Barry Penner

Minister of Environment and Minister responsible for Water Stewardship and Sustainable Communities

Barry Penner was raised in Chilliwack. His grandparents settled in the area about sixty years ago. Barry's parents, now retired, operated Aslan’s Apples hobby farm in Sardis until a few years ago. Barry has one sister (a teacher) and one brother (an electrician).

Barry has served as a BC Liberal MLA since 1996. He believes it is important for the province to have a balanced budget and to ensure government services are delivered in an efficient manner. Barry has voted in favour of additional funding for health care and education in the legislature.

When Barry was first elected to the BC Legislature for the electoral district of Chilliwack in 1996, he was the youngest member of the BC Liberal Official Opposition. Barry quickly gained recognition and respect for his hard work and strategic representations on behalf of local residents. For example, he helped lead the charge against the Sumas Energy 2, Inc. (SE2) power plant. If built, SE2 would add 2.5 tonnes of air pollution every day into the Fraser Valley. He also helped rally community support which ultimately resulted in construction of the new Chilliwack Courthouse. Barry was re-elected in 2001 with the highest percentage of the popular vote in British Columbia.

Barry was instrumental in bringing ‘AMBER Alert’ to BC, by introducing a motion in the Legislature calling on the BC Government to implement a coordinated communications system to assist police in safely returning abducted children to their parents. The motion passed in 2003, and the 'AMBER Alert' system became operational in 2004. Barry has also promoted the expanded use of Canada's DNA database to help identify and catch convicted criminals.

His personal experiences as a park ranger and outdoor enthusiast has driven him to protect our environment and to encourage responsible methods of energy generation. He has been a keen advocate for small-hydro, wind power and other new energy sources. Barry was recently appointed co-chair of the Alternative Energy and Power Technology task force, which will advice industry and government on how British Columbia can pursue economic opportunities by meeting world energy needs in an environmentally responsible manner. In March 2005, Barry tabled a Private Members bill entitled the Environmental Ticket Enforcement Act, to help crack down on thoughtless people who treat our parks and waterways like garbage dumps. The Act would require individuals to pay fines issued under various environmental laws before being able to renew their driver’s license. Barry’s proposal has received strong support from the BC Wildlife Federation. The goal is to deter possible offenders, improve morale for Conservation Officers and Park Rangers, and protect the environment.

Barry was appointed by Premier Campbell in 2001 to lead BC's delegation to the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER - see www.pnwer.org). He served as PNWER's vice-president before becoming President in June 2002. Barry continues to be actively involved in PNWER activities as Past-President of that organization, bringing BC’s perspective directly to legislative leaders in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, as well as Alberta and Yukon.

In 2004, Barry was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader. In this role, he works closely with the opposition and helps organize the legislative agenda for government.

Barry attended Sardis Secondary School and Fraser Valley College in Chilliwack. He then went on to Simon Fraser University and completed a Bachelor's degree in political science and economics. Barry then attended law school at the University of Victoria. After graduating from law school, Barry returned to Chilliwack in 1992 to practice law with a local firm.

Barry has a wide range of work experience. For example, in 1985 and 1986, he fought forest fires in the mountains near Chilliwack and Harrison. Later, Barry worked as a Park Ranger at Cultus Lake and Manning Park. In 1988, Barry went to Ottawa and spent several months working for what is now the Canadian Space Agency. In 1989, as a Legislative Intern in Victoria, Barry worked first in the Trade Policy branch of the Ministry of International Business, and later as an assistant to elected MLAs at the Legislature. In 1991, Barry traveled across the Pacific Ocean to Bangkok, Thailand, to work at an international law firm. Barry became convinced that BC has many opportunities for trade in the dynamic Pacific Rim region. Upon his return to B.C., Barry worked at a private law firm in Chilliwack and then as a staff lawyer for the Legal Services Society of British Columbia until 1996, assisting those who could not afford their own lawyer.