Memorable Manitobans: Edward James “Ed” Connery (1933-2019)

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Edward James Connery
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Horticulturist, MLA (1986-1988).

Born at St. Vital on 13 July 1933, he worked in his parents’ bedding plant business. In the early 1960s, seeking better soil for root crops, he began working at Portage la Prairie and moved there in 1964. to develop a market garden business. Active on the boards of the Manitoba Vegetable Growers Marketing Board, Vegetable Growers Association of Manitoba, and Canadian Horticultural Council, he was inducted into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame (2007) in recognition of his service. In 1953, he married Beverley Sager (1934-2019) and they had four children, three of whom predeceased him. Elected as a Progressive Conservative to the Manitoba Legislature in the 1986 provincial general election, he was re-elected in 1988 and 1990 but resigned in June 1992. He held cabinet portfolios in the government of Gary Filmon, including Labour (1988-1989), Environment, Workplace Safety and Health (1988-1989), and Co-operative, Consumer, and Corporate Affairs (1989-1991). Active in local community affairs, he was involved in the Republic of Manitobah Park project, Habitat for Humanity builds, and a volunteer for Central Plains Cancer Care Services. He served on the board of the Portage Golf Club. He died at the St. Boniface Hospital on 14 June 2019.

Sources:

Obituary [Beverley Connery], Winnipeg Free Press, 5 January 2019.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 18 June 2019.

Obituary, McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 17 September 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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