Wab Kinew sworn in as premier of Manitoba

WINNIPEG — Manitoba's new premier, Wab Kinew, and his cabinet have been sworn in.

He led the New Democrats to victory on Oct. 3 and defeated the Progressive Conservatives, who had been in power for seven years.

Kinew is the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province and has added to his cabinet, for the first time in Manitoba, First Nations women.

The NDP captured 34 of the 57 legislature seats on election night, and Kinew had many veteran politicians and rookies from which to pick his cabinet.

Uzoma Asagwara, a former psychiatric nurse who was the NDP health critic in Opposition, is the minister of health, seniors and long-term care and the deputy premier.

A New Democrat with previous cabinet experience, Ron Kostyshyn, has become the agriculture minister for the second time.

He also served as agriculture minister under former premier Greg Selinger before losing his seat in 2016.

Two First Nations women have been named to cabinet: Nahanni Fontaine, the party's house leader who is serving her third term and is now the minister of families; and Bernadette Smith, who becomes minister of housing, addiction and homelessness.

The ceremony at The Leaf, a botanical attraction in Winnipeg with an indoor waterfall, started off with an opening prayer by the chief of the Red Sucker Lake First Nation and the lighting of the Qulliq, a traditional oil lamp used by Inuit peoples.

That was followed by the Norman Chief Memorial Dancers performing the Red River Jig, a traditional Métis dance accompanied by a fiddle tune and a land acknowledgment by the chief of Long Plain First Nation.

Some of those in attendance at Wednesday's ceremony included Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, Canadian actor Adam Beach and Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of the Southern Chiefs' Organization, which represents 34 Anishnaabe and Dakota First Nations in southern Manitoba.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2023.