IISD Mourns the Loss of Jim Carr, Former Board Vice-Chair

The IISD community is saddened to learn of the loss of James "Jim" Carr, a long-time advocate for sustainability and international cooperation and a former IISD board member and vice-chair. At the time of his passing, Jim was the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, where he continued to be a strong advocate for IISD priorities, including IISD’s Experimental Lakes Area.

Jim’s professional experience spanned the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. A lifelong member of the Liberal Party, he spent several years in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as the representative for Fort Rouge and eventually became the deputy leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party. Later in his career, Jim was elected to represent Winnipeg South Centre in the Canadian federal parliament and eventually held several ministerial-level posts, including as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of International Trade Diversification, and Special Representative for the Prairies. 

Jim was devoted to his home province of Manitoba, as shown by his support of the local business community, which led him to become the founding president and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba. He was a passionate supporter of the arts: along with being an oboe player for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, where he became a trustee, he also sought to raise the profile of the arts in his community, serving as vice-president of the Performing Arts Consortium of Winnipeg and director of the Manitoba Arts Stabilization Fund. Jim was also a writer, contributing regularly to the Winnipeg Free Press and other media outlets. These are just a few examples of Jim’s many contributions to public life.

"Few people are able to achieve positive change at so many levels and for so many communities. Jim was one of those people: the rare polymath whose dedication to service ran deep. His legacy of outstanding service and support for IISD has left a lasting impact, and we send our sincere condolences to his loved ones," said Richard Florizone, IISD President and CEO.

Jim served on IISD’s board from 2000 until 2008, when he retired from the post.