Erich Jacoby-Hawkins
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Erich Jacoby-Hawkins is a politician in Ontario, Canada. Jacoby-Hawkins is interested in issues of social justice, a fair economy, and the sound environment that both depend on. Since moving to Barrie with his family in 1999, he has worked in local volunteer groups to try to improve life for citizens of Barrie. He has been the Green Party of Canada candidate for the Canadian House of Commons in two federal elections, and was a candidate for the city council of Barrie, Ontario, in the 2006 municipal election.
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[edit] Background
Jacoby-Hawkins was raised in the small town of Shelburne, Ontario, which he considers to be a community that is modest and walkable while still being liveable and complete. In high school, Erich was a member of the Reach for the Top team.
His support of activist and social justice causes began as a teenager, when he became a Foster Parent (and has been ever since). He has also been a long-time member and contributor to Environmental Defence Canada, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and Amnesty International.
Erich studied Mathematics and Computer Science, then Anthropology, at the University of Waterloo, where he also took part in the co-operative education program, working at five different corporations between school terms. Jacoby-Hawkins was the editor of the Math Faculty student paper mathNEWS for many terms and a student representative on several governing bodies. He was also active in historical re-enactment with the Society for Creative Anachronism, authorizing for heavy (armoured) combat and receiving the Award of Arms (AoA) for skill at haggling.
After graduating, Jacoby-Hawkins spent three years teaching English conversation in South Korea, where he observed other ways for a modern society to address problems of land, resource, economic, transportation, and social issues.
[edit] Accomplishments
Upon returning to Canada in 1999, Erich and his wife Teresa settled in Barrie, Ontario, where they both teach. Since then, Erich has been involved with various activist and community groups addressing the environment (Environmental Action Barrie/Living Green), homelessness (Mayor's Task Force and Barrie Out of the Cold), and the arts (Barrie Film Festival). He also founded Barrie's federal Green Party association which ran a very successful campaign in the 2004 federal election, although he was not elected. Later that year, the Jacobys' daughter, Brianna, was born.
Erich competed in the 2006 federal election and finished fourth, However, he gained more votes than he did in the previous election. Erich ran for the 2006 municipal election in Barrie and placed fifth out of a field of six candidates. However Erich achieved 1.0% higher (7.8%) then his previous federal attempts.
In July of 2006, Erich spent 2 weeks in St. Bruno, Quebec, as a participant Great War descendent in the Brian McKenna mini-series The Great War produced for CBC/Radio Canada, re-creating the experience of his Canadian Expeditionary Force (WWI-veteran) great-grandfathers Major James Morrow Oxley and Pte. Richard Arthur Clarke. The Great War will be broadcast April 8 and 9, 2006, to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
In February of 2007 Erich became the Environment Issue Advocate (critic) for the Green Party of Ontario and appeared in that role on the TVOntario current affairs program The Agenda.
[edit] Electoral record
| Election | Division | Votes | % | Place | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 municipal | Barrie | 241 | 7.8% | 5/6 | Alex Nuttall |
| Canadian federal election, 2006 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
| Conservative | Patrick Brown | 23,999 | 41.9% | +1.8% | ||
| Liberal | Aileen Carroll | 22,476 | 39.2% | -3.5% | ||
| New Democrat | Peter Bursztyn | 6,984 | 12.2% | +1.5% | ||
| Green | Erich Jacoby-Hawkins | 3,874 | 6.8% | +0.2% | ||
| Canadian federal election, 2004 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
| Liberal | Aileen Carroll | 21,233 | 42.7% | |||
| Conservative | Patrick Brown | 19,938 | 40.1% | |||
| New Democrat | Peter Bursztyn | 5,312 | 10.7% | |||
| Green | Erich Jacoby-Hawkins | 3,288 | 6.6% | |||
