David Zirnhelt

David Zirnhelt
MLA for Cariboo
In office 1989–1991
Preceded by	Alex Fraser
Succeeded by	riding dissolved
MLA for Cariboo South
In office 1991–2001
Preceded by	first member
Succeeded by	Walt Cobb
Minister of Economic Development, Small Business and Trade of British Columbia
In office November 5, 1991 – September 15, 1993
Premier	Michael Harcourt
Preceded by	Stuart Douglas Boland Smith
Succeeded by	Bill Barlee
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of British Columbia
In office September 15, 1993 – June 17, 1996
Premier	Glen Clark
Preceded by	Bill Barlee
Succeeded by	Corky Evans
Minister of Forests of British Columbia
In office June 17, 1996 – February 24, 2000
Premier	Glen Clark, Dan Miller
Preceded by	Dennis Streifel
Succeeded by	Jim Doyle
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs of British Columbia
In office November 1, 2000 – June 5, 2001
Premier	Ujjal Dosanjh
Preceded by	Dale Lovick
Succeeded by	George Abbott (Community, Aboriginal and Women’s Services), Geoff Plant (Treaty Negotiations)
Personal details
Political party	New Democrat
Residence	Williams Lake, British Columbia
Occupation	businessman

David Zirnhelt is a Canadian politician. He was born in Williams Lake, British Columbia, located in the Cariboo region of the province's central interior. He obtained an undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of British Columbia in political science and public administration, returning to the Williams Lake area, where he became a cattle rancher and a practitioner of horse logging. He was also active as a consultant in various federal, provincial, and First Nations projects related to public policy and economic development.

Zirnhelt began his political career when he served as a director of the Cariboo Regional District from 1974 to 1977. In 1987, he was elected as a trustee of the Cariboo-Chilcotin School District. Zirnhelt made the leap to provincial politics in 1989, winning the seat of Cariboo in a by-election for the social democratic British Columbia New Democratic Party. The riding had, until then, been a stronghold of the conservative British Columbia Social Credit Party for almost forty years. Zirnhelt would go on to be re-elected in 1991 and 1996 in the riding of Cariboo South (the old Cariboo riding was abolished with the 1991 election).

With the election of a New Democratic government in 1991, Premier Mike Harcourt appointed Zirnhelt Minister of Economic Development, Small Business and Trade. He later served as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. Following Harcourt's resignation, Premier Glen Clark appointed Zirnhelt Minister of Forests — a powerful portfolio in a province where forestry is a major economic sector. In that position, Zirnhelt initiated an intensive review of the province's forest practices, as concerns mounted over the logging of old growth forests and the insufficient restocking of logged areas by timber companies.

Zirnhelt failed in his attempt at re-election in 2001.

External links

• Biography from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Persondata
Name	Zirnhelt, David
Alternative names
Short description	Canadian politician
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death