Val Anderson

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Val Anderson was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1991 general election, as a candidate of the BC Liberal Party, and was re-elected in the 1996 and 2001 elections.

During his youth, Mr. Anderson had been a member of the Saskatchewan Older Boys' Parliament (now the Saskatchewan Youth Parliament).

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Divinity from St. Andrew's College. He has a Master of Theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and has completed two years on a doctoral program at Boston School of Theology.

Prior to serving as an Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Anderson was a minister in the United Church of Canada and a former professor at the Vancouver School of Theology. He was coordinator and editor of Canadian Multi Faith Action.

Anderson had been active in community work. He was the founding chair of the Vancouver Food Bank and the Pacific Youth and Family Addiction Service Society. He received the Good Neighbour Award in 1990 along with honors from the Social Justice Foundation of BC.

When first elected, Anderson served as the Deputy Critic for Social Services. He served on the Government Caucus Committee on Communities & Safety. He was also a member of the Legislative Select Standing Committees on Aboriginal Affairs and Health, as well as serving on the Multicultural Committee. He had previously served as a member of the Legislative Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct.

Anderson died on 30 March 2006 after a long battle with bowel cancer. He was remembered in the provincial legislature as a man with iron convictions who worked very hard for people who had somehow fallen through the cracks of society.