Ian Waddell

Ian Gardiner Waddell (November 21, 1942 – March 15, 2021) was a Canadian politician, author and filmmaker. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1993, and in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1996 to 2001.

Early life and career Waddell was born in Glasgow, Scotland, 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, initially staying in Scarborough, and later moved to Etobicoke. 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 U of T to study law, graduating with an LLB in 1967.

Critical of the Law Society of Upper Canada, Waddell moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he articled at McTaggart, Ellis and Company. He went on to be counsel to Justice Tom Berger's landmark Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry (1974–1977), before becoming partner at DeCario & Waddell. He served as NDP's energy critic at the time of the National Energy Program, before covering other portfolios such as economic development, employment, fisheries and communications. the former provides constitutional protection to the indigenous and treaty rights of indigenous peoples in Canada, while the latter gave provinces greater control over non-renewable natural resources.

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. 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 Legislative Assembly of British Columbia to represent the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview, winning by 380 votes. He was appointed Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture in February 1998 by Premier Glen Clark. He subsequently served as Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks under Ujjal Dosanjh from November 2000 to April 2001. He lost the Vancouver-Fraserview seat to Liberal candidate Ken Johnston in the 2001 provincial election. At this time, Waddell came out as bisexual. 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.

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.