He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1985 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.
[1] Kolyn ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1977 provincial election, and lost to Pat Lawlor of the New Democratic Party (NDP) by 5,295 votes in Lakeshore.
[2] He then contested Etobicoke—Lakeshore in the 1979 federal election as a candidate of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and lost to Liberal Ken Robinson by only 747 votes in a close three-way race.
[5] He served as a backbench supporter of the William Davis and Frank Miller ministries for the next four years.
The Progressive Conservatives lost several seats in the 1985 provincial election, and Kolyn was personally defeated in Lakeshore.