Gulzar Singh Cheema

Gulzar Singh Cheema (born August 11, 1954) is an Indian-born Canadian physician and politician.<ref name=parlgd>Template:Cite book</ref> He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1988 to 1993,<ref name=manitoba>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2001 to 2004,<ref name=globe/> making him one of only a few Canadian politicians to have sat in two provincial legislatures since Confederation. He is the first Indian-born provincial legislator in Canada.<ref name="CBC211024">Template:Cite news</ref> He was also a cabinet minister in the government of Premier of British Columbia Gordon Campbell from 2001 to 2004, and was a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada in the federal election of 2004.

Background

The son of Ajinder Singh Cheema and Ajit Kaur Aulakh,<ref name=parlgd/> he grew up in Gurdaspur district in Punjab, India.<ref name=punjab/><ref name="Straight181225">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He received a bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery from Punjab University in 1977, then worked as a clinical instructor.<ref name=punjab/><ref name="BCLeg37">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He moved to Canada in 1979, and married Harinder Claire the same year; they have two children together.<ref name=punjab>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="BCLeg37"/> Following his internship at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and residency at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital,<ref name=globe>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="BCLeg37"/> he moved to Winnipeg where he practised as a family physician from 1984 to 1993.<ref name=parlgd/>

Political career

Manitoba politics

Formerly a member of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in the Manitoba general election of 1988, Cheema was elected as a Liberal in the Winnipeg riding of Kildonan. The Liberals went from one to twenty seats in the Manitoba legislature in this election, winning several Winnipeg seats from the governing NDP. Cheema defeated Progressive Conservative candidate John Baluta by 585 votes,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with NDP incumbent Marty Dolin finishing third. The Progressive Conservatives came out of the election with a minority government, and Cheema became a member of the official opposition. Cheema increased his margin of victory in the 1990 provincial election when he ran in the new riding of The Maples,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but the Liberal Party fell to seven seats and third-party status. During his time in the Manitoba assembly, he served as critic for health, labour, housing, native affairs, sport and co-operatives, and consumer and corporate affairs.<ref name=globe/><ref name="BCLeg37"/> He resigned his seat on June 17, 1993.<ref name=manitoba/>

British Columbia politics

Soon afterwards, Cheema opened a family practice in Surrey, British Columbia.<ref name=parlgd/> He became involved in several community activities in British Columbia, including acting as chair of the 1998 British Columbia Games for Athletes with Disabilities' medical section.<ref name="BCLeg37"/> He also made regular appearances on local multicultural radio talk shows and television station OMNI BC (previously Channel M) to educate the Indo-Canadian community on health and disease prevention.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the 1996 provincial election, Cheema ran as a BC Liberal in the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview, but lost to BC NDP candidate Ian Waddell by 380 votes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The BC NDP experienced a sharp decline in popularity in the following years, and the provincial Liberals were elected in a landslide in the 2001 provincial election. This time Cheema ran in Surrey-Panorama Ridge, where he defeated NDP candidate Bruce Ralston by over 6,000 votes to become the riding's member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was appointed to the cabinet that June by Premier Gordon Campbell to serve as Minister of State for Mental Health, before being re-assigned in January 2004 as Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services.<ref name=globe/><ref name="CampbellCabinet">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Federal politics

Later in 2004, Cheema sought and won the federal Liberal nomination in the new riding of Fleetwood—Port Kells. His cabinet appointment was rescinded on March 8, 2004,<ref name="CampbellCabinet"/> and he subsequently resigned as MLA that May.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the June 2004 federal election, Cheema was defeated by Conservative candidate Nina Grewal, 14,052 votes to 11,568 (New Democratic Party candidate Barry Bell received 10,976 votes).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Attempt return to BC politics

In the 2020 provincial election, Cheema was the BC Liberal candidate in Surrey-Panorama, a reconfigured version of his old riding.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was defeated by incumbent NDP member Jinny Sims.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Honours

Cheema was awarded the Canada 125 Medal in 1992 for community service.<ref name="BCLeg37"/> In 2021, a new street in northwest Winnipeg was named Cheema Drive in his honour.<ref name="CBC211024"/>

Election results

{{safesubst:#if:|||} }}{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:End with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| html | 1 }}

{{safesubst:#if:|||} }}{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:End with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| html | 1 }}