Jim Green

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.

Early life and education Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Green moved to Canada to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War. Green held a Masters in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina, and studied at the Sorbonne, the Millennium Film Institute in New York, and the University of Colorado.

Career Early in his career, Green worked as a longshoreman and a taxicab driver.

Green was an advocate for the city's Downtown Eastside and led the development of many social housing projects, including the experimental Woodward's Building redevelopment designed by architect Gregory Henriquez He was a development consultant for developers and non-profit community groups. 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.

Green taught opera and architecture at the University of British Columbia Green was chair of Four Corners Community Savings, which was closed by the Gordon Campbell led BC Government. He served on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Green co-founded the Portland Hotel Society which operates Insite, the first legal safe injection site in North America.

Political career In 2002 he was elected to Vancouver City Council as a member of the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE), and subsequently, with mayor Larry Campbell, councillor Raymond Louie, and councillor Tim Stevenson left to form a new party, Vision Vancouver. Some blamed voter confusion for his loss, as there was an unknown candidate named "James Green" who received 4,273 votes.

In 2008, Green supported Gregor Robertson in his successful run for mayor of Vancouver. At 06:15 PST on February 28, 2012, Green died of his illness.

Electoral record