Stanley G. Grizzle
Stanley G. Grizzle, (born November 18, 1918) CM, O.Ont is a retired Canadian citizenship judge and labour union activist. Born in 1918 in Toronto to Jamaican immigrants, he was the oldest of seven children.
Union experience
While working as a porter, Grizzle became active in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), a trade union whose leader was the charismatic African American A. Philip Randolph.
Upon his return to Canada after serving in Europe during World War II, Grizzle became more active in the union. He was elected president of his union local, and pushed the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to open the management ranks to blacks. He also plunged into other causes and was a leader in Canada's nascent civil rights era of the 1950s, working with the Joint Labour Committee to Combat Racial Intolerance.
Political career
In 1959, Grizzle and Jack White were the first Black Canadian candidates to run for election to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (the predecessor to the New Democratic Party). In 1960, Grizzle went to work for the Ontario Labour Relations Board. In 1978 he was appointed a Citizenship Judge by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Awards and acknowledgment
In recognition of his work with the BSCP and his civil rights work, Grizzle received the Order of Ontario in 1990 from Lieutenant-Governor Lincoln Alexander. As further recognition, he received the Order of Canada in 1995 from Governor General Roméo LeBlanc. Additionally, Grizzle recently received the Stanley Ferguson Lifetime Accomplishment award and received a grant of 25 shares of Coca-Cola stock.
On November 1, 2007, a parkette on Main Street in Toronto's east end was dedicated the "Stanley G. Grizzle Parkette" in a ceremony hosted by Toronto Mayor David Miller.
Family
His daughter, Nerene Virgin, became a notable educator and children's entertainer before pursuing a career in journalism. His son, Stan Grizzle is a two-time candidate for the Green Party of Canada. His eldest daughter, Dr. Patricia Grizzle-Huling, teaches at California State University.
References
My Name's Not George: The Story of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters: Personal Reminiscences of Stanley G. Grizzle, by Stanley G. Grizzle with John Cooper.
External links
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