John (Jack) Thomas Wolfe (May 2, 1955 – February 2, 1995) was a community

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 ...

before becoming a

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provincial

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 ...

. He was the Progressive Conservative member of the

Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan The Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan is the legislative chamber of the Saskatchewan Legislature in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Bills passed by the assembly are given royal assent by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, in the na ...

for the constituency of Assiniboia-Gravelbourg, from 1988 until 1991.

Early life

Wolfe was born in Rockglen, Saskatchewan on May 2, 1955, and was raised on the Wolfe family

ranch A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most ofte ...

within the Killdeer, Saskatchewan district west of Rockglen. He attended school at Killdeer before completing high school in Rockglen. He studied

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at the

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, ...

and in 1979 he graduated with distinction from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Professional career

Wolfe practiced as a veterinarian in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

for one year before returning to his home in Rockglen, Saskatchewan, where he ran the Borderland Veterinary Clinic with his wife, Dr. Gail Wolfe (maiden name: Snyder), whom he had married on January 26, 1980. Wolfe also worked as a veterinarian for the thoroughbred and standard bred racetracks in Regina and Saskatoon during the racing seasons for several years. He was extensively involved in community economic development projects and was chairman of the first Rural Development Corporation in the province.Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan - Minutes, February 10, 1995
(PDF)

Political career

Wolfe was elected in a by-election called to replace

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

party leader and future federal cabinet minister

Ralph Goodale Ralph Edward Goodale (born October 5, 1949) is a Canadian diplomat and retired politician who has served as the Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom since April 19, 2021. Goodale was first elected in 1974 as the member of Parliamen ...

, when Goodale retired from provincial politics to run in the 1988 federal election. He served a single term, and was defeated by

Lewis Draper Lewis Draper (b. 1935; full name: Charles Lewis Woodvine Draper) is a family physician, and author, who was a Canadian provincial politician. He was the NDP member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Assiniboia- ...

of the

NDP NDP may stand for: Computing * Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol * Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP * Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language Government * National ...

in the 1991 general election. During Wolfe's term as an MLA in the

Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is a conservative political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Prior to 1942, it was known as the Conservative Party of Saskatchewan. Members are commonly known as Tories. History ...

he held several titles, including: * Associate Minister of Health - Oct 3, 1988 to Nov 27, 1990 * Minister of Urban Affairs - Nov 27, 1990 to Jan 1, 1991 * Minister of Community Services - Jan 1, 1991 to Nov 1, 1991 He was also involved with the

Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dako ...

and the

Saskatchewan Housing Corporation Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) is a crown corporation owned by the Government of Saskatchewan, founded in 1978, to fund social housing, provide grants and other incentives for low-income and rental housing development within the province. ...

from March 16, 1990 to November 1, 1991.

Death

Wolfe died in the early hours of February 2, 1995 due to a

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gunshot wound. The father of three—and soon to be four—back in his veterinary practice, was anguished at the prospect of being forced to testify against his old friends and ex-colleagues. When told in 1995 that he also potentially faced arrest (charges were never pressed), he shot himself. A former party worker says Jack was an innocent killed by a corrupt system. Jack's wife Gail says her husband's dream of public service was shattered. He was

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

and buried at the Killdeer community cemetery, which happens to sit upon the site of the original Wolfe family

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (buildings), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Homestead (unit), a unit of measurement equal to 160 acres *Homestead principle, a legal concept t ...

, from his

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, and also directly beside the former farmyard in which he spent his early years.

External links

Minutes from Feb 10 1995 Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolfe, Jack Canadian veterinarians Male veterinarians 1955 births 1995 suicides Canadian politicians who committed suicide Suicides by firearm in Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan MLAs Members of the Executive Council of Saskatchewan 1995 deaths