Green Party candidates, 2003 Ontario provincial election

The Green Party of Ontario is a minor political party in Ontario, Canada. Although some candidates have polled over 10% support in their ridings, the party has never elected a member to the provincial legislature.

The Green Party of Ontario fielded 102 candidates in the 2003 Ontario provincial election. There are 103 ridings in the province. The only riding which the party did not contest was Oakville; Zakaria Belghali had been selected as a candidate, but he did not collect enough signatures to have his candidacy validated by Elections Ontario.

Information about these candidates is provided on this page.

Ron Yurick (Algoma—Manitoulin)

From Chapleau, where he is a member of the Watershed Management Study Committee. Formerly chaired a Public Liaison Committee relating to the Adams Mine Landfall Proposal in Timiskaming. Testified before a Select Committee on Ontario in Confederation in 1991. Yurick supports the principle of bilingualism, opposes the British monarchy, and believes that Northern Ontario's concerns are often ignored by the Canadian government and business elite.[1] A member at large on the Green Party of Ontario council. Opposes sending garbage from Toronto to Kirkland Lake. Led the party's constitutional rewriting process in 2004. Received 680 votes (2.4%), finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Mike Brown of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Brian Elder Sullivan (Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot)

Formerly in the University of New Brunswick's Computer Science program. Opposes West Nile Virus spraying programs, as potentially more dangerous than the disease itself. Received 903 votes (1.86%), finishing fourth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Ted McMeekin of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Stewart Sinclair (Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford)

Has described the Green Party as a democratic movement, while referring to the New Democratic Party as a "hardened bureaucracy".[2] Formerly a Marxist, but not believes that the theory became stagnant in the 1930s.[3] Now lives in Toronto—Danforth. Responsible for developing the Green Party of Canada's monetary policy in the 2004 federal election. Received 1,278 votes (2.1%), placing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Joseph Tascona of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Tom Mason (Beaches—East York)

A pro-business figure within the Green Party. With leader Frank de Jong, co-presented the Green Party's plan to assist entrepreneurs through economic incentives. A "Tom Mason" works a curator of invertebrates at the Toronto Zoo, though it is not clear this is the same person. Received 1,995 votes (4.81%), finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Michael Prue of the Ontario New Democratic Party.

Ernst Braendli (Bramalea—Gore—Malton—Springdale)

A member of the Brampton Environmental Community Advisory Panel. In 2005, accused the city of Brampton of "scrambling for infrastructure" to accomodate high growth. Has also suggested making public transportation free of charge to achieve reduced pollution levels.[4] Received 1,176 votes (2.78%), finishing fourth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Kuldip Kular of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Sanjeev Goel (Brampton Centre)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 820 votes (2.14%), finishing fourth out of five candidates. The winner was Linda Jeffrey of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Paul Simas (Brampton West—Mississauga)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 811 votes, finishing fifth out of six candidates. The winner was Vic Dhillon of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Mike Clancy (Brant)

Self-described citizen's advocate. Formerly an employee with Human Resources Development Canada in Kenora, Ontario. Quit his job in protest, claiming that the federal HRDC ministry pressured him not to approve retraining programs for disabled persons. Also accused the HRDC of funnelling improper grants to federal cabinet minister Robert Nault's riding of Kenora—Rainy River, although some have questioned Clancy's neutrality in this matter. First ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1995 provincial election, as a candidate of the New Democratic Party. Received 2,788 votes in the northern riding of Kenora, finishing a distant third against Liberal Frank Miclash. Ran for Paul Hellyer's Canadian Action Party in the 2000 federal election and received 447 votes in Brant, finishing last in a field of six candidates. The winner was HRDC minister Jane Stewart of the Liberal Party of Canada. Received 1,014 votes in the 2003 election, finishing fourth out of five candidates. The winner was Dave Levac of the Ontario Liberal Party. Clancy now the Brant riding president of the Green Party of Canada.

Martin Donald (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound)

Blamed the outgoing Progressive Conservative administration for the tainted-water disaster in Walkerton, which is in the riding. Criticized PC leader Ernie Eves for attempting to regain support in the riding with financial grants. Received 769 votes (1.7%), finishing fifth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Bill Murdoch of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Julie Gordon (Burlington)

A single stay-at-home mother, and a contact figure for OPIRG at McMaster University. Worked with Wendell Fields in the OPIRG Flyering Squad in 2004-05. Fields and Gordon are also prominent figures in Hamilton Against Poverty. Argued in the 1999 provincial campaign that child care and child rearing should be considered as work, and receive a salary accordingly. Unusually for a Green Party candidate, Gordon is also associated with the Communist Party of Canada – Marxist-Leninist, and ran for that party in the 2000 federal election. Received 1,086 votes in 2003, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Cam Jackson of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Previous candidacies:

• Hamilton municipal election, 1997, city council (defeated)
• Ontario general election, 1999, Hamilton East, 263 votes, seventh out of eight candidates (winner: Dominic Agostino, Liberal) Gordon ran as an independent candidate, but was unofficially associated with the Marxist-Leninist Party.
• Hamilton municipal election, 2000, mayor, 1,054 votes (0.70%), fifth out of twelve candidates (winner: Bob Wade)
• Canadian federal election, 2000, Hamilton East, 116 votes, eighth out of nine candidates (winner: Sheila Copps, Liberal)

Michael Chownyk (Cambridge)

Was 28 years old at the time of the election. Sells and installs winds and solar-power generating units. Received 983 votes, finishing last in a field of five candidates. The winner was Gerry Martiniuk of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Jim Burgess (Chatham—Kent-Essex)

Was 46 years old at the time of the election. Worked with Navistar for 26 years, and has more recently started a bookstore. Has spoken in favour of wind turbine energy. Received 1,069 votes, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Pat Hoy of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Mark O'Brien (Davenport)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 907 votes, finishing fourth in a field of seven candidates. The winner was Tony Ruprecht of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Don Craig (Don Valley East)

No information. Received 558 votes, finishing fourth in a field of six candidates. The winner was David Caplan of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Philip Hawkins (Don Valley West)

Was Chief Financial Officer of the Green Party of Ontario at the time of the election. Is also president of the federal Don Valley West association for the Green Party of Canada. Advisory committee chair of Don Valley West One-Tonne Challenge, established to reduce average per capita emissions of greenhouse gases. Received 1,239 votes, finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Kathleen Wynne of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Frank de Jong (Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey)

Party leader. See has biography page for further details. Received 3,161 votes, finishing third in a field of five candidates. The winner was outgoing Ontario Premier Ernie Eves of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Gordon MacDonald (Durham)

Was present at the GPO's education policy 2003 announcement. Argued that accredited private schools should receive funding under the local school administration. Received 1,183 votes, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was John O'Toole of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Mark Viitala (Eglinton—Lawrence)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 1,236 votes, finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Mike Colle of the Ontario Liberal Party.

John R. Fisher (Elgin—Middlesex—London)

Retired. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, and worked as a teacher for 25 years. His main field of expertise was Geography. Was reeve of Rodney, Ontario in the early 1990s, and served on the Elgin County Council. Previously served as a councillor in Rodney for fifteen years. Chaired the Ontario/Quebec chapter of Common Ground-USA in 2002. Has also written on the history of the Georgist movement in Canada.[5] Is himself a Georgist, favouring site-value taxation, and helped make this an official policy of the Green Party. Supports higher taxation on community-owned land to prevent urban sprawl. An executive director of the Henry George School of Economic Science, and president of the Henry George Foundation in Canada. Received 673 votes, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Steve Peters of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Previous candidacies:

• Canadian federal election, 1997, Elgin—Middlesex—London, 508 votes, sixth out of six candidates (winner: Gar Knutson, Liberal)
• Ontario general election, 1999, Elgin—Middlesex—London, 391 votes, fifth out of six candidates (winner: Steve Peters, Liberal)
• Canadian federal election, 2000, Elgin—Middlesex—London, 431 votes, fifth out of six candidates (winner: Gar Knutson, Liberal)

Tom Ferguson (Erie—Lincoln)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 713 votes, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Tim Hudak of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Darren Brown (Essex)

Served as the GPO's fundraising chairperson in Windsor West for the 2003 campaign. A board member of the Citizen's Environment Alliance of southwestern Ontario. Campaigned for the GPO in Windsor—St. Clair for the 1999 provincial election, and finished fourth of six candidates with 339 votes. The winner was Dwight Duncan of the Ontario Liberal Party. Received 998 votes in 2003, finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Liberal Bruce Crozier.

Ralph M. Chapman (Etobicoke Centre)

Has written online music reviews, for such artists as Jason Martz, Steve Hackett and John Martyn. Received 1,584 votes, finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Donna Cansfield of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Junyee Wang (Etobicoke—Lakeshore)

No information. Received 708 votes, finishing fourth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Laurel Broten of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Mir Kamal (Etobicoke North)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 503 votes, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Shafiq Qaadri of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Louise Pattington (Glengarry—Prescott—Russell)

Retired translator. Lives in Fournier, near Vankleek Hill. Not politically active prior to her retirement. President of the GPO riding association in Glengarry—Prescott—Russell. Provides translation for the Green Party of Canada's living platform. Received 1,471 votes, finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Jean-Marc Lalonde of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Ben Polley (Guelph—Wellington)

Raised in Kemptville, near Ottawa. Educated at Carleton University, where he received a degree in Geography. Managed DML Control Inc., working in the field of energy management computer system. Owns Harvest Homes, an eco-friendly home construction business. Promotes strawbale construction. Constructed "Home Alive!", the world's first prefabricated strawbale house. Managed Mike Nagy's campaign in the 2004 federal election. Also works with Seventh Generation Community Projects. Received 3,917 votes (7.0%), the highest vote total of any GPO candidate in the 2003 election. The winner was Liz Sandals of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Graeme Dunn Haldimand—Norfolk—Brant)

Was 62 years old in 2003. Teaches computer studies at Mohawk College in Hamilton. Has a third-level degree from the Society of Management Accountants. Coordinated the 2003 Green Party of Ontario platform. Ran for Chief Financial Officer of the GPO in 2001, but lost to Martin Hart, 244 votes to 154. Opposes large-scale hog operations in his region. Previously campaigned for the Green Party of Canada in the 2000 federal election, and received 484 votes in Brant for a fifth-place finish out of six candidates. The winner was Jane Stewart of the Liberal Party of Canada. Received 1,088 votes in 2003, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Toby Barrett of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Douglas J. Smith (Haliburton—Victoria—Brock)

Homeopathic doctor. Supports healthy lifestyles and alternative medicine. Is Secretary of the Ontario Homeopathic Association for 2004-05. Works in Haliburton. Received 956 votes, finishing fourth out of six candidates. The winner was Laurie Scott of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Matthew Raymond Smith (Halton)

No information. Received 1,295 votes, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Ted Chudleigh of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Raymond Dartsch (Hamilton East)

A registered nurse, active in Hamilton since 1998. Was 34 years old in 2003. A graduate of Mohawk College and McMaster University. Supported the preservation of the Canadian Southern Railway in 2000. Produced "No Peace in the Valley" (1998), a video calling for the preservation of Hamilton's Red Hill Valley in the face of a proposed expressway. Supports hourly rail passenger service in its place. Chairs the Transportation subcommittee for the Green Party of Canada. Received 563 votes, finishing fourth in a field of seven candidates. The winner was Dominic Agostino of the Ontario Liberal Party. Campaigned for the GPO again in a 2004 by-election, following Agostino's death. Praised Agostino as one of the more environmentally-conscious members of the Liberal Party, but claimed the party itself was lacking in its policies. Received 448, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Andrea Horwath of the Ontario New Democratic Party. Horwath is known as one of the more environmentally-active members of the NDP; after the campaign, Dartsch joked that he would one day draft her into the Greens.

Selwyn Inniss (Hamilton Mountain)

As of 2004, was the primary contact for the GPO in Hamilton Mountain. Received 494 votes (1.09%), finishing last in a field of five candidates. The winner was Marie Bountrogianni of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Jo Pavlov (Hamilton West)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 727 votes, finishing fifth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Judy Marsales of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Adam Scott (Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington)

A relatively young candidate. Received 1,311 votes (3.2%), finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Leona Dombrowsky of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Shelley Hannah (Huron—Bruce)

Little information available. Not to be confused with a different Shelley Hannah, who has written on adoption rights. Received 934 votes, finishing fourth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Carol Mitchell of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Dan King (Kenora—Rainy River)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 305 votes, finishing last in a field of four candidates. The winner was Ontario New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton.

Eric Walton (Kingston and the Islands)

Born in Ottawa, but spent most of his childhood in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Educated at Queen's University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Studies in 1983. Co-founded Odyssey Travels and Logkit Inc., both of which he later sold. Part-time Agency Director of the Kingston Environmental Action Project from 1986 to 1994. Co-produced and directed "Ancient Futures-Learning From Ladakh" (1992), filmed on site in northern India. Serves on the Board of Directors of the Kingston Social Planning Council, Kingston Employment and Youth Services, Opportunity Kingston and the Kingston Global Community Centre. Serves as the Green Party of Canada's official "critic" on Foreign Affairs. Has supported decentralized fundraising efforts in the GPO. Received 3,137 votes (6.55%), one of the highest totals of any Green candidate in the province. Finished fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was John Gerretsen of the Ontario Liberal Party. Was nominated in late 2004 to be the Green Party of Canada's candidate for Kingston and the Islands in the next federal election. Defeated George Clark and Danny Gold for the nomination.

Luigi D'Agnillo (Kitchener Centre)

Was a PhD student at the time of the election, taking Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Born in Calgary, Alberta, moved to Kitchener-Waterloo in 1994. Received his Master's Degree in 1997. Appointed to the Waterloo Regional Cycling Advisory Committee in 2000. Supports public automobile insurance for Ontario, on a no-fault basis for personal injuries. A vocal opponent of Slobodan Milosevic during the 1990s. Supported the Kosovo War of 1998, but called for ground troops instead of air strikes. Received 1,728 votes, finishing fourth in a field of four candidates. The winner was John Milloy of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Pauline Richards (Kitchener—Waterloo)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 1,774 votes, finishing fourth in a field of seven candidates. The winner was Elizabeth Witmer of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Tim van Bodegom (Lambton—Kent—Middlesex)

No information. Received 1,133 votes (2.76%), finishing fourth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Maria van Bommel of the Ontario Liberal Party.

John Baranyi (Lanark—Carleton)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 2,564 votes for a credible fourth-place finish. The winner was Norm Sterling of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

Jerry Heath (Leeds—Grenville)

Born circa 1935. A retired engineer. Spent his career working for the multinational chemical company Union Carbide. Also a jazz trombonist, and is leader of the Jerry Heath Jazz Quintet. First became active with environmental issues in Surrey, British Columbia in the early 1970s, when then-mayor Bill Vander Zalm proposed construction of a shopping mall on a square kilometre of old-growth forest. Heath helped form the South Surrey Study Group, a citizens' coalition opposing the development. Following pressure, the development layout was changed such that the old-growth forest was preserved.

After retiring, Heath moved to the Township of Athens, a small municipality in the Ottawa Valley. In the Canadian federal election, 2000, Heath replaced Dr. Peter Bevan-Baker as the Green Party of Canada candidate for Leeds-Grenville and received 820 votes (1.75%). The winner was Joe Jordan of the Liberal Party of Canada. Heath became president of the combined federal/provincial riding associations soon after the election. In 2003, he advocated compact fluorescent bulbs to prevent brownouts in Ontario. This idea was later promoted by provincial party leader Frank de Jong.

In 2003, Heath received 1,865 votes (4.25%). The winner was Bob Runciman of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Heath originally intended to contest the 2004 federal election, but withdrew out of concern for exhaustion.

Bronagh Joyce Morgan (London North Centre)

See Green Party of Canada candidates, 2004 federal election for biography. Received 780 votes, finishing fourth in a field of six candidates. The winner was Deb Matthews of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Bryan Smith (London—Fanshawe)

Chair of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation Human Rights and Status of Women Committee for the Thames Valley District. Head of French-as-a-Second-Language and English at the Thames Valley District School Board. Received 568 votes, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates. The winner was Khalil Ramal of the Ontario Liberal Party.