EDA Board
Welcome to the web site for the Whitby-Oshawa Conservative Electoral District Association. Ridings, or Electoral District Associations (EDAs), as they are now known, are as old as Parliamentary democracy and form an integral part of our electoral system. They are the backbone of any political party and are responsible for nominating the party’s candidate prior to an election and working to get the candidate elected. In addition, the EDA fosters the growth of the party, participates in the formation of national policies and supports the local candidate and the party through fundraising and other events.
In the Conservative Party of Canada, specialized committees reporting to a Board of Directors direct the business of the EDA. The members of the EDA elect the board at an Annual General Meeting and the board elects the officers of the EDA. The President is the chief spokes person for the board, chairs the meetings of the board and executive committee and is responsible for the day-to-day business of the EDA. Committees are composed of members of the board as well as interested members of the EDA at large.
Every member of the EDA is welcome to attend board meetings and I encourage them to do so. We are extremely proud of the work we do and of our Member of Parliament, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the GTA. Our EDA continues to assume a leadership role among GTA associations and we encourage your active involvement in every aspect of the EDA's efforts, particularly through committee work.
Please take a few moments to browse through the website that, we hope, will give you a strong sense of our history and mission and will encourage you to participate fully in the activities of the EDA. It is our intention to keep this site as informative, interesting and interactive as possible so please bookmark it and visit often.
If I, or any member of the Board, can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best regards,
Gary Valcour
EDA President
Board Members
David Barber
Rick Brown
Stephen Burkholder
Lorne Coe
John Dolstra
Muhammad Farid
Jim Flaherty
Doug Hawkins
Brion Hendry
Steve Jones
Diana Joness
Phyllis Kaffko
Clare Kidd
Ewa Kluczewska
Mike McClellan
Steve Meek
Dan Miles
Hank Nieuwstraten
Tim O'Connor
Chris O'Hagan
Moe Pringle
Frank Robertson
Jack Snedden
Frank Snyder
Gary Valcour (President)
Liam Venner
Teresa Wierzbinski