28 Facts About Jane Thornthwaite

Jane Ann Thornthwaite is a Canadian politician, who represented the North Vancouver-Seymour electoral district Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2009 to 2020.

Jane Thornthwaite is a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party and was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 2009 election and re-elected in the 2013 and 2017 elections.

Jane Thornthwaite's party formed a majority government during the 39th and 40th Parliaments during which she was appointed to be Parliamentary Secretary for Student Support and Parent Engagement.

Jane Thornthwaite was an advocate for labelling foods that contain genetically modified ingredients.

Jane Thornthwaite is a long-time resident of North Vancouver and graduated from Windsor Hillside Secondary School and the University of British Columbia.

Jane Thornthwaite was arrested for drunk driving in February 2010 and charged with driving over the legal limit, during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Jane Thornthwaite pled "not guilty" and reached a plea bargain, pleading guilty to "driving without due care and attention".

Jane Thornthwaite was raised in West Vancouver, attending Hillside Secondary School and in North Vancouver, attending Windsor Secondary School.

Jane Thornthwaite graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in health education.

In 2005, Jane Thornthwaite stood as an independent in the North Vancouver School District election.

Jane Thornthwaite received the most votes, making her one of four candidates elected from the District of North Vancouver.

In March 2009, long-time Member of the Legislative Assembly Daniel Jarvis suddenly announced his retirement and endorsed Jane Thornthwaite to replace him as a candidate in the upcoming provincial election, a recommendation later supported by the party's election readiness committee.

The electoral district was considered one of the safest BC Liberal ridings in the province and the 50-year-old Jane Thornthwaite easily won, with her BC Liberal Party winning a majority government during the 39th Parliament of British Columbia.

On February 22, during the 2010 Winter Olympics, Jane Thornthwaite was driving home after attending receptions at the Northern House and Sochi House when at 1 am she was stopped at a road block near the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing.

Jane Thornthwaite twice registered a blood alcohol content of 0.11 in road-side breathalyzer tests and was arrested for drunk driving.

The prosecution and defense agreed to a plea bargain requiring Jane Thornthwaite to plead guilty to "driving without due care and attention" in violation of the Motor Vehicle Act, which came with a $500 fine and one-month of community service while allowing Jane Thornthwaite to avoid a criminal record.

Jane Thornthwaite was re-elected to a second term on May 14,2013.

Jane Thornthwaite assisted in having a North Shore peak named after longtime North Shore Rescue Team Leader, Tim Jones.

Jane Thornthwaite was part of a group of elected officials who helped spearhead the Lower Lynn Improvement Project, which saw approval and funding for improvements to interchanges at the North end of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing.

In 2012, Jane Thornthwaite introduced legislation banning puppy mills in British Columbia, Bill M-214, known as the "Standards of Care for Breeders of Companion Animals Act".

The bill did not pass initially, but Jane Thornthwaite re-introduced it in 2016 after a government raid rescued 66 mistreated dogs from a puppy mill.

Jane Thornthwaite sought re-election in the 2017 British Columbia general election.

Jane Thornthwaite was challenged by NDP candidate Michael Charrois, Green candidate Joshua Johnson, and Libertarian Clayton Welwood, but Thornthwaite sustained the North Vancouver-Seymour riding and her BC Liberal formed a minority government in the 41st Parliament of British Columbia.

Premier Christy Clark appointed Jane Thornthwaite to be the 'Parliamentary Secretary for Child Mental Health and Anti-Bullying to the Minister of Children and Family Development' After the BC Liberals lost control of the parliament and the BC NDP formed a minority government, Jane Thornthwaite became the Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions.

Jane Thornthwaite advocated for more treatment and recovery services to be made available in BC.

In 2017, Jane Thornthwaite advocated for SkyTrain to be extended to the North Shore.

Jane Thornthwaite proposed that the SkyTrain Line be extended across the Burrard Inlet by the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, and travel east towards Phibbs Exchange, Lonsdale Quay, and Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver.

Jane Thornthwaite again sought re-election in the 2020 British Columbia general election but lost to Susie Chant of the British Columbia New Democratic Party who went on to form a majority government during the 42nd Parliament of British Columbia.