Jim Eldridge
Director Emeritus, Canada West Foundation
Special Advisor, Intergovernmental Relations, Government of Manitoba

Winnipeg, MB

Mr. Eldridge’s career spans 37 years in Manitoba public service under six Premiers — Weir, Schreyer, Lyon, Pawley, Filmon, and Doer. He joined the Manitoba Finance Department as an Economic Research Analyst in Federal-Provincial Relations in 1968, and became Director of the Division in 1971. Mr. Eldridge was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister for Fiscal and Economic Policy and Federal-Provincial Relations in 1973, joined the Executive Council (Cabinet Office) in 1982, and established the first free-standing Intergovernmental Relations unit. He was promoted to Deputy Minister’s rank in 1986, and became Cabinet Secretary/Clerk of the Executive Council in 1999, also retaining the Intergovernmental Relations DM responsibility. “Retiring” from the Executive Council and DM responsibility in November, 2004, Jim currently serves as Special Advisor on Intergovernmental Relations to the Government of Manitoba. During his years of service Jim attained a wealth of experience in both his western Canadian and national/international associations, attending all Western Premiers’ Conferences since their inception in 1973, having liaison responsibility for Manitoba with other western provinces and federal government on economic and intergovernmental files, attendance at most First Minister’s and Premiers’ meetings since the early 1970s, and Western Governors’-Western Premiers’ meetings since 1990. He has been directly involved in bilateral relations with numerous sub-national governments in the US and elsewhere.

Mr. Eldridge is currently serving on several Boards, including Queens Institute of Intergovernmental Relations and Order of Manitoba Advisory Council. He has been honoured by a number of awards which most recently include the Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Excellence in Public Administration in Manitoba, an award for leadership promoting collaboration and cooperation between the Western Governors Association and the Western Premiers Conference by the Governor of Colorado, and honoured by Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters for advancing business-government relations in Manitoba in 2004 and 2005.