Biography
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ed Fast grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. After graduating from law school at the University of British Columbia in 1982, Fast co-founded the law firm currently known as Linley Welwood. He was elected in 1985 and served two terms as an Abbotsford School Trustee. He was elected to Abbotsford City Council in 1996 and served for three 3-year terms. During that time, he served variously as Deputy Mayor and as Chair of the Parks Recreation & Culture Commission.
Fast was elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Abbotsford on January 23, 2006. During his first term, Fast was appointed to the Standing Committee of Canadian Heritage and the Standing Committee for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Fast was also the Vice-Chair of the B.C. Conservative caucus. On October 14, 2008, Fast was re-elected to his second term where he served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and as a member of the Copyright Modernization Committee. On May 2, 2011, Fast successfully defended his seat in Parliament with 65% of the vote. He was appointed Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway on May 18, 2011. In this position, Fast will continue to advance free trade agreements with countries such as the European Union, India and South Korea and promote and support Canadian businesses wishing to do business in foreign markets.
Fast and his wife Annette have lived in Abbotsford for 28 years and have four adult daughters.
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