Daniel Vandal (born April 18, 1960) is a Canadian politician. He represented St. Boniface on the Winnipeg City Council from 1995 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2014, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Winnipeg in 2004, coming in second to Sam Katz. He briefly served as acting mayor of Winnipeg following Glen Murray's resignation. On October 19, 2015, he was elected as the member of Parliament for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital in the House of Commons of Canada. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and served as the Federal Minister of Northern Affairs in Justin Trudeau's cabinet. On October 26, 2021, he was also named Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister responsible for the Prairies Economic Development Agency of Canada, positions he held until 2024. He did not seek re-election in 2025.
Early life and career
Vandal was born on April 18, 1960 in Winnipeg, the youngest of eight children. His family identified as French Canadian during his youth, and he only became aware of his Métis heritage in later life.David O'Brien, "A councillor rediscovers his Metis roots", Winnipeg Free Press, 12 November 2002, A11.
Vandal dropped out of high school, and was a manual labourer for part of his teenage years. He started boxing at age 15, turned professional in 1978, and was the #1 ranked Canadian middleweight in 1983.Joe Friesen, "Former boxer lands a blow for fitness", Globe and Mail, 22 February 2005, A7. The following year, he fought Alex Hilton for the Canadian title in front of 18,000 fans at the Montreal Forum."Boxing", Globe and Mail, 11 July 1984, S7; Michael Thibault, "New councillor has a lot of clout, expects to win rounds at city hall", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 November 1995, 1; David O'Brien, "A councillor rediscovers his Metis roots", Winnipeg Free Press, 12 November 2002, A11. He later credited boxing for turning his life around.Hal Sigurdson, "Burns up off canvas for another go-round", Winnipeg Free Press, 8 December 1995, C3. He was a guest judge at a professional boxing match in Winnipeg in 1999, where he strongly criticized the rise of a newer, more brutal competition called "ultimate boxing". See Aldo Santin, "'Ultimate boxing' wins round with approval for local bouts", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 February 2000, A1.
Vandal subsequently became a youth worker at Winnipeg's Mamawiwichiitata Centre, and received a degree in Social Work from the University of Manitoba."Graduate list offers proof course helps inner city", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 October 1997, A16; "Dan Vandal", Winnipeg Free Press, 2 June 2004, B1. He was vice-president of the Old St. Boniface Residents Association in the 1990s, and campaigned against the proposed construction of a stadium for Sam Katz's Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team in Whittier Park.Nick Martin, "Whittier pushed as Goldeyes' home", Winnipeg Free Press, 9 September 1994.
City councillor
Thompson administration
Vandal was elected to the Winnipeg City Council in the 1995 municipal election, winning an upset victory over incumbent councillor Evelyne Reese in the St. Boniface Ward. He was associated with the left-leaning Winnipeg in the '90s (WIN) group, which also included councillors Glen Murray and Lillian Thomas.Bill Redekop, "Council now tilts to the right", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 October 1995, A1. In 1996, Vandal and Murray served on an ad hoc social services committee that held a series of public hearings on federal and provincial welfare cuts.Treena Khan, "Pair turn spotlight on cuts to poor", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 March 1996, A6. He later saved the Pointe Hebert neighbourhood in his ward from being turned into parkland,Treena Khan, "District regains future", Winnipeg Free Press, 20 March 1996, A4. and was chosen to sit on the city's newly formed property and development committee in November 1997."Thompson announces new city team", Winnipeg Free Press, 6 November 1997, A5.
Vandal was a frequent opponent of Mayor Susan Thompson during his first term, and voted against several of Thompson's major initiatives. He opposed a 2% salary rollback for municipal employees in 1996,Stevens Wild, "Rollback rips up' the rules", Winnipeg Free Press, 31 January 1996, A1; "Here's how they voted on proposal", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 February 1996, A3. and later opposed the dissolution of the Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation, which provided public housing.Aldo Santin, "City ends housing experiment", Winnipeg Free Press, 30 January 1997, A6. In 1997, he voted against a proposal to allow Sam Katz to build a new baseball stadium for the Goldeyes on a city-owned site at The Forks. Vandal's position was that the project was not financially viable, and that Katz would later return to the city for more money.Kelly Taylor, "City puts ball park on first with vote", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 May 1997, D3; Aldo Santin, "Will Katz swing . . . miss?", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1997, A4. The initiative nonetheless passed, and CanWest Global Park opened in 1999.Bill Redekop, "CanWest Global Park could be the start of area's revival", Winnipeg Free Press, 5 September 1999, A1.
In February 1997, Vandal introduced a motion to create a municipal aboriginal affairs committee that would address issues of crime prevention and health."Native affairs panel pushed", Winnipeg Free Press, 9 February 1997, A4. He later represented Winnipeg on an aboriginal subcommittee of the Manitoba Round Table on Environment and Economy.David O'Brien, "Heed native woes: report Inner city at risk", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 May 1998, A4.
Murray administration
The WIN organization was dissolved after the 1995 election.Aldo Santin, "WIN exiting city scene", Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 1996, A16. Vandal was re-elected in the 1998 municipal election as an independent with support from the Winnipeg Labour Council and the New Democratic Party, of which he was a member at the time.Linda Quattrin, "10 New Democrats run under banner", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 August 1998, A3; Bill Redekop, "Civic union puts out political wish list", Winnipeg Free Press, 5 October 1998, A3. Glen Murray was elected Mayor of Winnipeg in this campaign, and appointed Vandal to his executive policy committee (i.e. the municipal cabinet) as chair of the protection and community services committee, which oversees Winnipeg's police, fire and hospital services.Kim Guttormson, "Murray drafts balanced team", Winnipeg Free Press, 4 November 1998, A3. Vandal also led a task force charged with improving francophone services in the city,David O'Brien, "Better French services sought", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 March 1999, A9. and was one of three council representatives on the board of Winnipeg Enterprises Corp.Scott Taylor, "Let Bombers' Superboard take over team, stadium", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 October 2000, C3.
Chair of the Protection and Community Services Committee
Murray's administration was often at odds with Gary Doer's provincial government in early 2000 over Winnipeg's ambulance services. Murray and Vandal argued that the city's share of the cost, about $2.5 million per year, should be assumed by the province.David O'Brien, "Ambulance issue high on city wish list", Winnipeg Free Press, 8 May 2000, A3. Doer initially disagreed, and the issue was unresolved for several months. In July 2000, the city and the province announced a deal with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority to provide five new ambulances and thirty new paramedics, with a ceiling on municipal costs. Vandal said that he was very pleased with the outcome.David O'Brien, "Deal adds paramedics, ambulances", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 July 2000, A3.
Vandal promoted a plan to turn over some police responsibilities to civilian control in 1999, both to reduce costs and to free up more officers for front-line duty.David O'Brien, "City pushes trend of more civilians on police force", Winnipeg Free Press, 8 September 1999, A4. He later supported a plan to introduce photo radar to catch speeding drivers,David O'Brien, "Councillors wary about installing photo-radar system", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 May 2000, A4; Leah Janzen, "Doer open to photo radar as a safety tool", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 October 2000. and endorsed a 2000 report that called for three fire stations to be closed to provide increased funding for paramedic services.David O'Brien, "Axe fire halls, hire more paramedics: report", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 May 2000, A1. Vandal argued that overall fire services would not be affected, as a smaller number of stations could oversee the city. Later in the year, he announced $445,000 in new money to combat a growing problem of arson."Arson", Broadcast News, 22 June 2000, 04:32.
Chair of the Property and Development Committee
Murray shuffled the executive policy committee on October 30, 2000, and moved Vandal to the chairmanship of Winnipeg's property and development committee.David O'Brien, "Mayor dumps right-winger from cabinet", Winnipeg Free Press, 31 October 2000, A3. Soon after his appointment, he helped bring about the demolition of an abandoned Canada Packers site in his ward. The site had been regarded as an eyesore for many years, and was a frequent target for arsonists.David O'Brien, "Canada Packers plant demolition to get nod", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 November 2000, A10; David O'Brien, "Canada Packers site set to be rubble", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 March 2001, A3. The city began considering plans for a replacement development projects in 2002. See Leah Hendry, "Housing plan pitched for Packers site", Winnipeg Free Press, 16 February 2002, A3.
Vandal was chair of the property and development committee when Wal-Mart announced that it had found suitable land for a new establishment in north Winnipeg. This came two years after the company lost a political battle to construct a store in a separate area of the same neighbourhood. Vandal argued that this announcement validated council's decision to reject the initial application, which he said would have cost the city an extra $20 million.David O'Brien, "Wal-Mart finds home for new store", Winnipeg Free Press, 4 April 2002, A3.
Vandal was again endorsed by the Winnipeg Labour Council for the 2002 municipal election."Labour names favoured civic candidates", Winnipeg Free Press, 20 June 2002, A8; "Winnipeg Labour Council lists candidates it will back", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 August 2002, A16. No challengers came forward, and Vandal was returned to council by acclamation.Leah Hendry, "Election race? What race? Four city councillors to run unchallenged", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 September 2002, A1. Glen Murray was elected to a second term as mayor, and Vandal was kept as chair of the property and development committee after the election.Leah Hendry, "Mayor keeps inner-circle team intact", Winnipeg Free Press, 6 November 2002, A3. In 2003, he helped oversee the beginnings of a new subdivision in Waverley West.Mary Agnes Welch, "New suburb would be eco-friendly", Winnipeg Free Press, 4 May 2003, A1.
Aboriginal issues
Vandal said that he wanted to make aboriginal issues the top priority of his third term in office, and was subsequently the primary author of a 15-point strategy to combat poverty among Winnipeg's aboriginal community. The strategy was highlighted by a plan to create urban reserves, and to provide increased municipal support for aboriginal ventures.Mary Agnes Welch, "Urban reserves to tackle poverty?", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 June 2003, A1. The final version of the Municipal Aboriginal Pathways strategy was officially unveiled in September 2003.Mary Agnes Welch, "City unveils first strategy for aboriginals", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 September 2003, A1.
Other issues