Jim Green (Canadian politician)

Jim Green (May 25, 1943 – February 28, 2012) was an American-Canadian who was a longshoreman, taxicab driver, community activist, non-profit housing developer, municipal politician, university instructor and development consultant.

For other people named Jim Green, see Jim Green (disambiguation).
Jim Green
Vancouver City Councillor
In office
December 2, 2002 – December 5, 2005
Personal details
Born(1943-05-25)May 25, 1943
Birmingham, Alabama
DiedFebruary 28, 2012(2012-02-28) (aged 68)
Vancouver, British Columbia
NationalityAmerican-Canadian
Political partyVision Vancouver
Residence(s)Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma materUniversity of British Columbia, University of South Carolina
OccupationAcademic, politician

Early life and education

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Green moved to Canada to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War.[1] Green held a Masters in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina,[2] and studied at the Sorbonne, the Millennium Film Institute in New York, and the University of Colorado.[3]

Career

Early in his career, Green worked as a longshoreman and a taxicab driver.[4]

Green was an advocate for the city's Downtown Eastside and led the development of many housing projects, including the experimental Woodward's building redevelopment designed by architect Gregory Henriquez[5] He was a development consultant for developers and non-profit community groups.[6] In 2009 he left his role as CEO of the Misty Isles Economic Development Society to take a position working with Millennium Developments Ltd. on the 2010 Olympic Village development in Vancouver.[7][8]

Green taught opera and architecture at the University of British Columbia[2] and Anthropology at Simon Fraser University,[3] and co-founded the University of British Columbia Urban Field School.[2] Green was chair of Four Corners Community Savings, which was closed by the Gordon Campbell led BC Government. He served on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Green co-founded the Portland Hotel Society which operates Insite, the first legal safe injection site in North America.[9]

Political career

In 2002 he was elected to Vancouver City Council as a member of the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE),[10] and subsequently, with mayor Larry Campbell, councillor Raymond Louie, and councillor Tim Stevenson left to form a new party, Vision Vancouver.[3] Under the Vision Vancouver banner, he unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2005, losing to Sam Sullivan[11] by 3,747 votes.[12] Some blamed voter confusion for his loss,[13] as there was an unknown candidate named "James Green" who received 4,273 votes.[12]

It was the second time Green had run for mayor unsuccessfully, having been beaten as a member of COPE by then-NPA mayor Gordon Campbell in 1990. Six years later, Green again faced Campbell, this time in the 1996 provincial election for the MLA seat in Vancouver-Point Grey. Green, a New Democrat, was defeated by BC Liberal leader and future premier Gordon Campbell 12,637 to 11,074.[14]

In 2008 Green supported Gregor Robertson in his successful run for mayor of Vancouver.[6]

Death

In February 2012, his family released a brief statement saying he had suffered a serious recurrence of the lung cancer he had previously battled.[15] At 06:15 PST on February 28, 2012, Green died following his battle with lung cancer.[16]

References
  1. Spencer, Kent (February 28, 2012). "Human-rights activist, politician Jim Green dead at 68". The Province. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  2. "Who are the judges?" Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, Vancouver City Planning Commission Alternative Futures website, Accessed September 23, 2009.
  3. "Jim Green, The Tyee Interview", The Tyee, November 17, 2005.
  4. "Downtown Eastsider brings varied experience to new position on the islands" Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine, Queen Charlotte Observer, July 16, 2008.
  5. Ball, David P. (2015-02-25). "Inside Woodward's, a Still-Contentious Social Housing Experiment | The Tyee". The Tyee. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  6. "Jim Green" Archived 2009-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, BC Business, November 4, 2008.
  7. "MIEDS chief executive gone" Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine, Queen Charlotte Observer, January 26, 2009.
  8. "Olympic Village builder hires Jim Green" Archived 2009-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, Vancouver Sun, January 26, 2009.
  9. "Jim Green: The democratic solution" Archived 2010-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, The Globe and Mail, April 9, 2009.
  10. "2002 Election Results" Archived 2005-03-14 at the Wayback Machine, City of Vancouver archives, Accessed September 23, 2009.
  11. "News What's Next for Jim Green and Vancouver's Civic Left", The Tyee, December 5, 2005.
  12. "Election Summary Report: November 19, 2005" Archived September 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, City of Vancouver archives, Accessed September 23, 2009.
  13. "Almost famous" Archived 2011-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, Vancouver Courier, November 27, 2005.
  14. "Statement of Votes Report for Electoral District: Vancouver-Point Grey", Elections BC website, Accessed September 23, 2009.
  15. Lee, Jeff (February 15, 2012). "Former Vancouver councillor, affordable housing activist Jim Green battling lung cancer - again". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  16. "Former Vancouver councillor Jim Green dies of cancer". CBC News. February 28, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
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