Born in 1963 in Winnipeg, Doug has lived in the Manitoba communities of Headingley, Selkirk, and in the Charleswood-St James-Assiniboia-Headingley riding for almost 25 years.

Doug graduated from Westwood Collegiate in 1981. Throughout his school years, Doug was heavily involved in music, and played piano, trumpet and bass. In high school Doug was in concert band, stage band and played bass in a number of small jazz bands, and for one year played with renowned jazz musician Ron Paley.

Doug attended the University of Manitoba where he received a Bachelor of Science, a Masters of Science, and eventually received, in 1993, his MD.Doug completed a Royal College fellowship in Emergency medicine in 1998.

During his medical career, Doug worked in a number of emergency departments in Winnipeg, and also served as Flight Physician with Manitoba Air Ambulance, and as medical director of the land ambulance program for the Province of Manitoba.

In 2015 Doug was elected to Parliament and served as MP with the Liberal Government from 2015-2019. During that time he served on the Standing committee for Health, and the Standing Committee for Veterans Affairs. Doug also served as the Chair of the Northern and Prairie Caucus.

In 2019, Doug returned to the practice of medicine, where he has been working in the emergency department and ICU at Grace Hospital in Winnipeg.

In 2022 while in Vancouver Doug suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and was successfully resuscitated by bystanders. This experience has served as a reminder that the most important duty of a society is to look after each other.

Doug’s hobbies are downhill skiing, motorcycle riding, and long-distance running, and he has completed 22 marathons.