Steve Paproski PC (23 September 1928 – 3 December 1993) was a Canadian politician and professional football player. He played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1949 to 1954 and served as a federal Member of Parliament from 1968 to 1993.

Steve Paproski
Deputy Chair of the
Committees of the Whole
In office
5 November 1984 – 8 September 1993
SpeakerJohn Bosley
John Allen Fraser
Preceded byHal Herbert
Succeeded byShirley Maheu (1994)
Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport and Multiculturalism
In office
4 June 1979 – 2 March 1980
Prime MinisterJoe Clark
MinisterDavid MacDonald
Preceded byIona Campagnolo (as Minister of State (Fitness and Amateur Sport))
Succeeded byGerald Regan (as Minister of State (Sports))
Member of Parliament
for Edmonton North
(Edmonton Centre; 1968–1979)
In office
25 June 1968 – 25 October 1993
Preceded byRiding established
Succeeded byJohn Loney
Personal details
Born
Steven Eugene Paproski

(1928-09-23)23 September 1928
Lwów, Poland
Died3 December 1993(1993-12-03) (aged 65)
Political partyProgressive Conservative
RelativesKenneth Paproski
Carl Paproski
Edward Paproski

Early life

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Born in Lwów, Poland, he came to Edmonton, Alberta as a child. He attended the University of Arizona on a sports scholarship.

Pro football career

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He was a lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League from 1949 to 1954. In this role he became part of the Edmonton Eskimo alumni which would come to dominate Alberta political life in future decades. Among other Eskimos from this era who achieved prominence in politics are Alberta premiers Peter Lougheed and Don Getty, plus lieutenant governor the honourable Norman Kwong.[citation needed]

Political career

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In 1968, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the riding of Edmonton Centre. A Progressive Conservative, he was re-elected in 1972, and 1974. He was elected in 1979, 1980, 1984, and 1988 for Edmonton North. From 1976 to 1978, he was the Chief Opposition Whip. During Joe Clark's brief term as prime minister from 1979 to 1980, he was the Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport and Minister of State for Multiculturalism. During Brian Mulroney's terms as prime minister from 1984 to 1993, he was the deputy chair of Committees of the Whole. While in opposition, Steve served leader Robert Stanfield as deputy whip and later chief whip for the Progressive Conservative caucus.

Paproski was an ethnic Ukrainian and a Roman Catholic.[1][2] His brothers Kenneth Paproski and Carl Paproski also served as members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Ernest G. Mardon; Austin Albert Mardon (May 2012). Who's Who in Federal Politics in Alberta. Lulu.com. pp. 103–. ISBN 978-1-897472-19-4.
  2. ^ Steven Verrier (19 December 2018). Gene Kiniski: Canadian Wrestling Legend. McFarland. pp. 38–. ISBN 978-1-4766-7483-4.
  3. ^ Andrea Sands (21 January 2008). "School trustee a passionate children's advocate; Educator and counsellor Carl Paproski came from a highly political family". Edmonton Journal. p. A13.
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