Alan Dean Lagimodiere is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

provincial politician who served as the representative for the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial gener ...

for Selkirk. Prior to his run for the Manitoba Legislature he was a

hotelier A hotel manager, hotelier, or lodging manager is a person who manages the operation of a hotel, motel, resort, or other lodging-related establishment. Management of a hotel operation includes, but is not limited to management of hotel staff, bu ...

and

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

. Soon after his election to a second term he was named the Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations, though upon his appointment he was criticized for his vocal defense of the

Canadian residential school system In Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. The school sys ...

Early life

Lagmodiere was born and raised in Northern Manitoba in the community of The Pas. He is Métis and a member of Manitoba's Metis Nation. Lagmodiere holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Business career

Lagmodiere began his career in

Selkirk, Manitoba Selkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located on the Red River about northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg. It has a population of 10,504 as of the 2021 census. The mainstays of the local economy are tourism, ...

as a veterinarian and businessperson. He has been a member of the

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) (french: Association canadienne des médecins vétérinaires, ACMV), founded in 1876, provides leadership on national veterinary issues, advocates for animal welfare, and works to encourage life b ...

, the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association, and the Manitoba Hotel Association through his co-ownership of a group of local hotels.

Electoral career

Lagmodiere who was elected as the Member of the

for the riding of Selkirk in the 2016 election. He had previously run for the PC nomination in 2014 against fellow candidate David Horbas, whom he replaced at the last minute in the 2016 after Horbas was dismissed from running an additional time (Horbas claimed he was not informed of the decision mid-campaign). He is a member of the Progressive Conservative party, and defeated NDP incumbent and long-term MLA Greg Dewar in the election. He was re-elected in the 2019 provincial election. In 2021 Lagimodiere was appointed to the position of Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations.

Defence of the Canadian residential school system

In the minutes following his appointment as the minister in charge of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations, Lagimodiere made comments defending the

, and was criticized for his support of this tool of genocide. In a confrontation, Lagimodiere was corrected by NDP Leader

Wab Kinew Wabanakwut "Wab" Kinew (; born December 31, 1981),
''Toronto Star' ...

, who informed him that, "It was the express intent of residential schools to kill the Indian in the child—it is not cultural relativism, it is not revisionist history for us to say that that was wrong." The leader of the Manitoba's Metis Nation, of which Lagimodiere is a member, later stated: Lagimodiere later stated he felt his claim for the virtuousness of the residential schools was misunderstood and chose not to apologize for the fourteen minute introductory speech that he had provided on his views. In response, Chief Sheldon Kent of Black River First Nation stated that the minister's, "comments were harmful, retriggering anger and discontent among our people. There was no good intention at Indian residential schools to promote and it is catastrophically irresponsible to suggest otherwise," while calling for his resignation.

Personal life

Lagimodiere is married to his wife Judy Lagimodiere, with whom he has four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lagimodiere, Alan 1957 births Living people People from The Pas People from Selkirk, Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs Franco-Manitoban people Métis politicians University of Manitoba alumni University of Saskatchewan alumni Canadian hoteliers Canadian veterinarians 21st-century Canadian politicians