rosann wowchuk born august 15 1945 is a former manitoba politician and was a cabinet minister in the new democratic party government of premier greg selingerthe daughter of william harapiak and mary philipchuk she was born rosann harapiak in cowan manitoba she attended manitoba teachers college and subsequently worked as a teacher and farmer in 1968 she married sylvestor wowchuk she served as a municipal councillor and deputy reeve in the midnorthern community of swan river from 1983 to 1990 her brothers leonard and harry harapiak were both ndp cabinet ministers during the 1980swowchuk was first elected to the manitoba legislature in the 1990 provincial election defeating incumbent progressive conservative parker burrell in the riding of swan river she was reelected in the 1995 election defeating tory candidate fred betcher by only 36 votes there are many who believe that independent native voice candidate nelson contois who received 118 votes was encouraged to run by local tory organizers in an attempt to split the ridings leftofcentre vote also in 1995 wowchuk supported lorne nystroms campaign to become leader of the federal new democratic partyafter spending nine years as an opposition mla wowchuk moved to the government benches in 1999 after gary doers ndp won a parliamentary majority she was appointed minister of agriculture and food on october 5 1999 and held this portfolio for the entirety of the doer governments first term in 2003 she supported bill blaikies campaign to become leader of the federal ndpwowchuk was easily reelected in the provincial election of 2003 and was named deputy premier three days later retaining the agriculture portfolio she was given ministerial responsibility for intergovernmental affairs and cooperative development on june 25 on november 4 the name of her ministry was changed to agriculture food and rural initiatives and she was relieved of responsibilities for intergovernmental affairsalthough wowchuk opposed the decision of gary filmons government to eliminate the singledesk marketing of hog farms she did not reverse the policy upon joining government in 2004 she rejected a request from the manitoba cattle producers that all livestock animals killed in a proposed winnipeg plant be tested for bsewowchuk was also named acting minister of intergovernmental affairs and trade on may 18 2004 following the resignation of mary ann mihychuk she retained this position until october 22 2004wowchuk was reelected in the 2007 provincial election on july 4 2011 she announced that she will not run in the next provincial election