ad 7 y . £ o™4 po AY pa Va , i __ Cr«z Running for a slam dunk By Michael Becker » News Kiltor . mlchacl@nmews.com Oat ORNL FT took some doing to catch up with candidate Dave Thomas, He's raining as a Progressive Conservative inthe sprawling riding of West Vancouver-Sunshing Coast. He must move quickly to cover the - Tnases curity this abbreviated federal election periad, ‘Thomas is calling trom a pay phone tn Whistler, where on this day he met the foval press, Just two days earlier he attended an all-candidates meeting in Whistler, Thomas is 35, He is a lawyer, He was at partner at Bull Housser & Topper und he started bis own firm qwo and a half years ago, Thomas is married to Joanne, They have one son, Evan, who is 10 months old, The family fives in Horseshoe Bay, {t's been home for five years, He took up the challenge of ritnaing for office earlier this year, “E guess Pin the kind of guy who isa dinner party politician, [talk a lot about patitles.” In February somebody asked the question: Why don't you run fora Seat? . He discussed the choice with Joanne, “It would mean a big personal sacrifice to become the MP, but just in cunning it's been a tremendous sactifice,” Thannas sald, He flew in his mother-in-law from Hamilton, Ontario, to look atter lis son. Joanne stepped in to help with the law practice, She's also been helping with the campaign, lis work with Big Brothers is important to him. At 6°4° Thomas wae a basketball player at Prince af Wales, He was a provinelal all-star and went on to college with a basketball scholarship, He eventually became a Big Brother to Geoff Langan, who also played bas- © ketball in high school. “He’s 20 now, It's just a pure, genuine friendship, He's been out with ine putting up signs,” Thomas said, aniada LECTION'97___—Canvlidate profiles | Prouse: a _ about community sports as The candidate is also active in the community ast member of the West Vancouver Parks and Recreation Commission and the West Vancouver 4Youth Advisory Commission. “When he finds the time to play Thomas enjoys spending time with his “Wife and son, He’s also iearning how to golf. When the snovw flies he skis at Whistler. By Michaet Becker News Editor michacl@usnews.cam OVER the years, Dennis Prouse has ordered many potential voters to the hockey. penalty box. Prouse is as pumped "he is about politics. The 32-year-old Progressive Conservative candidate for the federal rid- ing of North Vancouver first moved to the Blueridge area when he was 13 years old. He’s been a referee for the local minor hockey league since age 14, “A for of people here on the North Shore will remem- ber me playing hockey from either throwing them in the penalty box or throwing their kids in the penalty box. I'm just not sure whether this will be an advantage on election day or not,” sald Prouse. He still hacks around playing adult hockey. Prouse lives in Lynn Valley with wife Rachelle and cight-month-old son Martin. He majored in sports at high school. Prouse played hockey at the North Shore Winter Club, hit the football field at Windsor and wrestled at the school too, For the past three years he’s coached a Vancouver Mainland Football League team, the Westside Warriors in ‘Vancouver, science. NORTH Vancouver PC candidate Dennis Prouse (holding young son Martin) relaxes at home with his family members, including wife Rachelle Ferron (bottom centre), sister Carolyn Prouse (bottom right), and his par- ents Louise and Roger Prouse (top row). He graduated trom UBC in 1987 with a degree in political Prouse went on to work in Ottawa for nvo Tory members of parliament, He was a junior staff member and writer in the prime minister’s office for Brian Mulroney during the period 1990-93. Wednoscay, May 28, 1997 ~ North Shore News ~ 97 votes a cu BAT ow oR cay 3 : a NEWS photo Cindy Goodman WEST Vancouver-Sunshine Coast PC candidate and Big Brother volunteer Dave Thomas (right) practises going through hoops with Little Brother Geoff Langan. for life oR TWO thumbs up: CBC hockey analyst Don Cherry (left) and North Vancouver PC candidate . Dennis Prouse on NEWS photo Cindy Geodman = Ganitat Hill in Ottawa. He tells people that he had a great seat on the 50-yard line of Canadian politics. “1 watched it all untold — Meech, Chartotterown, Oka, Gulf War, GST, NAFTA, you name it. A Jot of really huge public policy issues.” Prouse is a communications consultant and works for Barr & Wilcox Group, a public relations firm.