One of the great things about being a Member of Parliament is meeting different people. As an MP I meet people from one end of the country to the other. Some of them have really fascinating stories. Let me tell you about one of those people.

Steven Fletcher is a really sharp guy. He has an undergraduate degree in engineering and later on he went and got a MBA. He has a clever wit, and is always the first guy with a quick remark. That however, is not the first thing that you notice about him. The first thing that most people notice about Steve is his chair. You see, Steve is a quadriplegic and drives himself everywhere in his wheelchair.

In 1996, an automobile collision with a moose in northern Manitoba left Fletcher paralyzed from the neck down. Steve was determined not to let this get him down, though.

After a year in the hospital, Steven returned to university and attained his Masters of Business Administration–becoming the first quadriplegic in Canada to have achieved such a distinction. He also ran for and was elected president of the student council at the University of Manitoba. Steve was not done, however.

Over the years Steve had, had a lot of problems with both the insurance system and the health care system. Both the health care and insurance system didn’t want to deal with him. They didn’t want to deal with someone that wanted to live an active life. They just assumed he would stay in a group home.

So Steve decided to do something: he decided to get involved and change the system. He decided to run for Parliament. On June 28, 2004, Steven Fletcher became the Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James. In doing so he made history. He became the first quadriplegic elected to the House of Commons in Canadian history.

Steve is currently the Health Critic for the Conservative Party and could be the Minister of Health in the next government. He is just a great guy and one of those people who gets involved to change his world.

I’m Brad Trost, your Member of Parliament, and I welcome your feedback. Write or call my offices.