Bernard Leo Korchinski

Who is Bernard Leo Korchinski?

Bernard Leo Korchinski was an educator and political figure in Saskatchewan. He represented Redberry from 1948 to 1952 and from 1956 to 1960 in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as a Liberal.

He was born in Beaver Hills, Saskatchewan, the son of Lev Korchinski and Pauline Hryciw, both Ukrainian immigrants. Korchinski was educated at St. Joseph's College in Yorkton. He taught school for 39 years in various locations including Ituna, Holdfast, Hafford, Rama, Speers and Regina. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. Korchinski was provincial director of the Emergency Measures Organization and served as a judge for the Saskatchewan Citizenship Court. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a founding member of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood. Korchinski wrote articles for the Ukrainski Visti newspaper in Edmonton and authored the book Pioneer Bishop about Nykyta Budka. He married Slawka Marak. Korchinski was defeated by Dmytro Zipchen of the CCF when he ran for reelection to the provincial assembly in 1952. He was awarded the Centennial Medal by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 2005. Korchinski died the following year in Regina at the age of 100.