Ron Evans (politician) facts for kids

Ron Evans was born in 1957. He is a former leader and politician from Manitoba, Canada. He used to be the Chief of the Norway House Cree Nation. He was also the Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

Evans was a priest in the Anglican Church of Canada. He is an important person in the Indigenous community in northern Manitoba. He tried to get elected to the Manitoba Legislature and the House of Commons of Canada, but he did not win. He has also worked as a band councillor and chief.

Who is Ron Evans?

Ron Evans grew up in Norway House, Manitoba. He went to school in Winnipeg, Calgary, and La Tuque, Quebec. Before he became a priest or politician, he worked as a truck driver and a commercial fisherman.

As a priest, Evans was part of the Anglican Diocese of Keewatin. He was also a member of the Anglican Council of Indigenous People.

Early Life and Community Work

Evans served as a band councillor in Norway House from 1980 to 1988. During this time, he was also the acting chief for two years. He was first elected as the band's chief in 1996. He was re-elected in 1998 and again in 2002.

He was also an executive councillor for the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. He later stepped down as chief of Norway House Cree Nation to run for the AMC leadership.

Besides his political work, Evans is a member of the Norway House Fisherman's Co-op. He held a commercial fishing license until 2018. In 1998, he received "The Order of the Buffalo Hunt." This award was later replaced by the Order of Manitoba. It was given to him by the Premier at the time, Gary Filmon.

Political Journey

Running for Office

In the 1999 provincial election, Evans ran for the Progressive Conservative Party. He was a candidate in the northern area called The Pas. Even though his party was not very popular in other northern areas, many people liked Evans. He almost beat the person who was already the MLA, New Democrat Oscar Lathlin. Lathlin received 2952 votes, and Evans received 2737 votes.

For the federal election in 2000, Evans changed parties. He tried to become the Liberal candidate in the area of Churchill. He was defeated by former MLA and MP Elijah Harper. Harper then lost to NDP candidate Bev Desjarlais in the main election.

Evans ran for the Liberal nomination again in the 2004 election. This time, he won the nomination. Again, he was very popular and ran a strong campaign. However, he was defeated by Desjarlais. Desjarlais received 8612 votes, and Evans received 7604 votes.

Leading First Nations

In 2005, Evans was elected Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC). This group works for all of Manitoba's First Nations. He was re-elected in August 2008. Marcel Balfour took over as chief of Norway House after Evans.

Later Career and Legacy

Evans decided not to run for a third term as Grand Chief of the AMC. On July 22, 2011, he was re-elected chief of Norway House Cree Nation. In 2018, he was defeated as chief by Larson Anderson. He no longer held a commercial fishing license. In the summer of 2019, Evans was campaigning for the Conservatives in The Pas for the 2019 provincial election.