Former Fort St. John councillor and MLA Pat Pimm passes away at 67

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Former provincial MLA and Fort St. John councillor Pat Pimm has passed away at the age of 67. 

He passed away in Prince George on Wednesday, September 18th.  A statement released by the family says his wife, Cathy was by his side as he passed.

Born and raised in Fort St. John, Pimm married at the age of 21 and raised two daughters. 

After serving as president of Lakepoint Golf and Country club from 1988-1992 and establishing a career at the oil and gas instrumentation business Alpha Controls, he entered civic politics in the 1990s.

Serving as a councillor for 12 years, he famously threatened to resign his council seat if a 2001 referendum about a boundary expansion around a potential designated manufacturing spot failed to pass.

With a quarter century of oil and gas industry experience, he was co-chair of the BC Oil and Gas Conference in both 2002 and 2005. 

During this time he brought stakeholders from the industry together in order to identify further strategies for economic development within northeast B.C.

The appointment of then-incumbent MLA Richard Neufeld to the federal senate in 2008 created an opportunity for a new voice in the Peace River North riding.  

In a field of five candidates, Pimm secured the nomination of the BC Liberal Party.  He then entered the 2009 provincial election against the NDP’s Jackie Allen and Former Fort Nelson First Nation chief Liz Logan, who represented the Green Party.

In 2011, he resigned from caucus after a domestic dispute with his wife at the time, in which RCMP held him overnight. The pair later divorced.  

Upon being absolved of charges that summer, he later joined the Liberal Caucus. 

He was subsequently elected in 2013 and served as the minister of agriculture until 2014.

“It’s causing the teachers extra time and trouble,” said Pimm. “and I think it’s causing some students to move into other areas in the private sector as well.”

In 2015, Pimm announced he would not run for re-election in 2017.  The following year, he left caucus following an altercation that resulted in an assault charge.

Agreeing to be bound by a peace bond for eight months, Pimm later retired from provincial politics.

A statement by his family said he took to retirement with “much enthusiasm” enjoying time with his grandchildren and his homes in B.C. and in Florida.

“Pat will be forever remembered for his love of family, his devotion to his career and those who knew him will continue to honour his legacy,” reads the statement.

He was survived by his wife, three brothers, two children, two stepchildren, and four grandchildren.

 Funeral services will happen for Pimm on Tuesday, October 1st at the Catholic Church of the Resurrection at 9504 100th Avenue in Fort St. John.

Those willing to make a donation in Pat’s memory can do so making it out to the Fort St. John Hospital Foundation’s Cancer Treatment Fund.