Background
Dan Brooks was born in Vanderhoof, British Columbia to Fred and Carolyn Brooks.
Dan Brooks was born in Vanderhoof, British Columbia to Fred and Carolyn Brooks.
Before taking up residence in northern British Columbia, Brooks attended the in Edmonton, and subsequently studied at the University of Waterloo and at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George to obtain the final credits towards his degree. He took courses in history and tourism management, among others, and in 2005 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies.
He was the leader of the British Columbia Conservative Party from 2014 to 2016. Growing up the Brooks family split their time between Vanderhoof, where they ran Crystal Lake Resort as guide outfitters, and their family farm in Alberta. In 1997 Brooks relocated permanently to Vanderhoof, where he became the sole owner-operator of Crystal Lake Resort, which he expanded from strictly guiding to include marketing and consulting services.
In 2005 Brooks founded and subsequently chaired the Upper Nechako Wilderness Council (UNWC), which became the voice for tourism operators in the Vanderhoof area.
He was well known as a vocal advocate of tourism issues and was successful in several initiatives in land use planning. He remained chair of the UNWC for 8 years until going into politics.
In the 2013 British Columbia provincial election, Brooks ran as the British Columbia Conservative Party candidate in the Nechako Lakes riding, in which he received 12.6% of the vote. On January 4, 2016, Dan Brooks announced he will be stepping down at the party"s Annual General Meeting on February 20, 2016 due to family an financial reasons.
Rural issues Brooks has issued on his website that the provincial government has done little to address or solve issues regarding rural depletion in British Columbia, including many closings of schools, forest offices, courthouses, and other public offices.
From September 12, 2013 to April 12, 2014, Brooks ran for the party leadership against Rick Peterson, in which he subsequently won with a large majority (60%).
