Melanie Mark

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The Honourable
Melanie Mark
MLA
Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak
Melanie Mark.jpg
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport of British Columbia
Assumed office
November 26, 2020
PremierJohn Horgan
Preceded byLisa Beare (Tourism, Arts and Culture)
Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training of British Columbia
In office
July 18, 2017 – November 26, 2020
PremierJohn Horgan
Preceded byLinda Reid
Succeeded byAnne Kang
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
Assumed office
February 2, 2016
Preceded byJenny Kwan
Personal details
Political partyNew Democrat
Children2

Melanie Joy Mark, also known by her Nisga'a name Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak,[1] is a Canadian politician, the first First Nations woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the first First Nations woman to serve in the Cabinet of British Columbia; she is a British Columbia New Democratic Party MLA representative for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant. She was elected on February 2, 2016, in a by-election, winning with 61% of the vote and defeating Green Party of British Columbia candidate Pete Fry and BC Liberal Party candidate Gavin Dew.[2]

Biography[]

Born of Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Cree, and Ojibway ancestry, Mark was raised in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. She credits her aunts and grandparents with helping her get through the death of her younger brother who was killed by a semi trailer while riding a bicycle, her mother's addiction and homelessness, and her father's overdose.[3][4]

After attending six different high schools, including Van Tech, Tupper, and Ladysmith, she became the first person in her family to graduate from high school and attend college and university. She earned a degree in political science at Simon Fraser University (SFU) after attending several different schools, including Van Tech,[5] Douglas College, Native Education College, and Queen's School of Business. She worked with the Native Court Workers' Association, Covenant House, the RCMP in Hazelton as a summer student, and as the national aboriginal project coordinator for Save the Children Canada's Sacred Lives Project.[5]

From 2000 to 2006, Mark served as president of the . She is the co-founder of the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre.[6] Beginning in 2007, she worked for eight years in the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, becoming an associate deputy representative in 2013.[7] The Office is the supporting agency for the Representative for Children and Youth, a non-partisan officer of the BC Legislature reporting directly to the BC Legislative Assembly, mandated to advocate for young people and families going through the provincial child and youth welfare system.

In 2006, Mark received the YWCA Vancouver Young Woman of Distinction Award, and in 2015, she received the Chief Joe Mathias Leadership Award from the Native Education College.[8] In 2016, she was the recipient of the inaugural Janusz Korczak Medal for Children's Rights Advocacy[9] and in 2018, she was the recipient of the Stenberg College, Be the Change, Community Leadership Award.[10]

Politics[]

Melanie Mark was first elected on February 2, 2016, in a by-election, winning with 61% of the vote and defeating BC Liberal Party candidate Gavin Dew and Green Party of British Columbia candidate Pete Fry.[11] She is the first Indigenous woman elected to the Legislature of British Columbia.[7] Following the BC general election, Mark was named as the Minister of Advanced Education in July 2017.[12]

As Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, Mark oversaw policy changes that made college and university more accessible to more British Columbians. She created the Provincial Tuition Waiver program, which supports youth in and from the foster system to access post secondary education tuition free.[13] She oversaw the creation of the B.C. Access Grant, which provides upfront, non-repayable financial assistance to low- and middle-income students enrolled in full-time studies at B.C. colleges and universities,[14][15] as well as the elimination of fees for Adult Basic Education and English language learning programs[16] and interest on provincial student loans.[17]

Electoral record[]

  • v
  • t
2020 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Melanie Mark 14,530 66.95 +1.62 $22,210.72
Green Kelly Tatham 4,356 20.07 +3.14 $5,570.94
Liberal George Vassilas 2,816 12.98 −3.05 $8,413.63
Total valid votes 21,702 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 212 0.97 −0.07
Turnout 21,914 48.01 −9.61
Registered voters 45,644
New Democratic hold Swing −0.76
Source: Elections BC[18][19]
  • v
  • t
2017 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Melanie Mark 15,962 65.33 +5.19 $40,109
Green Jerry Kroll 4,136 16.93 −10.14 $68,641
Liberal Conny Lin 3,917 16.03 +4.74 $32,647
Independent Mike Hansen 212 0.87 – $30
Communist Peter Marcus 135 0.55 – $0
Your Political Party Shai Joseph Mor 72 0.29 −0.36 $85
Total valid votes 24,434 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 256 1.04 +0.58
Turnout 24,690 57.62 +34.45
Registered voters 42,848
Source: Elections BC[20][21]


British Columbia provincial by-election, February 2, 2016: Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Melanie Mark 5,627 60.14 −5.69 $71,603
Green Pete Fry 2,533 27.07 +15.15 $29,065
Liberal Gavin Dew 1,056 11.29 −7.45 $66,547
Libertarian Bonnie Boya Hu 79 0.85 – $250
Your Political Party Jeremy Gustafson 61 0.65 – $454
Total valid votes 9,356 100.00 –
Total rejected ballots 44 0.46 −0.51
Turnout 9,400 23.17 −26.60
Registered voters 40,561
New Democratic hold Swing −10.42

References[]

  1. ^ "My Nisga'a name is HLI HAYKWHL ẂII XSGAAK. I am the descendent of #BriefcaseWarriors. The Nisga'a paddled by canoe fr the Nass to Victoria to defend our rights. Implementing #DRIPA will be another defining moment for generations 2 come. W/ a thundering heart let's PaddleTogether". Twitter. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  2. ^ "B.C. NDP candidates Jodie Wickens and Melanie Mark win Metro Vancouver byelections". CBC News. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  3. ^ Shaw, Rob (February 3, 2016). "B.C.'s newest MLA 'a shining example of resilience'". Vancouver Sun.
  4. ^ Mark, Melanie. "My life, so far". Canadian Woman Studies Journal. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Wab Kinew Runs for Office", Indian Country Today, February 2016, accessed 10 February 2016
  6. ^ "Hon. Melanie Mark". www.leg.bc.ca. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  7. ^ a b Smith, Charlie (February 2, 2016). "NDP's Melanie Mark becomes first indigenous woman elected to B.C. legislature from Vancouver–Mount Pleasant". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  8. ^ "Melanie Mark - NEC Chief Joe Mathias Leadership Award 2015". YouTube. June 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "The inaugural Janusz Korczak Medal for Children's Rights Advocacy – Janusz Korczak Association of Canada". www.januszkorczak.ca. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  10. ^ "Be the Change: Resistance, Resilience & Recovery". Stenberg College. 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  11. ^ "B.C. NDP candidates Jodie Wickens and Melanie Mark win Metro Vancouver byelections". CBC News. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  12. ^ Chan, Cheryl (September 1, 2017). "Q&A with Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  13. ^ Training, Advanced Education Skills and (2019-10-26). "Tuition waiver opens doors for 1,119 former youth in care | BC Gov News". news.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  14. ^ "B.C. Access Grant (Full-Time) | StudentAidBC". studentaidbc.ca. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  15. ^ "BC government announces further support for post-secondary students | News". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  16. ^ "No more tuition fees for adult basic education or English language learning in B.C." CBC News. August 8, 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  17. ^ Russell, Anne. "Students at UFV celebrate the elimination of interest on B.C. student loans | UFV Today". Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  18. ^ "Statement of Votes — 42nd Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  20. ^ "2017 Provincial General Election - Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  21. ^ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
British Columbia provincial government of John Horgan
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Linda Reid
Shirley Bond[1] 		Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training
July 18, 2017 – present 		(incumbent)
  1. ^ Linda Reid served as Minister of Advanced Education, whilst Shirley Bond served as Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
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