Businessman.
Born on a farm near Sifton on 5 May 1907, son of Jim and Doris Gniazdoski, he was educated at Dauphin and Sifton. In 1930, he graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Agriculture. He established a furniture manufacturing company, Nu-Way Upholstering Company, in 1931 and operated it until 1971. He was involved in incorporating the Settlers Savings and Mortgage Corporation and was Executive Director of Community Investments Limited and East-West Investments Limited.
He was active in sports in his youth, becoming a member of the Canadian Ukrainian Athletic Club (CUAC) in 1941 and serving as its President (1948-1951) and an honorary Life Member (1952). He was a founding member of the CUAC Curling Club. A founding member of the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club, he was President (1955-1958) and an honorary Life Member (1971). He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Winnipeg and a board member of Rainbow Stage. In 1962, he was elected to the Board of the Holy Family Nursing Home and was its Chairman (1967-1970). He received a City of Winnipeg Community Service Award (1970) and a Good Servant Medal from the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews (1991).
He was married twice, first to Sophie Duchak (1913-1980) with whom he had four daughters. He later married Edna Slusar (1912-1998).
He died at the Seven Oaks Hospital on 30 October 2000 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: James House (287 Scotia Street, Winnipeg)
Birth registration [Frederick James], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Sophia James], Winnipeg Free Press, 21 October 1980, page 66.
Obituary [Edna James], Winnipeg Free Press, 30 December 1998, page 43.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 2 November 2000.
We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 4 January 2026
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