Charlie Angus
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| Incumbent | |
|---|---|
| Riding | Timmins—James Bay |
| In office since | 2004 |
| Preceded by | Réginald Bélair |
| Born | November 14, 1962 (age 44) Timmins, Ontario |
| Residence | Cobalt, Ontario |
| Political party | |
| Profession(s) | Author, Broadcaster, Editor, Journalist, Negotiator, Singer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Spouse | Brit Griffin |
| Portfolio(s) | Canadian Heritage critic |
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Angus, MP (born November 14, 1962 in Timmins, Ontario) is a Canadian writer, broadcaster and musician, who entered electoral politics in 2004 as the successful New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate in the Ontario riding of Timmins—James Bay. He has been the NDP parliamentary critic for Canadian Heritage since 2004, and was additionally critic for Agriculture from 2004 to 2006.
Angus began his career as community activist in Toronto, and as a musician in the punk rock band L'Étranger (with Andrew Cash), and later in the more folk-oriented Grievous Angels. He and his wife also ran a homeless shelter in the city.
In 1990, he moved to Cobalt, Ontario with his family. Grievous Angels continued as a band, and quickly became a cultural institution in Northern Ontario. In 1995, Angus and his wife Brit Griffin also launched HighGrader, a magazine devoted to Northern Ontario life and culture. He has also authored a number of books, notably on regional history, and made a name for himself as an activist in the controversy around shipping Toronto's garbage to Adams Mine, a plan to which Angus and many residents of the area were opposed. As well, he was a correspondent for CBC Radio One's Northern Ontario station, CBCS.
In 1999, he was given a special award by the Northern Lights Festival Boréal in Sudbury for his outstanding contributions to Northern Ontario culture.
In 2004, Angus sought and won the NDP nomination in Timmins—James Bay, and won election to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2004 federal election by less than 600 votes. He was re-elected in the 2006 federal election with a majority, over six thousand votes ahead of Liberal challenger Robert Riopelle.
Angus is a progressive, social justice-oriented member of the Roman Catholic Church and supporter of the Catholic Worker Movement. Until his federal election, he was a separate school board trustee. He was also a longtime columnist for the Catholic New Times. Angus and his family chose to live in a form of voluntary poverty. Angus even wrote an admiring biography of Father Les Costello, the celebrated Toronto Maple Leafs player who left professional hockey to become a Catholic priest in Northern Ontario. In 2005, Angus' own priest confronted him, and threatened to deny him Holy Communion if he voted with the government and his party to legalize same-sex marriage by Act of Parliament. [1] Angus responded that he had been elected to represent all the people of Timmins—James Bay, and he would have to stand his ground. The exclusion of Angus from the church he had supported so devoutly elicited national controversy.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- How'd They Vote?: Charlie Angus' voting history and quotes
- Timmins--James Bay section of the Digital Copyright Canada forum
| Parliament of Canada | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Réginald Bélair |
Member of Parliament for Timmins—James Bay 2004–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
Categories: Articles lacking sources from February 2007 | All articles lacking sources | 1962 births | Living people | Canadian activists | Canadian environmentalists | Canadian Roman Catholics | Canadian singer-songwriters | Canadian rock musicians | Canadian folk musicians | Canadian magazine editors | Canadian historians | Canadians of Scottish descent | Members of the Canadian House of Commons from Ontario | New Democratic Party of Canada MPs | Roman Catholic politicians | People from Toronto | People from Timiskaming District | Current Members of the Canadian House of Commons | People from Timmins, Ontario
