Dan Vandal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Dan Vandal PC MP
Vandal in 2021
Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
In office October 26, 2021 – December 20, 2024
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Terry Duguid
Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
In office October 26, 2021 – December 20, 2024
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Northern Affairs
In office November 20, 2019 – December 20, 2024
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Preceded by	Dominic LeBlanc
Succeeded by	Gary Anandasangaree
Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital
Incumbent
Assumed office October 19, 2015
Preceded by	Shelly Glover
Mayor of Winnipeg
Acting
In office May 11, 2004 – May 14, 2004
Preceded by	Glen Murray
Succeeded by	Jae Eadie (acting) Sam Katz
Winnipeg City Councillor
In office November 7, 2006 – November 4, 2014
Preceded by	Franco Magnifico
Succeeded by	Matt Allard
Constituency	St. Boniface
In office November 7, 1995 – May 14, 2004
Preceded by	Evelyne Reese
Succeeded by	Franco Magnifico
Constituency	St. Boniface
Personal details
Born	(1960-04-18) April 18, 1960 (age 65) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Political party	Liberal (2014–present)
Other political affiliations	New Democratic (c. 1995–2014)
Residences	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Occupation	Social worker boxer

Daniel Vandal (born April 18, 1960) is a Canadian politician. He has served as a city councillor in Winnipeg and is currently a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Liberal Party of Canada. He holds important roles in the Canadian government, including the Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for economic development agencies in the Prairies and the North.

Early Life and Career

Dan Vandal was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on April 18, 1960. He was the youngest of eight children. While growing up, his family identified as French Canadian. He later learned about his Métis heritage, which is a mix of Indigenous and European ancestry.

Vandal left high school early and worked as a manual labourer. At age 15, he started boxing. He became a professional boxer in 1978 and was ranked as the top Canadian middleweight in 1983. He believes that boxing helped him turn his life around.

After his boxing career, Vandal became a youth worker. He also earned a degree in Social Work from the University of Manitoba. He was involved in his community, serving as vice-president of the Old St. Boniface Residents Association in the 1990s.

City Councillor

Dan Vandal was first elected to the Winnipeg City Council in 1995, representing the St. Boniface area. A city councillor is like a local representative who helps make decisions for the city.

During his first term, Vandal often disagreed with Mayor Susan Thompson on various city plans. He worked to help his community, for example, by saving a neighbourhood from being turned into parkland. He also proposed creating a city committee to address issues important to Indigenous people, like crime prevention and health.

Working with Mayor Glen Murray

Vandal was re-elected in 1998 as an independent councillor. Glen Murray became Mayor of Winnipeg that year. Mayor Murray appointed Vandal to his executive policy committee, which is like the city's cabinet. Vandal was in charge of services like police, fire, and hospitals.

He also led a group focused on improving services for French-speaking people in the city. Vandal worked to make sure Winnipeg had enough ambulances and paramedics, reaching a good agreement with the provincial government. He supported ideas to make police services more efficient and to improve fire safety.

Focus on Development and Indigenous Issues

In 2000, Vandal became the head of Winnipeg's property and development committee. In this role, he helped with projects like tearing down an old, abandoned building that had become a problem in his area. He also supported new housing developments in the city.

Vandal was re-elected without opposition in 2002. He made addressing issues for Winnipeg's Indigenous community his top priority. He helped create a 15-point plan to fight poverty among Indigenous people, which included ideas for creating urban reserves and supporting Indigenous businesses.

He also worked to make St. Boniface a lively French Quarter in Winnipeg. Vandal supported events that would bring tourists to the city. He was also one of the first city leaders to support a ban on smoking indoors in public places, which Winnipeg later put into effect.

Deputy Mayor

In 2003, Vandal was promoted to Deputy Mayor of Winnipeg. He continued to lead the property and development committee and worked on the city's Indigenous strategy. This promotion showed that many thought he might become the next mayor. He also supported the idea of the federal government giving more money to cities for important projects.

Mayoral Campaign

In May 2004, Mayor Glen Murray resigned to run for a seat in the federal government. Dan Vandal briefly served as acting mayor. He then resigned his city council seat to run for mayor himself.

Vandal ran on his experience and promised new spending for the city, including more money for arts and a new holiday to celebrate Winnipeg's history. He had strong support, but he ultimately finished second in the election to Sam Katz.

After the election, Vandal continued to work on urban development projects for the province.

Return to City Council

In 2006, Dan Vandal was re-elected to the Winnipeg City Council for St. Boniface. He continued to be a strong voice for his community. He often disagreed with Mayor Sam Katz on how the city should manage its money and projects.

Vandal helped create a new city park named after Elzéar Goulet, an important historical figure. He also worked to protect a historical site called Upper Fort Garry.

In 2014, as one of his last actions as a city councillor, Vandal put forward a motion to help protect vulnerable women across Canada, especially Indigenous women. The motion called for a national investigation into missing and murdered women and for more support for the Winnipeg Police to help these women. The motion passed, making Winnipeg the first major city to take such a stand.

Federal Politics

Dan Vandal decided not to run for re-election as a city councillor in 2014. Instead, he chose to run as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in the federal election. He ran in the Saint Boniface—Saint Vital area, which he knew well from his time as a city councillor.

He won his election easily in 2015 and was re-elected in 2021. As a Member of Parliament, he has served as the Minister of Northern Affairs. He is also responsible for two important government agencies that help with economic development in Canada's northern and prairie regions: the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and the Prairies Economic Development Agency of Canada (PrairiesCan).

Electoral record

Federal

Municipal