Jim Downey

Advisor

Introduction

Jim was elected to represent the constituency of Arthur in the provincial legislature in 1977. He was re-elected five times, and during his time in office served as Minister of Agriculture, Northern and Native Affairs, Rural Development, Energy and Mines and Industry, Trade and Tourism. Jim was a member of the Treasury Board for most this time and was appointed Deputy Premier from 1990 to 1999.

During his time as Minister of Agriculture, Jim helped resolve the logjam in the prairie grain movement in 1979, introduced the bill that established the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, revised the Manitoba Farm Land Protection Act.

Jim retired from elected office in 1999 to pursue work in the private sector. In 2009, he became part owner of Shape Foods Inc., a state-of-the-art flaxseed crushing business in Brandon. He is also a member of the board of St. Boniface Hospital Foundation and a former member of the board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (MB).

Jim was named Honourary Air Marshall by Manitoba Air Cadets. He received the Silver Eagle Citizen Award from the Indigenous Women’s Collective of Manitoba Inc. (1996), Citizen of the Year Award from the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Group (1997), Honourary Life Membership in the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (2000). In 2005, Jim was appointed Honourary Consul of Mexico at Winnipeg and in 2015, the President of Mexico awarded Jim the Aztec Eagle Award for the work he has done on behalf of Mexico and Mexicans in Manitoba.