Biography of His Honour, John Harvard, P.C., O.M.
The Honourable John Harvard was installed as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor
of Manitoba on June 30, 2004.
Before his appointment as Lieutenant Governor, Mr. Harvard served as
a Member of Parliament for 16-years (1988-2004) and as a broadcast journalist
from 1957-1988, including 18 years with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Mr. Harvard was first elected in the Federal riding of Winnipeg St. James
and subsequently re-elected (3 times) in the constituencies of Charleswood
Assiniboine and Charleswood St. James-Assiniboia.
Mr. Harvard sat on the Government side of the House for more than ten
years (1993-2004) and during that time chaired several standing, all-party
committees of the House of Commons (Government Operations, Heritage and
Agriculture) and served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of
Public Works, Agriculture and International Trade.
In 2001-02, Mr. Harvard was chairman of the Prime Minister’s Task Force
on the Four Western Provinces. He also held several caucus chairmanships
and in the mid nineties served 4 years as Chairman of the Canada-Germany
Friendship Association and from 2001-2004 as Chairman of the Canada-United
Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association.
He seldom turned down a task. Through 2002 and 2003, Mr. Harvard was
a Member of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and was deeply
involved in the Committee’s study of Canada’s relations with Islamic countries
around the World.
Before his Parliamentary career, Mr. Harvard was an award winning broadcaster
and journalist. (Actra Award, 1976) Over his 30-year career, Mr. Harvard
worked on both radio and television, including 18 years with CBC.
His Honour became a Member of the Order of Manitoba in 2004 and serves
as Chancellor. In 2005, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws
degree by the University of Manitoba.
Born in 1938 in Glenboro, Manitoba, Mr. Harvard has three children from
a previous marriage Joey-Jaye (deceased), Traci, Darren and four grandchildren.
Mr. Harvard is married to Lenore Berscheid and Their Honours have two
children, Sasha and Stephanie.
Back to Role
|