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 | (1943-05-25)May 25, 1943 Birmingham, Alabama |
Died | February 28, 2012(2012-02-28) (aged 68) Vancouver, British Columbia |
Nationality | American-Canadian |
Political party | Vision Vancouver |
Residence(s) | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Alma mater | University of British Columbia, University of South Carolina |
Occupation | Academic, politician |
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Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Green moved to Canada to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War.[1] Green held a MastersinAnthropology 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]
Early 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]
In 2002 he was electedtoVancouver 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]
In 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]