Our 'true champion'

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Larry Desjardins 1990 (SUPPLIED PHOTO)

Former Manitoba cabinet minister Larry Desjardins, who played pivotal roles in the NDP administrations of Ed Schreyer and Howard Pawley, died Tuesday in Winnipeg. He was 88.

Both Schreyer and Pawley mourned Desjardins on Wednesday as a colleague who left gigantic footprints on Manitoba's political and social landscape. Those feet were often clad in cleats or skates, as he was also a renowned athlete in baseball, hockey and football, playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Premier Greg Selinger conveyed the province's condolences in an official statement, calling the former political titan "a true champion" for Manitoba.

"Very few people come into our lives who leave such a profound impact on our community, our province and, in many respects, our nation." Selinger said. "Larry Desjardins was just such an individual.

Schreyer said Desjardins was one of five Manitobans with the biggest impact on shaping modern Manitoba. "There's a little book called The Little Manitoba Book About Just About Everything and the publisher asked me to name the five Manitobans I most admired. Larry Desjardins was one of them," Schreyer said.

Desjardins was the dean of the legislature in his day, with a career that spanned nearly three decades, from his first election in 1959 to his final resignation in 1988.

"Every legislature has a dean, one person who has been there the longer than anyone else and he became that dean, in about 1980," Schreyer said.

The two formed a tight friendship that lasted 40 years and periodically got together for social events. The last time was about six months ago.

"I had lunch with Larry and Mel (his wife), Lily and I both had lunch with them last August or September and he seemed to be getting around quite well," Schreyer said.

About a month ago, Desjardins had a bad fall that shattered his hip. He was admitted to hospital. Doctors were talking to family about letting him finally return home when he took another bad fall.

He died shortly after that, Schreyer said.

His resignation from politics in 1988 coincided with the fall of the NDP government under Pawley.

NDP MLA Jim Walding took advantage of the one-seat majority Desjardins left behind and voted with the Opposition. The Pawley government fell.

"I have no regrets about my decision to leave politics because I felt it was the right thing to do," Desjardins said afterward.

But he also admitted the government's fall jarred him. "When I made the decision to leave politics, I never thought about it in terms of putting the government in danger of falling," he said at the time.

Former premier Howard Pawley said Desjardins will be remembered as a man of principle.

"He must be remembered for the lengthy period of his service in the provincial legislature but he will be remembered for his principles. He had the courage of his convictions. He was also candid and honest in his views as a politician," Pawley said.

Those convictions were fed by a staunch Roman Catholic faith and a fierce advocacy of francophone rights, Pawley said.

It was a Supreme Court of Canada ruling on abortion that proved to be the final straw in Desjardins' political career. Pawley said he'd almost talked Desjardins into staying on after he'd issued a public statement to say he planned to resign back in 1988.

Then Dr. Henry Mortgentaler won a victory for abortion rights at the Supreme Court. "We'd discussed him having a lighter load," Pawley said, "then Morgentaler happened and that increased the tension between Larry and many of his colleagues."

Desjardins left the political arena for good.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca

Legacy of Larry Desjardins:

AS a Manitoba cabinet minister in the 1970s and 1980s, he's credited with having:

Restored French-language rights in Manitoba, creating room for the province's francophone school divisions and French immersion in classrooms.

Supported the Unicity law that created Winnipeg out of 13 rival cities.

Supported the law that created the first publicly funded automobile insurance plan, Autopac, as the Manitoba Public Insurance Corp. and then ensured the Crown corporation shared sales with small business.

Helped create Canada's first home-care program in Manitoba.

Crafted the administrative model of Manitoba lotteries and then led an initiative to create the Western Canada Lottery Foundation, serving as its first chairman.

Desjardins served as minister of sport but his interest in athletics extended to arenas other than the political. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 with these achievements:

In baseball, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman with the St. Boniface Juveniles, St. Paul's College, Norwood Seniors, Navy, St. Boniface Native Sons and a semi-professional player in the ManDak league.

In football, a two-way tackle with St. Paul's College, the University of Manitoba, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and later coached at Isaac Newton, St. Paul's College, and the Winnipeg Rods.

In hockey, he played with the St. Boniface Juniors and Esquires. Later became the president and general manager of the St. Boniface Junior Canadiens.

Desjardins was also a local scout for the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins and was among the first to scout European players at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France.

-- sources: Former premier Ed Schreyer, Manitoba legislature and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame websites

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2012 B1