Quick Facts
Biography
Michael Luchkovich (November 13, 1892 – April 21, 1973) was a teacher, author and Canadian federal politician. He served as a Canada's first Member of Parliament of Ukrainian origin from 1926 to 1935.
Early life
His father immigrated from the Ukraine to Pennsylvania where he worked as a miner and where Michael was born and spent his first ten years. The family then moved to Canada where Michael's father operated a hotel.
Michael Luchkovich graduated high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba and then studied at the University of Calgary where he obtained a political science degree and at the Calgary Normal School where he earned his qualifications as a teacher.
Political career
Luchkovich ran as a United Farmers of Alberta candidate and was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1926 Canadian federal election. His election made him the first person of Ukrainian descent to be elected to Federal Parliament and he became a national spokesman for Canada's 200,000 Ukrainians, speaking against discrimination. He ran for re-election in the 1930 Canadian federal election defeating Liberal challenger Charles Gorden by a 1010 vote plurality to win his second term in office. He was defeated by Social Credit candidate William Hayhurst in the 1935 Canadian federal election.
He was a founding member of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and it was as a standard-bearer of the new party that he was defeated in the 1935 election.
Published works and honors
Luchkovich also was a writer and translator of Ukrainian literature into English and edited Their Land, an anthology of Ukrainian short stories.
He wrote two autobiographical works:
- A Ukrainian Canadian in Parliament. Toronto : Ukrainian Canadian Research Foundation, 1965. 128 p.
- My memoirs, 1892-1962. s.l . : s.n., 1963?. 204 leaves.
The Michael Luchkovich Scholarships For Career Development are named in his honor and awarded three times each year.
An award in Michael Luchkovich's name was created in 1986 and given annually to Alberta parliamentarians of Ukrainian descent who perform exemplary public service.