Former Winnipeg MP suffers cardiac arrest, set for surgery in Vancouver

After a brief career in federal politics, Winnipeg’s Doug Eyolfson returned to his previous gig as an emergency room physician following his 2019 election loss — but this week, he found himself visiting a Vancouver ER as a patient.

Eyolfson, who served as Liberal MP for the Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley riding from 2015 to 2019, tweeted Wednesday night that he was visiting the West Coast for a conference and suffered a cardiac arrest while out for a run.

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Thankfully, Eyolfson said a passerby witnessed the incident and called 911, giving him CPR until paramedics arrived.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was one of Eyolfson’s former colleagues in Ottawa offering words of support, wishing him a fast and full recovery Thursday.

The doctor-turned-MP was narrowly defeated in the last election by Conservative Marty Morantz, in a contested battle that came down to fewer than 500 votes. Morantz had also unseated Eyolfson in 2019.

Eyolfson said he is getting bypass surgery in B.C. Thursday.

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