Biography of Lieutenant Governor

Anita R. Neville, P.C., O.M.

Anita Neville’s leadership in the community, on the local and national level, has touched the lives of countless Canadians. She is a proud Manitoban, a distinguished community leader, and a respected public servant.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, she has had a deep and lifelong commitment to her community, dedicated to improving the lives of others.

Her enduring commitment to education began with her long service as board member and Chair of the Winnipeg School Division Board of Trustees. Her numerous board and volunteer activities included involvement with the Law Society of Manitoba, Jewish Child and Family Service, Rossbrook House, the City of Winnipeg’s Community and Race Relations Committee, the Manitoba Public Utilities Board, Equal Voice, the Institute for International Women’s Rights – Manitoba and the Arab Jewish Dialogue to name a few.  She previously served on the Steering Committee of Operation Ezra and the board of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada.

From 2000 to 2011, Ms. Neville served as a Member of Parliament, representing her community of Winnipeg South Centre. During her time in the House of Commons, she championed issues that matter to Manitobans, supported the legalization of same-sex marriage, and advanced initiatives benefiting Indigenous Peoples, most notably on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. In 2003, she played an important role in the establishment of Holocaust Memorial Day by Parliament. What she perhaps enjoyed most about the job was the many occasions it afforded her to talk to her constituents, learning about their lives, their families, their struggles, and the opportunity to help them resolve them.

Ms. Neville served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women, as well as on numerous committees, parliamentary associations, and parliamentary groups.

With a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in political science and history from the University of Manitoba, Anita Neville is also the mother of three grown children and grandmother to six grandchildren.