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.
Jim Green | |
|---|---|
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| Vancouver City Councillor | |
| In office December 2, 2002 – December 5, 2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 25, 1943 Birmingham, Alabama |
| Died | February 28, 2012 (aged 68) Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Nationality | American-Canadian |
| Political party | Coalition of Progressive Electors, Vision Vancouver |
| Residence(s) | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of British Columbia, University of South Carolina |
| Occupation | Academic, politician |
Early life and education
editBorn 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
editEarly 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 the 1996 recipient of UBC's Great Trekker Award, given by the students to an alumnus who has achieved distinction in their career.[9] Green was chair of Four Corners Community Savings, which was closed by the Gordon Campbell led BC Government.[citation needed] He served on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.[citation needed]
Green co-founded the Portland Hotel Society which operates Insite, the first legal safe injection site in North America.[10]
Political career
editIn 2002 he was elected to Vancouver City Council as a member of the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE),[11] 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[12] by 3,747 votes.[13] Some blamed voter confusion for his loss,[14] as there was an unknown candidate named "James Green" who received 4,273 votes.[13]
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.[citation needed] 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.[15]
In 2008 Green supported Gregor Robertson in his successful run for mayor of Vancouver.[6]
Death
editIn February 2012, his family released a brief statement saying he had suffered a serious recurrence of the lung cancer he had previously battled.[16] At 06:15 PST on February 28, 2012, Green died following his battle with lung cancer.[17]
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "Who are the judges?" Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, Vancouver City Planning Commission Alternative Futures website, Accessed September 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Jim Green, The Tyee Interview", The Tyee, November 17, 2005.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Ball, David P. (2015-02-25). "Inside Woodward's, a Still-Contentious Social Housing Experiment | The Tyee". The Tyee. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ a b "Jim Green" Archived 2009-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, BC Business, November 4, 2008.
- ^ "MIEDS chief executive gone" Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine, Queen Charlotte Observer, January 26, 2009.
- ^ "Olympic Village builder hires Jim Green" Archived 2009-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, Vancouver Sun, January 26, 2009.
- ^ https://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/ubcreports/UBC_Reports_1996_09_19.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Jim Green: The democratic solution" Archived 2010-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, The Globe and Mail, April 9, 2009.
- ^ "2002 Election Results" Archived 2005-03-14 at the Wayback Machine, City of Vancouver archives, Accessed September 23, 2009.
- ^ "News What's Next for Jim Green and Vancouver's Civic Left", The Tyee, December 5, 2005.
- ^ a b "Election Summary Report: November 19, 2005" Archived September 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, City of Vancouver archives, Accessed September 23, 2009.
- ^ "Almost famous" Archived 2011-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, Vancouver Courier, November 27, 2005.
- ^ "Statement of Votes Report for Electoral District: Vancouver-Point Grey", Elections BC website, Accessed September 23, 2009.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Former Vancouver councillor Jim Green dies of cancer". CBC News. February 28, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.