39th Parliament Members
at dissolution on April 16, 2013

MLA: John van Dongen Abbotsford South Elected: 1995, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2009 INDEPENDENT

John van Dongen, one of the longest serving MLAs in the B.C. Legislature, has represented Abbotsford voters since 1995. 

He was re-elected in 1996, 2001, and 2005 and began representing the new riding of Abbotsford South in the spring of 2009.  During that time, he has held a variety of posts, including Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety, Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.

John has called Abbotsford home for more than 30 years, and before his election to the Legislative Assembly operated his own successful dairy farm.

He was actively involved in farm organizations and business for 20 years, serving as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of Dairyland and as a board member of Agrifoods International Co-operative (Dairyland), BC Dairy Foundation, BC Federation of Dairyman’s Association and the Federal Farm Debt Review Board.

John, the oldest of seven children, was born in Canada after his parents emigrated from Holland.  He is the father to two adult sons and has two grandchildren.  John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of British Columbia.