Burnaby North-Seymour MP Terry Beech listens to his constituents and brings their issues to Ottawa as much as possible – and his House of Commons colleagues have noticed.
The rookie MP has been named 2018’s Parliamentarian of the Year for Civic Outreach by Maclean’s Magazine. The award comes after members of all parties voted in an annual survey.
“I can’t believe that I won,” Beech said. “It was a very humbling experience.”
He said the award belongs to the community at large – everyday citizens who listen to him on the doorstep, come speak to him in person and even those who protest the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project outside his office with some regularity have all helped him be better advocate.
Beech claims to have knocked on more doors since his election in 2015 than any other member of Parliament in western Canada. Every weekend, he hits the pavement to meet people in his riding.
Every interaction he has is valuable, he said, even – and especially – those who do not agree with him or his Liberal Party’s policies.
“When people get mad, [when] people get upset, that’s really when I have to talk to people,” he said.
In addition to his dogged door-knocking, Beech said he has mailed out several surveys and discussion papers to residents in his riding, as well as visit community centres, retirement homes and schools.
