David Wilks
Encyclopedia
David Wilks is a Canadian
politician and a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons
. He was elected in the Kootenay—Columbia
riding as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada
in the 2011 election. In the 41st Canadian Parliament
, Wilks was appointed to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
and introduced one piece of legislation, a private members bill called An Act to amend the Criminal Code (kidnapping of young person) (C-299) which sought a minimum sentence of five years in prison for someone convicted of kidnapping a person under the age of 16.
Wilks, originally from Lethbridge
moved to Saskatchewan
in 1978 and briefly worked in the potash mines. He joined the RCMP and served in British Columbia detachments from 1980 to 2000. After retiring from the police, Wilks and his wife purchased and operated Sparwood Bowl and Billiards. He was elected as a Councillor for the District of Sparwood in 2002 and then as the town's mayor in 2005. As mayor he was appointed as a Director to the Regional District of East Kootenay where he eventually became the chair of the Regional Board. After local Member of Parliament Jim Abbott
announced his retirement, Wilks joined the race to replace Abbott as the Conservative Party nominee in the Kootenay—Columbia
riding. Wilks would go on to win the nomination race and the general election.
but after graduating high school he moved to Saskatoon
. He worked briefly in the potash
industry while under-going recruitment process. He attended RCMP Academy
in Regina
. His first assignment as an RCMP officer was to the Terrace
detachment in 1980. Over his 20 year RCMP career he was subsequently assigned to the detachments in New Aiyansh
, Golden
, Penticton and Sparwood
. He quit the police force in 2000 while in Sparwood and bought an entertainment business called Sparwood Bowl and Billiards Inc. with his wife.
In the 2002 BC municipal elections Wilks first stood for election. He was elected to a 3 year term as a Sparwood municipal councillor. In the 2005 municipal elections he put his name forward in the mayoral election and successfully defeated the incumbent. No one challenged Wilks during the 2008 municipal elections so he was acclaimed to a new 3 year term as mayor. Along with being mayor, he was appointed by the Sparwood council to the Board of Directors at the Regional District of East Kootenay. Wilks and Sparwood gained national attention in late-December 2008 when an avalanche killed eight men on snowmobiles; Wilks established public trust accounts for the families of the victims and helped organize a memorial service which the Prime-Minister attended. At the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, Wilks advocated expanding the Meth Watch program to include a registration system to track people to purchase components used in making methamphetamine
. At the Regional District, Wilks advocated for the provincial government to give the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort municipal status, removing the responsibility for public consultation and zoning from the Regional District and placing it with the province or a locally elected or appointed council. His March 2006 resolution was defeated, with Wilks being the only director to vote in favour. Wilks re-introduced the motion in August 2009 and it was approved by the Board, though the province did not take any action. In December 2009, the Regional Board elected Wilks to be the chair of the Regional District.
, the local member of parliament for the past 17 years, announced he would not seek re-election. Wilks endorsed Bill Bennett to replace Abbott but Bennett declined. The 50 year old Wilks subsequently announced his intent to seek the Conservative Party nomination for the next election. He stepped down from the Chair position at the Regional District to better focus on his campaign but remained a director. In the March 2011 Conservative Party nomination election, Wilks faced three other candidates: a 29 year old town councillor from Creston
, a lawyer from Cranbrook
, and an engineer also from Cranbrook. Wilks campaign unknowingly employed a con artist who stole an undisclosed sum of money before disappearing. Despite the theft, Wilks won the nomination. During the campaign for the federal election, Wilks faced former Invermere
mayor Mark Shmigelsky for NDP, and Kimberley
residents Betty Aitchison, Bill Green, and Brent Bush. Wilks was seen as the front-runner but his campaign was criticized for avoiding all-candidate forums and debates, skipping the forums in Revelstoke
, Kimberley
, and Invermere
. During the campaign, Wilks noted that he would seek to direct federal funds to improving the Trans-Canada Highway
, "proper" punishment for criminals, and "proper" funding for the military, noting that his son was currently serving in the military as a combat engineer in Afghanistan. Wilks won the Kootenay—Columbia
riding with 56% of the vote.
As the 41st Parliament
began, Wilks was not selected to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
's cabinet
. He was appointed to the 'Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
'
and the 'Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations'. In the House of Commons, Wilks used his time on the floor on June 15, 2011, to describe why he sees the New Democratic Party
as a "radical hard left" political party. Following the high profile kidnapping of a three-year-old boy from his hometown of Sparwood, Wilks introduced a private members bill (C-299) which would create a five year minimum sentence for people convicted of kidnapping someone 16 years old.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. He was elected in the Kootenay—Columbia
Kootenay—Columbia
Kootenay—Columbia is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:Consisting of:* the Regional District of East Kootenay;...
riding as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in the 2011 election. In the 41st Canadian Parliament
41st Canadian Parliament
The 41st Canadian Parliament is the current Parliament of Canada, with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 2011 federal election held on May 2, 2011...
, Wilks was appointed to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
The Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is a standing committee of the Canadian House of Commons.-Mandate:...
and introduced one piece of legislation, a private members bill called An Act to amend the Criminal Code (kidnapping of young person) (C-299) which sought a minimum sentence of five years in prison for someone convicted of kidnapping a person under the age of 16.
Wilks, originally from Lethbridge
Lethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
moved to Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
in 1978 and briefly worked in the potash mines. He joined the RCMP and served in British Columbia detachments from 1980 to 2000. After retiring from the police, Wilks and his wife purchased and operated Sparwood Bowl and Billiards. He was elected as a Councillor for the District of Sparwood in 2002 and then as the town's mayor in 2005. As mayor he was appointed as a Director to the Regional District of East Kootenay where he eventually became the chair of the Regional Board. After local Member of Parliament Jim Abbott
Jim Abbott (politician)
James "Jim" Abbott, PC, MP was a Conservative member of Canada's House of Commons. Abbott was a member of the Reform Party from 1993 to 2000 and a member of the Canadian Alliance from 2000 to 2004...
announced his retirement, Wilks joined the race to replace Abbott as the Conservative Party nominee in the Kootenay—Columbia
Kootenay—Columbia
Kootenay—Columbia is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:Consisting of:* the Regional District of East Kootenay;...
riding. Wilks would go on to win the nomination race and the general election.
Background
David Wilks was born and raised in LethbridgeLethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
but after graduating high school he moved to Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
. He worked briefly in the potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
industry while under-going recruitment process. He attended RCMP Academy
RCMP Academy, Depot Division
RCMP Academy, Depot Division has been providing police training to Royal Canadian Mounted Police "cadets" since its establishment in 1885. The facility is located in the west part of Regina, Saskatchewan, near the airport, and consists of several buildings.In the RCMP's early days, Depot had a...
in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
. His first assignment as an RCMP officer was to the Terrace
Terrace, British Columbia
Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
detachment in 1980. Over his 20 year RCMP career he was subsequently assigned to the detachments in New Aiyansh
Gitlakdamix, British Columbia
Gitlakdamix or Gitlaxt'aamiks or New Aiyansh is a Nisga'a Village about 100km north of Terrace, in the heart of the Nass River valley, Canada. It is one of four Nisga'a villages...
, Golden
Golden, British Columbia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of Calgary, Alberta and east of Vancouver.-History:Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry...
, Penticton and Sparwood
Sparwood, British Columbia
-Newspapers:* Fernie Free Press - Weekly Paper* Elk Valley Herald - Weekly Paper* Kootenay News Advertiser - Weekly Paper* The Valley - Weekly Paper* Fernie Fix - Monthly Glossy Magazine* Black Rock News - Semimonthly-Radio stations:...
. He quit the police force in 2000 while in Sparwood and bought an entertainment business called Sparwood Bowl and Billiards Inc. with his wife.
In the 2002 BC municipal elections Wilks first stood for election. He was elected to a 3 year term as a Sparwood municipal councillor. In the 2005 municipal elections he put his name forward in the mayoral election and successfully defeated the incumbent. No one challenged Wilks during the 2008 municipal elections so he was acclaimed to a new 3 year term as mayor. Along with being mayor, he was appointed by the Sparwood council to the Board of Directors at the Regional District of East Kootenay. Wilks and Sparwood gained national attention in late-December 2008 when an avalanche killed eight men on snowmobiles; Wilks established public trust accounts for the families of the victims and helped organize a memorial service which the Prime-Minister attended. At the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, Wilks advocated expanding the Meth Watch program to include a registration system to track people to purchase components used in making methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
. At the Regional District, Wilks advocated for the provincial government to give the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort municipal status, removing the responsibility for public consultation and zoning from the Regional District and placing it with the province or a locally elected or appointed council. His March 2006 resolution was defeated, with Wilks being the only director to vote in favour. Wilks re-introduced the motion in August 2009 and it was approved by the Board, though the province did not take any action. In December 2009, the Regional Board elected Wilks to be the chair of the Regional District.
Federal politics
In February 2010, Jim AbbottJim Abbott (politician)
James "Jim" Abbott, PC, MP was a Conservative member of Canada's House of Commons. Abbott was a member of the Reform Party from 1993 to 2000 and a member of the Canadian Alliance from 2000 to 2004...
, the local member of parliament for the past 17 years, announced he would not seek re-election. Wilks endorsed Bill Bennett to replace Abbott but Bennett declined. The 50 year old Wilks subsequently announced his intent to seek the Conservative Party nomination for the next election. He stepped down from the Chair position at the Regional District to better focus on his campaign but remained a director. In the March 2011 Conservative Party nomination election, Wilks faced three other candidates: a 29 year old town councillor from Creston
Creston, British Columbia
Creston is a town of 4,826 people in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The town is located just a few kilometers north of the Porthill, Idaho border crossing into the United States and about a three-hour drive north from Spokane, Washington. It is about a one-hour drive...
, a lawyer from Cranbrook
Cranbrook, British Columbia
Cranbrook, British Columbia is a city in southeast British Columbia, located on the west side of the Kootenay River at its confluence with the St. Mary's River, It is the largest urban centre in the region known as the East Kootenay. As of 2006, Cranbrook's population is 18,267, and the...
, and an engineer also from Cranbrook. Wilks campaign unknowingly employed a con artist who stole an undisclosed sum of money before disappearing. Despite the theft, Wilks won the nomination. During the campaign for the federal election, Wilks faced former Invermere
Invermere, British Columbia
Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. With its growing permanent population of almost 4,000 , swelling to near 40,000 on summer weekends, it is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden, and Cranbrook...
mayor Mark Shmigelsky for NDP, and Kimberley
Kimberley, British Columbia
Kimberley is a small city in southeast British Columbia, Canada along Highway 95A between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. Kimberley was named in 1896 after the Kimberley mine in South Africa. From 1917 to 2001, it was the home to the world's largest lead-zinc mine, the Sullivan Mine...
residents Betty Aitchison, Bill Green, and Brent Bush. Wilks was seen as the front-runner but his campaign was criticized for avoiding all-candidate forums and debates, skipping the forums in Revelstoke
Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of Vancouver, and west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River...
, Kimberley
Kimberley, British Columbia
Kimberley is a small city in southeast British Columbia, Canada along Highway 95A between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. Kimberley was named in 1896 after the Kimberley mine in South Africa. From 1917 to 2001, it was the home to the world's largest lead-zinc mine, the Sullivan Mine...
, and Invermere
Invermere, British Columbia
Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. With its growing permanent population of almost 4,000 , swelling to near 40,000 on summer weekends, it is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden, and Cranbrook...
. During the campaign, Wilks noted that he would seek to direct federal funds to improving the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
, "proper" punishment for criminals, and "proper" funding for the military, noting that his son was currently serving in the military as a combat engineer in Afghanistan. Wilks won the Kootenay—Columbia
Kootenay—Columbia
Kootenay—Columbia is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:Consisting of:* the Regional District of East Kootenay;...
riding with 56% of the vote.
As the 41st Parliament
41st Canadian Parliament
The 41st Canadian Parliament is the current Parliament of Canada, with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 2011 federal election held on May 2, 2011...
began, Wilks was not selected to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
's cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
. He was appointed to the 'Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
The Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is a standing committee of the Canadian House of Commons.-Mandate:...
'
and the 'Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations'. In the House of Commons, Wilks used his time on the floor on June 15, 2011, to describe why he sees the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
as a "radical hard left" political party. Following the high profile kidnapping of a three-year-old boy from his hometown of Sparwood, Wilks introduced a private members bill (C-299) which would create a five year minimum sentence for people convicted of kidnapping someone 16 years old.