Chief for lieutenant governor First Nations leader exactly what Manitoba needs right now By: Tom Brodbeck Posted: 7:00 PM CST Friday, Feb. 18, 2022

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/02/2022 (995 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs help finding Manitoba’s next lieutenant governor, I have a suggestion for him: Kevin Chief.

No one around the legislature seems to have the foggiest idea when or who will replace Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon, who is well into her seventh year on the job. But if Chief is not on the prime minister’s short list, he should be.

The former NDP MLA, who served in the legislative assembly from 2011 to 2017, not only has rock star appeal across party lines and oodles of experience as an influential community leader, he has the rare gift of being able to bring people together from a broad sector of society.

In many ways, he shares the same attributes as Filmon, who is known for her unique ability to connect with people and make them feel like they’re the most important person in the room. She has used the power of her office since her appointment in 2015 to promote compassion, kindness and equality, and to remind people of the virtues of giving back to your community. It’s hard to imagine anyone better suited to the job.

But Filmon’s time is more than up. By June 19, she will have served seven years in the vice-regal position, if she’s not replaced by then. That would be one of the longest serving terms in Manitoba history.

It’s not something Filmon wants. The lieutenant governor and her husband, former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon, are anxious to retire. They bought a condominium some time ago (the lieutenant governor lives in Government House beside the Manitoba Legislative Building) and would like to move into it, travel and get on with their lives. Both have had health scares recently (Janice broke her hip last year). After long, successful careers in public life, the Filmons are eager to enter their golden years. They deserve it.

However, they can’t leave until the governor general, on the advice of the prime minister, appoints a new Queen’s representative in Manitoba.

It is impossible to walk away from one of Kevin Chief’s speeches without getting one of those tingling feelings down your spine.

Enter Kevin Chief, 47, a husband and father of three young boys who has the endurance of the Energizer Bunny and a turbo-charged passion to find solutions to social and economic inequalities he has witnessed his entire life. That’s not just a platitude with this guy — he really does it. He was making a difference in his community long before he entered elected office (which he’s been out of for five years).

Chief (his friends call him “chiefer”) is no stranger to overcoming the hard knocks of life. He grew up in the North End of Winnipeg and struggled with the inter-generational trauma of residential schools and the ‘60s Scoop, which profoundly affected many of his immediate and extended family.

Chief’s ability to take those experiences and transform them into positive energy is a rare quality. It is impossible to walk away from one of his speeches without getting one of those tingling feelings down your spine (the former University of Winnipeg Wesmen basketball star is a highly sought-after public speaker). And his message, no matter the topic, always seems like the most important thing you needed to hear that day.

He’s that good.

Manitoba has never had a First Nations lieutenant governor. Chief would be the first. Yvon Dumont was the first Métis lieutenant governor in Manitoba who served from 1993 to 1999. Coincidentally, Dumont was a mentor to Chief and played an influential role in his life during his younger years. The two co-hosted a weekend radio show in the early 2000s to promote Métis culture and music.

Chief has a long list of credentials and qualifications for the job of lieutenant governor, including former cabinet minister, vice-president of the Business Council of Manitoba, co-founder of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre, chairperson for the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development Inc. and current senior advisor, community development with True North Sports and Entertainment (the company that owns and operates Canada Life Centre and the Winnipeg Jets).

He would be the perfect guy for the job.

There has been no indication from Ottawa who will replace Filmon, or when the announcement will be made. I don’t know if Chief would accept the position if offered. But it’s hard to imagine a more suitable candidate. He is exactly what Manitoba needs right now.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca

Tom Brodbeck
Columnist

Tom has been covering Manitoba politics since the early 1990s and joined the Winnipeg Free Press news team in 2019.

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