WINNIPEG — Former Manitoba premier Brian Pallister was lauded by friends and colleagues as his portrait was unveiled at the legislature.

The painting shows Pallister standing near the Assiniboine River near the community of High Bluff, with a sunset in the distance.

He says it’s the first official Manitoba premiers portrait set outdoors, and the river is important to him because it links three cities where he lived and studied — Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage la Prairie.

Pallister served in provincial and federal politics for three decades, and served as premier from 2016 to 2021.

He won two consecutive majority governments but his Progressive Conservatives fell sharply in the polls during the COVID-19 pandemic and he left mid-term.

Pallister says he’s taking time in retirement to travel, read history books and focus on his health.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2026

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press