Retired Christian Heritage Party leader Ron Gray (left) with new leader Jim Hnatiuk, who estimates more than 70% of Canadians have never even heard of the party.
Lantz, N.S.’s Jim Hnatiuk is a man committed to bringing a pro-life voice to Canadian politics. As new leader of the Christian Heritage Party, Canada’s only pro-life federal party, Hnatiuk believes that pro-lifers must band together to make their voices heard in Parliament and present better solutions for the nation. This is what led him to enter, and eventually win, the CHP’s leadership race last fall shortly after his friend Ron Gray retired as party leader.
Hnatiuk’s first goal is to make the CHP more known to Canadians. He estimates that over 70 per cent of Canadian voters have never heard of the party. As for the other 30 per cent, Hnatiuk estimates that most mistake the CHP for a church group. “The general public has to be made aware of the CHP,” Hnatiuk told The Interim during a telephone interview. “And they have to see a political party. We have Christian in front of our name and that should tell a lot, but let’s show Canadians we’re a political party by presenting better policy solutions for Canada.”
Raising the CHP’s profile and stressing the political aspect of the party are two points Hnatiuk hit upon frequently during the leadership campaign. “I felt it was important that people know where I wanted to lead the party if they were voting on a new leader,” he said. Recruitment and retention of members will be the third focus he brings to the party as leader. Of course, implementing each of the ideas will require a lot of hard work.
Yet, Hnatiuk is no stranger to leadership and hard work. He spent 25 years in Canada’s navy, rising to the rank of chief petty officer 1st class and retiring with several honours. He has worked in Christian ministry, helping runaway youth get off the street, and currently holds the office of deacon at a Baptist church.
Moreover, he enjoys the strong backing of his biggest supporter, wife Ellen. In fact, it was her encouragement that convinced him to him to run after the couple had approached the issue in prayer, he said. The two have been together for 35 years and boast two children and three grandchildren.
Hnatiuk became active in the pro-life movement after retiring from the military in 1995. While he had always been pro-life, both as a young person in northern Ontario and during his military career, his personal and family obligations kept him from becoming active with the movement. “I suddenly had more time to gather news, to go on-line and see things there,” he said. “What captured my imagination was what was happening in the pro-abortion movement in Canada.” He was shocked by the inroads the culture of death had made into our society. “The family unit is what builds a community and our country; the government would do well to focus on protecting it,” he said.
He decided he needed to get himself elected MP. “I was quite bold,” he said. “I supported other pro-lifers and pro-life groups with contributions, but I said, ‘I’m gonna go to Ottawa.'” He looked at the major political parties and soon concluded that none of them were pro-life. He then decided to found a new political party for pro-lifers. It was in researching how to found a political party that he stumbled across the CHP.
At first, Hnatiuk was skeptical. He was not sure the CHP was authentically Christian or pro-life, so he spent several months researching the party’s background and policies. He made discrete inquiries and spoke with the party’s leadership. Satisfied at last that the CHP was pro-life and Christian, he abandoned his mission to form a pro-life federal party and joined the CHP instead: “I knew they were a party I could work with.”
He immediately put to use the work ethic and organizational skills he had learned in the navy. Although the CHP had once been active in Atlantic Canada, the party had become dormant in Nova Scotia, so Hnatiuk spent months working on a speech he could deliver to Christian groups around the province. He then set off to rebuild the party’s organizational structure in the Atlantic region.
“I was so excited about the party that I kept giving the speech and people began to join the party,” he said. In the 2004 federal election, Hnatiuk took the plunge in Nova Scotia’s Kings-Hants riding and ran as CHP candidate, losing to Scott Brison. “It was a real eye-opener, but if you don’t jump in, you won’t learn how to do it.” Hnatiuk would run again in 2008, increasing his vote total from 492 to 528.
Between elections, Hnatiuk put his organizational skills to work by founding a CHP riding association, assuming the role of CHP president for Nova Scotia, and in 2005, he accepted the role of deputy leader under Ron Gray. “It was great working under Ron,” Hnatiuk said. “He is a very knowledgeable and articulate man and he kept abreast of everything going on in the party. Even today, he’s there for me whenever I need him for advice.”
For his part, former leader Gray is happy to continue serving the party under his successor. In a previous telephone interview, Gray told The Interim the CHP is in capable hands with Hnatiuk leading the party and that he will help him in whatever capacity the new leader asks.
“Jim brings a lot of things to our party,” said David Reimer, CHP president for Manitoba. “He brings a lot of experience from the military, which gives us a completely different perspective. He has a strong handle on organization, administration and structure. He also serves as a deacon in his local church. He’s also a businessman who relates first-hand to the business community.”
After leaving the navy, Hnatiuk began a construction laser service centre and a hunting, fishing and taxidermy business.
