Bill Clarke (politician)

Clarke attended schools in Toronto's Forest Hill district, then studied at Ridley College at St. Catharines and St. George's School in Vancouver. His post-secondary education was at the University of British Columbia. He became a chartered accountant for Price Waterhouse's Vancouver office in 1956.^[1]


He entered national politics in the 1972 Canadian federal election, in which he ran successfully to become the Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Quadra. Clarke was re-elected at the riding in the 1974, 1979 and 1980 federal elections. Clarke therefore served four consecutive terms, from the 29th through 32nd Canadian Parliaments.


In the 1984 federal election, Clarke was defeated by Prime Minister John Turner, leader of the Liberal Party. Clarke was defeated even as his party won the most seats in Canadian history, and he was one of only two Tory MPs to lose a re-election bid in 1984. (John A. Gamble of York North was the other; he lost to Tony Roman as his far-right political beliefs came under scrutiny.) Clarke made two further unsuccessful attempts to regain Vancouver Quadra as a PC candidate: in 1988, coming second to Turner, and 2000, coming third behind Stephen Owen.


He was the Conservative Party of British Columbia's candidate for the riding of Vancouver-Quilchena in the 2013 British Columbia general election. He came in fourth place, with BC Liberal candidate Andrew Wilkinson winning.

Archives[edit]

There is a Bill Clarke fonds at Library and Archives Canada.^[2] Archival reference number is R3730.