Alex Atamanenko

Alex T. Atamanenko
Member of Parliament
for British Columbia Southern Interior
In office
January 23, 2006 – August 4, 2015
Preceded byJim Gouk
Succeeded byRiding Abolished
Personal details
Born (1945-01-24) January 24, 1945 (age 79)
New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Political partyNew Democratic Party
SpouseAnn Atamanenko
ResidenceCastlegar
EducationUniversity of British Columbia
University of Toronto
ProfessionTeacher

Alex T. Atamanenko (born January 24, 1945) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the House of Commons in 2006, winning the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior for the New Democratic Party in the 2006 federal election, and served in parliament until his retirement at the 2015 federal election. He is also a retired school teacher.

Biography

Atamanenko was born in New Westminster, and was educated at the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. Atamanenko has a bachelor's degree in physical education, a teaching diploma, and a Master of Arts degree in Russian. Atamanenko is a member of the British Columbia Retired Teachers Association. He taught Russian, French and English at a number of schools across Canada and the United States. He also has experience in recreation and physical education with a number of organizations, including the Boys' Clubs of Vancouver, the Canadian Forces Base in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, and for the Coquitlam and New Westminster recreation departments, where he was part-time leader and co-ordinator, as well as for the government of the Yukon as a co-ordinator for the Canada Games (1976–1977) and a recreation consultant (1977–1979). He was also a freelance translator, and is a karate instructor with the Castlegar Karate Club. Other community activities include involvement with the Canadian Youth Hostelling Association in Whitehorse and serving on the Coaching Council of Canada during the 1970s.

He contested the riding of Southern Interior, as it was called then, in the federal election of 2004; he lost narrowly to the incumbent Conservative MP, Jim Gouk.

Atamanenko contested the riding again in the 2006 federal election, which became open when Gouk left federal politics. His candidacy received a significant boost after the Conservative candidate, Derek Zeisman, was disowned by the party after being caught trying to smuggle alcohol across the U.S.–Canada border. Atamanenko won by over 13,000 votes. He was re-elected in the 2008 and 2011 elections, in the latter case gaining 50.9% of valid ballots cast in his riding.

Atamanenko paid homage to NDP leader Jack Layton after his bout with cancer, saying "Jack was the epitome of a trustworthy, honourable politician who inspired many Canadians, regardless of their political allegiance. He cared deeply about our country, and he really gave his life to it. Jack appealed to the best in people. He gave so many young people, who are rightly critical of many aspects of our electoral system, something to believe in, something to hope for in what he was trying to achieve and the vision he shared with so many in our party."[1]

Electoral record

2011 Canadian federal election: British Columbia Southern Interior
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Alex Atamanenko 25,176 50.9 +3.4
Conservative Stephen Hill 19,276 38.9 +3.1
Green Bryan Hunt 3,173 6.4 -3.2
Liberal Shannon (Shan) Lavell 1,872 3.8 -3.1
Total valid votes/Expense limit 49,674 100.0
2008 Canadian federal election: British Columbia Southern Interior
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Alex Atamanenko 22,693 47.5 -1.5 $66,606
Conservative Rob Zandee 17,122 35.9 +16.6 $76,704
Green Andy Morel 4,573 9.6 -1.7 $8,439
Liberal Brenda Jagpal 3,292 6.9 -13.3 $28,430
Marxist–Leninist Brian Sproule 80 0.2 -0.1 --
Total valid votes/Expense limit 47,915 100.0 $92,328
Total rejected ballots 155 0.3 -0.2
Turnout 47,915 63.89
2006 Canadian federal election: British Columbia Southern Interior
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Alex Atamanenko 22,742 49.0 +13.9 $72,595
Liberal Bill Profili 9,383 20.2 +2.2 $40,534
Conservative Derek Zeisman 8,948 19.3 -17.3 $53,470
Green Scott Leyland 5,258 11.3 +3.4 $14,334
Marxist–Leninist Brian Sproule 123 0.3 +0.2 $0
Total valid votes 46454 100.0
Total rejected ballots 236 0.5
Turnout 46,690 66.4
  NDP gain from Conservative Swing +15.6
2004 Canadian federal election: Southern Interior
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Jim Gouk 16,940 36.6 * $55,553
New Democratic Alex Atamanenko 16,260 35.1 +25.3 $22,019
Liberal Doug Stanley 8,310 18.0 -9.4 $74,051
Green Scott Leyland 3,663 7.9 +1.4 $16,098
Independent Robert Schuster 591 1.3 * $9,264
Marijuana Karine Cyr 391 0.8 *
Canadian Action Farlie Paynter 87 0.2 * $454
Marxist–Leninist Brian Sproule 39 0.1 *
Total valid votes 46,281 100.0
Total rejected ballots 163 0.4
Turnout 46,444 60.0

References

  1. ^ "The Boundary Sentinel - Atamanenko joins Canadians in paying homage to Jack Layton". The Boundary Sentinel. The Boundary Sentinel. Retrieved September 5, 2012.