood as a candidate at the PC leadership convention
Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 1967
The 1967 Progressive Conservative leadership election was held to choose a leader for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. The convention was held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 4th and 9th, 1967...
, but was eliminated on the second ballot.
When Robert Stanfield
Robert Stanfield
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1967, Starr became Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Canada)
The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , or simply the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of Canada's Official Opposition, the party with the most seats in the House of Commons that is not a member of the government...
for two months until Stanfield won a seat in the House through a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. He lost his seat by fifteen votes in 1968
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
to Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
, failing to retake it in 1972
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
.
From 1968 to 1972, he was a citizenship court judge in Toronto. Starr was appointed chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board of Ontario
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
The Workplace Safety & Insurance Board was established in 1914. It is a workers' compensation insurer for Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are located in Toronto, Ontario.-History:...
in 1973, and served in that position until 1980.http://www.vindicator.ca/In_Memorys_Eye/4_Honourable_Members_2.asp
In 1979, Starr was appointed Honorary Colonel
Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a captain of the Navy. A colonel is the highest rank of senior officer...
of The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)
The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)
The Ontario Regiment is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Forces Land Force Command. The unit is based in downtown Oshawa, Ontario...
, a reserve armoured regiment based in Oshawa, Ontario. He held this appointment until 1983.
He was invested into The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, (Order of St. John
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
to use its short title) as an Officer and subsequently promoted to the grade of Commander. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
, Canadian Centennial Medal
Canadian Centennial Medal
The Canadian Centennial Medal is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and was awarded to Canadians who were recommended by governments and professional, educational and cultural associations, as well as...
, and the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II...
.
In 1983, an Ontario government building was named in Starr's honour. The Michael J. Starr building at 33 King St W in Oshawa
Oshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
is seven floors, each floor with an acre of working space.
Starr is remembered for his work in furthering the cause of ethnic groups and minorities. He helped to build the policy of old age pensions for the Progressive Conservatives. He worked to make the national employment service more humane in its approach to the unemployed and, in his tenure as minister, extended unemployment insurance benefits to women and seasonal workers, and extended federal financial assistance to the provinces under the vocational training coordination act.
He was predeceased by his wife Anne Zaritsky, whom he married in 1933, and his son, Dr. Robert Starr. His daughter, Joan Nicol, survived him.