David Coon

David Coon
MLA
Leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick
Assumed office
September 21, 2012
Preceded by Greta Doucet (interim)
Member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Assumed office
September 22, 2014
Preceded by first member
Constituency Fredericton South
Personal details
Born (1956-10-28) October 28, 1956
Toronto, Ontario
Political party Green

David Charles Coon (born October 28, 1956 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian politician, who was elected leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick on September 21, 2012.[1] He joined the Green Party of Canada in May 2006, offering his support to long-time friend and colleague Elizabeth May in her successful run for the leadership of the federal party, and was elected to the party's federal council in 2009 and again in 2011.[2]

Biology and conservation work

A biologist by training, Coon worked as an environmental educator, organizer, activist and manager for 33 years, 28 of those years with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.[3][4][2]

While at the Conservation Council he spearheaded an effort to unite fishermen around the Bay of Fundy, creating the Bay of Fundy Fisheries Council to work for community-based approaches to fisheries management. Coon collaborated with the National Farmers Union to create the first agricultural conservation club in New Brunswick, and he has worked with communities and woodworkers to advocate for the establishment of community-based forests on Crown lands.

Coon helped establish Harvest Share Co-op on Keswick Ridge,[5] Canada's first community-supported agricultural initiative. He is a founder of the New Brunswick Community Land Trust and was a director of the Ganong Nature Park in St. Stephen. He has served as chair of the board of the Oak Bay Pastoral Charge of the United Church of Canada.

Political career

Coon ran for the seat of Fredericton South in the Legislative Assembly in the 2014 provincial election, winning the vote.[6] He is the second member of a provincial Green Party to win a seat in a provincial legislature, following Andrew Weaver in British Columbia.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. "Conservationist Coon N.B.'s new Green Party leader". CBC News. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 Taber, Jane (23 September 2014). "How the New Brunswick Green leader made his 'historic' win". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. "David Coon heads to Paris for UN climate change conference". CBC. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. Coon, David. "David Coon". Fredericton, New Brunswick: Green Party of New Brunswick. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  5. "David Coon". Green Party of New Brunswick. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 "David Coon makes history with seat for Green Party". CBC. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  7. "Congratulations to New Brunswick Green Party leader David Coon". Toronto, ON: Green Party of Ontario. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
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