Harold Albrecht
Encyclopedia
Harold Glenn Albrecht is a Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Conservative Party of Canada
in the riding of Kitchener—Conestoga
. He defeated the incumbent Liberal
MP, Lynn Myers
, by just over 1000 votes in the 2006 federal election
to gain a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
.
, and then at Waterloo Lutheran University (which is now Wilfrid Laurier University
).
for twenty-seven years and was also a trustee on the Waterloo County Board of Education from 1978 to 1982, as well as being the Chair of the Board from 1981 to 1982. In his dentistry career, he also went on many short-term Christian missions trips to Third World countries
.
In 1999, Albrecht left his dentistry practice to pastor Pathway Community Church in the Doon area of Kitchener. The church started meeting in November of that year, with a small congregation of around 70 people. It also became the third Brethren in Christ church in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Albrecht pastored the church until 2005, when he announced a leave of absence to seek the Conservative Party nomination in his riding. When he won the nomination, he permanently resigned his leadership position from the Church.
Albrecht is a strong opponent of same-sex marriage. In 2003, while still pastor, he wrote that same-sex unions "would succeed in wiping out an entire society in just one generation. Marriage is God's idea, not man's, therefore, He alone has the authority to redefine it."
Albrecht favours reforming Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act. In particular, he would like to see stiffer sentences for young offenders who commit violent crimes. His interest was sparked by the Justice for Dustin Campaign-an endeavour by the family of a murdered Kitchener teen to see stricter sentences for violent young offenders.
in between Petersburg and New Dundee
, and he and his wife Betty have been married for over thirty-five years. They have three children and seven grandchildren. On the night of May 2, 2011 Harold's wife suffered a brain hemorrhage while they were preparing for his election victory party, and died two days later in hospital.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in the riding of Kitchener—Conestoga
Kitchener—Conestoga
Kitchener—Conestoga is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
. He defeated the incumbent Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
MP, Lynn Myers
Lynn Myers
Lynn A. Myers is a former Canadian politician.Before being elected federally, he was involved in politics in the Waterloo Region from 1978 to 1997. He served in various capacities including mayor of Wilmot Township, Township councillor and regional councillor...
, by just over 1000 votes in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
to gain a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
.
Early years
Albrecht grew up in the riding in which he was elected and was educated in Waterloo Region at Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary SchoolWaterloo-Oxford District Secondary School
Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School is a high school just outside Baden, Ontario, Canada operated by the Waterloo Region District School Board. It opened in 1955 and is the only rural high school in Waterloo Region. W-O serves a student population of 1,244 , primarily from Waterloo Region,...
, and then at Waterloo Lutheran University (which is now Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
).
Before politics
He owned a private dental practice in KitchenerKitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
for twenty-seven years and was also a trustee on the Waterloo County Board of Education from 1978 to 1982, as well as being the Chair of the Board from 1981 to 1982. In his dentistry career, he also went on many short-term Christian missions trips to Third World countries
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
.
In 1999, Albrecht left his dentistry practice to pastor Pathway Community Church in the Doon area of Kitchener. The church started meeting in November of that year, with a small congregation of around 70 people. It also became the third Brethren in Christ church in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Albrecht pastored the church until 2005, when he announced a leave of absence to seek the Conservative Party nomination in his riding. When he won the nomination, he permanently resigned his leadership position from the Church.
Albrecht is a strong opponent of same-sex marriage. In 2003, while still pastor, he wrote that same-sex unions "would succeed in wiping out an entire society in just one generation. Marriage is God's idea, not man's, therefore, He alone has the authority to redefine it."
Federal politics
In Ottawa, Albrecht is the founder and chair of the BioCaucus, a group of MPs who work to promote the production of agricultural and renewable technologies. He sits on the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development committee and the Government Operations and Estimates committee.Albrecht favours reforming Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act. In particular, he would like to see stiffer sentences for young offenders who commit violent crimes. His interest was sparked by the Justice for Dustin Campaign-an endeavour by the family of a murdered Kitchener teen to see stricter sentences for violent young offenders.
Personal life
Albrecht owns a hobby farmHobby farm
A hobby farm is a smallholding or small farm that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income. Some are merely to provide some recreational land, and perhaps a few horses for the family's children...
in between Petersburg and New Dundee
New Dundee, Ontario
New Dundee is a small community of about 1,500 people in the Township of Wilmot, Ontario, Canada, south-west of Kitchener.It is home to the Dundee Country Club golf course and the New Dundee Emporium, founded in 1887. Many small businesses are located within the community on Alder Lake. Some...
, and he and his wife Betty have been married for over thirty-five years. They have three children and seven grandchildren. On the night of May 2, 2011 Harold's wife suffered a brain hemorrhage while they were preparing for his election victory party, and died two days later in hospital.