Heather Maahs

Heather Maahs is a Canadian politician who has served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) representing the electoral district of Chilliwack North since 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, she has served as leader of the Opposition since 2026.

Early life and career In 1993, Maahs and her husband moved from North Vancouver to Chilliwack. The couple operated a construction company together until her husband's death in 2009. She has three children and eleven grandchildren.

Maahs has completed specialized training in Orton Gillingham tutoring and early assessment from the University of Hull, with a focus on improving educational methods. She was subsequently re-elected five time over the following 16 years. During her tenure, she emphasized foundational reading skills and the importance of literacy in education. She has cited the guiding principle "first, we learn to read, then we read to learn"

In December 2024, Maahs submitted her resignation from the Chilliwack Board of Education, ending her service as its longest-standing member. She stated her intent to focus fully on her new role as a member of the Legislative Assembly following her victory in the 2024 provincial election.

She served in the official opposition shadow cabinet as the critic for Children and Family Development – Indigenous Self-Government in Child and Family Services. Following Kerry-Lynne Findlay's election as party leader, Maahs became leader of the Opposition.

Political controversies During her time as a school trustee, Maahs was censured three times by the Chilliwack Board of Education.

In March 2023, she was censured for violating the trustee code of conduct following her opposition to a student-led event promoting the school district's core values. In December 2023, she was censured again for reportedly refusing to remove a news story from her social media that was perceived as critical of the school district and its policies.

In February 2024, Maahs was censured a third time for failing to uphold board member confidentiality guidelines. While the board did not disclose the specific nature of the breach, Maahs was barred from attending in-camera meetings for the remainder of the school year. Maahs later stated that, earlier that same week, her motion requesting a report on vandalism in washroom facilities since the implementation of gender-neutral washrooms had been excluded from the meeting agenda.

Electoral record