Jim Carr Obituary, Death – On Monday, Jim Carr, a Liberal Member of Parliament hailing from Winnipeg and a former cabinet minister, passed away at the age of 71. According to a statement sent by Carr’s family, among his numerous titles, “committed elected official” was one of them. Carr had served as the representative for Winnipeg South Centre since he was first elected in 2015. Between the years 2015 and 2019, Carr served in a variety of government capacities, including as the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister Responsible for Diversifying International Trade. After that, in 2021, he was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the position of special representative for the Prairies in the cabinet.
According to Carr’s family, he has been battling multiple myeloma as well as kidney failure since 2019. Since that time, Carr has undergone treatment with dialysis, as well as chemotherapy and a transplant of bone marrow. Kevin Lamoureux, the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North, broke the news of his passing to his colleagues in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon. He requested a moment of silence from his colleagues before the start of the question period. However, as it was announced that Carr had passed away, the sitting was immediately halted.
It was supposed to start back up on Tuesday at 10 am Eastern Time. Carr’s family claimed in their statement that he passed away at home surrounded by members of his family and other loved ones. The statement continued by saying that Carr is being remembered as someone who was loved and admired “by so many and we know he will be sorely missed.” Lamoureux made reference to a speech that Carr had given the previous week when he briefly reflected on Carr’s “love for his country” when he announced Carr’s passing.
According to the information provided on his website, Carr was a dedicated volunteer for a number of different organizations. He was the founding co-chair of the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council, and he had previously served on the boards of various organizations, such as the Canada West Foundation, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice at the University of Manitoba.
Carr started out as a musician, playing the oboe and serving as a trustee for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra when he first entered the workforce. According to his website, he later transitioned into the field of journalism, where he worked as an editorial writer and columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press as well as for CBC Radio. In 1988, Carr was elected to represent Fort Rouge in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, which was the beginning of his career in public service. He held the position of deputy leader of his political party.