Stan Hagen

Stanley Brian Hagen (March 11, 1940 – January 20, 2009) was a Canadian politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia on two separate occasions. He was the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the riding of Comox from 1986 to 1991 as part of the British Columbia Social Credit Party (Socred), and MLA for the riding of Comox Valley as part of the British Columbia Liberal Party from 2001 until his death. During his political career, he served as minister for 10 different ministries; he was the Minister of Agriculture and Lands when he died.

Background

Stan Hagen was born in New Westminster to mother Sigrid Thompson and father Baard Hagen, a butcher who operated a meat and grocery store in that city; Baard was originally from Norway. After graduating from Pacific Lutheran University in 1963, Stan Hagen married Judith Robins in 1967, with whom he had five children. He had lived in the Comox Valley since 1968 with his family, working as a comptroller for a construction company before starting his own ready-mix concrete business. From 1972 to 1978 he served as a trustee with the Comox Valley School District.

Politics

Social Credit Party

Running for the Social Credit Party, Hagen was first elected to the provincial legislature in 1986 to represent the riding of Comox. He was named to the cabinet of Premier Bill Vander Zalm that November as Minister of Continuing Education and Job Training; his title was modified to Minister of Advanced Education and Job Training one month later. He resigned from the post in July 1987 amidst allegations of conflict of interest involving his ready-mix company, but was re-instated that August. He additionally served as Minister of State for the Vancouver Island/Coast Region between October 1987 and July 1988, and as Minister Responsible for Science and Technology from July 1988 to November 1989.

He was re-assigned in November 1989 as Minister of Regional and Economic Development, before becoming Minister of Education in December 1990. Hagen was best known for being integral in the creation of Science World and for his support of the TRIUMF particle accelerator at the University of British Columbia. Following Vander Zalm's resignation as premier in April 1991, Hagen continued as Minister of Education in Rita Johnston's cabinet, and briefly covered the portfolio of Advanced Education, Training and Technology in the month of May 1991. He lost his seat in the 1991 election when all but seven Socred MLAs were defeated.

Liberal Party

He worked at a paving company as general manager until his return to politics in 2001, when he ran for the BC Liberals in the riding of Comox Valley in that year's provincial election, defeating incumbent New Democratic Party candidate Evelyn Gillespie. He was named to Premier Gordon Campbell's cabinet as Minister of Sustainable Resource Management that June, and additionally served as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries from January to April 2003 while John van Dongen was under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was re-assigned as Minister of Human Resources in January 2004, then replaced the outgoing Christy Clark as Minister of Children and Family Development that September. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004 and received treatment.

After winning re-election in 2005, he kept the same post in the Campbell cabinet before being named Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts in August 2006. He served as Minister of Agriculture and Lands from June 2008 until January 20, 2009, when he died of a massive heart attack at the age of 68.

Honours

He received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Simon Fraser University in June 1998. In August 2009, Hagen was inducted into the Comox Valley Walk of Achievement. In December 2011, Hagen was memorialized by the Salvation Army, which renamed its Victoria Family Centre the "Stan Hagen Centre for Families". Stan Hagen Nature Park and Stan Hagen Theatre, both in the city of Courtenay, were named in his honour.

While still in office, he was honoured by the K'omoks First Nation with the name "Ti’ axwsam" (Red Cod).