124 Facts About Gord Johns

Gord Johns previously served as a town councillor for Tofino, British Columbia, and founded a number of small businesses.

In both the 42nd and 43rd Canadian Parliaments Johns introduced the National Cycling Strategy Act as private member bills seeking the federal government to develop and implement a strategy to facilitate the development of cycling infrastructure.

Gord Johns has variously been the NDP critic on critic for small business, tourism, and veterans affairs, and later on fisheries and oceans.

Gord Johns introduced a private member bill seeking to increase, from $3,000 to $10,000, the tax credits for firefighter and search and rescue volunteers and reintroduced Fin Donnelly's private member bill from the previous parliament on requiring commercial finfish aquaculture only take place in closed containment facilities.

Gord Johns was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia.

Gord Johns ran the store for 13 years and opened other locations, called Fiber Options and Eco-Everything, in Victoria and Whistler.

Gord Johns owned a small art gallery, called Cedar Corner Art Gallery, in Tofino for several years.

Gord Johns did not seek re-election as a municipal councillor, but instead accepted the position of executive director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce where he worked until his nomination in 2014 as the NDP candidate in federal election.

Early in the campaign period Gord Johns was favoured to win, but by the end he was polling evenly with the Conservative candidate due to a surge in Green support on Vancouver Island and Liberal support nationally.

Gord Johns won his riding in the 2015 federal election but his party became the third party, with the Liberal party forming a majority government.

NDP leader Tom Mulcair appointed Gord Johns to be their critic for small business and tourism.

In May 2017, Gord Johns received Canada Bikes "Advocate of the Year" Award for his work.

Gord Johns served as the vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs and the vice-chair on the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

In November 2017, Gord Johns introduced M-151 requesting the federal government work with provinces, municipalities, and Indigenous communities to develop a national strategy to combat plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

Gord Johns presented two other motions in the House of Commons but neither came to a vote.

Gord Johns sought reelection in the 2019 federal election but was challenged by Parksville businessmen Byron Horner and Sean Wood for the Conservative and Green parties, respectively.

Gord Johns won the riding but his party lost seats overall to become the fourth party in the House of Commons, with the Liberal Party forming a minority government.

NDP leader Singh added fisheries and oceans to Gord Johns's existing small business and tourism critic roles.

Gord Johns reintroduced his National Cycling Strategy Act private member bill.

Gord Johns is a member of the multi-partisan Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates which focuses on the effectiveness and proper functioning of government operations.

Gord Johns currently serves as a member of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group, among others.

MP Gord Johns has been an outspoken advocate for greater support for individuals struggling with substance use.

Gord Johns pushed for a harm-reduction approach to the Opioid crisis in British Columbia, including the decriminalization of personal procession of opioids, so individuals struggling with addiction can get the help that they need.

Gord Johns has helped present petitions in the House of Commons with over 3000 signatures calling on the government to address opioids as a National Public Health Emergency.

Gord Johns acknowledges how the toxic drug crisis is a systemic problem and one that is negatively impacted by mental health, racism, and stigma.

Gord Johns blamed her death on the diversion of "safe supply" hydromorphone.

Swords' opportunity to speak was cut short by Gord Johns, who took time to call on the government to protect the public health care system against privatization by companies like Loblaws.

Gord Johns has supported investments in mental health programs and pushes for parity between physical and mental health.

Gord Johns called for greater mental health and addiction services during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting a significant rise in deaths during public health lockdowns.

Gord Johns highlighted the challenges that individuals in indigenous and remote communities faced during COVID and pushed for additional support for vulnerable individuals.

Gord Johns participated in a 2020 men's mental health awareness campaign alongside Peter Mansbridge, Member of Parliament Majid Jowhari, HGTV star Bryan Baeumler, professional snowboarder Craig McMorris and former NHL players Georges Laraque.

In September 2022 Gord Johns tabled motion M-67 which recognized that Canada is experiencing a mental health and substance use crisis.

In February 2021, Gord Johns presented a motion urging the government to work with provinces and territories to establish a national strategy for the reintegration of workers who became mentally or physically impaired while employed and were at risk of losing their job.

Gord Johns had presented petitions calling for Universal Pharmacare in Canada and tabled Bill C-213 which enacts the Canada Pharmacare Act to establish a universal, single-payer, public pharmacare plan.

In February 2022, Gord Johns called for the need to fund healthcare to ensure that Canadians were being supported through the burnout of staffing shortages following the pandemic.

In early 2023, Gord Johns joined NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to talk about the state of the health care system in Qualicum Beach.

Gord Johns has consistently pushed for greater protections for Vancouver Island old growth forests.

Gord Johns has been a strong opponent of expanding Canada's petroleum exports and opposed the development of bitumen pipelines to the Pacific Coast, focusing on the risks to the environment and coastal communities.

In 2018, Gord Johns was opposed to the federal government's decision to purchase the TMX project from Kinder Morgan, supporting local protestors and advocates against the government's decision.

Gord Johns has called for greater investment in a Green New Deal policy including greater support for workers transitioning out of carbon intensive industries and federal support for companies developing green technologies.

Gord Johns has called for greater government effort to meet its climate targets, and has asked the government to follow through on its promise to end subsidies for oil and gas companies.

Gord Johns has been an active supporter of local green projects.

Gord Johns recognized the important work of projects like the Kuu-Kuu-Sum Watershed Project in the House of Commons, and pushed for supports for local green entrepreneurs.

Gord Johns has worked to coordinate parliamentary events including the Canadian Biosphere Day on the Hill.

In early 2023, Gord Johns petitioned the Federal government for legislation requiring every MP to consult with their riding's environmental youth leadership prior to bringing any greenhouse gas emissions bills forward to a second reading in Parliament.

MP Gord Johns has been an advocate for Indigenous rights with investments for Indigenous communities and reconciliation since taking office in 2015.

Gord Johns has been a vocal advocate in parliament for Nuu-chah-nulth nations in his riding in their years- long legal battle with the government of Canada over their right to catch and sell fish in their territory.

Gord Johns has called on the government to respect the finding of the Specific Claims Tribunal Act with regards to the Huu-ay-aht First Nation's challenge on logging rights rather than extended litigation.

Gord Johns has used his time in office to advocate for Indigenous-led businesses.

Gord Johns has helped the Huu-ay-aht First Nation secure federal funding after they had originally been denied the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy.

Since the Leviathan II tragedy in 2016, Gord Johns has called for greater investment in the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary so remote Indigenous communities could be better equipped to respond to emergency situations.

Gord Johns tabled M-78, which called upon the government to invest in local knowledge and remote emergency preparedness in 2016.

Gord Johns has called for reforms to help end systemic racism against Indigenous peoples.

In October 2020, after weeks of escalating violence against Mi'kmaq fishers in Nova Scotia, Gord Johns wrote to the Speaker of the House of Commons calling for an emergency debate in parliament.

Gord Johns has called for a formal apology from the Roman Catholic church and greater action from the federal government to address the trauma of the Indian Residential Schools.

Gord Johns has successfully coordinated meetings between Indigenous leaders and senior government officials.

Gord Johns helped coordinate a meeting between the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, during a trip to Vancouver Island, and local Indigenous Leaders to discuss their priorities.

Gord Johns participated in a meeting between Minister Joyce Murray and Elders in Port Alberni in 2019.

In 2022, two years after a young Tla-o-qui-aht first nation woman was shot and killed by police officer during a wellness check, Gord Johns called for comprehensive police reform to address the disproportionate violence against Indigenous people.

Gord Johns asked when the Government of Canada will compensate for this funding and allow First Nations Children and Families to monetarily benefit.

Gord Johns has called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to honour the Tseshaht First Nation and their requests for truth, justice, and funding to continue and complete the research regarding the deaths of First Nation children who were forced to attend the Alberni Indian Residential School.

In January 2018 Gord Johns was appointed as the NDP Critic for Veterans Affairs.

Gord Johns proposed other legislation related to Veterans including seconding two privates members bills which sought to help end discrimination against Veterans and their families.

Gord Johns was deeply critical of the Government's approach to funding Veterans pensions, highlighting that the approach would lead to a discriminatory three-tiered system for veterans benefits.

University for Gord Johns was recognized by his constituent, a Veteran, for helping him and his son attend the 75th anniversary of the Juno beach landing alongside World War II survivors and the Prime Minister.

Gord Johns worked closely with local municipalities to help find solutions for homeless veterans.

Gord Johns was supportive of additional funding provided to local Canadian Legion branches in his riding during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the importance of helping veterans and their families during the pandemic.

Also in 2023, Gord Johns argued against the Veterans Affairs' mental health rehabilitation services that have been outsourced to a company owned by Loblaws; Gord Johns argued that veterans have put their lives on the line yet are not getting the services and treatment they need or deserve.

Gord Johns is an advocate for affordable housing and firmly believes that housing is a human right.

Gord Johns has called for greater investment in affordable housing across Courtenay-Alberni.

Gord Johns highlighted the lack of affordable housing in the region, harming the local economy and pushed for collaborative efforts between governments to advance non-market housing including subsidized social housing, not-for-profit housing, and co-op housing.

Gord Johns has been active in trying to forward local projects and was recognized by local officials for his leadership on housing solutions like the cold-weather shelter in Parksville.

Gord Johns has pushed for greater investment in infrastructure and support to bring more jobs to the region.

Gord Johns has supported regional economic development including expanding local mill operations.

Gord Johns pushed for investment from the federal government for the Alberni Valley Regional Airport and for BC Ferries.

Gord Johns has highlighted stronger protections against raw log exports, and an increase in newsprint tariffs that would help to protect jobs and keep more money within the region.

Gord Johns has pushed for the federal government to help provinces develop Farmers' Market Nutrition Coupon Programs to support farmers' markets and strengthen food security through his motion M-78 in 2021.

Gord Johns has looked for new ways to help compensate individuals who assist their communities.

Gord Johns believes that affordable housing and protecting people's right to housing are critical to harm reduction and helping those who are struggling the most.

In 2021, Gord Johns demanded for increased non-market and co-op housing, saying that the private sector has not met the housing needs of the average Canadian or helped to address the homelessness crisis.

Gord Johns acknowledges the inequalities present in housing availability and has criticized the government for the lack of housing for released inmates, the majority of which are Indigenous.

In 2022, during debates on the 2021 Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, Gord Johns again urged for the government to scale up non-market and co-op housing to solve the housing crisis and ensure that Canadians have housing security.

MP Gord Johns has been a long-time advocate for west-coast fishers and protecting Canada's waters.

In March 2019, Gord Johns was appointed the NDP critic for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Gord Johns called on the Liberal government to follow through on their campaign promise to restore coast guard sites.

Gord Johns successfully pressured the government to restore funding for a search and rescue dive team whose funding had been phased out.

Gord Johns has frequently called for large-scale changes to protections for wild Pacific salmon.

Gord Johns has been a critical opponent of the cancelation of the popular Sea to Stream education program about wild salmon by the Liberal government in 2017.

Gord Johns called for significant reforms to fish farm operations to address the risk to wild salmon posed by open-pen net farms.

Gord Johns called on the federal government to work with the Province of British Columbia and local First Nations to move from open net operations to land-based facilities - an approach that he argued would reduce the risk of the spread of sea lice and other diseases spreading to native wild species.

Gord Johns has been critical of the government for changing its 2019 campaign commitment to end open-net fish farming by 2025, replacing it with a commitment to developing a plan instead.

Gord Johns pushed for a moratorium on the roe herring fishery in the Salish Sea.

Gord Johns tabled petitions from the community in the House of Commons calling on the government to reverse its decision keep this fishery open.

Gord Johns observed that this model has allowed for a lack of transparency in ownership, has taken money out of the community, and has led to confusion about yearly catch sizes.

Gord Johns has been critical of the federal government's rollout of the Oceans Protection Plan, criticizing the significant funding in the plan for oil spills, rather than being invested in preventative measures.

Gord Johns has pursued support for a coordinated effort by all levels of government to address abandoned vessels in coastal waters which pose an environmental and safety risk.

Gord Johns helped advance proposed legislation by NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson to address abandoned vessels.

Gord Johns raised specific local cases in the House of Commons including abandoned vessels in Deep Bay.

In September 2022, Gord Johns tabled two motions to protect Canada's oceans.

Gord Johns moved that the government should develop standards to reduce any negative environmental or social impacts, provide monetary assistance to reputable shipbreaking companies, and develop a strategy for recycling the end-of-life marine vessels.

MP Gord Johns moved motion M-69, which called upon the Canadian Government to recognize the potential harm caused by deep seabed mining and the uncertainty surrounding the extent of environmental damage.

MP Gord Johns has been a longtime supporter of affordable and accessible child care.

In 2023, Gord Johns had spoken on the labour market crisis by proposing the solution of increased spaces in child-care.

Gord Johns argued that childcare spaces are of importance to all parents in the country, and increasing these spaces can help solve the labour market crisis in Canada.

MP Gord Johns reintroduced this Bill in the 43rd Parliament in 2020.

Gord Johns' bill has been supported locally including being featured during Alberni Earth day, and it was supported by the Cumberland Town Council.

Gord Johns stated that when he ran for MP, he ran on a platform that everybody and every community counted on and that he would show up.

Gord Johns begun his ride in Hesquiaht, a first nation community located in Vancouver Island, that has never seen an MP in their riding.

In November 2015 Gord Johns was appointed the NDP's critic for Small Business and Tourism.

Gord Johns cited his experience as a small business owner, and business community leader, alongside his excitement for local entrepreneurs as sources of passion for this position.

In 2016, MP Gord Johns highlighted that Canadian small businesses paid $2.2 billion more in tax, due to the government's failure to follow through on cutting the small business tax rate, as it had promised during the campaign.

Gord Johns called on the government to cap credit card merchant fees for small businesses, which make it more difficult for small businesses to compete.

Gord Johns called on the government to work to address tax reform which did not exclusively target small business owners and to expand reforms to include larger corporations - including CEO stock options and the use of tax havens.

Gord Johns pushed for changes to the rules to allow Indigenous businesses which had originally been left out to apply for support.

Gord Johns advocated on behalf of BC ferries, calling for them to be included in the wage subsidy, as they offered an important connection between Vancouver Island and the lower mainland of BC.

Gord Johns called on the government to work with Canada's banks to lower interest rates for small businesses as they were profiting from the administration of loan programs on behalf of the government.

Gord Johns called for more government support for distilleries which had rapidly re-purposed their manufacturing processes to produce hand sanitizer during the pandemic.

Gord Johns called on Parliament to demand that the government waive the sales tax on gift cards sold prior to the 2020 holiday season as a means of helping struggling small businesses during the holiday season.

At the beginning of the 42nd parliament Gord Johns assisted in the reconstitution of the Entrepreneur Caucus.

In 2017, Gord Johns introduced a motion for the government to work collaboratively with provinces, municipalities and Indigenous communities to develop a national strategy to combat plastic pollution in and around aquatic environments.

Gord Johns stated that the local experience of the Hanjin Cargo spill off the coast of Vancouver Island in 2016, alongside the government's inability to coordinate funding to help in the cleanup inspired him to understand the broad issue of ocean plastics more.

Gord Johns has been a strong supporter of helping to reduce plastic consumption and waste in his constituency.

Gord Johns has been a vocal supporter of single-use plastic bans in local communities like Qualicum Beach.

Gord Johns has helped organize and participated in local beach cleanup efforts.