ic ▁before ▁entering ▁politics . ▁He ▁was ▁act ively ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁labour ▁movement ▁and ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁church . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁he ▁cont ested ▁C och rane ▁North ▁( located ▁in ▁the ▁province ' s ▁n ort he astern ▁corner ) ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁provincial ▁election , ▁but ▁lost ▁to ▁Liberal ▁inc umb ent ▁René ▁Font aine ▁by ▁almost ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁votes . ▁In ▁the ▁federal ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁he ▁cont ested ▁C och rane — Super ior ▁for ▁the ▁federal ▁N DP ▁and ▁lost ▁to ▁Liberal ▁Rég inal d ▁Bé la ir ▁by ▁ 1 , 2 0 1 ▁votes . ▁ ▁The ▁N DP ▁won ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁provincial ▁election ▁and ▁Wood ▁defeated ▁Liberal ▁Donald ▁Gren ier ▁to ▁win ▁C och rane ▁North ▁by ▁ 1 4 3 ▁votes . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁Parliament ary ▁assistant ▁to ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Natural ▁Resources ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁V oting ▁tr ends ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁provincial ▁election ▁were ▁against ▁the ▁N DP ▁in ▁most ▁parts ▁of ▁Ontario , ▁and ▁the ▁party ▁fell ▁from ▁government ▁to ▁third - party ▁status . ▁In ▁C och rane ▁North , ▁Wood ▁counter ed ▁the ▁provincial ▁tr end ▁and ▁dram atically ▁increased ▁his ▁majority : ▁he ▁defeated ▁Liberal ▁candidate ▁G illes ▁G agn on ▁by ▁almost ▁ 2 , 0