Harold Albrecht

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Harold Glenn Albrecht**

Incumbent
Riding	Kitchener—Conestoga
In office since	2006 election
Preceded by	Lynn Myers
Born	October 15, 1949 Kitchener, Ontario
Residence	Petersburg
Political party	Conservative
Profession(s)	dentist, farmer
Religion	Brethren in Christ
Spouse	Betty Albrecht

Harold Glenn Albrecht (born October 15, 1949 in Kitchener, Ontario) 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.

Albrecht grew up in the riding in which he was elected and was educated in Waterloo Region at Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School, and then at Waterloo Lutheran University (which is now Wilfrid Laurier University). He owned a private dental practice in Kitchener 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 gained national attention during his campaign when he was whisked away from talking to reporters at a Conservative rally. Some speculated that Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper was muzzling him from coming forth about his strong views against same-sex marriage in order to avoid controversy; Harper denied the allegations. Also, Albrecht, along with a few other Conservatives running for office, was singled out by then-Prime Minister Paul Martin, who said that Canadians should be concerned about him having a hidden agenda.

Albrecht owns a hobby farm in between Petersburg and New Dundee, and he and his wife Betty have been married for over thirty-five years. They have three children.