Laurent Desjardins
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Laurent Louis "Larry" Desjardins (March 15, 1923 – February 7, 2012) was a politician in
Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, Canada. He served as a member of the
Manitoba legislature The Manitoba Legislature is the legislature of the province of Manitoba, Canada. Today, the legislature is made of two elements: the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, lieutenant governor (representing the King of Canada) and the unicameral assemb ...
for most of the period from 1959 to 1988, and was a cabinet minister under New Democratic
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
s
Edward Schreyer Edward Richard Schreyer (born December 21, 1935) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as the 22nd governor general of Canada from 1979 to 1984. He previously served as the 16th premier of Manitoba from 1969 to 1977. Schr ...
and
Howard Pawley Howard Russell Pawley (November 21, 1934 – December 30, 2015) was a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988. Prior to his premiership, Pawley served in various ministerial positions after his ...
.


Early life

The son of Joseph A. Desjardins and Valentine Desautels, Desjardins was educated at ''St. Boniface College'', ''St. Paul's College'' and the ''
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
College of Embalming''. Desjardins played professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
with the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division (CFL), West division. They play thei ...
. He was general manager of the St. Boniface Jr. Canadians and was a scout for the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
. He was inducted into Manitoba’s sports hall of fame in 1990. He served in the Canadian navy during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He worked as a funeral director, and was the President and Managing Director of ''Chapels, Ltd''. He also joined the
Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic Church, Catholic Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney, Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. ...
and the Canadian Council of Christian and Jews during the early years of his career. In 1944, he married Bernice McGuire. Desjardins began his political career at the municipal level, serving as an
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
on the St. Boniface City Council from 1951 to 1954, and also serving on the St. Boniface Hospital Board for a number of years.


Provincial career

In the Manitoba general election of 1959, he was elected to the Manitoba legislature in the riding of St. Boniface as a
Liberal-Progressive Liberal-Progressive was a label used by a number of candidates in Canadian elections between 1925 and 1953. In federal and Ontario politics there was no Liberal-Progressive Party, as such. The term generally referred to candidates endorsed by Lib ...
. This was the year of Progressive Conservative Premier
Dufferin Roblin Dufferin "Duff" Roblin (June 17, 1917 – May 30, 2010) was a Canadian businessman and politician. He served as the 14th premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967. Roblin was appointed to the Senate of Canada on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre ...
's first majority win, and Desjardins joined ten other Liberal-Progressives in the official opposition. In 1961, Desjardins emerged as one of the leading parliamentary supporters of government funding for private and denominational schools. A
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
and a native French-speaker, Desjardins regarded such funding as necessary for redressing anti-francophone legislation that had been pursued by previous Manitoba governments in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Roblin government took some steps on this front, but the issue was still unresolved by the 1970s. Despite the Roblin government's popularity, Desjardins had little difficulty being returned in the elections of
1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
and
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
(the Liberal-Progressives had changed their name to the
Manitoba Liberal Party The Manitoba Liberal Party () is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870. History Origins and early development (to 1883) Originally, there were no off ...
in 1961). In the 1969 election, Desjardins faced stronger than usual competition from his New Democratic opponent, Kam Gajdosik, but won by 4210 votes to 2656.


Crossing the floor

The 1969 election was a watershed in Manitoba politics, and resulted in a dramatic shift in Desjardins' career. Under Edward Schreyer's leadership, the
social-democratic Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, socia ...
NDP moved from third to first place, winning 28 seats out of 57 in the assembly. This was one short of a majority, and there was initial uncertainty as to which party or parties would form government. There was some consideration of an "anti-socialist coalition", which would have brought together all parties except the NDP under the leadership of former Liberal leader
Gildas Molgat Gildas Laurent Molgat, CD (January 25, 1927 – February 28, 2001) was a Canadian politician. He served as leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party from 1961 to 1969, and was subsequently appointed to the Senate of Canada, where he served as Spea ...
. This, however, did not occur. The impasse was ended when Desjardins announced that he would offer parliamentary support to the NDP, and change his party affiliation to ''Liberal-Democrat''. Desjardins' change of affiliation was significant, and on some levels surprising. He had previously been known as an opponent of
socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
, and the
Franco-Manitoban Franco-Manitobans () are French Canadians or Francophone Canadians, Canadian francophones living in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Manitoba. According to the 2016 Canadian Census, 40,975 residents of the province stated that ...
community had not traditionally been supportive of the New Democratic Party before this time. Nevertheless, Desjardins formed an alliance with Schreyer (himself a centrist New Democrat), on the understanding that he would be able to continue to work in favour of denominational school funding on the government side. In order to make sure this move was supported by his constituents, Desjardins organized a vote of confidence on this decision on July 8. Had he lost this vote, Desjardins would have resigned as MLA, and would have run as a Liberal-Democrat candidate in a subsequent by-election. About 1000 people showed up at the Louis Riel School gymnasium for the vote of confidence, and Desjardins received a standing ovation when he arrived in the hall. The vast majority of the attendees gave their support to Desjardins, with only 13 people opposing him. Desjardins became Schreyer's legislative assistant in 1969, and formally joined the New Democratic Party in 1971. On December 1, 1971, Desjardins was appointed Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. In July 1972, his efforts in support of denominational schools were dealt a setback when a government-sponsored bill to permit funding was defeated by a free vote in the legislature. (The Schreyer government did, however, make administrative agreements with certain private schools to provide them with access to public monies.)


Defeat and return

Given the lack of historical francophone support for the NDP in Manitoba, it was unclear if Desjardins would be re-elected in the provincial election of 1973, and his riding was targeted by a right-wing "citizen's" group in the recently amalgamated city of
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
(which included St. Boniface). This group convinced the Progressive Conservative Party to withdraw their candidate in St. Boniface to provide a single "anti-socialist" alternative to the NDP. Desjardins' sole opponent in June 1973 was Liberal candidate
J. Paul Marion Joseph Paul Marion (December 8, 1927 – January 15, 2023) was politician from Manitoba, Canada. He was briefly a Liberal Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba during the 1970s, for the riding of St. Boniface. Marion was bo ...
. Following a very close race, Marion was declared the winner by a single vote (4301 to 4300). This result was disputed, however, and was subsequently overturned by the Controverted Elections Act. In December 1974, Desjardins defeated Marion in a by-election by over 600 votes.


Later career

In 1973, Schreyer's New Democrats were re-elected, winning their first majority government. Desjardins had resigned from cabinet on January 28, 1974, during the ongoing controversy concerning the St. Boniface results, but that December 23, he was re-admitted to cabinet as Minister of Health and Social Development. On January 8, 1975, he was also given responsibility for the Manitoba Lotteries Act. Desjardins was easily re-elected in the 1977 election, although Schreyer's New Democrats were defeated provincially by the Progressive Conservatives under
Sterling Lyon Sterling Rufus Lyon (January 30, 1927 – December 16, 2010) was a Canadian lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen a ...
. Desjardins sat as a member of the opposition for the next four years. The New Democrats returned to power in the 1981 provincial election under the leadership of
Howard Pawley Howard Russell Pawley (November 21, 1934 – December 30, 2015) was a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988. Prior to his premiership, Pawley served in various ministerial positions after his ...
, and Desjardins was personally re-elected without difficulty. He was re-appointed to cabinet on November 30, 1981, serving as
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare spending and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental heal ...
and Minister of Recreation and Sport, with responsibility for the Lotteries and Gaming Control Act. He was re-designated as Minister of Health with responsibility for Minister responsible for Sport, the Fitness and Amateur Sport Act, and the Boxing and Wrestling Commission Act and the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation Act. During the 1980s, Desjardins was a prominent supporter of Howard Pawley's efforts to expand and entrench French-language services in Manitoba. On January 30, 1985, Desjardins was shifted to the Ministry of Urban Affairs. He was again re-elected without difficulty in the 1986 provincial election, and on April 17, 1986, he was reappointed Minister of Health and Sport (once again holding responsibility for the Boxing and Wrestling Commission Act and the Fitness and Amateur Sport Act). Desjardins's work for the interest of sport in Manitoba was recognized with his induction into the
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a Canadian museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to honoring the history and achievements of sports in Manitoba. The organization began in 1980, and then opened a museum in The Forks in 1993. Afte ...
as a Multi-sport Builder in 1990.


Retirement

Desjardins resigned from his cabinet positions on February 10, 1988, after a Supreme Court ruling that provinces could not restrict a woman's right to abortion, and announced that he would be leaving the legislature to take a job in the private sector. His seat was not formally declared vacant, but he stopped attending sessions of the legislature after this period. He then served as head of the Manitoba Health Organization until 1990. Ironically, just as Desjardins had helped bring the NDP into government in 1969, his decision to leave the legislature in 1988 played a major role in the party's unexpected fall from power. In his absence, the legislature was almost evenly divided between government and opposition members; as such, NDP backbencher
Jim Walding Derek James Walding (May 9, 1937 – April 23, 2007) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1971 to 1988 and served as speaker of the assembly from 1982 to 1986. Walding was a member o ...
's decision to vote against his government's budget was enough to defeat the Pawley ministry in the House. The NDP lost the subsequent
1988 Manitoba general election The 1988 Manitoba general election was held on April 26, 1988 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a minority government. The Progressive Conservative Party won 25 seats, against 20 ...
, and did not return to power until
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
. During his time in the legislature, Desjardins was known as a personable figure; fellow New Democratic cabinet minister
Russell Doern Russell John "Russ" Doern (October 20, 1935 – February 19, 1987) was a Manitoba politician. He served as a cabinet minister in the New Democratic government of Edward Schreyer (1969–1977), but left the New Democratic Party in 1984. He was ...
once called him a " Rabelasian character". He was regarded as cautious and pragmatic, and was often more supportive of small-business interests than others in the New Democratic Party. Desjardins was a member of the federal
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
for most, if not all of time in the provincial NDP. This practice is no longer possible; the federal NDP is now integrated with its provincial and territorial branches. He openly supported former Liberal MLA
Lloyd Axworthy Lloyd Norman Axworthy (born December 21, 1939) is a Canadian politician, elder statesman and academic. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Following his retirement from parliament ...
's successful bid to enter the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...
in
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
. During the 1990s, Desjardins led a policy review group which studied Manitoba's lotteries system, and argued against the expansion of Manitoba's
casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
economy. In 2002, he wrote an open letter on health-care reform, arguing that money alone would not resolve the problems within the system. In March 2003, he participated in a discussion on health-care funding at the
Frontier Centre for Public Policy The Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP) is a Canadian public policy think tank founded in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Among the positions promoted by the Centre is free-markets and climate change denial. They are part of the Atlas N ...
, in which he argued that Canada's provinces should be permitted to enact user fees and expand the role of the private sector in health-care provision. He served as first president of the Western Canada Lottery Foundation. Desjardins died at the Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg following a fall; he was 88 years old.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Desjardins, Laurent 1923 births 2012 deaths Canadian military personnel from Manitoba Franco-Manitoban people Canadian funeral directors Members of the Executive Council of Manitoba New Democratic Party of Manitoba MLAs People from St. Boniface, Winnipeg Canadian football people from Winnipeg Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Manitoba municipal councillors Royal Canadian Navy personnel of World War II Accidental deaths from falls 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba