Oscar Lathlin Mourned

Tributes pour in from many people.

Oscar Lathlin passed away suddenly on November 2 at the age of 61. He was Manitoba's minister of aboriginal and northern affairs at the time of his death. Lathlin was first elected in 1990 as NDP MLA for The Pas and was re-elected in every election since. Tributes to Lathlin have come from many sources.

Federal Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl described Lathlin as "a true visionary" and a valued partner.

Manitoba Attorney General Dave Chomiak said, "Anything that had to do with First Nation education or northern education, Oscar was a champion of. It was his belief that education and economic development were absolutely pivotal to the North, and that's something he never gave up on."

Manitoba Federation of Labour President Darlene Dziewit said "Oscar was a quiet, yet tireless worker on behalf of First Nations Manitobans, and indeed all Northerners. He spend many years in public service, working so hard for his people."

One person who knew Lathlin well was Rod Murphy, a former Member of Parliament for Churchill constituency. As such, he worked with Oscar in a common purpose to represent Northern Manitobans' interests. Upon hearing of Lathlin's passing, he wrote the following.

"I knew Oscar for more than two decades. I first remember him before he became the young chief of the reserve at The Pas, now best known as OCN. Even then he was a new leader for his people. I often joked with him that in an early political campaign he supported a Liberal against me. I said that at least he had the good sense to campaign against me in a losing cause.

"He was a remarkable man who was often underrated by the media because he wouldn't play their game. He worked hard and, often travelled late into night in order to return from the legislature to his home in The Pas - just ask the moose he hit in the middle of the night when he was the Minister of Conservation.

"Two short memories help to tell the tale about Oscar. He wasn't a traditional NDP door to door campaigner, but when you saw him sit down with a native elder, a single mother in distress, or somebody who just wanted to have someone listen to him or her, Oscar was there; he was really there for that person.

"And like many people, not only politicians, he had tendencies to both avoid and to confront difficult issues. I remember best his determination to respect the orders of an administration on the Cross Lake reserve that he couldn't campaign in the community. He respected their right to make a decision, but he sure made it known that it was this group which was preventing him from visiting the people in their homes.

"I, along with many people, shall miss him."