Nicholas Stryk

Nicholas John Stryk (December 17, 1896^[1] in western Ukraine^[2] – July 11, 1950^[3]) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a Liberal-Progressive from 1941 to 1945, and again from 1949 until 1950.^[1]

Stryk was born to John Stryk and Katherine Steslimb, an Austrian family living in western Ukraine, and came to Canada in 1899. He was educated in Manitoba, and worked as a school teacher in Ladywood for twenty-six years.^[2] He was fluent in both English and Ukrainian. In 1921, he became a Notary Public^[4] and Commissioner.

He sought election to the Canadian House of Commons in the federal election of 1935 as a Liberal-Progressive, but finished third in Springfield against official Liberal candidate John Mouat Turner.^[5]

He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1941 provincial election, defeating CCF incumbent Herbert Sulkers^[1] by almost one thousand votes in the constituency of St. Clements. He served as a government backbencher in the parliament which followed.

Stryk sought re-election in the 1945 provincial election, but lost to CCF candidate Wilbert Doneleyko^[1] by 220 votes. Donelyko was later expelled from the CCF caucus for promoting anti-NATO views, and Stryk defeated him without difficulty in the 1949 election to return to the legislature.^[1]

He again served as a government backbencher, and died in office the following year.^[3] Stryk was in an ambulance on its way to Beausejour at the time of his death.^[2] He had been married to Elizabeth Neyedly just two months earlier.^[4]

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