John Grogan (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
John Grogan is a Canadian politician and teacher.
Grogan has lived and worked in the Robson Valley
, B.C.
for the past 30 years. He has held a variety of jobs—for the railway, in a sawmill, as a teacher and as a small businessperson. Grogan has been a director of both the Green Party of British Columbia
and the Green Party of Canada
and was the latter party's candidate for the riding of Prince George-Bulkley Valley in the 1997
, and 2000
Federal General Elections. Grogan also ran for the leadership of the Green Party of Canada in 2003 and 2004, winning seven percent of the vote in the latter election. Grogan has associated himself with the fundamental or "fundi
" wing of the Green Party of Canada.
John Grogan came to the Green Party as a result of his interest in the global peace movement
. Grogan was born and raised in the U.S. and four months after his 18th birthday the US Selective Service granted him 1-0, conscientious objector
draft
status, ensuring that due to his personal convictions he would not be called to participate in war in any capacity. Just out of high school he quit his employment in the offices of a metals company when he objected to their business practices.
Instead, within the shadows of the nearly complete World Trade Center
, Grogan spent the better part his next years volunteering as a paralegal
draft counselor at the Merton-Buber House (44 East 3rd); rent paid in part by the Catholic Peace Fellowship and the Jewish Peace Fellowship
. He was known for engaging daily with people on the street, raising funds and consciousness in discussion and debate, soliciting signatures for a petition to impeach Richard Nixon
and Spiro Agnew
years before Watergate.
For four months in 1972 John traveled solo through Europe
to Turkey
, Iran
, Afghanistan
, Pakistan
and India
.
Having spent an increasing amount of time visiting friends in western Canada
since 1970, he eventually applied for and received Landed Immigrant status in 1975. He worked as a supply teacher for the Prince George
School District for two-and-a-half years prior to moving to the Village of Valemount in the Robson Valley trying his hand briefly at logging and thereafter applying himself to labour as a gandy dancer
on the Canadian National Railways for 9 years. He served for years as the Secretary-Treasurer of the union
local of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, and was co-chair of the Health and Safety Committee, Mountain Region.
With time on his hands he volunteered with the Valemount Entertainment Society for one year as chair of the local broadcast committee to establish community television for residents in his remote community. He continued as a paid station manager for 7 years at what was once reportedly "the only community access television undertaking in Canada not associated with a cable company". He was and remains an activist for media literacy with a focus on universal access to alternative media. He served as a co-president of Canada's Coalition for Public Information.
John Grogan was the founding president of the Valemount Internet Society, and principal author of a successful first-year Industry Canada "Community Access Program" grant competition, enabling internet access in his remote community, encouraging community economic development.
Grogan has had municipal government experience, having served as a library trustee, Health Communities Committee, and most recently was the principal author of the Memorandum of Incorporation of the Three Valleys Community Development Co-operative. He was also a founding director of the Canoe Valley Youth Society.
He has served as Communications Chair of the Green Party of Canada and as Director-at-Large of the Green Party of British Columbia.
John Grogan let his name stand as a candidate for Green Party leader during the leadership races of February 2003 and August 2004. Grogan ran on a promise to support a principled slate of candidates, the Global Green Principles Caucus, for Council who share a grave concern for the management of the GPC Council in recent times, and the disconnect with what he perceives as a disconnect between the direction of the Green Party of Canada and the Global Green movement.
In the 2004 leadership race, Grogan focussed his speeches on notions of "the ends not justifying the means." Grogan argued that success for the GPC cannot only be measured in terms of achieving $1.75 per vote collected but must also focus on affectating change in the environmental policies of other federal parties.
Grogan came in second place in the 2003 leadership contest with 76 votes compared to 437 for victor Jim Harris
and 24 votes for third place finisher Jason Crummey
. In the 2004 vote Grogan came in third place with 74 votes.
Grogan has lived and worked in the Robson Valley
Robson Valley
The Robson Valley is a geographic region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, comprising the section of the Rocky Mountain Trench that lies southeast of the city of Prince George following the Fraser River to the Yellowhead Pass. The name is derived from Mount Robson, which stands near...
, B.C.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
for the past 30 years. He has held a variety of jobs—for the railway, in a sawmill, as a teacher and as a small businessperson. Grogan has been a director of both the Green Party of British Columbia
Green Party of British Columbia
The Green Party of British Columbia is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. It is led by former Esquimalt municipal councillor, university professor and businessperson Jane Sterk, she was elected by the party in 2007. Penticton realtor and columnist Julius Bloomfield serves as the deputy...
and the Green Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
and was the latter party's candidate for the riding of Prince George-Bulkley Valley in the 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, and 2000
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
Federal General Elections. Grogan also ran for the leadership of the Green Party of Canada in 2003 and 2004, winning seven percent of the vote in the latter election. Grogan has associated himself with the fundamental or "fundi
Fundi (politics)
Fundis is short for fundamentalists. The term was used for a faction within the German Green Party. The faction was formed in conflict to the Realo-faction within their party. The term has also been applied to similar conflicts.-General meaning:...
" wing of the Green Party of Canada.
John Grogan came to the Green Party as a result of his interest in the global peace movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
. Grogan was born and raised in the U.S. and four months after his 18th birthday the US Selective Service granted him 1-0, conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
draft
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
status, ensuring that due to his personal convictions he would not be called to participate in war in any capacity. Just out of high school he quit his employment in the offices of a metals company when he objected to their business practices.
Instead, within the shadows of the nearly complete World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, Grogan spent the better part his next years volunteering as a paralegal
Paralegal
Paralegal is used in most jurisdictions to describe a paraprofessional who assists qualified lawyers in their legal work. This is true in the United States and many other countries. However, in Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada, giving paralegals an...
draft counselor at the Merton-Buber House (44 East 3rd); rent paid in part by the Catholic Peace Fellowship and the Jewish Peace Fellowship
Jewish Peace Fellowship
The Jewish Peace Fellowship is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization set up to provide a Jewish voice in the peace movement. The organization was founded in 1941 in order to support Jewish conscientious objectors who sought exemption from combatant military service...
. He was known for engaging daily with people on the street, raising funds and consciousness in discussion and debate, soliciting signatures for a petition to impeach Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Spiro Agnew
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
years before Watergate.
For four months in 1972 John traveled solo through Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Having spent an increasing amount of time visiting friends in western Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
since 1970, he eventually applied for and received Landed Immigrant status in 1975. He worked as a supply teacher for the Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
School District for two-and-a-half years prior to moving to the Village of Valemount in the Robson Valley trying his hand briefly at logging and thereafter applying himself to labour as a gandy dancer
Gandy dancer
Gandy dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines....
on the Canadian National Railways for 9 years. He served for years as the Secretary-Treasurer of the union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
local of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, and was co-chair of the Health and Safety Committee, Mountain Region.
With time on his hands he volunteered with the Valemount Entertainment Society for one year as chair of the local broadcast committee to establish community television for residents in his remote community. He continued as a paid station manager for 7 years at what was once reportedly "the only community access television undertaking in Canada not associated with a cable company". He was and remains an activist for media literacy with a focus on universal access to alternative media. He served as a co-president of Canada's Coalition for Public Information.
John Grogan was the founding president of the Valemount Internet Society, and principal author of a successful first-year Industry Canada "Community Access Program" grant competition, enabling internet access in his remote community, encouraging community economic development.
Grogan has had municipal government experience, having served as a library trustee, Health Communities Committee, and most recently was the principal author of the Memorandum of Incorporation of the Three Valleys Community Development Co-operative. He was also a founding director of the Canoe Valley Youth Society.
He has served as Communications Chair of the Green Party of Canada and as Director-at-Large of the Green Party of British Columbia.
John Grogan let his name stand as a candidate for Green Party leader during the leadership races of February 2003 and August 2004. Grogan ran on a promise to support a principled slate of candidates, the Global Green Principles Caucus, for Council who share a grave concern for the management of the GPC Council in recent times, and the disconnect with what he perceives as a disconnect between the direction of the Green Party of Canada and the Global Green movement.
In the 2004 leadership race, Grogan focussed his speeches on notions of "the ends not justifying the means." Grogan argued that success for the GPC cannot only be measured in terms of achieving $1.75 per vote collected but must also focus on affectating change in the environmental policies of other federal parties.
Grogan came in second place in the 2003 leadership contest with 76 votes compared to 437 for victor Jim Harris
Jim Harris
Jim Harris may refer to:* Jim Harris , American novelist, author of A Bottle of Rain* Jim Harris , American children's book illustrator* Jim Harris , American naturalist...
and 24 votes for third place finisher Jason Crummey
Jason Crummey
Jason Crummey is a Newfoundland author and writer.Jason Crummey was born in Old Perlican. He is a grandson of P.W. Crummey who sat at the Newfoundland National Convention.Crummey graduated from Gonzaga High School and Memorial University of Newfoundland....
. In the 2004 vote Grogan came in third place with 74 votes.