Mark Eyking

The Honourable
Mark Eyking
PC
Mark Eyking in 2017
Chairman of the Standing Committee on International Trade
In office
February 4, 2016 – September 11, 2019
Preceded byRandy Hoback
Succeeded byJudy Sgro
Member of Parliament
for Sydney—Victoria
In office
November 27, 2000 – September 11, 2019
Preceded byPeter Mancini
Succeeded byJaime Battiste
Personal details
Born (1960-08-30) August 30, 1960 (age 64)
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Political partyLiberal
SpousePam Eyking
ResidenceMillville, Nova Scotia
ProfessionBusinessman, Farmer

Mark Eyking PC (born August 30, 1960) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Sydney—Victoria from 2000 to 2019 as a member of the Liberal Party.

Early life and education

Eyking was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia. His parents, born in Beverwijk (father) and Moergestel (mother), emigrated from the Netherlands to Canada in 1952. Not being able to travel to their city of preference Vancouver due to a lack of funds, they chose to start a business in olericulture in Sydney, where Eyking was born eight years later. Eyking was educated at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, where he obtained his Agriculture Business Diploma.[1] Now a resident of Millville, Nova Scotia, Eyking is a farmer by career.[2][3]

Political career

On October 29, 2000, Eyking won the Liberal nomination in the Sydney—Victoria riding for the 2000 federal election.[2] On November 27, 2000, he defeated New Democrat incumbent Peter Mancini by over 5,000 votes to win a seat in the House of Commons.[4] Eyking was re-elected in the 2004,[5] 2006,[6] 2008,[1] 2011,[7] and 2015 federal elections.[8] In Paul Martin's government, he served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food with special emphasis on Agri-Food (2003–2004) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade with special emphasis on Emerging Markets (2004–2006).[9]

He served as the chair of the Standing Committee on International Trade during the 42nd Canadian Parliament. Eyking announced on February 13, 2019 that he wouldn't run for re-election in 2019.[10]

Personal life

His wife Pam represented the riding of Victoria-The Lakes as a Liberal MLA in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 2013 to 2017.[11]

Electoral record

2015 Canadian federal election: Sydney—Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Mark Eyking 29,995 73.20 +33.29 –
New Democratic Monika Dutt 5,351 13.06 –5.97 $32,027.50
Conservative John Douglas Chiasson 4,360 10.64 –27.21 $41,720.11
Green Matthew Cavanaugh 1,026 2.50 –0.71 –
Libertarian Wayne James Hiscock 242 0.59 – –
Total valid votes/expense limit 40,974 100.00   $195,473.50
Total rejected ballots 236 0.57
Turnout 41,210 68.96
Eligible voters 59,761
Liberal hold Swing +19.63
Source: Elections Canada[12][13]
2011 Canadian federal election: Sydney—Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Mark Eyking 14,788 39.91 -9.49 $67,454.53
Conservative Cecil Clarke 14,023 37.85 +17.23 $77,334.98
New Democratic Kathy MacLeod 7,049 19.02 -5.42 $17,238.77
Green Chris Milburn 1,191 3.21 -2.33 $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 37,051 100.0     $80,666.28
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 279 0.75 +0.03
Turnout 37,330 61.48 +4.07
Eligible voters 60,719
Liberal hold Swing -13.36
Sources:[14][15]
2008 Canadian federal election: Sydney—Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Mark Eyking 17,303 49.40 -0.48 $60,561.52
New Democratic Wayne McKay 8,559 24.44 -4.06 $15,485.05
Conservative Kristen Rudderham 7,223 20.62 +2.28 $60,092.18
Green Collin Harker 1,941 5.54 +2.25 $1,966.54
Total valid votes/expense limit 35,026 100.0     $78,337
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 254 0.72 +0.16
Turnout 35,280 57.41 -5.89
Eligible voters 61,448
Liberal hold Swing +1.79
2006 Canadian federal election: Sydney—Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Mark Eyking 20,277 49.88 -2.25 $47,473.95
New Democratic John Hugh Edwards 11,587 28.50 +0.79 $28,987.58
Conservative Howie MacDonald 7,455 18.34 +2.47 $26,033.71
Green Chris Milburn 1,336 3.29 +0.99 $537.60
Total valid votes/expense limit 40,655 100.0     $73,953
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 227 0.56 -0.23
Turnout 40,882 63.30 +2.72
Eligible voters 64,589
Liberal hold Swing -1.52
2004 Canadian federal election: Sydney—Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Mark Eyking 19,372 52.13 +2.14 $51,343.95
New Democratic John Hugh Edwards 10,298 27.71 -8.50 $24,957.69
Conservative Howie MacDonald 5,897 15.87 +2.08 $48,515.46
Green Chris Milburn 855 2.30 – $580.41
Marijuana Cathy Thériault 474 1.28 – none listed
Independent B. Chris Gallant 264 0.71 – $165.54
Total valid votes/expense limit 37,160 100.0     $71,187
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 297 0.79
Turnout 37,457 60.58
Eligible voters 61,826
Liberal notional hold Swing +5.32
Changes from 2000 are based on redistributed results. Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals.
2000 Canadian federal election: Sydney—Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Mark Eyking 19,388 49.8 +23.5
New Democratic Peter Mancini 14,216 36.5 -14.6
Progressive Conservative Anna Curtis-Steele 3,779 9.7 -12.9
Alliance Rod A.M. Farrell 1,528 3.9
Total valid votes 38,911 100.0

References

  1. ^ a b "Election 2008 candidate profile". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  2. ^ a b "Grits give Eyking nod in Sydney-Victoria". The Chronicle Herald. October 30, 2000. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  3. ^ Wilson, Barry (April 5, 2001). "Maritime farmer sows seeds of new career". The Western Producer. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  4. ^ "NDP's Mancini loses to Liberal farmer Eyking". The Chronicle Herald. November 28, 2000. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  5. ^ "Farmer Eyking on his way back to Ottawa". The Chronicle Herald. June 29, 2004. Archived from the original on September 20, 2005. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  6. ^ "Canada Votes 2006: Sydney-Victoria". CBC News. June 23, 2006. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  7. ^ "Eyking wins Sydney-Victoria seat in close race against Clarke". Cape Breton Post. May 2, 2011. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  8. ^ "Eyking wins big in Sydney-Victoria". Cape Breton Post. October 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  9. ^ "Parliamentary Secretaries – 27th Ministry". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  10. ^ Martin, Wendy (February 13, 2019). "'It's been a wonderful run': Long-time Cape Breton MP Mark Eyking won't reoffer". CBC News.
  11. ^ "Eyking Takes Victoria-The Lakes from incumbent". Cape Breton Post. October 8, 2013. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  12. ^ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — Sydney—Victoria (Validated results)". Elections Canada. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Elections Canada On-line - Élection Canada en-ligne". www.elections.ca. Archived from the original on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  14. ^ "OVR / ROS". www.elections.ca.
  15. ^ Canada, Elections. "Search for Returns". www.elections.ca.