Stanley Haidasz

Haidasz was born to Polish parents who immigrated to Canada in 1910 from Stanislawów.

He studied medicine.

Stanley Haidasz, (March 4, 1923 – August 6, 2009) was a Canadian politician and physician.

After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1951, he did post-graduate work in cardiology at the University of Chicago.

Haidasz entered politics when he ran in the 1957 election, and became the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto riding of Trinity.

He was defeated in the 1958 election in which John Diefenbaker led the Progressive Conservative Party to a landslide victory.

He served as parliamentary secretary to a number of ministers in the 1960s.

Haidasz returned to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1962 election, now representing the Toronto riding of Parkdale.

In 1964, he served as head of Canada's delegation to the World Food Program in Geneva, and as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly.

In 1972, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Canada's first Minister of State for multiculturalism and served in that position until 1974.

During his career, Haidasz was instrumental in the passage of Medicare, the Canada Pension Plan and Income Supplement, the Clean Air Act and other legislation.

He also initiated the Anti-Smoking Tobacco Bill.

He retained his seat through five succeeding elections until 1978 when he became the first Canadian of Polish descent to be appointed to the Senate of Canada.

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau recommended his appointment to the Senate to Governor General Jules Léger.

He retired from the Senate in 1998 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.

He was awarded a Commander Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 1998.

There is a Stanley Haidasz fonds at Library and Archives Canada.