32 Facts About Stephen Juba

Stephen Juba was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1953 to 1959, and served as the 37th Mayor of Winnipeg from 1957 to 1977.

Stephen Juba was the first Ukrainian Canadian to hold high political office in the city.

Stephen Juba was born in Winnipeg to Gregory Juba and Sophia Mosata who both came from Horokok, Ukraine.

Stephen Juba married Jennie Brow on April 14,1946 at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church in Brooklands, Manitoba.

Stephen Juba worked in odd jobs for several years and started two small businesses before he was twenty-one: Weston Builders Ltd.

Stephen Juba was largely unsuccessful as a businessman until 1945, when he started a wholesale distributing firm called Keystone Supply Ltd, which would make him wealthy.

Stephen Juba ran as an independent candidate in Winnipeg North Centre in the June 1949 Canadian federal election, against rising CCF star Stanley Knowles.

Stephen Juba later acknowledged that he did not expect to win, but entered the race "to gain experience" and "to be educated by an expert".

Stephen Juba received only 694 votes, finishing a very distant fourth.

Stephen Juba finished eighth with 1015 votes on the first ballot, and was eliminated on the fourth count.

Stephen Juba ran for the Winnipeg City Council in 1950 and 1952, and came surprisingly close to winning on the second occasion.

Stephen Juba challenged Winnipeg mayor Garnet Coulter later in 1952, and received 28,000 votes to Coulter's 38,000; CCF candidate Donovan Swailes finished third with 22,000.

Stephen Juba called for reform of the province's liquor laws during this campaign.

Stephen Juba finished second in Winnipeg Centre, and secured election on the eighth count.

Stephen Juba was re-elected as an MLA in the provincial election of 1958, this time defeating CCF candidate Art Coulter in the redistributed, single-member riding of Logan.

Stephen Juba did not seek re-election again when it fell in 1959.

Stephen Juba chose instead to concentrate on his responsibilities at city hall.

Stephen Juba had been elected mayor of Winnipeg in 1956.

Stephen Juba ran for the mayor's office again in 1956, and was successful.

Stephen Juba would serve as mayor from then until 1977.

On election day, Stephen Juba received 46,197 votes to Sharpe's 44,266.

Stephen Juba was skilled at using the media to win support for his causes.

Stephen Juba was a strong promoter of Winnipeg on the world stage: in 1967, he oversaw the Pan-American Games in the city.

Stephen Juba supported the amalgamation of Winnipeg during the late 1960s.

Not surprisingly, Stephen Juba himself was elected the first mayor of the unified city in 1971.

Stephen Juba was opposed by the city's right-wing Independent Citizens' Election Committee during the 1970s, and frequently clashed with ICEC leader and Deputy Mayor Bernie Wolfe.

In 1966, Stephen Juba considered running in the provincial riding of Inkster against New Democrat Len Stevens, but withdrew after Sidney Green replaced Stevens as the NDP candidate.

Stephen Juba was initially a candidate for re-election in the mayoral election of 1977, but unexpectedly withdrew at the last moment.

Stephen Juba made another unexpected foray into electoral politics in the provincial election of 1981, running as an independent candidate in his old riding of Logan.

Stephen Juba was resoundingly defeated by NDP candidate Maureen Hemphill, and did not attempt any further comebacks after this.

The Stephen Juba Park was opened in Winnipeg in 1984.

Stephen Juba died at home in Petersfield in 1993 at the age of 78.