MaryAnn Mihychuk PC (born February 27, 1955)[1] is a Canadian politician from Manitoba. She was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 2015, representing the riding of Kildonan—St. Paul for the Liberal Party of Canada, and served as Minister of Employment, Workforce and Labour in the federal Cabinet until the January 10, 2017, cabinet shuffle by Justin Trudeau. She lost her seat in the House of Commons in the 2019 Canadian federal election.

MaryAnn Mihychuk
Chairwoman of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs
In office
February 2, 2017 – September 11, 2019
Preceded byAndy Fillmore
Succeeded byTo be elected
Minister of Employment, Workforce and Labour
In office
November 4, 2015 – January 10, 2017
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byKellie Leitch
Succeeded byPatty Hajdu
Member of Parliament
for Kildonan—St. Paul
In office
October 19, 2015 – September 11, 2019
Preceded byJoy Smith
Succeeded byRaquel Dancho
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Minto 1999–2004
St. James 1995—1999
In office
September 21, 1999 – May 21, 2004
Preceded byRiding Created
Succeeded byAndrew Swan
In office
April 25, 1995 – September 21, 1999
Preceded byPaul Edwards
Succeeded byBonnie Korzeniowski
Personal details
Born (1955-02-27) February 27, 1955 (age 69)
Vita, Manitoba, Canada
Political party
SpouseKenneth Marshall (m. 1992)
Children
  • Sarah
  • Hannah
  • John
Residence(s)Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
ProfessionGeologist

She was previously a cabinet minister in the government of Manitoba New Democratic Premier Gary Doer from 1999 to 2004.[1] Mihychuk resigned to run for Mayor of Winnipeg in 2004, but was defeated by Sam Katz.

Life and career

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Mihychuk was born in Vita, Manitoba,[2] the daughter of Katherine Salamandyk and Métro Mihychuk. She received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts from the University of Winnipeg in 1979, and Master of Science from Brock University in 1984. She is certified as a Practicing Professional Geoscientist. Mihychuk worked as a geologist in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1984 to 1986 and in Manitoba from 1986 to 1992. In 1992, she married Kenneth Marshall. She has two daughters, Sarah Mihychuk and Hannah Mihychuk, and a son, John.[2]

Mihychuk was first elected as a Winnipeg School Division Trustee first in 1989 and was re-elected in 1992.

Provincial politics

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She was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1995, defeating Liberal leader Paul Edwards[3] by 3,109 votes to 2,853 in the Winnipeg constituency of St. James. The 1995 election was won by Gary Filmon's Progressive Conservatives. Mihychuk and 22 other New Democrats formed the Official Opposition.

The NDP won the following general election in 1999. This time Mihychuk was elected in the constituency of Minto, defeating Progressive Conservative Harry Lehotsky[3] by 4,534 votes to 2,035. Gary Doer was sworn in as Premier and named Mihychuk Minister of Industry, Trade and Mines.[4]

Mihychuk was re-elected to the provincial legislature in 2003, winning almost 70% of the votes cast in her constituency.[3] On November 4, 2003, she was named Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Trade,[5] with responsibility for International Relations Coordination.

Post-provincial politics

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Mihychuk resigned from cabinet and the legislature on May 21, 2004, to seek election as Mayor of Winnipeg.[6] The 2004 election was held to determine the successor to former mayor Glen Murray. Murray had resigned to seek election to the House of Commons of Canada. Mihychuk's campaign platform focussed on increasing Winnipeg's population. Mihychuk lost this election, winning ten percent of the municipal electorate's vote.

In 2005 Mihychuk relocated to Toronto, Ontario to work for the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) as Director of Regulatory Affairs.[7]

Mihychuk supported Lorne Nystrom's campaigns to lead the federal New Democratic Party in 1995 and 2003.

Federal politics

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In 2014, Mihychuk was chosen as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Kildonan—St. Paul for the 2015 federal election, defeating the previous Liberal candidate, Victor Andres. Mihychuk said that her views on the economy and social views were closer to those of the federal Liberals.[8] She was subsequently elected to the seat.[9][10] She was the Minister of Employment, Workforce, and Labour from November 4, 2015, until a cabinet shuffle in January 2017.[11]

She was accused of being abusive and causing confusion by the Canadian Red Cross after visiting a shelter for evacuees from forest fires affecting Garden Hill First Nation in 2018, a formal complaint was filed against her to the federal government.[12] She was accused of adding to the chaos and suggesting to evacuees that they should go to Selkirk, Manitoba, and on her advice 40–50 evacuees waited in the cold with their belongings for transportation to Selkirk that never arrived.[12] Indigenous people had requested her assistance because the Red Cross was ignoring them and placing families in large centre mixed in with a population that had people convicted of sexual offenses. Mihychuk pushed the Red Cross to treat the evacuees with respect and only after advocating were the large centres closed down and the evacuees placed into hotels. While Red Cross officials were upset, the evacuees expressed their satisfaction with the outcome to Indigenous MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette.

Electoral record

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2019 Canadian federal election: Kildonan—St. Paul
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Raquel Dancho 19,856 44.8 +4.96 $92,599.19
Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk 12,356 27.9 -14.76 none listed
New Democratic Evan Krosney 9,387 21.2 +6.91 none listed
Green Rylan Reed 1,777 4.0 +2.22 $0.00
People's Martin Deck 510 1.2 none listed
Christian Heritage Spencer Katerynuk 304 0.7 -0.41 $2,640.00
Independent Eduard Hiebert 108 0.2 -0.12 $741.74
Total valid votes/expense limit 44,298 100.0
Total rejected ballots 222
Turnout 44,520 67.7
Eligible voters 65,719
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +9.99
Source: Elections Canada[13][14]
2015 Canadian federal election: Kildonan—St. Paul
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk 18,717 42.66 +34.78
Conservative Jim Bell 17,478 39.84 −18.63
New Democratic Suzanne Hrynyk 6,270 14.29 −15.76
Green Steven Stairs 783 1.78 −0.86
Christian Heritage David Reimer 485 1.11
Independent Eduard Walter Hiebert 142 0.32
Total valid votes/Expense limit 43,875 100.00   $196,356.40
Total rejected ballots 161 0.37
Turnout 44,036 71.48
Eligible voters 61,604
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +26.70
Source: Elections Canada[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "MLA Biographies – Living". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
  2. ^ a b O'Handley, Kathryn (1909). Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1998–1999. ISBN 0-7876-3558-8.
  3. ^ a b c "Minto". Manitoba Votes 2003. CBC News.
  4. ^ Smith, Doug (2004). Stickin' to the union Local 2224 vs. John Buhler. Halifax, N.S.: Fernwood Pub. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-55266-141-3.
  5. ^ "Analysis: Food and Drug Administration seeks to stop the selling of Canadian drugs to US consumers (Transcript)". NPR. September 29, 2003. Retrieved January 22, 2011. MaryAnn Mihychuk is Manitoba's trade minister.
  6. ^ Kives, Bartley (October 28, 2010). "Katz re-elected in Winnipeg". National Post. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  7. ^ "MaryAnn Mihychuk is the PDAC's new Director, Regulatory Affairs" (PDF). Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada. November 4, 2005.
  8. ^ "MaryAnn Mihychuk, Ex-Manitoba NDP Cabinet Minister, To Run For Federal Liberals". HuffPost. July 9, 2014.
  9. ^ "MaryAnn Mihychuk takes Kildonan-St. Paul for Liberals". CBC News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  10. ^ "Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk takes Kildonan-St. Paul". Winnipeg Free Press. October 19, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  11. ^ "Winnipeg MPs Mihychuk and Carr named to Justin Trudeau's cabinet". CBC News. November 4, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Steve Lambert (June 21, 2018). "Member of Parliament was abusive, caused confusion at shelter: Red Cross". CBC News.
  13. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  14. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  15. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Kildonan—St. Paul, 30 September 2015
  16. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
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29th Ministry – Cabinet of Justin Trudeau
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Kellie Leitch Minister of Employment, Workforce and Labour
November 4, 2015 – January 10, 2017
Patty Hajdu
Manitoba provincial government of Gary Doer
Cabinet posts (2)
Predecessor Office Successor
Rosann Wowchuk Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Trade
November 4, 2003 – May 18, 2004
Rosann Wowchuk
Ministry Created Minister of Industry, Trade and Mines
October 5, 1999 – November 4, 2003
Scott Smith