Ron Evans (politician) facts for kids

Ron Evans is a leader who has worked for the people of Manitoba, Canada. He was the Chief of the Norway House Cree Nation, which is a First Nation community. He also served as the Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which represents many First Nations across Manitoba.

Mr. Evans was once a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada. He is also a well-known person in the Indigenous communities of northern Manitoba. He tried to become a member of the government in both Manitoba and Canada, but he was not elected. However, he did serve as a band councillor and a chief for his community.

Early Life and Community Leadership

Ron Evans was born and grew up in Norway House, Manitoba. He later studied in cities like Winnipeg, Calgary, and La Tuque, Quebec. Before he became a priest or a politician, he worked as a truck driver and a commercial fisherman.

As a priest, Mr. Evans was part of important church groups, including the Anglican Council of Indigenous People. He was a band councillor in Norway House from 1980 to 1988. During this time, he also served as the acting chief for two years.

Becoming Chief

In 1996, the people of Norway House elected him as their Chief. He was re-elected two more times, in 1998 and 2002. As Chief, he also held leadership roles in other important Indigenous organizations, like the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. He later stepped down as Chief of Norway House to try and become the leader of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

Besides his political work, Mr. Evans was a member of the Norway House Fisherman's Co-op. He held a license to fish commercially until 2018. In 1998, he received a special award called "The Order of the Buffalo Hunt" from the Premier of Manitoba, Gary Filmon. This award is now known as the Order of Manitoba.

Running for Government

Ron Evans also ran for a seat in the provincial and federal governments.

Provincial Election in 1999

In the 1999 provincial election, Mr. Evans ran as a candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party. He ran in a northern area called The Pas. Even though his party was not very popular in other northern areas, many people liked Mr. Evans. He almost won against the person who was already the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Oscar Lathlin. Mr. Lathlin received 2,952 votes, and Mr. Evans received 2,737 votes.

Federal Elections

For the federal election in 2000, Mr. Evans changed parties and tried to become a candidate for the Liberal Party. He wanted to represent the area of Churchill. He did not win the chance to be the Liberal candidate.

Mr. Evans tried again to be the Liberal candidate for the 2004 federal election, and this time he succeeded. He ran a strong campaign, but he was defeated by the person who was already the Member of Parliament (MP), Bev Desjarlais. Ms. Desjarlais received 8,612 votes, and Mr. Evans received 7,604 votes.

Grand Chief of Manitoba First Nations

In 2005, Ron Evans was elected as the Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC). This group works to support all the First Nations in Manitoba. He was re-elected for a second term in August 2008. After he became Grand Chief, Marcel Balfour took over as Chief of Norway House.

Mr. Evans decided not to run for a third term as Grand Chief of the AMC. On July 22, 2011, he was re-elected as Chief of Norway House Cree Nation. In 2018, he was defeated as Chief by Larson Anderson. He also lost his commercial fishing license from the Fisherman's Co-Op. In 2019, Mr. Evans was helping the Conservative Party with their election campaign in The Pas.