James Teitsma
MEET JAMES
James Teitsma grew up in Transcona and has always considered it home. He believes that a good life is about more than ourselves — it is about using what we have been given to serve others, strengthen our community, and leave things better than we found them.
James has spent his life doing just that: building a career in business and technology, volunteering in his community, serving his church and local organizations, and representing Radisson in the Manitoba Legislature. He is a husband, father, neighbour and Manitoban who cares deeply about the future of this province.
After serving two terms as MLA for Radisson, James is seeking the opportunity to return to the Legislature and continue serving the community he calls home.
A LIFE OF SERVICE
James has always looked for ways to put his abilities to work for others. In addition to his public service, he has built a career in business and technology. He is a founder of Conquest Planning Inc., where he serves as Executive Vice President of Strategic Advice.
James served as the MLA for Radisson from 2016 to 2023, winning election in 2016 and re-election in 2019. During his two terms in the Legislature, he served in Cabinet and on the Treasury Board, as well as serving as Vice-Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
Public service gave James the opportunity to work on behalf of the people of Radisson and to contribute to the direction of Manitoba. He valued the responsibility of representing his community and working to make government work better for the people it serves.
GROWING UP IN TRANSCONA
Transcona has always been home. Growing up across the street from the CN Transcona Shops, James experienced the strong sense of community and belonging that has long been part of Transcona. He remembers the Hi Neighbour Festivals, neighbours helping one another, and the simple expectation that when someone needed a hand, you gave it.
Those experiences shaped James’s understanding of community: hard work matters, but so does looking out for your neighbour. Whether it was pushing a car stuck in a Winnipeg snowstorm or simply being there for someone who needed help, he learned that strong communities are built by people who care about one another.
James graduated from Murdoch Mackay Collegiate and went on to earn a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from the University of Manitoba. He later co-founded Conquest Planning Inc., building a successful Manitoba technology company while continuing to live, work and raise his family in the community he calls home.
Transcona is home.
FAMILY, FAITH & COMMUNITY
Family, faith and community are at the centre of James’s life.
James and his wife Joanne have been married for nearly 30 years and are proud parents of six children. Being a husband and father has taught James that life is about serving and sacrificing for others, and that none of us is meant to live on our own.
James is an active member of his church and has served as an elder. In his spare time, he conducts choir, serves on the boards of the Transcona Council for Seniors and Selah Place, and is a member of Rotary and the Transcona Legion. For James, these aren’t simply activities—they are ways of being part of the community and lending a hand.
The principle is simple: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
WHY JAMES SERVES
James wants his work to have a purpose beyond himself. He believes that if you have the ability to help, you have a responsibility to use that ability in service of others.
That conviction has followed him throughout his life—from volunteering in his community and serving his church, to building a career in business and technology, and eventually serving as an MLA. He has always been drawn to opportunities where he can make a difference in the lives of others.
During his time as MLA, James particularly valued helping people navigate difficult situations. Whether it was health care, Manitoba Hydro, MPI, employment assistance or another government service, he valued the opportunity to listen, make connections and help find a way forward.
James doesn’t pretend that every part of politics is enjoyable. It can be difficult, frustrating and sometimes unpleasant. But he believes public service is worthwhile when it means using your abilities to help people and make your community and province better.
That’s why he is seeking the opportunity to serve Radisson again.