Nello Altomare

Altomare was born to Italian immigrant parents in Transcona in 1963, before the amalgamation of Winnipeg took effect in 1972. He attended Transcona Collegiate Institute, earned bachelor's degrees in education and arts from the University of Winnipeg, and completed post-graduate studies at the University of Manitoba.^[3][4]

Altomare was certified as a teacher in 1986, and became a school administrator in the Transcona-Springfield and later River East Transcona School Divisions, based in northeast Winnipeg.^[4][5]

In the 2019 election, Altomare defeated Progressive Conservative (PC) incumbent Blair Yakimoski to become the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the district of Transcona. In the 42nd Manitoba Legislature, Altomare served as the NDP's critic for education and early childhood learning. He was appointed to serve as minister for the same portfolio after the NDP replaced the PCs as the governing party in the 2023 Manitoba general election.^[3] As Minister, he oversaw the creation of a searchable online database of Manitoban teachers as part of an effort to increase transparency around misconduct in education.^[5] He also oversaw the passing of legislation to create a permanent universal school food program, which Premier Wab Kinew said would be named "Nello's Law".^[6] Other reforms included bans on cellphones in elementary school and stricter rules on requiring devices to be silenced during high school classes.^[5]

Altomare was diagnosed with stage II Hodgkin’s lymphoma shortly after he was first elected as an MLA in 2019. Going on medical leave on October 8, 2024, he died 14 weeks later, on January 14, 2025, due to complications from chemotherapy. He was 61 years old. The Manitoba Legislative Building's flags were lowered to half-mast after his death.^[5] The by-election to replace him was held on March 18, 2025.^[7]

Altomare married his wife, Barb, in 1997 and was survived by two adult children.^[5]