Gerard A. Janssen (b. May 3, 1946) is a

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

-born jeweller, watchmaker and former political figure in

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 ...

. He represented Alberni 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 1988 to 2001 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 ...

(NDP) member. He was born in

Venlo Venlo () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in southeastern Netherlands, close to the border with Germany. It is situated in the province of Limburg (Netherlands), ...

, the son of Nicholas Jannsen and Maria Sloesen, and came to Canada with his parents in 1952. Janssen later took over the operation of the business established by his parents in 1956. In 1967, he married Florence Edith Irene McIver. He was a member of the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce, also serving as its president. Janssen was first elected to the provincial assembly in a 1988 by-election held after

Bob Skelly Robert Evan Skelly (14 April 1943 – 6 August 2022) was a Canadian politician from British Columbia. Skelly was born 14 April 1943, at New Westminster, British Columbia. The son of Robert Daniel Skelly and Dorothy Graham, he was educated a ...

resigned his seat to enter federal politics. He served as government

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

in the assembly. Janssen was a member of the provincial cabinet, serving as Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture from 2000 to 2001. He was defeated by Gillian Trumper when he ran for reelection to the assembly in the new riding of Alberni-Qualicum in 2001.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janssen, Gerard 1946 births Living people British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs Canadian jewellers Dutch emigrants to Canada Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia Ministers of tourism of British Columbia People from Venlo 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia