John Loewen
Encyclopedia
John Loewen is a businessman and politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1999 to 2005 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
, and campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
in 2006 and 2008 as a Liberal
. He is the nephew of Bill
and Shirley Loewen, prominent entrepreneurs and philanthropists in Winnipeg
.
, Manitoba, and raised in Winnipeg
. He received a Bachelor of Science
degree from the University of Manitoba
in 1973. Tall and athletic, Loewen was a prominent member of the University of Manitoba Bisons basketball team. He joined the payroll services company Comcheq Services Ltd. (now called Ceridan) in 1973. He later served as company president from 1984 until 1998.
In 1993, Loewen oversaw Comcheq's transformation into a subsidiary of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
(CIBC). There were concerns that the Winnipeg company's autonomy would be undermined by the national bank, but the CIBC initially allowed it to remain fairly independent. Loewen attempted to reacquire the company in 1998, but was unsuccessful.
Loewen has for many years been a prominent figure supporting Manitoba's sports community. He developed a plan to financially support the province's Olympic
athletes in the early 1990s, and helped establish the Winnipeg Thunder
basketball team in 1992 with future mayor Sam Katz
. He has also provided financial assistance to several athletic programs. In 1994, a newspaper columnist in Winnipeg described Comcheq as "probably the most generous private-sector supporter of elite athletes in the province".
Loewen helped create the Manitoba Entertainment Complex
group (MEC) in 1994, in an effort to purchase controlling shares in the Winnipeg Jets hockey franchise and keep the team in the city. Loewen chaired the MEC, and participated in plans to build a new arena for the team. Despite his efforts, the Jets were forced to leave the city in 1996. Loewen argued that the National Hockey League
and commissioner Gary Bettman
undermined his efforts, by presenting unreasonable demands shortly before an official deadline. In 2006, he indicated that the major-level investors necessary for maintaining a National Hockey League
franchise simply did not exist in Winnipeg in the mid-1990s.
Loewen has been a board member and chairman of Economic Development Winnipeg, a council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba, a board member and president of the Big Brothers and Sisters Association of Winnipeg and president of both the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the Linden Woods Community Association. He has also been involved with the United Way
of Winnipeg, serving on the United Way Cabinet from 1994 until 1999 as Chair of the Major Corporate Division and Deputy Chair of Business. He is a founding Director of the Business Council of Manitoba.
There were rumours that Loewen would run for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1998, but he declined.
Currently John Loewen is the President of TelPay
, a electronic payments company which was originally started as a research and development project by Comcheq. TelPay
is the largest independent payment processing company in Canada having processed over 23 million payments worth over $14 billion dollars in 2009.
, he defeated New Democrat
Bidhu Jha
by 3,665 votes. The New Democratic Party won the election, and Loewen became a Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) in the Official Opposition. He was appointed as his party's critic for Intergovernmental Affairs, and was later promoted to Finance Critic. Considered a rising star in his party, there was some speculation that he would run to succeed Gary Filmon
as party leader in 2000. He decided against this when the party establishment united behind Stuart Murray
.
He was a moderate in the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party, and supported the centre-right Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
rather than the right-wing Canadian Alliance
at the federal level, even though many of his colleagues backed the Alliance. In 2001, Loewen was the only member of the provincial PC caucus to attend a Winnipeg fundraiser for federal PC leader Joe Clark
. In the same year, he criticized the provincial New Democratic government of Gary Doer
for not going far enough in extending rights to same-sex couples.
Loewen became involved a serious controversy in early 2002, after issuing a media notice that was strongly critical of Manitoba's Crocus investment portfolio
. He wrote that the company held investments "in a number of Manitoba companies" that were "in financial difficulty", and requested that the government ask the Auditor General
to review the valuation of the fund. His statement was met with strong opposition from Crocus, which threatened legal action. Loewen was subsequently demoted from his position as Finance Critic by Stuart Murray, and was required to make a formal apology to the legislature in April 2002. Almost three years later, Crocus stopped trading and was forced into receivership. Many believe Loewen's concerns were vindicated by the trust's eventual failure. Loewen criticized several parties, including the government, opposition and senior Crocus management, when discussing the firm's failure in a 2007 interview.
He was re-elected in the 2003 election
by a slightly reduced margin. In late 2003, he introduced a bill to phase out Video Lottery Terminal
s from the province.
. Loewen initially supported the new party, but announced on September 23, 2005 that he would seek the federal Liberal
nomination for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
in the upcoming federal election. In making the announcement, Loewen said he was uncomfortable with the social conservatism
of Conservative leader Stephen Harper
, and that he "never believed in the policies of the former Alliance
and Reform
parties" which he described as "dominat[ing] the [Conservative] party". He resigned from the provincial legislature on September 26, 2005, and subsequently beat Gennarino Conte for the Liberal nomination. He lost to Conservative incumbent Steven Fletcher
in the 2006 federal election
, as the Conservatives gained twenty-five seats to form a minority government
. Loewen acknowledged that the national trend worked against his candidacy.
After the election, Loewen returned to the board of TelPay
, formerly a division of Comcheq. He is also a partner in Payworks, an internet based payroll service. As a volunteer, he is leading the fund raising efforts for construction of the North End Wellness Centre in Winnipeg.
In 2007, Loewen was acclaimed as the Liberal
candidate for Winnipeg South
. He lost to Conservative incumbent Rod Bruinooge
in the 2008 federal election
.
and Elections Manitoba
. Provincial expenditures refer to candidate expenses. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1999 to 2005 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
, and campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in 2006 and 2008 as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. He is the nephew of Bill
Bill Loewen
William H. "Bill" Loewen is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and political activist in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Loewen was raised in Elkhorn, Manitoba, and later moved to Winnipeg. His wife Shirley Loewen is a prominent figure in the Winnipeg arts community. His nephew John Loewen is a former...
and Shirley Loewen, prominent entrepreneurs and philanthropists in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
.
Early life and career
Loewen was born in ElkhornElkhorn, Manitoba
Elkhorn is a village in southwestern Manitoba, Canada.Incorporated on January 2, 1906, it is located approximately 105 kilometers west of Brandon. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Wallace.-History:...
, Manitoba, and raised in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. He received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
in 1973. Tall and athletic, Loewen was a prominent member of the University of Manitoba Bisons basketball team. He joined the payroll services company Comcheq Services Ltd. (now called Ceridan) in 1973. He later served as company president from 1984 until 1998.
In 1993, Loewen oversaw Comcheq's transformation into a subsidiary of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is one of Canada's chartered banks, fifth largest by deposits. The bank is headquartered at Commerce Court in Toronto, Ontario. CIBC's Institution Number is 010, and its SWIFT code is CIBCCATT....
(CIBC). There were concerns that the Winnipeg company's autonomy would be undermined by the national bank, but the CIBC initially allowed it to remain fairly independent. Loewen attempted to reacquire the company in 1998, but was unsuccessful.
Loewen has for many years been a prominent figure supporting Manitoba's sports community. He developed a plan to financially support the province's Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
athletes in the early 1990s, and helped establish the Winnipeg Thunder
Winnipeg Thunder
The Winnipeg Thunder was a professional basketball franchise based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from 1992 to 1994. The Thunder played its inaugural season in the World Basketball League, which folded before the schedule ended...
basketball team in 1992 with future mayor Sam Katz
Sam Katz
Samuel Michael Katz, OM is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also a businessperson and a member of the Order of Manitoba.- Life before mayorship :...
. He has also provided financial assistance to several athletic programs. In 1994, a newspaper columnist in Winnipeg described Comcheq as "probably the most generous private-sector supporter of elite athletes in the province".
Loewen helped create the Manitoba Entertainment Complex
Manitoba Entertainment Complex
The Manitoba Entertainment Complex was an organization of business interests in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The group was created in August 1994, and sought to ensure the construction of a 16,000-seat multipurpose entertainment and sports complex in the city's downtown area. The...
group (MEC) in 1994, in an effort to purchase controlling shares in the Winnipeg Jets hockey franchise and keep the team in the city. Loewen chaired the MEC, and participated in plans to build a new arena for the team. Despite his efforts, the Jets were forced to leave the city in 1996. Loewen argued that the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and commissioner Gary Bettman
Gary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
undermined his efforts, by presenting unreasonable demands shortly before an official deadline. In 2006, he indicated that the major-level investors necessary for maintaining a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
franchise simply did not exist in Winnipeg in the mid-1990s.
Loewen has been a board member and chairman of Economic Development Winnipeg, a council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba, a board member and president of the Big Brothers and Sisters Association of Winnipeg and president of both the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the Linden Woods Community Association. He has also been involved with the United Way
United Way of Canada
United Way of Canada is the national organization for the 117 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways across Canada. United Way campaigns raise money for local groups that address community issues and problems, and the national organization provides leadership, services and coordination to the...
of Winnipeg, serving on the United Way Cabinet from 1994 until 1999 as Chair of the Major Corporate Division and Deputy Chair of Business. He is a founding Director of the Business Council of Manitoba.
There were rumours that Loewen would run for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1998, but he declined.
Currently John Loewen is the President of TelPay
TelPay
TelPay Incorporated is Canada's largest independent electronic payment processor, serving hundreds of financial institutions and thousands of businesses and consumers. Last year, TelPay moved 21 million payments worth $12 billion...
, a electronic payments company which was originally started as a research and development project by Comcheq. TelPay
TelPay
TelPay Incorporated is Canada's largest independent electronic payment processor, serving hundreds of financial institutions and thousands of businesses and consumers. Last year, TelPay moved 21 million payments worth $12 billion...
is the largest independent payment processing company in Canada having processed over 23 million payments worth over $14 billion dollars in 2009.
Provincial politics
Loewen entered political life in Manitoba's 1999 provincial election, winning election for the newly-created south Winnipeg constituency of Fort Whyte. Running as a Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
, he defeated New Democrat
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
Bidhu Jha
Bidhu Jha
Bidhu Shekhar Jha is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since 2003, representing the Winnipeg division of Radisson as a member of the New Democratic Party.-Private life and career:...
by 3,665 votes. The New Democratic Party won the election, and Loewen became a Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) in the Official Opposition. He was appointed as his party's critic for Intergovernmental Affairs, and was later promoted to Finance Critic. Considered a rising star in his party, there was some speculation that he would run to succeed Gary Filmon
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon, PC, OC, OM is a Manitoba politician. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th Premier from 1988 to 1999.-Early life and municipal career:...
as party leader in 2000. He decided against this when the party establishment united behind Stuart Murray
Stuart Murray
Stuart Murray is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and leader of the opposition in the Manitoba legislature from 2000 to 2006.-Early life and career:...
.
He was a moderate in the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party, and supported the centre-right Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
rather than the right-wing Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
at the federal level, even though many of his colleagues backed the Alliance. In 2001, Loewen was the only member of the provincial PC caucus to attend a Winnipeg fundraiser for federal PC leader Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
. In the same year, he criticized the provincial New Democratic government of Gary Doer
Gary Doer
Gary Albert Doer, OM is a Canadian diplomat and politician from Manitoba, Canada. Since October 19, 2009, he has served as Canada's Ambassador to the United States...
for not going far enough in extending rights to same-sex couples.
Loewen became involved a serious controversy in early 2002, after issuing a media notice that was strongly critical of Manitoba's Crocus investment portfolio
Crocus Investment Fund
The Crocus Investment Fund was a Labour Sponsored Venture Capital Corporation in Manitoba, Canada.In 2004-05, the company stopped trading and was forced into receivership following allegations that it misled shareholders and overvalued its assets...
. He wrote that the company held investments "in a number of Manitoba companies" that were "in financial difficulty", and requested that the government ask the Auditor General
Office of the Auditor General Manitoba
The Office of the Auditor General Manitoba, formerly called the Provincial Auditor's Office, is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Its stated purpose is to assist Members of the Legislative Assembly with matters such as accountability and the performance of...
to review the valuation of the fund. His statement was met with strong opposition from Crocus, which threatened legal action. Loewen was subsequently demoted from his position as Finance Critic by Stuart Murray, and was required to make a formal apology to the legislature in April 2002. Almost three years later, Crocus stopped trading and was forced into receivership. Many believe Loewen's concerns were vindicated by the trust's eventual failure. Loewen criticized several parties, including the government, opposition and senior Crocus management, when discussing the firm's failure in a 2007 interview.
He was re-elected in the 2003 election
Manitoba general election, 2003
The Manitoba general election held on June 3, 2003 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 35 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with twenty seats...
by a slightly reduced margin. In late 2003, he introduced a bill to phase out Video Lottery Terminal
Video Lottery Terminal
A Video Lottery Terminal or VLT is a gaming machine that allows gamblers to bet on the outcome of a video game.A VLT is similar to a slot machine, in that each terminal is a stand-alone device containing a random-number generator...
s from the province.
Federal politics
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada merged with the Canadian Alliance in early 2004 to create the Conservative Party of CanadaConservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. Loewen initially supported the new party, but announced on September 23, 2005 that he would seek the federal Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
nomination for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-History:...
in the upcoming federal election. In making the announcement, Loewen said he was uncomfortable with the social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
of Conservative leader Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, and that he "never believed in the policies of the former Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
and Reform
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
parties" which he described as "dominat[ing] the [Conservative] party". He resigned from the provincial legislature on September 26, 2005, and subsequently beat Gennarino Conte for the Liberal nomination. He lost to Conservative incumbent Steven Fletcher
Steven Fletcher
Steven John Fletcher, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, representing the riding of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia as a member of the Conservative Party. He is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House of Commons, as well as in Cabinet...
in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, as the Conservatives gained twenty-five seats to form a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. Loewen acknowledged that the national trend worked against his candidacy.
After the election, Loewen returned to the board of TelPay
TelPay
TelPay Incorporated is Canada's largest independent electronic payment processor, serving hundreds of financial institutions and thousands of businesses and consumers. Last year, TelPay moved 21 million payments worth $12 billion...
, formerly a division of Comcheq. He is also a partner in Payworks, an internet based payroll service. As a volunteer, he is leading the fund raising efforts for construction of the North End Wellness Centre in Winnipeg.
In 2007, Loewen was acclaimed as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate for Winnipeg South
Winnipeg South
Winnipeg South is a Canadian federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1979, and since 1988. It covers the south of the city of Winnipeg...
. He lost to Conservative incumbent Rod Bruinooge
Rod Bruinooge
Rod E. Bruinooge is a Canadian politician, businessman, and filmmaker. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South in the 2006 federal election, and was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Federal Interlocutor for Métis...
in the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
.
Table of offices held
Electoral record
All electoral information is taken from Elections CanadaElections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
and Elections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba is the non-partisan agency of the Government of Manitoba, responsible for the conduct of provincial elections....
. Provincial expenditures refer to candidate expenses. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
Footnotes
Some biographical information is taken from Loewen's website.