Ian Gardiner Waddell (November 21, 1942March 15, 2021) was a Canadian politician, author and filmmaker. He served in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

from 1979 to 1993, and in the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia () is the deliberative assembly of the Legislature of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The other component of the Legislature is the lieutenant governor of British Columbi ...

from 1996 to 2001.

Early life and career

Waddell was born in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, on November 21, 1942. His family immigrated to Canada when he was five. His father, Jack, worked as an electrician; his mother, Isabel, was employed as a waitress. The family moved to the suburbs of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, initially staying in

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

, and later moved to

Etobicoke Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district and former city within Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west end, Etobicoke is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the east by the Humber River (Ontario), Humber River, on the ...

. He studied history at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

(UofT), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1963. After receiving a teaching diploma from the Ontario College of Education that same year, he taught at Western Tech in Toronto. He then returned to UofT to study law, graduating with an

LLB A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

in 1967. Later he studied at the

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

(LSE), from which he received a master's degree in

international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...

. Critical of the

Law Society of Upper Canada The Law Society of Ontario (LSO; ) is the law society responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario. Founded in 1797 as the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC; ), its name was changed by statu ...

, Waddell moved to

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, where he articled at McTaggart, Ellis and Company. He worked as assistant city prosecutor for the City of Vancouver from 1971 to 1972, and then as a criminal defence lawyer. Later, as Legal Director at

Community Legal Assistance Society Community Legal Assistance Society, previously Vancouver Community Legal Assistance Society, is a non-governmental organization in British Columbia, Canada which provides legal services to low- and moderate-income persons in the areas of mental heal ...

, he was counsel on the first successful consumer class action in Canada. He went on to be counsel to Justice Tom Berger's landmark

Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry {{No footnotes, date=April 2009 The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, also known as the Berger Inquiry after its head Justice Thomas Berger, was commissioned by the Government of Canada on March 21, 1974, to investigate the social, environmental, ...

(1974–1977), before becoming partner at DeCario & Waddell.

Political career

Waddell supported the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...

in his youth; he joined the Liberal club during his time at UofT, and chauffeured party leader

Lester Pearson Lester Bowles Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian politician, diplomat, statesman, and scholar who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. He also served as Leader of the Liberal Party of C ...

during the 1962 federal election campaign. During his time at LSE, he became convinced of the merits of

social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

, and with the realization that the

British Columbia Liberal Party BC United (BCU), known from 1903 until 2023 as the British Columbia Liberal Party or BC Liberals, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party has been described as conservative, neoliberal, and occupying a centre-right ...

had a more conservative stance, he came to support the

British Columbia New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum and is one of the two major parties in British Columbia; since ...

(BC NDP), canvassing for that party's candidates during the 1969 provincial election. Waddell won the nomination as a

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

candidate in 1977, and ran for that party in the 1979 federal election, contesting the riding of

Vancouver Kingsway Vancouver Kingsway is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1953 to 1988 and since 1997. It is located in Vancouver. Demographics This riding's population is ...

. He won the seat with 45% of the vote, beating incumbent Liberal candidate

Simma Holt Simma Holt (née Milner, March 27, 1922 – January 23, 2015) was a Canadian journalist, author, and the first Jewish woman elected to the House of Commons of Canada. Before entering politics, she had a 30-year career at ''The Vancouver Sun'' n ...

, and was re-elected Member of Parliament (MP) for that riding in the

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

and 1984 federal elections. He served as NDP's energy critic at the time of the

National Energy Program The National Energy Program (, NEP) was an energy policy of the Canadian federal government from 1980 to 1985. The economically nationalist policy sought to secure Canadian energy independence, though was strongly opposed by the private sector an ...

, before covering other portfolios such as economic development, employment, fisheries and communications. During the patriation of the

Canadian constitution The Constitution of Canada () is the supreme law in Canada. It outlines Canada's system of government and the civil and human rights of those who are citizens of Canada and non-citizens in Canada. Its contents are an amalgamation of various ...

, Waddell participated in drafting Section 35 of the ''

Constitution Act, 1982 The ''Constitution Act, 1982'' () is a part of the Constitution of Canada.Formally enacted as Schedule B of the '' Canada Act 1982'', enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Section 60 of the ''Constitution Act, 1982'' states that t ...

'' and Section 92A of the ''

Constitution Act, 1867 The ''Constitution Act, 1867'' ( 30 & 31 Vict. c. 3) (),''The Constitution Act, 1867'', 30 & 31 Victoria (U.K.), c. 3, http://canlii.ca/t/ldsw retrieved on 2019-03-14. originally enacted as the ''British North America Act, 1867'' (BNA Act), ...

''; the former provides constitutional protection to the indigenous and treaty rights of

indigenous peoples in Canada Indigenous peoples in Canada (also known as Aboriginals) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples within the boundaries of Canada. They comprise the First Nations in Canada, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis#Métis people in ...

, while the latter gave provinces greater control over non-renewable natural resources.''The Constitution Act, 1867'', 30 & 31 Victoria (U.K.), c. 3, http://canlii.ca/t/ldsw retrieved on March 14, 2019. With the dissolution of Vancouver Kingsway, Waddell instead contested the newly established riding of Port Moody—Coquitlam in the 1988 federal election. He was elected MP for that riding, and served as NDP's justice critic in the

34th Canadian Parliament The 34th Canadian Parliament was in session from December 12, 1988, until September 8, 1993. The membership was set by the 1988 federal election on November 21, 1988, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it w ...

. Following the resignation of

Ed Broadbent John Edward Broadbent (March 21, 1936 – January 11, 2024) was a Canadian social democracy, social-democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 1975 to 1989, and a Member of Parliament (Ca ...

as federal NDP leader in 1989, Waddell joined in the leadership race; he placed sixth in the first ballot before withdrawing. He sought re-election in Port Moody—Coquitlam in the 1993 federal election, but came in third with 21% of the vote, ending his 14-year career as MP. As a BC NDP candidate in the 1996 provincial election, Waddell was elected to the

to represent the riding of

Vancouver-Fraserview Vancouver-Fraserview is a provinces and territories of Canada, provincial electoral district (Canada), electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. Geography Following the redistricting in 2015 based on the pr ...

, winning by 380 votes. He was appointed Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture in February 1998 by

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

Glen Clark Glen David Clark (born November 22, 1957) is a Canadian retail executive and former politician who served as the 31st premier of British Columbia from 1996 to 1999. Early life and education Clark attended independent Roman Catholic schools, na ...

. As minister, Waddell was responsible for the first Olympic bid for the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

in Vancouver and Whistler, beating out well financed Calgary and political favourite Quebec City. He brought in a film tax credit, which created a billion dollar film industry in BC. He subsequently served as Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks under

Ujjal Dosanjh Ujjal Dev Dosanjh (; born September 9, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the 33rd premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011. He was minister of he ...

from November 2000 to April 2001. He lost the Vancouver-Fraserview seat to Liberal candidate Ken Johnston in the 2001 provincial election. In the 2004 federal election, Waddell ran for re-election to Parliament in the reconstituted district of Vancouver Kingsway, losing to Liberal candidate

David Emerson David Lee Emerson, (born September 17, 1945) is a Canadian economist, financial executive, and politician. He was formerly the Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Mi ...

. At this time, Waddell

came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

. In a rematch between the two in the 2006 federal election, Waddell once again lost to Emerson.

After politics

After leaving politics, Waddell worked as a consultant in environmental, governmental and aboriginal affairs. He was given the honorary title of

Queen's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

in December 2013 for his exceptionally meritorious contribution to law. He also became a documentary film producer, winning the Best Producer Award in the 2016

Beverly Hills Film Festival The Beverly Hills Film Festival (BHFF) is a film festival in the United States founded in 2001 by independent filmmaker Nino Simone. The festival is an international competition dedicated to "showcasing the art and talent of emerging filmmakers ...

alongside Dylan Playfair and Robert Lang for their film ''The Drop: Why Young People Don't Vote''. Waddell released the political mystery novel ''A Thirst to Die For'' in 2002, and published his political memoir ''Take the Torch'' in 2018. He died on March 15, 2021, at his home in Vancouver from a heart condition at the age of 78.

References

External links

*
Ian Waddell's Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waddell, Ian 1942 births 2021 deaths 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 21st-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian memoirists Alumni of the London School of Economics British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs Bisexual male politicians Bisexual male writers Canadian LGBTQ Members of Parliament Canadian LGBTQ people in provincial and territorial legislatures Canadian male non-fiction writers Canadian male novelists Canadian mystery writers Canadian King's Counsel Canadian LGBTQ novelists Bisexual memoirists Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia New Democratic Party MPs Politicians from Glasgow Politicians from Vancouver Scottish emigrants to Canada Ministers of tourism of British Columbia University of Toronto alumni Writers from Glasgow Novelists from Vancouver Canadian bisexual men Canadian bisexual writers Bisexual novelists 20th-century Canadian LGBTQ people 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Early life and career

Political career

After politics

See also

References

External links