Rick Nicholls


Frederick R. "Rick" Nicholls is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in the 2011 election. He represents the riding of Chatham-Kent—Leamington.

Background

Nicholls was born in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. He attended St. Clair College and the University of Windsor. His great-great-grandfather, Frederick George Rumball, was the mayor of London, Ontario from 1900-1901. Amongst his political heroes is former American President Ronald Reagan.
Nicholls was the founder of Nicholls Training Group, a training and development company. His clients included the Canadian Embassy to the United Nations, Canada Post and Ford Motor Company of Canada. He and his wife Dianne live in Chatham-Kent where they raised three children.

Politics

Nicholls ran in the provincial election of 2011 as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Chatham-Kent—Essex. He defeated Liberal candidate Paul Watson by 3,490 votes. He was re-elected in the 2014 election defeating NDP candidate Dan Gelinas by 2,516 votes.
Nicholls is an outspoken opponent of wind turbines. Citing the potential health hazards of wind turbines, he has called for a moratorium on their construction.
In 2012, Nicholls called for a more thorough investigation into a massive fish kill incident along the shores of Lake Erie in early September 2012.
In the 41st Parliament of Ontario from 2014 to 2018 he was the party's critic for Tourism, Culture, and Sport as well as Community Safety and Correctional Services.
In the 42nd Parliament beginning after the Ontario General Election of 2018, Nicholls has served as Deputy Speaker of the House. He is also on the Caucus Advisory Teams for Corrections and Community Safety, Ministry of the Attorney General, and the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services.