Scott Jon Thorkelson (2 March 1958 – 19 May 2007) was a member of the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

from 1988 to 1993. His background was in research, consulting, and fundraising. Born in

Gimli, Manitoba Gimli is an unincorporated community in the Rural Municipality of Gimli on the west side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. The community's first European settlers were Icelanders who were part of the New Iceland settlement in Manitoba. The comm ...

, Thorkelson became active with the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party as a youth auxiliary leader and as an assistant to

John Allen Fraser John Allen Fraser, (born December 15, 1931) is a Canadian retired parliamentarian and former Speaker of the House of Commons. Fraser was born in Yokohama, Japan, where his father was working as a lumber salesman. His parents returned to Britis ...

Minister of Fisheries and Oceans The minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for supervising the fishing industry, administrating all navigable waterways in the country, and overseeing the o ...

in the mid-1980s in the

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...

government. Tribute statement in Parliament by

Laurie Hawn Laurie Daniel Hawn PC CD (born May 11, 1947, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force, businessman, and former federal politician from Edmonton, Alberta. He was the Member of Parliament for Edmo ...

, MP for

Edmonton Centre Edmonton Centre (french: Edmonton-Centre) is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and since 2004. Geography The riding is anchored in the heart of Down ...

. Thorkelson was elected as a PC MP in the 1988 federal election at the

Edmonton—Strathcona Edmonton Strathcona (formerly known as Edmonton—Strathcona) is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1953. It spans the south central part of the city of Edmonton ...

electoral district An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

. He served in the

34th Canadian Parliament The 34th Canadian Parliament was in session from December 12, 1988, until September 8, 1993. The membership was set by the 1988 federal election on November 21, 1988, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it wa ...

but lost to

Hugh Hanrahan Hugh F. Hanrahan (16 January 1947 – 19 May 1999) was a member of the House of Commons of Canada for the Edmonton—Strathcona electoral district from 1993 to 1997. His career has been in education and writing. Hanrahan was born in Antigoni ...

of the Reform Party as part of the

electoral wipeout An electoral wipeout occurs when a major party receives far fewer votes or seats in a legislature than their position justifies. It is the opposite of a landslide victory; the two frequently go hand in hand. A use of the phrase generally assumes ...

of the Progressive Conservatives at the 1993 federal election. Thorkelson died unexpectedly in Edmonton at his parents' residence due to a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

at age 49.

References

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* 1958 births 2007 deaths Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs People from Gimli, Manitoba Politicians from Edmonton Canadian people of Icelandic descent {{Alberta-politician-stub