Former Chilliwack, B.C., MP Chuck Strahl dies at 67

Former Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon MP Chuck Strahl has died at the age of 67, according to his family.

Strahl died after a battle with mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, according to a family statement that his son, Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl, posted to social media.

«Our loss is deep and profound,» his family said. «Our dad was our best friend, our greatest defender, our biggest promoter and our rock.»

Strahl served as an MP for more than 17 years, winning six consecutive elections. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993, in the Fraser Valley East riding.

During his time in government, Strahl worked in former prime minister Stephen Harper's cabinet in several roles, including minister of agriculture and agri-food, minister of transport, infrastructure and communities, and what was then called the minister of Indian affairs and northern development.

He helped negotiate the Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement, an agreement between the Tsawwassen First Nation, Canada and B.C. which outlines the nation's jurisdiction. During his time in government, Strahl also sponsored an act that overhauled how the federal Indigenous governments manage oil and gas found on Indigenous land.

«He didn't let his job define who he was,» reads his son's statement. «He never lost sight of what was truly important: his faith, his family and his friends.»

Worked as logger and businessman

Strahl was born on Feb. 25, 1957, in New Westminster, B.C., according to the House of Commons website. According to his son's statement, Strahl's family moved around rural B.C. until settling near Ryder Lake, in Chilliwack, when he was 10.

There, Strahl met his wife, Debby Bateman. They married in 1975, and the two had four children and 13