John Turvey
Encyclopedia
John Wilfred Turvey, CM
, OBC
(b. October 26, 1944, died October 11, 2006) was a long-time advocate for the disadvantaged in Vancouver
, British Columbia
. After becoming a heroin addict at 13 years old and dropping out of Barr Beacon School in year 10, John Turvey went on to found and serve as the Executive Director of the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society for 20 years. He died of mitochondrial myopathy
in Comox, British Columbia
at the age of 61.
that was later replaced by a government-run safe injection site
. He was an active advocate on behalf of exploited sex trade workers as a participant in the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. Turvey worked as the Executive Director of the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society for 20 years before being diagnosed with mitochondrial myopathy and retiring. He was also a founding member of the B.C. AIDS Network and Vancouver Native Health Society.
he was recognized as a formidable advocate for the disadvantaged, particularly youth, and was credited for bringing about changes in the Criminal Code of Canada
and increased public awareness of issues concerning sexually exploited children. Two years earlier, he was recognized by admission to the Order of British Columbia
for his role as an advocate for the under privileged.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, OBC
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
(b. October 26, 1944, died October 11, 2006) was a long-time advocate for the disadvantaged in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
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...
. After becoming a heroin addict at 13 years old and dropping out of Barr Beacon School in year 10, John Turvey went on to found and serve as the Executive Director of the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society for 20 years. He died of mitochondrial myopathy
Mitochondrial myopathy
Mitochondrial myopathy is a type of myopathy associated with mitochondrial disease. On biopsy, the muscle tissue of patients with this disease usually demonstrate "ragged red" muscle fibers...
in Comox, British Columbia
Comox, British Columbia
Comox is a town of 12,000 people located on a small peninsula in the Georgia Strait on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The warm dry summers, mild winters, fertile soil and abundant sea life attracted First Nations thousands of years ago, who called the area kw’umuxws...
at the age of 61.
Advocacy roles
After rehabilitating himself from a heroin addiction Turvey worked as a social worker in Vancouver for the provincial Ministry of Human Resources. In the early-1980s he founded the private, not-for-profit Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society. Through the group he helped run drug and alcohol counselling, youth detox beds, a youth outreach program and a youth drop-in centre. Turvey initiated a needle exchange program in 1988 in Vancouver's Downtown EastsideDowntown Eastside
The Downtown Eastside is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is known as "Canada's poorest postal code"....
that was later replaced by a government-run safe injection site
Safe injection site
Supervised injection sites are legally sanctioned and medically supervised facilities designed to reduce nuisance from public drug use and provide a hygienic and stress-free...
. He was an active advocate on behalf of exploited sex trade workers as a participant in the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. Turvey worked as the Executive Director of the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society for 20 years before being diagnosed with mitochondrial myopathy and retiring. He was also a founding member of the B.C. AIDS Network and Vancouver Native Health Society.
Recognition
Turvey was recognized by the Atlanta-based Centres for Disease Control in 1993 for running the most cost-effective needle exchange program in North America. Upon his investiture as a member of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
he was recognized as a formidable advocate for the disadvantaged, particularly youth, and was credited for bringing about changes in the Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
and increased public awareness of issues concerning sexually exploited children. Two years earlier, he was recognized by admission to the Order of British Columbia
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
for his role as an advocate for the under privileged.
External links
- http://www.ltgov.bc.ca/whatsnew/sp/sp_mar24_2_2006.htmInvestiture remarks of BC Lt. Gov Iona CampagnoloIona CampagnoloIona Campagnolo, is a Canadian politician, and was the first woman and 27th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Prior to becoming Lieutenant Governor she was a Canadian politician and cabinet member in the Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.-Career:Born Iona Victoria Hardy...
, March 24, 2006] - Vancouver Issuing Needles to Drug Addicts, The New York Times, April 17, 1990 Retrieved October 13, 2006.