William Nicholas Vander Zalm (b.1934), commonly known as Bill Vander Zalm, is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991. 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 5th 944,735 km² 2. ... This is a list of the premiers of British Columbia, Canada, since it joined Confederation in 1871. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He was born and raised in the Netherlands and immigrated to Canada after World War II, settling in the Fraser Valley in 1947. After leaving high school, he sold tulip bulbs and ultimately established himself in the nursery and gardening business and also invested in real estate. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Species See text in the lily family, Liliaceae. ... Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ...

Vander Zalm was elected alderman of Surrey in 1965, and served as the city's mayor from 1969 to 1975. His tenure was marked by his crackdown on welfare "deadbeats" (at the time, welfare in BC was a municipal responsibility). An alderman is a member of a municipal legislative body in a town or city with many jurisdictions. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = The City of Parks City of Surrey, British Columbia, Canadas Location. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... A mayor (from the Latin maīor, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Vander Zalm was originally a supporter of both the Liberal Party of Canada and the British Columbia Liberal Party. He sought election to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1968 federal election as a Liberal from Surrey. He lost by 5,000 votes. He was also a candidate at the 1972 provincial Liberal leadership convention, where he lost to David Anderson. He joined the British Columbia Social Credit Party in 1974. The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada) is Canadas current governing political party. ... The British Columbia Liberal Party (usually called the BC Liberal Party) is a right-of-centre provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada, differing from some other right-of-centre parties in being fiscally conservative and socially moderate (or neoliberal). ... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, which also includes the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... In the Canadian federal election of June 25, 1968, the Liberal Party won a majority government under its new leader, Pierre Trudeau. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... This page lists the results of Leadership Conventions held by the British Columbia Liberal Party. ... David Anderson is not to be confused with David L. Anderson, the member of parliament from Cypress Hills--Grasslands. ... The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1975 election, in which Social Credit won back power after a three-year hiatus. He served in the cabinet of Premier Bill Bennett as Minister of Human Resources from 1975 to 1978, where he continued his crusade against welfare "fraud". He also served as Minister of Municipal Affairs from 1978 to 1981 and aas Minister of Education from 1981-1983. He was forced from Cabinet in 1981 after he called Bennett and his ministers "gutless". Legislature Building in Victoria, BC The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is located in Victoria. ... The British Columbia general election of 1975 was the 31st general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. ... William Richards Bennett, or simply Bill Bennett (born August 18, 1932) was Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia (1975-1986). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1984, he bought Fantasy Garden World, a theme park. That same year, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Vancouver, as the candidate for the Non-Partisan Association. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Members of Parliament Libby Davies, Ujjal Dosanjh, David Emerson, Hedy Fry, Stephen Owen Members of the Legislative Assembly Gordon Campbell, David Chudnovsky, Adrian Dix, Colin Hansen, Jenny Kwan, Lorne Mayencourt, Wally Oppal, Gregor Robertson, Shane Simpson, Carole Taylor Mayor Sam Sullivan City Manager Judy Rogers Governing Body Vancouver City Council... The Non-Partisan Association - the NPA - is a civic-level political party operating in Vancouver, Canada. ...

In 1986, Bennett announced he was retiring. Vander Zalm attracted considerable attention as he waffled on whether he would run for the leadership of the Social Credit Party. He generated more press out of the race than the other candidates did in it. At the party's convention in Whistler, British Columbia, he won the leadership easily and became premier just a month before the 1986 election 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Brussels-style waffle Liège-style waffle Fruits waffle and Liège-style waffle This article is about the food item. ... The British Columbia Social Credit Party, a conservative political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, did not hold any leadership conventions until 1973. ... Whistler in late summer Whistler is a resort town in the province of British Columbia, Canada. ... The 34th general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada, was called on September 24, 1986. ...

During the campaign, "Vandermania" swept BC, and the Socreds easily won another term over the opposition New Democratic Party. Bill and his wife, Lillian, attracted public adoration with their high-voltage smiles and charisma. The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. ...

The party and its leader had no public plan for when they were elected for the long term. However, the main clear goal was to have a "fresh start" after the confrontational Bennett years.

Once elected with a majority, Vander Zalm selected his cabinet, mostly backbenchers who had languished under Bill Bennett. Oddly, Vander Zalm decided to release the normally secret list of cabinet appointments to two Vancouver Sun reporters hours before the official announcement was to be made. The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper published in British Columbia by the Pacific Newspaper Group Inc, a CanWest Global Communications Company. ...

The Social Credit Party had been a tenuous alliance between supporters of the federal Liberals, urban fiscal conservatives and Christian conservatives in the province's Bible Belt. Fiscal conservatives had dominated the party for over a decade, but under Vander Zalm social conservatives took control. Vander Zalm himself was a social conservative, and his government once tried to cut public funding for abortions that were not medically necessary. The resulting uproar forced Vander Zalm to drop the program. His government also had a confrontational relationship with union labour.

As well, he appointed David Poole, a close friend, to be his "Principal Secretary". Before resigning in 1989, Poole had become the second most powerful person in the province despite never having been elected. This naturally attracted the anger of numerous cabinet ministers, such as Grace McCarthy. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grace Mary McCarthy (born October 14, 1927) was a Canadian politician in British Columbia, nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her party, and a longtime member of the Social Credit Party of B.C. She was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial election. ...

He was also accused of influence peddling with his close friend Peter Toigo in the sale of the Expo 86 site. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Vander Zalm became embroiled in a conflict of interest controversy over the sale of his Fantasy Gardens flower garden and theme park. The conflict of interest arose because the Taiwanese buyer, Tan Yu, was provided VIP treatment and lunch with the Lieutenant-Governor prior to the sale. Vander Zalm claimed that control over the theme park was his wife's responsibility. A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ...

It was proven in BC Supreme Court that he was, in fact, intimately involved in the sale. The court case implied that that Vander Zalm used his position as premier to promote his own business transactions by gaining access to cabinet ministers for Tan Yu and himself. Vander Zalm was forced to resign over the scandal in 1991. He was succeeded as Premier of BC by Rita Johnston. 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rita Johnston (born April 22, 1935) was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. ...

After many years out of the spotlight, Vander Zalm again took a stab at office by running in Delta-South in a by-election in 1999 for the British Columbia Reform Party, which had been formed after the Social Credit Party had collapsed. This by-election was notable for many reasons, including the incredibly low support the governing NDP received (coming in fourth), and marking the absolute low point for the NDP's electoral support. NDP candidate Richard Tones received just 2.44% of the vote. Vander Zalm finished second with 32.91% of the vote to Liberal Val Roddick who received 59.63%. The Reform Party of British Columbia (Reform BC) was a populist political party in British Columbia, Canada, which for much of its history was associated with the right wing. ...

Recommended reading

• Fantasyland: Inside the reign of Bill Vander Zalm, Gary Mason (ISBN 0-0754-9868-5)