Jay Marine Cowan (July 31, 1946 – January 23, 2022) was a

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

, Canada. He was a member of 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 gen ...

from 1977 to 1990, and a cabinet minister in the government of

Howard Pawley Howard Russell Pawley (November 21, 1934 – December 30, 2015) was a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988. Prior to his premiership, Pawley served in various ministerial positions after his ...

from 1981 to 1988. Born in Chicago, Cowan left the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

to avoid that nation's military draft. In Canada, he worked as a miner and organizer for the social democratic New Democratic Party. He was a member of the

United Steelworkers of America The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, commonly known as the United Steelworkers (USW), is a general trade union with members across North America. Headquar ...

during this period. In 1977, Cowan was sent by Manitoba NDP leader

Edward Schreyer Edward Richard Schreyer (born December 21, 1935) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation. Schreyer was born and educated in Manitoba, and was first electe ...

to the northern riding of

Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

to scout for suitable candidates. Perhaps contrary to Schreyer's expectations, he secured the nomination for himself (despite the fact that he was not yet a Canadian citizen) and was duly returned in the general election that followed, defeating Progressive Conservative Mark Ingebrigtson by about 300 votes. In 1979, Cowan was one of the most prominent supporters of

in the latter's successful bid to succeed Schreyer as party leader. Cowan was re-elected in the general election of 1981 (this time defeating Ingebrigtson by around 1350 votes); the NDP won the election, and he was appointed Minister of Northern Affairs on November 30, 1981, with responsibility for Environmental Management, the Clean Environment Act, the Workers Compensation Act, the Workplace Safety and Health Act, and the Communities Economic Development Fund Act. Following a cabinet shuffle on November 4, 1983, Cowan was named Minister of Co-operative Development and Chairman of the Treasury Board. He was again re-elected without difficulty in the general election of 1986. On April 17, 1986, Cowan was relieved of his position with the Treasury Board and was named government house leader. He continued to serve as Minister of Co-operative Development, and was also the Minister of Native Affairs (without portfolio) responsible for the Natural Gas Supply Act from September 21, 1987 to November 23, 1987. The NDP were unexpectedly defeated in the legislature in 1988, after disgruntled backbencher

Jim Walding Derek James Walding (May 9, 1937 – April 23, 2007) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1971 to 1988 and served as speaker of the assembly from 1982 to 1986. Walding was a member of ...

voted with the opposition in a narrowly divided house. Cowan was one of only twelve New Democrats (in a 57-member house) to be returned in the 1988 general election. In opposition, he opposed the proposed labour reforms of Progressive Conservative Premier

Gary Filmon Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th premier of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999. Political care ...

. He chose not to seek re-election in 1990. Cowan was director of special projects at the Anokiiwin Training Institute, working with aboriginal groups in Manitoba and northwestern

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. As of 2003, he was also the chair of the

Manitoba Federation of Labour The Manitoba Federation of Labour is the Manitoba provincial trade union federation of the Canadian Labour Congress. It was formed in 1956 and has a membership of 95,000 people working in various private sector and public sector fields such as Ma ...

's health and safety committee. Cowan died on January 23, 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Jay 1946 births 2022 deaths New Democratic Party of Manitoba MLAs Members of the Executive Council of Manitoba