Canada’s deputy prime minister is taking the retirement of a longtime Winnipeg cabinet minister hard.
Chrystia Freeland, in Winnipeg for an announcement Friday, said Dan Vandal’s decision to step down hits her personally.
“Dan, I just want to say I’m sad,” said Freeland, federal finance minister, alongside Vandal. “I’m going to miss you. Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland at a school nutrition program funding announcement at Marion School in Winnipeg on Friday.
“It’s a really personal choice to put your hand up to work hard to serve Canadians. I respect the decision of every single person who chooses to do that, and I respect the decision of every single person who makes the decision to retire and step back from public life.”
Vandal, the northern affairs minister who serves as MP for Saint Boniface-St. Vital, announced Thursday he would step down after a three-decade run in politics.
Three other Liberal cabinet ministers also announced recently they would run for re-election: Marie-Claude Bibeau (national revenue), Carla Qualtrough (sports) and Filomena Tassi (economic development for southern Ontario).
“Every single one of my colleagues, who has made the very difficult and serious decision not to run again, is a person I really respect, is a person I have worked with very closely — so it is a personal loss to me,” said Freeland.
“These are really hard working, dedicated elected people who have given so much, to work hard to serve their constituents and serve Canadians … each of those ministers has my very deep gratitude.”
The 64-year-0ld Vandal said earlier this week he wants to spend more time in Winnipeg and repeated those thoughts Friday.
“In 2025, it will be 30 years since I (first) represented St. Boniface-St. Vital,” he said. “It has been fantastic.
“I turn 65 (soon) and I think that’s a pretty good opportunity to actually do another chapter in your life and do something else.”
Vandal made clear his decision wasn’t because he was abandoning ship with the Liberals far behind the Conservative party in the polls in the run up to next year’s federal election.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS MP
Dan Vandal at a school nutrition program funding announcement at Marion School in Winnipeg on Friday.
“It does not mean I have lost confidence in our party or the prime minister,” he said.
“In fact, I’m very confident that the polls are going to tighten up as time goes on and I think it would be foolish to vote against the Liberal party.”
Earlier in life, Vandal was a professional boxer and was ranked the country’s No. 1 middleweight in 1983.
After hanging up his gloves, Vandal became a youth worker and got a social work degree before being elected as a city councillor in 1995. He was re-elected but resigned his seat to run for mayor in 2004, an election won by Sam Katz.
Vandal regained the St. Boniface seat in 2006 and served as councillor until 2014. He ran federally in 2015 and has been re-elected twice.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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