Wab Kinew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wab Kinew
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Kinew in 2024
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| 25th Premier of Manitoba | |
| Assumed office October 18, 2023 |
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| Monarch | Charles III |
| Lieutenant Governor | Anita Neville |
| Deputy | Uzoma Asagwara |
| Preceded by | Heather Stefanson |
| Leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office September 16, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Flor Marcelino (interim) |
| Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba | |
| In office September 16, 2017 – October 18, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Flor Marcelino |
| Succeeded by | Heather Stefanson |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Fort Rouge | |
| Assumed office April 19, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Jennifer Howard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wabanakwut Kinew
December 31, 1981 Kenora, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | New Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lisa Monkman
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Crescentwood, Winnipeg |
| Alma mater | University of Manitoba (BA) |
| Occupation | Broadcaster, university administrator, musician, author |
Wabanakwut "Wab" Kinew (born December 31, 1981) is a Canadian politician. He is the 25th Premier of Manitoba, a role he started on October 18, 2023. He also leads the New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP) since September 16, 2017. Kinew represents the area of Fort Rouge in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Before becoming Premier, he was the Leader of the Opposition from 2017 until his party won the 2023 Manitoba election.
Before entering politics, Kinew was known as an author, musician, and broadcaster. He hosted shows on CBC Radio and CBC Television. Kinew is the first provincial premier in Canada to have First Nations heritage. He is also Manitoba's first Indigenous premier since Métis Premier John Norquay in 1887.
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Early Life and Education
Wabanakwut "Wab" Kinew was born on December 31, 1981, in Kenora, Ontario. His family is from the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation in Northwestern Ontario. His father, Tobasonakwut Kinew, was a chief and a professor. His mother, Dr. Kathi Avery Kinew, was a policy analyst.
Wab Kinew moved to Winnipeg with his parents when he was a child. He went to Collège Béliveau, a French immersion school. During summers, he would visit Onigaming. He finished high school at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate. Kinew then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Manitoba. He later studied for a master’s degree in Indigenous governance.
Career Highlights
Broadcasting and Media Work
Kinew started working in broadcasting after the Winnipeg Free Press published a letter he wrote. A producer from CBC Radio saw it and asked him to make a documentary.
In 2010, Kinew was a finalist for the Future Leaders of Manitoba award. He has been a reporter and host for CBC, including the show The 204 and the national series 8th Fire in 2012. He also hosted Fault Lines on Al Jazeera America.
In 2014, he was a panelist on CBC Radio's Canada Reads. He defended Joseph Boyden's novel The Orenda, which won the competition. Kinew also guest-hosted Q and moderated Canada Reads in 2015.
Music Career
Kinew was part of hip-hop groups like Slangblossom in the mid-2000s. In 2009, he released his first solo CD as a rapper, called Live by the Drum. This CD won an Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop CD. His second CD, Mide-Sun, came out in 2010.
University Administration
In 2011, the University of Winnipeg hired Kinew as its first director of Indigenous Inclusion. In 2014, he became the associate vice-president of Indigenous Relations. He also serves as an honorary witness for the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In October 2014, Cape Breton University gave Kinew an honorary doctorate degree.
Books Written
Kinew has written four books, all published by Penguin Canada. These include The Reason You Walk, Go Show the World, Walking in Two Worlds, and The Everlasting Road.
The Reason You Walk is a memoir about Kinew's journey to reconnect with his Indigenous father in 2012. This book won the 2016 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for non-fiction.
In 2018, Kinew published a children's book called Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes. It tells stories about important First Nations figures like John Herrington and Sacagawea. The book was nominated for the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award for young people’s literature.
In 2021, Kinew released Walking in Two Worlds, a young adult fantasy novel. It's about an Indigenous teen girl who moves between the real world and a virtual video game. The book won an Aurora Award for science fiction and fantasy in 2022.
Political Journey
In 2016, Kinew became a candidate for the New Democratic Party of Manitoba in Fort Rouge. During the election campaign, some past comments he made caused controversy. He apologized for these comments. On April 19, 2016, Kinew won the election in Fort Rouge. He defeated Manitoba Liberal Party leader Rana Bokhari. After winning, he became the NDP's spokesperson for reconciliation. He also became the opposition critic for Education and Housing.
Kinew ran for the leadership of the Manitoba NDP in 2017. On September 16, he won the election. This made him the first elected First Nations leader of a major political party in Manitoba.
In 2017, Kinew introduced a bill to make September 30 Orange Shirt Day. This day honors residential school survivors. In 2019, he introduced another bill for Sikh Heritage Month. He also proposed a bill to make Métis leader Louis Riel an honorary first premier. This bill would also require Riel's contributions to be taught in schools.
Kinew led the Manitoba NDP in the 2019 provincial election. His party gained six seats, but the Progressive Conservative Party won the election again.
Kinew continued as leader after 2019. The NDP gained popularity in polls. Before the 2023 provincial election, the NDP focused on improving healthcare. The NDP won the election, making Kinew the first First Nations person to be elected a provincial premier in Canada.
Premier of Manitoba
Wab Kinew became the Premier of Manitoba on October 18, 2023.
In his first year as premier, Kinew kept a promise to pause the provincial fuel tax until the end of 2024. His government also announced a plan to address crime and public safety. This plan includes creating a program to monitor people who often commit crimes. Kinew also promised to make Manitoba's healthcare system stronger. By December 2024, his government had expanded health clinics and opened new neighborhood health clinics. They also plan to replace paper health cards with plastic ones in 2025. In the NDP's 2024 budget, spending on services increased by 6%.
In December 2024, Kinew promised to help people experiencing homelessness. He plans to move people from homeless camps into proper housing in 2025.
Personal Life
Kinew has shared that he experienced "racially motivated assaults" while growing up in Winnipeg.
In September 2016, Kinew married Dr. Lisa Monkman. She is an Ojibway family doctor. They welcomed a son in May 2017. Kinew also has two sons from a previous relationship.
Kinew can speak three languages: Ojibwe, English, and French.
