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John Ostashek

1936 – 2007

Canadian politician

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About John Ostashek

Lived 1936 – 2007 (aged 71). John Ostashek was a Canadian politician.

John Ostashek (May 10, 1936 – June 10, 2007) was a Yukon politician. An entrepreneur, he was elected leader of the Yukon Party in June 1992 and led it to victory in the fall 1992 election in which he also won a seat in the legislature for the first time.

Ostashek declined to use the title Premier adopted by his predecessor, Tony Penikett and preferred to be called Government Leader. Ostashek's minority government, which was kept in power with the support of right leaning independent MLAs, was a conservative one which instituted welfare reform and a reduction of public services. Soon after coming into power, his government signed land claims agreements with four First Nations communities in the Yukon which had been negotiated by the previous government.

Ostashek's Yukon Party lost the 1996 election to the Yukon NDP though he retained his seat and became leader of the opposition. In the 2000 election however his Yukon Party was again defeated, this time by the Liberals with Ostashek losing his own seat. He subsequently resigned as Yukon Party leader and retired from politics.

He died on June 10, 2007, from cancer in Vancouver, after having been medevaced from Whitehorse the week before.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, Premier of Yukon

People in John Ostashek's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Ostashek's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Ostashek?

Canadian politician

When was John Ostashek born?

John Ostashek was born on 10 May 1936 in High Prairie.

When did John Ostashek die?

John Ostashek died on 10 June 2007 in Vancouver.

What was John Ostashek's occupation?

John Ostashek was a politician.

What nationality was John Ostashek?

John Ostashek was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Ostashek

· Wikidata: Q3182225

· DBpedia: John Ostashek

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Ostashek. https://biography.guide/john-ostashek/

MLA: "John Ostashek." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-ostashek/.

Chicago: "John Ostashek." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-ostashek/.

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