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Information About

Rick Dykstra





EARLY LIFE AND CAREER


Dykstra has a Bachelor Of Arts degree in Political Science from Brock University , and a Master's Certificate in Project Management from York University . He served for twelve years as president of Dykstra Landscaping, a family business.


MUNICIPAL AND PROVINCIAL CAREER


Dykstra served on the St. Catharines city council from 1991 to 1997 , representing the St. Patrick's ward. In 1992 , he encouraged the provincial government of Bob Rae to lower the gas tax in order to combat cross-border shopping, which was adversely affecting Ontario businesses.

He served as chair of the St. Catharines Library Board, and attempted in 1996 to have a book detailing the crimes of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka banned from the city library. Bernardo and Homolka are former residents of St. Catharines, and Dykstra argued that he was acting to protect the interests of their victims. The board voted to keep the book in circulation, but ruled that patrons could not remove it from the library.

Dykstra campaigned for Mayor of St. Catharines in 1997, but lost to Tim Rigby . He later worked for the Ontario provincial government in the Office Of The Premier , and was an executive assistant to John Baird , the Minister Of Community And Social Services . He was appointed to the Niagara Parks Commission in 2003 , and co-chaired Conservative candidate Dean Allison 's campaign in Niagara West—Glanbrook for the 2004 Federal Election .


MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT


Dykstra was elected to the House of Commons in 2006, defeating Liberal incumbent Walt Lastewka by 244 votes. The Conservative Party won a Minority Government in the election, and Dykstra now sits as a government Backbencher .


TABLE OF OFFICES HELD


  Before Walt Lastewka
  After ''incumbent''



EXTERNAL LINKS




ELECTORAL RECORD


Dykstra was elected to the St. Catharines city council for Ward Four (St. Patrick's Ward) in 1991 and 1994.

All federal election information is taken from Elections Canada . The 1997 municipal results are taken from the ''Hamilton Spectator'', 11 November 1997, B9. The final official results were not significantly different.


NOTES AND SOURCES