Arthur Jacob "Jake" Epp

Born on September 1, 1939 to a Mennonite family in Manitoba, Jake Epp was a high school history teacher in Steinbach, Manitoba before entering politics.

Jake Epp was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in the 1972 election for the riding of Provencher, which was the home of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's Whiteshell Laboratories.  He appointed the first Steinbach Library Board and oversaw the hiring of the first Head Librarian.

During his career, Jake Epp held seats on the cabinets of Indian and Northern Development (1979), Health and Welfare (1984), and Energy (1989).  He was the first person of Mennonite heritage to sit on a federal cabinet.

Jake Epp retired at the 1993 election, and returned to private life. From 1993 until 2000, he was Senior Vice President and Vice President at TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.

The Library was honoured when Mr. Epp returned to his hometown to open the new Jake Epp Library on June 21, 1997.

Epp has since been appointed the Chancellor of Tyndale University College in Toronto.