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Terry Beech
Canadian politician (born 1981) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Terry James Beech PC MP (born April 2, 1981) is a Canadian politician and former businessman. A member of the Liberal Party, he has represented Burnaby North—Seymour in the House of Commons since the 2015 federal election. From 2023 to 2025 Beech served as Minister of Citizens' Services.
In 1999, Beech was elected to the Nanaimo City Council at the age of 18, becoming British Columbia's youngest-ever elected official.
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Early life and municipal politics
Beech was born in Comox, British Columbia,[2] and grew up in Victoria.
Beech was elected to Nanaimo City Council in 1999 at age 18,[3] becoming British Columbia's youngest-ever elected official. He served on the council for three years, and did not seek re-election.
Education and business career
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Beech earned a certificate in public administration from Capilano University and a bachelor's degree from Simon Fraser University, jointly majoring in business and economics.[4][5]
After completing his studies at SFU, Beech joined Aquilini Investment Group, where he worked as a director of business development until 2008.[5]
In 2006, Beech and his twin brother, Doug, founded a non-profit organization called Twinbro Local Leaders, aimed at helping students access scholarships.[6][7]
While working on his MBA at Oxford University through their online offerings, Beech started tech company HiretheWorld. In 2010, HiretheWorld won the BCIC New Ventures Competition, and in 2012, it was named one of BC Business Magazine's top 20 most innovative companies.[8]
Beech has taught entrepreneurship and finance courses as an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University[9] and the University of British Columbia.[10]
In 2010-11, Beech participated in the Action Canada program, where he co-authored, "Fueling Canada's Economic Success: A National Strategy for High-Growth Entrepreneurship."[11][12]
In 2013, Beech married Ravi Bansal (now Ravi Bansal Beech). They have two daughters, Nova and Solar.[13]
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Political career
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Beech entered federal politics as a member of the Liberal Party, securing the nomination for the newly created riding of Burnaby North—Seymour.[14] In the 2015 federal election he defeated incumbent New Democratic Party candidate Carol Baird Ellan and Conservative Party candidate Mike Little,[15] whose parties had previously won the respective portions of the area from which the Burnaby North—Seymour was created. Beech received 36.1% of the vote,[15] amidst a broader surge of Liberal support in Greater Vancouver during the 2015 federal election.[16]
Following his election, Beech was appointed the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science.[17] In January 2017, Beech was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.[17] Beech held this role until August 2018, when he was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport.[17]
In 2018, Beech was awarded Parliamentarian of the Year for Best Civic Outreach.[18] This award is voted on by all Member of Parliament. Beech attributed his win to his efforts to engage with constituents and by perpetually knocking on doors in his riding.[19]
In the 2019 Canadian federal election, Beech was re-elected, receiving 35.5% of the vote. He defeated New Democratic Party candidate Svend Robinson, who had previously served as MP in Burnaby from 1979 to 2004 and Heather Leung, who was dropped by the Conservative Party after a video of her making homophobic comments surfaced.[20]
On December 12, 2019, Beech was once again named as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.[21] On February 4, 2020, Beech was selected by fellow caucus members to become the chair of the Federal Liberal Pacific Caucus, composed of Liberal MPs from British Columbia.[22]
In the 2021 Canadian federal election, Beech was re-elected with 39.4% of the vote.[23] On December 3, 2021, Terry Beech was named Parliamentary Secretary to Chrystia Freeland, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.[24]
Beech was appointed as the first Minister of Citizens' Services on July 26, 2023 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The role was intended to address weaknesses in the government's delivery of services to Canadians.[25] One of Beech's key acts, a proposal to create a 30-business-day guarantee for passports to address delays received widespread media coverage.[26] In March 2025, Beech released the first State of Service Report.[27] However, the portfolio was dissolved following Mark Carney's appointment as Prime Minister in 2025, as part of a broader cabinet restructuring under his leadership, and Beech was not offered another cabinet role.[28]
In the 2025 federal election, Beech was re-elected, receiving 59.1% of the vote, a significant increase from his previous results.
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Awards
- Best Politician : Best of Burnaby 2023 [29] and 2024 [30]
- Best Constituency MP in Canada: Voted by Hill Times 2023 [31] and 2024 [32]
- Hardest Working MP in Canada: Voted by Hill Times 2023 [31]
- Best MP to Work For in Canada: Voted by Hill Times 2024 [32]
- Parliamentarian of the Year - Civic Outreach: Maclean's Magazine 2018 [33]
- Belzberg Blaney Award for Exceptional Service: Action Canada 2024 [34]
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Electoral record
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References
External links
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