• Age: 16
• Grade: 11

In 1992, Chuck Cadman was regarded by his Surrey neighbours as a typical suburban couch potato, a man who, despite the ponytail left over from his days as a small-time rock musician, had settled into a nine-to-five job and seemed content to pay down the mortgage, watch TV, drink a few beers and enjoy family life. Then, on October 17, his sixteen-year-old son Jesse was senselessly murdered by teenage delinquents, and Chuck's peaceful world changed forever.

Overnight, the quiet homebody was galvanized into an inspired public spokesman, an articulate and unshakeable advocate of stricter treatment of young offenders and more compassionate treatment of victims of crime. He became a rallying figure for people across Canada growing impatient with tolerant attitudes toward youth crime, and in 1997 the people of Surrey North elected him as their Member of Parliament. In Ottawa, Chuck kept his focus and made himself one of the most authoritative voices on the parliamentary justice committee. He also kept his ponytail and blue jeans and his down-to-earth, man-of-the-people manner; his reputation as a straight-shooter earned him respect on both sides of the house. His final moment in the spotlight came on May 19, 2005 when, though in the final stages of terminal cancer, he made one last long trip to Ottawa to save the Liberal government from defeat--not because he wanted to, but because his constituents wanted him to. When he died six weeks later his loss was mourned by people from all walks of life across the entire country. In a time of deepening disenchantment with the political process, Chuck had given citizens a reassuring reminder that public service can still be an honourable calling.

Tom Zytaruk is a staff reporter at the Now regional newspaper serving Surrey, White Rock and North Delta and is a winner of numerous journalism awards including the Suburban Newspapers of America Award for Best Election Coverage. He lives in Surrey, BC.

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Like A Rock: The Chuck Cadman Story

This book traces the trials and triumphs experienced by Chuck Cadman MP (Surrey North). It begins by recounting Cadman’s childhood years, performances in a band, his marriage, and the birth of his two children. When his sixteen-year-old son, Jesse, was senselessly murdered he began his campaign to “toughen” the Young Offenders Act that eventually led him to run as a Member of Parliament. Serving two terms as a member of the Reform/Alliance parties, and one as an Independent, he was the deciding vote to save Prime Minister Paul Martin’s minority government in 1995.

Zytaruk is a staff reporter at the Now regional newspaper serving Surrey, White Rock and North Delta and is the author of Millennium Milestones: A History of Surrey, White Rock and North Delta.

Caution: Includes some course language.