Former trade minister and Prairie representative, Jim Carr, passes

The Winnipeg MP who served as Canada’s trade minister and as a representative of the Prairies in cabinet has passed away.

Jim Carr, 71, passed at his home surrounded by his family and loved ones on December 12, according to a statement issued by his office.

He had battled multiple myeloma and kidney failure since 2019, which included receiving dialysis treatments, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant while serving as MP.

Carr served as the Liberals’ Minister of Natural Resources from 2015 to 2018, Minister of International Trade Diversification from 2018 to 2019 — a timeframe that included ratification of the CPTPP trade deal — and as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the Prairies in 2021.

His office said he was “extremely pleased” to have his private member’s bill, Bill C-235 — Building a Green Prairie Economy, pass through the House of Commons on December 8.

“As a dedicated elected official, business, and community leader in Manitoba for over 30 years, Jim was loved and respected by so many and we know he will be profoundly missed,” says the statement from his office.

Prior to his election as an MP, Carr was the president and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba, a role that saw him involved in several agricultural policy files, including taking a stance that the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk would create opportunities for Manitoba’s economy.

He was also an oboist in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press prior to entering public life.

Related: What does the Special Representative for the Prairies do?