Dan Coulter
{{Short description|Canadian politician (1975–2024)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Dan Coulter
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Dan Coulter BC NDP.png
| office = Minister of State for Infrastructure and Transit of British Columbia
| term_start = December 7, 2022
| term_end = November 18, 2024
| premier = David Eby
| predecessor = Bowinn Ma
| successor = Bowinn Ma (Infrastructure)
Mike Farnworth (Transportation and Transit)
| office1 = Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility of British Columbia
| term_start1 = November 26, 2020
| term_end1 = December 7, 2022
| premier1 = John Horgan
David Eby
| predecessor1 = Position created
| successor1 = Susie Chant
| office2 = Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Chilliwack
| term_start2 = October 24, 2020
| term_end2 = September 21, 2024
| predecessor2 = John Martin
| successor2 = Heather Maahs
| party = New Democratic
| birth_date = {{birth date|1975|2|23}}
| birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|12|12|1975|2|23}}
| death_place = Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
| residence = Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
| occupation =
| caption = Coulter in 2020
}}
Daniel Alexander Coulter (February 23, 1975 – December 12, 2024) was a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2020 British Columbia general election. He represented the electoral district of Chilliwack as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party caucus.{{Cite web |last=Azpiri |first=Jon |date=2020-10-25 |title=B.C. election 2020: NDP candidate Dan Coulter projected to win in Chilliwack |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7414098/bc-election-2020-chilliwack-ndp-win/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Global News |language=en-US}} He defeated the two-term incumbent John Martin; prior to the 2020 election, Chilliwack was considered a stronghold for the then-BC Liberal Party.{{Cite web |last=Welsh |first=Eric |date=2020-10-24 |title=BC Liberal candidate John Martin trailing NDP's Dan Coulter in Chilliwack riding |url=https://www.theprogress.com/news/bc-liberal-candidate-john-martin-trailing-ndps-dan-coulter-in-chilliwack-riding-1909662 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Chilliwack Progress |language=en-US}}
In addition to serving as MLA for Chilliwack, Coulter was Minister of State for Infrastructure and Transit, working within the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure in the Eby ministry.
Coulter was previously Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility{{Cite web|url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/cabinet/cabinet-ministers|title = Executive Council & Parliamentary Secretaries of B.C. - Province of British Columbia}} under the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction in the Horgan ministry, where his mandate included consulting with advocates, communities and businesses to ensure that the new Accessible British Columbia Act would be effective and well understood and working with the Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing to work on BC Building Code changes to make new buildings more accessible.{{Cite web |date=November 26, 2020 |title=SDPR Coulter Mandate |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/SDPR-Coulter-mandate.pdf |website=gov.bc.ca}}
In the 2024 British Columbia general election, Coulter was defeated in his bid for re-election by Conservative candidate Heather Maahs.{{cite news |title=BC election 2024 results: Chilliwack North |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10778985/bc-election-2024-results-chilliwack-north/ |access-date=21 October 2024 |work=Global News |publisher=Corus Entertainment |date=20 October 2024}} He was appointed the interim Provincial Director of the British Columbia New Democratic Party after the resignation of Heather Stoutenburg.{{Cite tweet|author=Richard Zussman |author-link=Richard Zussman |user=richardzussman |number=1855456375230665078 |title=Heather Stoutenburg is moving on from the job as Provincial Director of the B.C. NDP. Former MLA and cabinet minister Dan Coulter will be filling the job on an interim basis. #bcpoli
Background
Coulter was born on February 23, 1975 in Vancouver, British Columbia.{{cite web|title=Daniel Alexander COULTER (Dan) Obituary|url=https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/daniel-coulter-1092448994/|publisher=Vancouver Sun/Province|access-date=December 17, 2024}} He grew up in Edmonton and Abbotsford. After graduating from high school in 1993, he worked as a welder and then became a certified millwright with the Red Seal Program in 1999.Interview with Dan Coulter by editor July 2021 Coulter was severely injured in a workplace accident in 1999 and was a wheelchair user.{{Cite web |last=Bartel |first=Katie |date=23 September 2013 |title=Coulter first out of the gate in Chilliwack school board race |url=https://www.theprogress.com/news/coulter-first-out-of-the-gate-in-chilliwack-school-board-race/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=theprogress.com}} After his accident, he attended the University of the Fraser Valley.
In 2011, Coulter ran for school trustee in Chilliwack. He was unsuccessful, coming in 8th place and falling short of the 7th board seat by 384 votes.{{cite web | url=https://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=2076 | title=2011 Election Results - City of Chilliwack }} Coulter ran for school trustee again in the 2013 byelection and was successful.{{cite web | url=https://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=2362 | title=2013 By-Election Results - City of Chilliwack }} Coulter was re-elected in the 2014 general municipal election and received the third highest number of votes.{{cite web | url=https://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=2455 | title=2014 Election Results - City of Chilliwack }}
In October 2017, fellow Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld made a Facebook post in which he called supporting transgender children in their gender identity child abuse, cited the American College of Pediatricians (an anti-LGBTQ organization) and said that he belonged "in a country like Russia, or Paraguay, which recently had the guts to stand up to these radical cultural nihilists."{{Cite web |last=Dunham |first=Jackie |date=24 October 2017 |title=School trustee: Allowing children to change gender is 'child abuse' |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/school-trustee-allowing-children-to-change-gender-is-child-abuse-1.3646087 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=ctvnews.ca}} Coulter immediately took a stand for LGBTQ+ people and said, "I have friends that are Trans and I know students that are too. This hatred is aimed straight at who they are. It tries to make their existence illegitimate. It pisses me off! Our students and staff need to feel safe in our schools and a valued part of the school community—because they are!"{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jessica |date=24 October 2017 |title=Educators speak out against Chilliwack school trustee's anti-LGBTQ post |url=https://www.theprogress.com/news/educators-speak-out-against-chilliwack-school-trustees-anti-lgbtq-post-1872307 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=theprogress.com}} In November 2017, Coulter called on Barry Neufeld to resign.{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jessica |date=22 November 2017 |title=Education minister blasts Chilliwack school trustee on gender issues |url=https://www.theprogress.com/news/education-minister-blasts-chilliwack-school-trustee-on-gender-issues/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=theprogress.com}}
Coulter was reelected to the Chilliwack Board of education in 2018 with the highest number of votes.{{cite web | url=https://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=2813 | title=2018 Election Results - City of Chilliwack }} He served as board chair from November 2018{{Cite web |date=13 November 2018 |title=New Chilliwack school board sworn in after divisive election |url=https://www.bclocalnews.com/news/new-chilliwack-school-board-sworn-in-after-divisive-election/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=bclocalnews.com}} to November 2020.{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jessica |date=1 November 2020 |title=Reichelt earns Chilliwack school board chair role as positions change at table |url=https://www.theprogress.com/news/reichelt-earns-chilliwack-school-board-chair-role-as-positions-change-at-table/ |website=theprogress.com}} He resigned from the Chilliwack Board of Education on November 25, 2020, after being sworn in as MLA for Chilliwack.{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jessica |date=25 November 2020 |title=Chilliwack school trustee officially steps down to assume MLA role |url=https://www.theprogress.com/news/chilliwack-school-trustee-officially-steps-down-to-assume-mla-role/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=theprogress.com}}
Death
Coulter was rushed to the Chilliwack General Hospital following an undisclosed medical emergency on December 6, 2024,{{Cite web |last=Feinberg |first=Jennifer |date=December 13, 2024 |title=Former Chilliwack MLA Dan Coulter, 49, dies in hospital |url=https://www.theprogress.com/local-news/former-chilliwack-mla-dan-coulter-49-dies-in-hospital-7695541 |access-date=December 14, 2024 |website=Chilliwack Progress}} where he later died on December 12. He was 49.{{Cite web |last=Feinberg |first=Jennifer |date=2024-12-13 |title=Former Chilliwack MLA Dan Coulter, 49, dies in hospital |url=https://www.agassizharrisonobserver.com/news/former-chilliwack-mla-dan-coulter-49-dies-in-hospital-7695541 |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Agassiz-Harrison Observer |language=en}} The British Columbia New Democratic Party said in a statement that Coulter was a "devoted advocate" for the people of British Columbia.{{Cite web |title=Former Chilliwack, B.C. MLA Dan Coulter has died {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10916888/bc-ndp-dan-coulter-dies/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}
Electoral record
{{2024 British Columbia general election/Chilliwack North}}
{{British Columbia provincial election, 2020/Chilliwack}}
References
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Category:People from Chilliwack
Category:Politicians from Vancouver
Category:British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia