The Globe and Mail, Thursday, September 2, 2010 S7 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OBITUARIES DESK: 416-585-5066 FAX: 416-585-5699 [email protected] Obituaries DEATH NOTICES: 416-585-5111 JOHN YAREMKO, 91 8 CABINET MINISTER, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE As a minister in the John Robarts government, John Yaremko (pictured circa 1963) drew on his experience of poverty, advocating scholarships, health care, and independent living for the disabled. THE GLOBE AND MAIL Ontario politician believed society had an obligation to help those in need The first Ukrainian to win election in Ontario, Yaremko championed ethnic communities and presided over social services expansion BY FRANK B. EDWARDS sort of a seed that even at the rent federal MP Borys Wrzes- Former premier Davis says, everyone knew it … Croatians age of 14, the boy was consci- newskyj noted that his “It was obvious that he was and Italians … It was unbe- s successful as he was, ous of important institutions.” Ukrainian grandmother had trying to help and not to try to " lievable. He held great respect John Yaremko never for- A quiet, serious student with flowers personally delivered make political points. He was I was proud to be in the ethnic communities Agot the stigma of being a a ready smile, Yaremko gradu- every Easter for the rest of her just a really decent person.” way beyond the Ukrainian. He poor immigrant kid. Shortly ated from high school with life after she allowed Yaremko As a cabinet minister, Ya- progressive. I was never on spent his life cutting ribbons after he became Ontario’s more scholarships than he to hang campaign signs on her remko brought his own expe- the right. I don’t know for all sorts of ethnic events.” Minister of Public Welfare in was able to use in eight years fence. rience of poverty to the policy Yaremko-Jarvis recalls her 1967, he dropped the word at the University of Toronto “… A group of hooligans table. He advocated for pro- what it means to be on the uncle fondly, describing his “welfare” from the ministry’s and Osgoode Hall. He spent knocked down the fence along vincial scholarships, health right. I’ve been hungry in and his wife’s thriftiness. Her lexicon. his summers working on local with the Yaremko signs,” he care and a measure of inde- aunt Mary shopped at Holt A few years later, when in- farms and at Stelco. recalled. “John came to my pendent living for the disabled my time. Renfrew but only on sale days, vited to address an Empire He was called to the bar in grandmother to apologize, of- through pensions and subsid- John Yaremko and downtown meals usually Club luncheon at the Royal 1946, a year after he married fering to fix the fence. She re- ized housing. involved department-store York Hotel as a last-minute Mary Materyn, a registered fused and told him to leave In 1965, he was instrumental lunch counters or fast-food substitute for a tardy guest nurse from Montreal whom he the fence lying on the ground in convincing the City of To- burgers. speaker, he challenged the met at church. He was offered for the duration of the cam- ronto to donate land for the The couple often drove a roomful of privileged diners to a position at a prestigious Bay paign.” construction of Bellwoods rental car around the province reconsider their notion of wel- Street law firm if he would an- Yaremko was the first Ukrai- Park House, a 61-room home " in search of Upper Canadian fare recipients. glicize his name, but he re- nian to win an election in On- for adults with cerebral palsy, He was close to the antique furniture and glass- “Our experience does not fused. tario, and he held the seat and maintained a personal in- ware, insisting on paying mar- support the view that anyone “He told me that story,” says until he retired in 1975. terest in its residents from the Ukrainian community but ket value to farm families who outside the labour force who his niece Hélène Jarvis-Yarem- He had a reputation for fol- opening day in 1967. It was also many others in the didn’t realize the value of the receives social assistance is ei- ko, also a lawyer, “but he lowing his conscience, even if considered the first indepen- old stuff they were selling. In ther lazy, a failure or in some would never tell me which it meant wandering into other dent residence for adults with city. … He broadened the 2007, the Royal Ontario Muse- sense inferior,” he told his firm turned him down. He political jurisdictions. After physical disabilities in North base of the party. um added part of the Yaremko captive audience. Yaremko would never say anything bad the Soviet invasion of Hunga- America, and Yaremko be- collection of pressed and cut then explained that he was about anyone.” ry in 1956 displaced 200,000 came its honorary chairman Former Ontario premier glass to its Canadiana gallery. about to launch a program The newlyweds lived frugally people, he flew to Budapest up to his death. In 1983, the William Davis Following his 1975 retire- that would inform citizens of and eventually bought a sim- and then to Ottawa to argue centre was expanded into self- ment from politics, Yaremko their “right” to social assist- ple brick house near Spadina the case for action. Eventually, contained apartments and re- served as chairman of Onta- ance. Road and St. Clair Avenue in Canada accepted 38,000 refu- named the John Yaremko rio’s appeals tribunal for com- Former Ontario premier Wil- Toronto, across the street gees and Yaremko won the Centre for Community Living. in the city. His riding was one mercial liquor licences until liam Davis, recalling his cabi- from a mansion that had been hearts of Hungarian Cana- Yaremko visited often, dis- of the most diverse, I would 1985, after which he and his net colleague, says, “He converted into a rehabilitation dians for life. In 2007, the pensing chocolates at Christ- think, in Toronto at that time wife pursued philanthropic recognized that in any civiliz- hospital. Talking to the pa- Hungarian government mas and on Valentine’s Day. … He broadened the base of work for the Art Gallery of On- ed society, those who are tients, Yaremko learned that awarded him its Officer’s Cross During Yaremko’s time in the party.” tario, the Canadian Opera more fortunate have some injured veterans received pen- of the Order of Merit. cabinet, Ontario experienced One of Yaremko’s proudest Company and the ROM, as obligation to help those who sions but civilian accident vic- By 1958, Yaremko was pro- tremendous population accomplishments was helping well as special needs and mul- have less.” tims did not. It was an moted to minister without growth. Under Premier Ro- to establish ethnocentric nurs- ticultural communities. There John Yaremko died in his inequity that he later helped portfolio. He then moved on barts, hundreds of new ing homes across the province were always awards to be re- sleep of heart failure on Aug. change. to transport from 1958 to 1960. schools were built, health care so that seniors could enjoy liv- ceived, scholarships to give, 12 at Toronto’s Ukrainian Ca- In 1951, he turned his Ukrai- In 1960, Premier John Robarts was introduced and social pro- ing with their own traditions donations to be made and rib- nadian Care Centre, which he nian heritage into an asset made him senior member of grams expanded. Social assist- and foods. An early project bons to cut. helped establish in 2008. when he ran for Ontario’s Pro- cabinet with a promotion to ance recipients almost was a private rooming house Yaremko worked to intro- Born in Welland, Ont., in the gressive Conservatives in Bell- provincial secretary and regis- doubled from 80,000 to aimed at Ukrainian residents. duce Ukrainian studies into summer of 1918, Yaremko was woods, a working-class riding trar. 150,000 through the 1960s. As “I felt very strongly there universities, and brought the oldest son of Ukrainian with a large immigrant popu- Yaremko moved to the Pub- Social Services Minister, Ya- could be no discrimination,” Ukrainian students to Canada immigrants who arrived in the lation that was several blocks lic Welfare Ministry in 1966, remko claimed the welfare he recalled in 2005. “It had to to study democratic institu- Niagara region shortly before from his own residence. transforming it into Social system was “under the great- be available [to everyone]. But tions. This year, he had a chair the First World War. His par- Four years later, when city Family Services. In 1971, he be- est strain since the Depres- anybody who was going there in Ukrainian studies named in ents, Mary Boyetzko and alderman Allan Grossman, the came the province’s last pro- sion,” but he never apologized knew that they were going in- his honour at the University of George Yaremko, had both son of Russian immigrants, vincial secretary while also for its ballooning budget. He to a facility whose culture Toronto. grown up near the village of ran for the Tories in the neigh- heading the newly minted Ci- fought for federal funding and (and food) was going to be After his wife died in 2005, Rakovetz, but met in Canada. bouring ward of St. Andrew, tizenship Ministry. He finished got it in 1967 through the Can- Ukrainian …” he continued to live in the They had 11 children spread the two men refined their po- his career as Ontario’s first so- ada Assistance Plan, which Chinese, Greek, Polish and simple home they had shared over 19 years.