A collision with a moose at age 23 caused a high-level spinal-cord injury. The recovery that followed changed Steven Fletcher’s life and helped define his commitment to public service.
A life changed at 23
Recovery became a shared effort
The injury created a new reality that required medical care, rehabilitation, accessibility, persistence and the steady support of family and community. Steven has described his later achievements as inseparable from the people and public systems that helped him live, heal and rebuild independence.
Purpose after recovery
Why public service
Steven’s public-service philosophy is grounded in reciprocity: society gave him the treatment, opportunity and support required to move forward, and public life offered a practical way to give something back. That perspective informed his work on accessibility, health, transportation, democratic institutions and issues affecting constituents.
From community leadership to Parliament
A public record built over four federal terms
Before elected office, Steven studied geological engineering, worked in northern Manitoba and served as president of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union from 1999 to 2001. At 32, he was elected to Parliament in June 2004 for the west Winnipeg riding of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley.
He served four terms as a Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2015 and spent five years in Cabinet. His public record later continued in Manitoba politics, alongside advocacy and commentary on national and provincial issues.
Explore the documented story
The timeline and photo archives preserve dated milestones, family photographs and source captions from the authorised website record.