Post by Rick (Admin) on May 15, 2013 17:27:51 GMT -5
Boychuk made his own mark in Timmins' history
TIMMINS - Often described as a local historian, Bill Boychuk made his own mark in the history of this community through foresight in business.
Boychuk died Sunday at the Golden Manor in Timmins.
He was 83.
In the early 1970s, Boychuk was among a group of developers who proposed a shopping centre at the corner of Algonquin Boulevard and Highway 655.
The city councillors of that time voted against converting that property for highway-commercial development.
Boychuk and his partners shifted their proposal to Mountjoy Township. Today, it’s the location of Timmins Square.
The site Boychuk originally eyed was eventually rezoned for highway-commercial development less than 10 years later. It is now the site of Dailey’s Independent Grocer.
Besides his work in developing the Timmins Square property, Boychuk spearheaded fundraising efforts which led to the construction of the Confederation Arena, the auditorium at Timmins High & Vocational School and the development of Hersey Lake Conservation Area.
Over the years, he owned and operated a number of businesses including a Ford car dealership with his brother Ted during the mid to late 1960s.
Boychuk became tagged as a “local historian” because he was such a renowned collector of mementos of Timmins’ history.
His daughter Nicole told The Daily Press he had a wide-ranging collection of memorabilia that included early photos from the Porcupine camp, milk tags from Epplet’s Dairy and cancelled cheques the Paymaster and Hollinger mines.
Asked what motivated him to collect all of these items, Nicole replied, “It was his love of Timmins. He absolutely loved this place. When my mom retired, she entertained the idea of going away but there was no way he could leave his coffee club. He would say I’ve got to go to council. This was where he wanted to be.”
Boychuk was always keen on Timmins diversifying its economy and encouraged the city build itself up as a tourist destination.
His efforts were recognized by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce which presented him with the 2000 Tourism Award for outstanding contributions in the promotion of tourism in Timmins.
Boychuk’s interest in municipal politics stemmed from the late 1940s when, as a teenager, he was elected by his peers as mayor of a local youth organization called Teen Town. He began attending city council meetings became a fixture as an observing member of the public for more than 40 years.
He ran for city council four times – twice during the 1960s and then in 1997 and again in 2000.
He was never elected though in the 2000 campaign he finished a short distance behind four-place finisher Denis Welin.
Asked during that election why he wanted to serve on council, Boychuk told The Daily Press, “I love Timmins. It’s my community and it’s something I’d like to see continue to develop. I feel I can contribute with a lot of positive ideas.”
Boychuk eventually got that opportunity to serve on council though it was due to unfortunate circumstances.
Welin died in 2002. Boychuk was appointed by council as the candidate who was next in line based on votes to replace Welin and finish the term in that seat. Boychuk served on council for a year.
He is predeceased by his wife Vi who died in 2000. They had two children Bill Jr. and Nicole.
Cremation has taken place with a private family service to be held later.
www.timminspress.com/2013/05/15/boychuk-made-his-own-mark-in-timmins-history