16 Facts About Glen Clark

Glen David Clark was born on November 22,1957 and is a Canadian retail executive and former politician who served as the 31st premier of British Columbia from 1996 to 1999.

At Notre Dame, Glen Clark was known as a small, fearless linebacker for the football team.

Glen Clark was student council president and played the lead male role in The Sound of Music and later performed in South Pacific.

Glen Clark earned a bachelor's degree from Simon Fraser University and a master's degree from the University of British Columbia.

Glen Clark was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1986 provincial election.

Glen Clark served as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations and then as the Minister of Employment and Investment in the government of Mike Harcourt.

When Harcourt resigned as a result of the Bingogate scandal, Glen Clark stood for and won the leadership of the BC NDP and therefore became BC's 31st premier.

Glen Clark called an election in 1996 in which his party narrowly held onto its majority.

Glen Clark largely continued the policies of the Harcourt government, particularly its implementation of the BC Benefits welfare reform package, similar to reforms carried out by Ralph Klein in Alberta and Mike Harris in Ontario.

Glen Clark undertook the BC fast ferries initiative, which was designed to upgrade the existing BC Ferries fleet as well as jump start the shipbuilding industry in Vancouver.

Glen Clark resigned suddenly on the night of August 21,1999, following allegations that he had accepted favours from Dimitrios Pilarinos in return for approving a casino application.

Glen Clark was later formally charged with committing breach of trust, a criminal offence.

AD Oliver concluded in 2001 that Glen Clark had violated conflict of interest laws in British Columbia.

However, Glen Clark was acquitted of all criminal charges by the Supreme Court of British Columbia on August 29,2002, with Justice Elizabeth Bennett ruling that while Glen Clark had unwisely left himself open to a perception of unethical behaviour, there was no solid evidence that he had actually done anything illegal.

In 2001 Jim Pattison hired Glen Clark to manage his Neon Products Company.

Later, Glen Clark was president and chief operating officer of the Jim Pattison Group in Vancouver until he stepped down at the end of 2022.