John Alastair Haggie 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 ...

politician, who was elected to the

Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is the unicameral deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It meets in the Confederation Building in St. Jo ...

in the 2015 provincial election. He represents the electoral district of Gander as a member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

Early life

Haggie was born to a mother whose maiden surname was Wilson in Manchester, England, in March 1954. His father died when he was at a very young age, and his mother's younger brother Glyn helped raise him. Haggie was educated at

William Hulme's Grammar School William Hulme's Grammar School is a mixed all-through school in Whalley Range, Manchester, England. History William Hulme (1631–1691) of Hulme Hall, Stockport, was the founder of "Hulme's Charity" later known as the Hulme Trust. Follow ...

, after which he completed his medical education at

Victoria University of Manchester The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. Afte ...

in 1977. He trained in general surgery in the North West Region, culminating in earning his Fellowship in 1981. Subsequently, after a two-year fellowship at the Christie Hospital and Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, he received a doctorate in cancer research in 1987.

Move to Newfoundland and career

After working as a surgeon, tutor, and a lecturer at universities in Manchester and Liverpool, Haggie immigrated to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1993. He practiced as a general surgeon with the Grenfell Region Health Services in St. Anthony until 1997, when he relocated his practice to the James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander. He also served as president of the Canadian Medical Association from 2011 to 2012. Haggie was appointed to cabinet in the Ball government as Minister of Health and Community Services on December 14, 2015. He was re-elected in the 2019 provincial election. On August 19, 2020 Haggie was reappointed Minister of Health and Community Services in the Furey government. He is the longest serving NL Minister of Health and Community Services in thirty six years. Haggie was re-elected in the 2021 provincial election. Following the election, he was reappointed Minister of Health and Community Services. On July 6, 2022, Haggie was appointed Minister of Education.

Personal life

Haggie had three children with his first wife, Jane Elizabeth (nee Wilson) - Hollie, Jennifer, and Elizabeth. Jane died at age 52 on May 25, 2005 in Gander. He is currently married to Jeannette Augot, a registered nurse employed by the Central Health Regional Medical Authority. His favorite book is Shōgun by James Clavell. He also holds an interest in competitive handgun shooting, having tried out to become a squad member of the Welsh national team prior to immigrating to Canada. On January 1, 2022, Haggie announced on his Facebook page that he tested positive for COVID-19.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haggie, John Living people Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs Members of the Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador Canadian surgeons Health ministers of Newfoundland and Labrador 21st-century Canadian politicians People educated at William Hulme's Grammar School 1954 births