Jane Ann Thornthwaite is a Canadian politician, who represented the North Vancouver-Seymour electoral district Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2009 to 2020. She 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. Her 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 (2012–17). Her party briefly formed a minority government in the 41st Parliament during which she was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Child Mental Health and Anti-Bullying (2017) but became the critic for issues relating to Mental Health and Addictions when she became part of the official opposition.
She sponsored three private member's bills: Bill M-214 in 2012 that would have established standards of care for pet breeders, which while it was not adopted, a version was included in a 2017 amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act; the Safe Care Act (2018) that would have given parents and case workers the power to have children dealing with issues of mental health, substance abuse and sexual exploitation held involuntarily for up to 30 days for assessment and to create a care plan; and the Welfare Payment System Reflection Act that would have required the Minister responsible to prepare a report on alternative payment processing methods for individuals receiving assistance.
Prior to her election to the legislature, Thornthwaite worked as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for her own consulting business. She was an advocate for labelling foods that contain genetically modified ingredients. She is a long-time resident of North Vancouver and graduated from Windsor Hillside Secondary School and the University of British Columbia. She was arrested for drunk driving in February 2010 and charged with driving over the legal limit, during the 2010 Winter Olympics. She pled "not guilty" and reached a plea bargain, pleading guilty to "driving without due care and attention".
Background Thornthwaite was raised in West Vancouver, attending Hillside Secondary School and also in North Vancouver, attending Windsor Secondary School. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in health education. Prior to her election to the legislature, Thornthwaite worked as a registered dietitian and nutritionist for her own consulting business. According to Thornthwaite, working in that field fostered a sense of advocacy for organic foods and a desire for labelling of food products containing genetically modified ingredients. During that time she raised three children of her own.
Local politics In 2005, Thornthwaite stood as an independent in the North Vancouver School District election. She received the most votes, making her one of four candidates elected from the District of North Vancouver. The school board, facing declining enrollments, had to close schools, though there was resistance from the community. Balmoral Junior Secondary School was specifically identified as a school that ought to be closed, though the board refused and kept it open (until 2009) due to public pressure. Thornthwaite, along with another board member, issued a public statement criticizing the board's decision to enter into a public-private partnership to deliver courses specializing in dance, figure skating and other related disciplines. In the November 2008 election, Thornthwaite was the only board member seeking re-election. Entering her second term, Thornthwaite was elected chairperson of the board.
Provincial politics
39th Parliament (2009–2013) In March 2009, long-time Member of the Legislative Assembly Daniel Jarvis suddenly announced his retirement and endorsed 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 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, 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. She twice registered a blood alcohol content of 0.11 in road-side breathalyzer tests and was arrested for drunk driving. The next day she issued a public apology stating "Drinking and driving is dangerous and completely unacceptable; I know that and make no excuses for what I did. I know what I did was wrong and I will take full responsibility for my actions." At the trial, Thornthwaite argued that, while she did consume alcohol, she was not intoxicated. The prosecution and defense agreed to a plea bargain requiring 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 Thornthwaite to avoid a criminal record.
40th Parliament (2013–2017) Thornthwaite was re-elected to a second term on May 14, 2013.BC Election results 2013: BC Liberals secure a majority government Global News May 15, 2013Statement of Votes 40th Provincial General Election Elections BC May 14, 2013 In the ensuing 40th Parliament of British Columbia she was appointed to the Select Standing Committee for Children and Youth, which she chaired,INPUT SOUGHT ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH Providence Health Care July 2, 2014 and the Parliamentary Secretary for Child Mental Health and Anti-Bullying. The Committee released an interim report on youth mental health in B.C.,Vancouver's ill and addicted lost in a mental-health care maze Georgia Straight January 7, 2015 followed by a more comprehensive report with recommendations titled, "Concrete Actions for Systemic Change", in 2016.Children and Youth committee recommends concrete actions on child and youth mental health BC Legislature January 27, 2016Final Report Child and Youth Mental Health in British Columbia Concrete Actions for Systemic Change BC Legislature January 2016 Many of the recommendations in the report were later adopted by government, including: supporting sexual and gender minority youth in schools through general and targeted programs,Support LGBT youth in BC schools, committee tells government Daily Xtra January 28, 2016B.C. schools told to include sex orientation and gender ID in anti-bully plans The Canadian Press September 8, 2016Ryan Clayton: LGBT–specific changes to anti-bullying school policies to benefit students' futures Georgia Straight September 8th, 2016 appointing a Minister for Mental Health,Appointment of B.C. minister of mental health recommended Vancouver Sun January 27, 2016B.C.'s new Minister of Mental Health and Addictions on tackling the opioid crisis CBC News July 24, 2017 and Foundry, a collection of integrated, one-stop shop for youth ages 12 to 24 seeking a whole range of health care services, including mental health support, social services, employment services, and drug and alcohol programs.North Shore to get ‘one-stop shop’ for youth North Shore News February 10, 2017New mental health youth centre launches in Kelowna CBC News Dec 12, 2016MINISTRY OF HEALTH OPENS NEW YOUTH MENTAL WELLNESS CENTRE IN PRINCE GEORGE My Prince George Now January 13, 2017 Thornthwaite also assisted in having a North Shore peak named after longtime North Shore Rescue Team Leader, Tim Jones (Search and Rescue).North Shore peak named after search and rescue leader Tim Jones Vancouver Sun January 20, 2017Province to decide on Tim Jones Peak North Shore News December 27, 2015
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.$100-million Highway 1 upgrades announced for North Vancouver North Shore News April 17, 2015 The project was initially to cost $140-million,$50-million traffic fix planned for Mountain Highway interchange North Shore News November 14, 2014 but increased to $198-million after feedback and consultation with the public determined more infrastructure would result in a better project.New lane and bridge to tackle North Vancouver congestion CTV News January 27, 2017North Shore candidates target traffic for votes North Shore News April 25, 2017North Vancouver infrastructure projects lacking provincial funds North Shore News August 12, 2016Express lanes coming to the Cut North Shore News January 27, 2017
In 2012, 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 Thornthwaite re-introduced it in 2016 after a government raid rescued 66 mistreated dogs from a puppy mill. The bill passed that April.
41st Parliament (2017–2020) Jane Thornthwaite sought re-election in the 2017 British Columbia general election. She 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 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, Thornthwaite became the Official Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions. During the ensuing BC Liberal Party leadership election, she endorsed Todd Stone. After Andrew Wilkinson became party leader, he kept Thornthwaite in her role as Critic for Mental Health and Addictions but shifted the position to Critic for Mental Health, Addictions, & Community Wellness in September 2020. In this role, in 2018 and 2019, she introduced the private members' bill Safe Care Act [Bill M-202 (2018), Bill M-207 (2019)] which would have given parents and case workers the power to have children dealing with issues of mental health, substance abuse and sexual exploitation held involuntarily for up to 30 days for assessment and to create a care plan.Mother pushes for change after teenage daughter's overdose death CBC News Feb 17, 2018In Steffanie's wake Squamish Chief March 16, 2018Grieving mother pleads with government to support Safe Care Act Global News March 2, 2018Young drug users should be involuntarily admitted into care, B.C. mom says The Globe and Mail November 25, 2018Mental health minister to look into Oak Bay teen's death Times Colonist April 23, 2018 She also advocated for more treatment and recovery services to be made available in BC.It's time for B.C. to help addicts get off drugs The Province September 5, 2018Province must fund more treatment beds to help people end their addictions The Province February 4, 2018NDP dragging its feet in opioid crisis response: Liberals Glacier Media October 2, 2018 In 2019 she introduced a second private members' bill, the Welfare Payment System Reflection Act (Bill M-208), which would have required the Minister responsible to prepare a report on alternative payment processing methods for individuals receiving assistance.