Ernie Klassen was first elected on April 28, 2025 as the Liberal MP for South Surrey White Rock. Within weeks, on June 4, 2025, he was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, a role renewed on May 29, 2026.
Klassen came to politics through business and community work. Born and raised near Abbotsford, he studied photography and opened a series of small businesses, including a photography studio and a floral shop. He served on volunteer boards, founded and led the White Rock Pride Society as its president, and was elected to White Rock City Council in 2022, where he served until voters sent him to Ottawa. After the birth of his second child with cerebral palsy, he co-founded the Upper Fraser Valley Neurological Society and served as its executive director for 10 years, later presiding over the BC and Yukon Association for Child Development and Rehabilitation Services.
He lives in White Rock with his husband and is a father of three and grandfather of two. His working life before politics was spent in small business, and he describes himself as a strong advocate for small businesses, farmers, seniors and working families. He has also served as treasurer and president of the White Rock Business Improvement Association and as a board member of the White Rock/South Surrey Chamber of Commerce, and his community causes have included the Coldest Night of the Year, UNITI, Sources and the White Rock City Orchestra.
He also sits on the House Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, so his parliamentary life revolves around the water. That fits the riding: White Rock's waterfront and Semiahmoo Bay are central to local identity and the local economy. He is also a member of several parliamentary associations, including the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group and the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association.
His work has focused on the practical side of the portfolio. He co-announced federal small craft harbour investments including Steveston in May 2026, stormwater improvements on Marine Drive in White Rock in August 2025, and active transportation projects across BC. Harbours, shorelines and the roads that reach them, the unglamorous infrastructure coastal communities depend on.
This profile is part of Apna News' Candidates series, introducing the people who represent Surrey and its neighbouring communities. Apna News is Surrey's new multilingual news platform. If you spot something to correct or add, reach us at info@apnanews.ca.
Official links: Parliament profile/roles)
