As the Queen's representative, Hnatyshyn proved to be a populist, reversing some exclusive policies of his predecessor, such as opening up Rideau Hall to ordinary Canadians and tourists alike, and was praised for raising the stature of Ukrainian Canadians.

Per tradition, and with the consent of his family, Hnatyshyn lay in state for two days in the Senate chamber, and, though he was Ukrainian Orthodox, he was commemorated in his state funeral in a multi-faith ceremony on December 23, 2002 at Ottawa's Christ Church Cathedral.

The Ukrainian Canadians had and have much more influence in Canadian society and policy than any other East European group ; therefore they have had several prominent figures in top positions: Ray Hnatyshyn was the 24th Governor General of Canada ( 1990 – 1995 ) and the first Governor General of Ukrainian descent.

While not having any official or unofficial status as a national cathedral, as with Washington National Cathedral in Washington D. C., it is nevertheless frequently the venue for state funerals for non-Roman Catholic notable persons, such as former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson ( who was United Church ) and former Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn ( who was Ukrainian Orthodox ).

Ramon John Hnatyshyn (; March 16, 1934December 18, 2002 ), commonly known as Ray Hnatyshyn, was a Canadian politician and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 24th since Canadian Confederation.

Hnatyshyn was born and educated in Saskatchewan and also served in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets prior to being elected to the House of Commons in 1974, whereafter he served as a minister of the Crown in two non-successive governments until 1988.

Hnatyshyn attended Victoria Public School and Nutana Collegiate Institute, and enrolled in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, where he was placed in the Spitfire Squadron in Saskatoon and given the designation Air Cadet # 107.

Further, he founded the International Council for Canadian Studies, the Governor General Ramon John Hnatyshyn Education Fund, the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law, and the Governor General's International Award for Canadian Studies.

Throughout his tenure as the Canadian viceroy, Hnatyshyn was both defended and criticised by the Monarchist League of Canada.

Various memorials followed Hnatyshyn's death: On March 16, 2004, Canada Post unveiled at a ceremony, attended by Hnatyshyn's widow, a $ 0. 49 postage stamp designed by Vancouver graphic artist Susan Mavor, and bearing the formal portrait of Hnatyshyn taken by Canadian Press photographer Paul Chaisson on the day Hnatyshyn became governor general, along with a tone-on-tone rendering of part of Hnatyshyn's coat of arms.

They were initiated in 1992 by then Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn, and winners receive $ 25, 000 and a medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint.

* March 12-Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn proclaims a constitutional amendment adding section 16. 1 to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Bleu celeste can be seen in the coat of arms of Argentina, Peru and also in the arms of the Canadian Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn.

In 1992, Deputy Minister of Defence Robert Fowler announced he was recommending to Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn that he disband the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Special Emergency Response Team ( SERT ) and create a new military counter-terrorism group.

On September 15, 1994, at the recommendation of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn appointed Carstairs to the Canadian Senate.

In 1990, she was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn.

Pressured by Getty and Reform, with Deborah Grey promising that if " we don't get this seat, we'll get 10 in the next election ", Prime Minister Brian Mulroney agreed to advise Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn to appoint Waters to the Canadian Senate.

* In 1993, he was the first winner of the Canadian Bar Association's Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law.

In 1999, he was awarded the Canadian Bar Association's Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law in recognition of " outstanding contribution to the law or legal scholarship in Canada ".

They were initiated in 1992 by then Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn and the first recipient was Gweneth Lloyd, co-founder of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

She was in 1984 appointed as governor general by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau, to replace Edward Richard Schreyer as vicereine, and she occupied the post until succeeded by Ray Hnatyshyn in 1990.

On June 4, 1979, Hnatyshyn was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, giving him the accordant style of The Honourable ; however, as a former governor general of Canada, Hnatyshyn was entitled to be styled for life with the superior form of The Right Honourable.

It was on December 14, 1989 announced from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada that Queen Elizabeth II had, by commission under the royal sign-manual and Great Seal of Canada, approved Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's choice of Hnatyshyn to succeed Jeanne Sauvé as the Queen's representative.

This lack of loyalty, it was argued, left Hnatyshyn with few defenders when he was targeted by members of the Reform Party for his salary and taxes.

A statue of Hnatyshyn that was created in 1992 by Bill Epp, and which stands on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

In 2002 he was installed as Chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa, however, only months later, shortly before Christmas, Hnatyshyn died of pancreatitis.

Hnatyshyn was then buried at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.

Two years later, a 48 minute documentary DVD examining the life of Hnatyshyn, A Man for all Canadians was released in Canada by IKOR Film.

He was in 1994 appointed as governor general by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien, to replace Ramon John Hnatyshyn as viceroy, and he occupied the post until succeeded by Adrienne Clarkson in 1999, citing his health as the reason for his stepping down.

It was announced from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada on November 22, 1994 that Queen Elizabeth II had, by commission under the royal sign-manual and Great Seal of Canada, approved Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's choice of LeBlanc to succeed Ray Hnatyshyn as the Queen's representative.

* December 18-Ray Hnatyshyn, politician and 24th Governor General of Canada ( born 1934 )

In 1990 Mulroney nominated Ray Hnatyshyn, an MP from Saskatoon and a former Cabinet minister, to be Governor General ( 1990 – 1995 ).

Following the dissolution of parliament that saw his riding abolished, Hnatyshyn won a commons seat for the riding of Saskatoon West, for which he served as representative until he lost his position in the election of 1988.

Ukrainians were also elected leaders of Canada's prairie provinces in alternating order: Gary Filmon was Premier of Manitoba ( 1988 – 1999 ), nearly simultaneously with Hnatyshyn ; and Roy Romanow was Premier of Saskatchewan ( 1991 – 2001 ), also partly at the same time as Filmon and Hnatyshyn.

On January 9, 1960, Hnatyshyn married Karen Gerda Nygaard Andreasen, eventually having and raising two sons with her.

The Long Gallery's Chinoiserie decoration was restored in 1993 at the direction of Gerda Hnatyshyn, wife of Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn, putting back much of the furniture and artifacts that had been collected by the Machioness of Willingdon throughout her tour of China in 1926.

In addition, two complementary awards are given: The Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts, recognizing the voluntary services to the performing arts by an individual or group, and the National Arts Centre Award, which recognizes an individual artist's or company's work during the past performance year.

In these veins, he established in 1992 the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Arts, and the Governor General's Flight For Freedom Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literacy.

* 18 Ramon John Hnatyshyn, 68, former Governor-General of Canada, pancreatitis.

* January 29-Ramon John Hnatyshyn replaces Jeanne Sauvé as governor general

< td > Ramon John Hnatyshyn </ td >

In 1995, he was awarded the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts.

The ex-officio Companions, which currently comprise Edward Schreyer, Lily Schreyer, Gerda Hnatyshyn, Diana Fowler LeBlanc, Adrienne Clarkson, John Ralston Saul, Michaëlle Jean, Jean-Daniel Lafond, David Johnston, Sharon Johnston and Queen Elizabeth II, are not counted toward the maximum number of Companions.