{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = <!-- only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people - see WP:NONFREE --> | name = Ted Nebbeling | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth based on age at death|65|2009|10|28}} | birth_place = Amsterdam, Netherlands | death_date = October 28, 2009 (aged 65) | death_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | death_cause = Colon cancer | assembly = British Columbia Legislative | constituency_AM = West Vancouver-Garibaldi | term_start = May 28, 1996 | term_end = May 17, 2005 | predecessor = David J. Mitchell | successor = Joan McIntyre | office1 = Minister of State for Community Charter of British Columbia | premier1 = Gordon Campbell | term_start1 = June 5, 2001 | term_end1 = January 26, 2004 | predecessor1 = ''Position established'' | successor1 = ''Position abolished'' | office2 = Mayor of Whistler | term_start2 = 1990 | term_end2 = 1996 | predecessor2 = Drew Meredith | successor2 = Hugh O’Reilly | party = BC Liberal | spouse = {{marriage|Jan Holmberg|November 15, 2003}} }} '''Ted Nebbeling''' (1943/44 – October 28, 2009) was a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the electoral district of West Vancouver-Garibaldi from 1996 to 2005. As part of the British Columbia Liberal Party caucus, he was Minister of State for the Community Charter from 2001 to 2004 under Premier Gordon Campbell.
==Biography== Born in Amsterdam, Nebbeling moved to Canada in 1977 along with his partner Jan Holmberg, who was originally from Sweden.<ref name="obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/ted-nebbeling-obituary?id=45311232|title=Ted Nebbeling Obituary|website=Legacy.com|date=2009-10-31|access-date=2024-10-30}}</ref><ref name="Pique091030">{{cite web|url=https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler-news/ted-nebbeling-passes-away-2483754|title=Ted Nebbeling passes away|publisher=Pique Newsmagazine|date=2009-10-30|access-date=2024-10-30}}</ref><ref name="BCLeg">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/37thparl/nebbeling.htm|title=MLA: Ted Nebbeling|publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104110727/http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/37thparl/nebbeling.htm|archive-date=2007-01-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> The couple operated a sandwich shop in Downtown Vancouver before selling the business and moving to Whistler in 1979, where they ran a number of retail stores.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="Pique091030"/><ref name="CTV091028">{{cite news|url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/former-b-c-cabinet-minister-dies-of-cancer-1.448310|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227025516/https://bc.ctvnews.ca/former-b-c-cabinet-minister-dies-of-cancer-1.448310|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 27, 2023|title=Former B.C. cabinet minister dies of cancer|publisher=CTV News|date=October 28, 2009|access-date=2023-02-26}}</ref>
Concerned that the local economy was too dependent on winter activities, Nebbeling decided to run for office, becoming a Whistler municipal councillor in 1986 and winning re-election in 1988.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="Pique091030"/> He was then elected the municipality's mayor in 1990, and won a second term in 1993.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="Pique091030"/> He also served as chair of the Sea to Sky Economic Development Commission, and as director of the Whistler Resort Association.<ref name="Pique091030"/><ref name="BCLeg"/>
In the 1996 provincial election, he ran as a Liberal candidate in West Vancouver-Garibaldi, and was elected the riding's MLA.<ref name="BCLeg"/> While the Liberals were the official opposition, Nebbeling served as critic for municipal affairs, forests, and employment and investment in the 36th Parliament.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="Pique091030"/><ref name="BCLeg"/> He was re-elected in the 2001 provincial election, which saw the Liberals come to power with a majority government; he was named to Premier Gordon Campbell's cabinet that June as Minister of State for Community Charter.<ref name="CampbellCabinet">{{cite web|title=Campbell Cabinet: 37th Parliament 2001-2005, 38th Parliament 2005-2009, 39th Parliament 2009-2011 |url=https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/campbell_cabinet.pdf|publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|accessdate=2024-09-26}}</ref> In that role he was tasked with preparing legislation concerning the new Community Charter, which aimed to provide local governments with more power and flexibility.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler-news/nebbeling-to-introduce-community-charter-in-next-90-days-2459839|title=Nebbeling to introduce Community Charter in next 90 days|publisher=Pique Newsmagazine|first=Andrew |last=Mitchell|date=2001-06-07|access-date=2024-10-30}}</ref> He was also involved in Vancouver/Whistler's bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics.<ref name="BCLeg"/>
A few months after same-sex marriage became legal in British Columbia, he married his partner Jan on November 15, 2003, becoming Canada's highest-ranking politician at that point to be married to a same-sex partner.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="Pique091030"/><ref name="CBC091028">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-politician-nebbeling-dies-1.817184|title=B.C. politician Nebbeling dies|publisher=CBC News|date=October 28, 2009|access-date=2024-10-30}}</ref> He was dropped from cabinet in a January 2004 shuffle, one day after his marriage was announced in the media.<ref>{{citation |title=Cabinet minister weds gay partner, loses job |date=January 27, 2004|periodical=CNN}}</ref> The government stated that the timing of the shuffle was a coincidence and without prejudicial intent, as Nebbeling was openly gay at the time of his election.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="Pique091030"/><ref name="CTV091028"/>
In January 2005, Nebbeling announced that he would not run again in that May's provincial election. After finishing his term as MLA, he entered the race once more for mayor of Whistler, but lost in that November's municipal election to Ken Melamed.<ref name="obit"/><ref name="Pique091030"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sullivan-wins-leads-npa-to-victory-1.557368|title=Sullivan wins, leads NPA to victory|publisher=CBC News|date=2005-11-20|access-date=2024-10-30}}</ref>
After being diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008, he died from the illness on October 28, 2009, in Vancouver, aged 65.<ref name="CTV091028"/><ref name="CBC091028"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/37thparl/nebbeling.htm Legislative Assembly Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104110727/http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/37thparl/nebbeling.htm |date=4 January 2007 }}
{{Gordon Campbell Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nebbeling, Ted}} Category:1940s births Category:2009 deaths Category:BC United MLAs Category:British Columbia municipal councillors Category:Canadian LGBTQ people in provincial and territorial legislatures Category:Deaths from cancer in British Columbia Category:Date of birth missing Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer in Canada Category:Dutch emigrants to Canada Category:Canadian gay politicians Category:LGBTQ mayors of places in Canada Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia Category:People from Amsterdam Category:20th-century mayors of places in British Columbia Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Category:20th-century Canadian LGBTQ people Category:21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people