Discovering My Roots

About Me

My name is James  Onyschuk and was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I grew up living over a grocery store in the Parkdale area of Toronto, where I attended Alexander Muir and Queen Victoria public schools and Parkdale Collegiate Institute.

During those school years I worked a number of jobs including: bagging groceries in my parent’s store, pin-setting in a bowling alley, pushing a broom at my old public school, filing books in a library, grocery store clerking at a large grocery store, being an Usher at Massey Hall and various stints working for book money at the annual Canadian National Exhibition.

In grade thirteen, I decided that a school room was a boring place to spend my time and that the working world needed me; so I dropped out of Parkdale. I got a job as a Wharehouseman at ‘General Steel Wares’ in Toronto. Here I experienced my first lay-off. Next I became an Electrician Apprentice, where I experienced my second lay-off. Finally, I secured a job at the ‘Canadian National Railroad’, where for five years I worked as a Wharehouseman, Waybill Clerk and Vehicle-motorman Helper. At CNR, I became very active in Locals 26 and 327 of the “Canadian Brotherhood of Railroad, Transport and General Workers Union”. During this time I served as Recording Secretary, Political Education Chairman, Education Chairman, Local Newsletter Editor, local 26’s delegate to the Toronto & District Labour Council and later Vice-President of Local 327. I was also active in the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Youth Movement (CCFYM), which in 1961, became the New Democratic Party Youth Movement. I was an active demonstrator against the “Bomb”, the Vietnam War and was involved in many other demonstrations, including one to free Nelson Mandela, in 1964, the year that he was first incarcerated in Robben Island Prison.

I was tiring of the “Work World” and longing for a return to those idyllic school days, when my brother Nick pointed out an article about a new program being offered at the University of Guelph for “mature students.” I applied and was soon enjoying the hallowed halls of the academia. I was now enrolled at the University of Guelph, where I eventually obtained a degree in Economics after I took a wide range of courses. If a course had an impressive title, I would sign up. So I took courses in astronomy, bio-chemistry, philosophy, calculus and linear algebra, economics and econometrics. The least impressive title was “Music Appreciation.” To pay my way, I worked part-time and sometimes full-time as a waiter/bouncer in a number of hotels and taverns in Guelph. I also worked as a bartender at the University of Guelph at the University President’s house for social gatherings and at a restaurant, on campus.

It was while working at “The Wellington Hotel” that I met Joanne Miko, my future wife. She entered the tavern area, just after I had extricated a few rowdy patrons and she had to witness a messy room with broken beer glasses, spilled beer, upset chairs and some blood-spatter on my torn shirt–what an introduction! At first, I was dismissive of her, thinking that she was a dilettantish, “petty-bourgeois” chick.  I subsequently found out that her father, a “salt of the earth” type,  had been active in the Toronto Outside Workers’ local of CUPE and had driven a street sweeper and garbage truck. She was redeemed in my eyes. Joanne would go on to complete a Masters Degree in Labour History doing her thesis on “The Rise and Fall of the Canadian Seaman’s Union.” We were soon living together and have been together ever since that fateful meeting day in 1970.

After obtaining a degree in economics I was doing some make-up courses to qualify for an MA Program when I received a call from my brother Nick about a union needing an economist with some union experience. I jumped at the opportunity and was soon working as a Research Officer for the “Civil Service Association of Ontario.” Soon afterwords it was renamed the “Ontario Public Service Employees Union.” (OPSEU). My next job in OPSEU was as Education Officer, where I was responsible for developing union-related courses and organizing week-end and week-long schools. The union was expanding and advertised a  Classification Officer trainee position. I asked the department head, if Joanne could apply since we weren’t married. He said okay and soon Joanne was working in a nearby office. We didn’t let on to other staffers that we were living “common-law” and for years very few people knew, until we were officially married. Joanne would eventually become a Negotiator for the Union. I was later reclassified to Education/Research Officer, where I continued to develope and arrange courses as well as prepare research briefs for negotiations, replies to government proposals and comments on government budgets. Joanne and I worked a total of 53 years for OPSEU, (me for 27 years and Joanne for 26 years), before we retired on the same day in 2000.

In the previous few years to my retirement, I had developed an interest in writing a family history about my father and his six brothers. They had been orphaned in 1918 and had lived rich, full lives, overcoming many obstacles to raise successful families. Their story had to be told.

When my uncle Mike, the last of the brothers, died on March 7, 1998, I vowed that I would do my utmost to honour their memory.  Now that I was retired, I had no excuse and started to research my father’s life. First I had to learn some new research skills that were related to genealogy and doing a family history. I searched the web for Ukrainian genealogy groups and came across the Toronto Ukrainian Genealogy Group (TUGG). On May 8, 2001, I attended my first meeting of TUGG. Sonia van Heerden spoke on “Resources in the USA for Canadian/Ukrainian Research.” I was now bitten by the genealogy bug and became very active in pursuing this new avocation in my life. I have learned many new skills in this pursuit, including web design and how to research both sides of the “pond.” I have even taken up to learning Ukrainian, something I knew nothing about, in order to be able to speak to potential relatives in Ukraine.

While my original purpose was to research my family roots and tell their story, I have also had a lot of pleasure in volunteering my time and knowledge in helping others with their search. Many people will give up even starting a search based on someone telling them, “Our village was destroyed, there are no records.” Guess what folks! There are plenty of records available and more coming online as I write.

This Blog is another tool that I hope will help in my search and hopefully yours as well.