Getting to know Alex Atamanenko: Musician, karate teacher and champion of behind-the-headlines issues
By Andrew Zwicker
Coming into his second election as the incumbent after being first elected to parliament as part of the NDP party in 2006, Alex Atamanenko has a long and varied history as a person who has spent much of his life assisting others and bringing people together in many different forms, fashions and locations.
Growing up in New Westminster, Atamanenko’s parents were political refugees from the Russian civil war. Upon arrival, his father started working for the New Westminster Lumber Company’s Fraser Mill. Following closely in his father’s footsteps Atamanenko’s first job was also at the Fraser Mill where he became a member of the IWA as a young man.
After graduating from high school in 1962 Atamanenko’s athletic interests were exercised. He played junior A lacrosse as well as rugby and football for UBC while studying for his Bachelor of Physical Education degree with a specialization in community recreation, a degree that would build on his natural aptitudes towards organizing and bringing people together.
Straight out of university, the armed forces would be his next calling. Joining the Royal Canadian Navy in his last year at UBC, he was originally trained to be a naval officer. Staying with the navy for three years he ended up putting his degree to good use and spent the last two years of his military tenure in Portage le Prairie as the base recreation officer looking after recreation programs for base staff as well as conducting phys-ed training programs for pilots.
“That was a really great job. I really enjoyed that stint and met some really wonderful people,” added Atamanenko.
Switching gears upon his military retirement, a trip backpacking and working across Europe for a year would point him toward yet another career. As part of that trip he spent a month in the Soviet Union getting back to his family’s roots. That trip would provide the inspiration upon his return to go back to school and do a Master’s degree in Russian literature with which he graduated in 1974.
Moving once again, this time north, Atamanenko spent five years in the Yukon as a community recreation development worker. That job provided essentially all of the tools on a smaller scale that he would later use as an MP.
“The job of going around and talking and listening to people in the riding now is very similar to what I used to do the Yukon,” added Atamanenko. “I’d go out and establish a network of locals, government contacts, Chamber of Commerce officials and different organizations and then I would work with them to develop new community recreation initiatives and so on based on their needs and goals. My angle now is federal, of course, rather than community so I have built a larger network now and try to help people get federal grants or programs, job creation and retention and all sorts of other things people need.”
While in the Yukon, the long time singer, guitar and piano player got to spend time expressing his artistic side and took on the lead role in a production of Oklahoma. Still playing music for fun and relaxation Atamanenko occasionally makes appearances around the riding having played at the Princeton Folk Festival as well as more recently at the Joe Hill Coffeehouse here in Rossland.
Enjoying working with people of all ages and fashions Atamanenko had the calling to become a teacher and went back to UBC In 1981 to get his education certificate. He then went on to teach in nine different school districts around the province before ultimately buying a parcel of land in Castlegar and building his dream home in 1993 while settling into a teaching job at Stanley Humphries.
During that time-frame he was also able to take advantage of his Russian heritage and Russian literature degree to make his foray into the world of federal politics. In 1989 he travelled to the Soviet Union with then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to act as chief interpreter for Mulroney’s wife Mila.
Settling in Castlegar provided him the unique opportunity of being able to regularly practice his Russian with the local Doukhobor community. Although not of Doukhobor decent himself, he is closely tied in to that community. Two of his uncles, brothers from Saskatchewan married two Doukhobor sisters who have relations and ties with folks in the Castlegar area.
Along with his wife Ann, a dog and a cat, Atamanenko has been happily residing in Castlegar since building their home in 1993, but it wasn’t until 2001 when Gordon Campbell was elected premier that Alex’s long held political beliefs moved from thoughts into action.
“After that election I became very disillusioned and discouraged with what he [Campbell] was doing to our province. He was cutting back health care, hammering the education system, closing down hospitals. It was time to stop thinking about it all and to start doing something so I joined the NDP.
“I’ve voted for different parties in different elections but it was my feelings that the NDP best represent those values that most of us cherish. Strong universal health care system, looking after those in need and at the same time ensuring that we have a strong economy.”
Since being elected in 2006 Atamanenko has enjoyed “the most intense jobI’ve ever had in my life but also one of the most enriching.”
Having been provided the opportunity as part of his job to travel around the riding meeting, talking and listening to residents of the riding, he’s thoroughly enjoyed exploring the riding and regularly discovering new corners and nooks he’s never been too before. Along that route he’s had the pleasure of working closely with various interest groups and feeding off of their passion.
“I keep finding new places that I never had been before travelling around the riding. I never knew there was a main street in Coston, for example. Even yesterday I was campaigning in Rossland and walking around I was on streets I never knew existed before. It’s fascinating but also the idea of working with very committed people that for years and years have been pushing their movements be it the peace movement, anti poverty or childcare has been uplifting. Being able to work with these groups is a very rewarding experience.”
Perhaps quieter and more low key than some of his MP compatriots, Atamanenko’s approach to the role of MP has been one of working—often behind the scenes–helping groups and individuals solve real issues rather than simply being a yea or nea sayer on national issue votes.
Rather than simply focusing on trumpeting for high level, national issues he’s taken a keen interest in solvable issues that make immediate and real differences for the people in his riding. On the big issues such as jobs and the economy he’s been a believer in getting to the root causes of the issues and solving those.
“You don’t always read about these kinds of things. For example you don’t read about how in Coston I was able to help save a bunch of jobs by working with some government agencies to ensure that Coston Cold Storage was able to store its apples. You don’t read about how I helped bring a resident’s relative over from India for a wedding when they were hitting bureaucratic walls.
“Just the other day I got a thank you note published in the newspaper in Princeton about how I helped them get a coin for their 100 year celebration. Some people appreciate those kinds of things and I do them because that’s part of the job as I see it. I try to give back to people, listen to their issues and help them solve them.
“When I was first elected I spent most of my time helping people with passports. We lobbied the federal government and worked with the Kelowna MP to bring a passport office and now we’ve got one there. We’ve got a Service Canada office in Nelson now where you can take your passport. I’m just trying to make things better for people in this riding. It’s that simple.”
Of course he has also been involved on the national stage on issues that also tie in closely to his home riding.
“My Bill 474 on genetically engineered (GE) food, for example, touches people around here in the organic industry. I was in Coston for a meeting of the organic industry. They are very concerned about the fact that GE alfalfa may be released into the environment. It will kill the organic industry. That’s jobs. My work is trying to stop that and we’re going to continue to fight that. This whole GE apple that is supposed to be a non-browning apple. If that cross pollinates with orchards in this region and the Okanagan, there goes our apple industry. That’s pre-emptively saving jobs. The issues I work on nationally often are developed and resonate locally.”
Of course when he’s not working, which he admits has cut into his fun time he still practices karate, plays music and get’s out to ski whenever he can.
“Just a week or so ago I spent a day at Whitewater. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I love to do some skiing when I have the time.”
Come May 2nd he hopes to be playing a victory tune and then promptly getting back to work helping the folks of his riding and hopes people will judge him on what he’s done thus far.
“I think people will have to judge me on my record. I work hard and my staff goes that extra mile to help people. We just want to be able to continue with that. We have a really good relationship with people. We’re just a phone call away. We’ll get calls all the time on what grants or what programs are available for certain things and well help them search it out and direct them, get them some information and follow up on that. I’d like to be able to continue doing that.”
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