Chris Bradshaw

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Chris Bradshaw

| image =

| caption =

| office1 = Interim Leader of the Green Party of Canada

| term_start1 = 2001

| term_end1 = 2003

| predecessor1 = Joan Russow

| successor1 = Jim Harris

| birth_name = Christopher John Bradshaw

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1944|05|20}}

| birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|11|03|1944|05|20}}

| death_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

| occupation =

| party = Green

| alma_mater = Oberlin College

}}

Christopher John Bradshaw (May 20, 1944 – November 3, 2018) was a Canadian politician and businessman.{{cite web |title=Christopher J. BRADSHAW |url=http://ottawacitizen.remembering.ca/obituary/christopher-j-bradshaw-1071252228 |publisher=Ottawa Citizen |access-date=10 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610094706/http://ottawacitizen.remembering.ca/obituary/christopher-j-bradshaw-1071252228 |archive-date=10 June 2022 |url-status=live |location=Ottawa |date=10 November 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes2004/riding/148/#c4 |title=CBC – Canada Votes 2004 |publisher=www.cbc.ca |access-date=2010-06-05 }} He served as interim leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2001 to 2003,{{cite book |first1=Benoît |last1=Rihoux |last2=Frankland |first2=E. Gene |last3=Rihoux |first3=Benoڴit |last4=Lucardie |first4=Paul |title=Green parties in transition: the end of grass-roots democracy? |publisher=Ashgate |location=Aldershot, Hants, England |year=2008 |pages=236–37, 244|isbn=978-0-7546-7429-0 |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=BJmqUTBiZ3EC|page=236 }}}} and sought public office as a candidate of the Green Party of Canada and the Green Party of Ontario.

Business

Bradshaw has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, and worked for General Motors of Canada following his graduation.{{Cite news |last=Provencher |first=Norman |date=November 10, 2018 |title=Obituary: Chris Bradshaw, 'Car-lite' advocate, co-founded Vrtucar |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/obituary-chris-bradshaw-car-lite-philosophy-advocate-co-founded-vrtucar |work=Ottawa Citizen}} He subsequently moved to Ottawa, Ontario, where he worked in a low-income community with the Company of Young Canadians, then as executive director of the CMHC-funded Canadian Organization of Public Housing Tenants, and then for 22 years as community relations specialist for the Planning Department of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton, retiring in 1995. He then co-founded Vrtucar, a car-sharing service in Ottawa, in May 2000,{{cite journal |url=http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/oamcurrent/oam_spring01/profile.html |title=Drivers Take a Back Seat to Car Buying|journal= Oberlin Alumni Magazine|date= Spring 2001 |volume=96|issue= 4 |access-date=2010-06-05 }} but sold his share to his partner in late 2006. The company continues to grow.

Advocacy

In 1988, he started Ottawalk, the first pedestrian advocacy group in the continent. He was recognized by America Walks in 2001 as the "father of pedestrian advocacy in North America."{{cite book |last1=Gallagher |first1=Eugene |last2=Ashcraft |first2=Michael |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=ClaySHbUEogC|page=189}} |title=Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America: African diaspora traditions and other American innovations |page=172 |access-date=2015-11-05 }}

Politics

In February 2001, Bradshaw was appointed interim leader of the federal Green Party, via election by the board. Bradshaw helped organize the 2003 Green Party Leadership Convention in Ottawa, and was responsible for moving the party's central office to Ottawa from Toronto. In February 2003, he was succeeded as party leader by Jim Harris. At the 2002 national convention in Montreal, he was elected leader, with the understanding that the post would be filled on a more permanent basis in early 2003 via mail-in ballots.

Bradshaw ran for public office in the Ontario provincial election of 1999, receiving 1,231 votes in Ottawa Centre. In the 2003 election, he finished fourth with 3,821 votes (7.75%) in the same riding,{{cite news |url=http://www.thehilltimes.ca/page/view/.2004.july.5.new_mps |title=The 107 new MPs elected to 38th Parliament|newspaper= The Hill Times |date= July 5, 2004|access-date=2010-06-05 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/ontariovotes2003/riding/059/ |title=CBC – Ontario Votes 2003 – Ridings |publisher=www.cbc.ca |access-date=2010-06-05 }} the highest vote percentage of any Green Party candidate in the province.

Federally, Bradshaw first ran for office in the general election of 2000. Again campaigning in Ottawa Centre, he received 1529 votes for a fifth-place finish. In 2002, while serving as party leader, he contested a by-election in Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, Newfoundland{{cite web |url=http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/ProfileConstituency.aspx?Key=100&SubSubject=2002&Language=E |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120912134401/http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/ProfileConstituency.aspx?Key=100&Language=E&SubSubject=2002 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-12 |title=Constituency Profile |publisher=webinfo.parl.gc.ca |access-date=2010-06-05 }} but received only 139 votes. Bradshaw ran in Newfoundland in an effort to foster a genuinely national party: there has been a history of division between the Terra Nova Green Party, which is the Newfoundland & Labrador Green Party Association, and the federal Green Party.

In the 2004 federal election, Bradshaw campaigned in the rural St. Lawrence Valley riding of Leeds—Grenville, replacing Jerry Heath who unexpectedly declined to run. Despite the last-minute substitution, Bradshaw received 5.5% of the votes cast (2,722), a significant improvement over the Green Party's previous 1.73%.

Electoral record

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2004|Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes (federal electoral district)|Leeds—Grenville|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Gord Brown|26,002|50.46|-5.80|$69,173}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes| 51,525|100.00}}

{{Canadian election result/top|ON|2003|Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)|Ottawa Centre|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON |Liberal|Richard Patten|22,295|45.10|+6.93|$ 72,458.74}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/expense limit|49,433|100.0 |+5.08|$ 85,928.64}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|360|0.72|−0.11}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|89,509| |−0.07|style=border-bottom:none;}}

{{Canadian election result/source|hide={{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=ottawa+centre&flag=E&layout=G |publisher=Elections Ontario |title=General Election of October 2, 2003 — Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |access-date=May 28, 2014}}

{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/stat_summary.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=ottawa+centre&Search=+Search+&flag=E&layout=G |title=General Election of October 2, 2003 — Statistical Summary |publisher=Elections Ontario |access-date=May 28, 2014 }}

{{cite web |url=http://www2.elections.on.ca/stats/03files/03caar.htm |title=2003 Candidate and Constituency Association Returns — Candidate Campaign Returns (CR-1) |access-date=May 28, 2014 }} |style=border-top:1px solid darkgray;}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|May 13, 2002|Bonavista-Trinity-Conception|by=yes|percent=yes|change=yes|reason=Resignation of Brian Tobin}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2000|Ottawa Centre (federal electoral district)|Ottawa Centre|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes| 56,768|100.00}}

{{Canadian election result/top|ON|1999|Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)|Ottawa Centre|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Richard Patten|17,956|38.17|−1.09|$ 48,983.01 }}

{{CANelec|ON|Green|Chris Bradshaw|1,231|2.62|+1.39|4,119.65}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/expense limit| 47,043 |100.0 |+65.64 | $ 85,987.20}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|395|0.83|−0.27}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|89,570| |+99.23|style=border-bottom:none;}}

{{Canadian election result/source|hide={{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=ottawa+centre&flag=E&layout=G |publisher=Elections Ontario |title=General Election of June 3 1999 — Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |access-date=May 28, 2014}}

{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/stat_summary.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=ottawa+centre&Search=+Search+&flag=E&layout=G |title=General Election of June 3 1999 — Statistical Summary |publisher=Elections Ontario |access-date=May 28, 2014 }}

{{cite web |url=http://www2.elections.on.ca/stats/099files/99caar.htm |title=1999 Summary of Income and Campaign Expenses – Candidate Campaign Returns (CR-1) |access-date=May 28, 2014 }} |style=border-top:1px solid darkgray;}}

References

Category:1944 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:Ontario candidates for Member of Parliament

Category:Green Party of Canada candidates in the 2000 Canadian federal election

Category:Green Party of Canada candidates in the 2004 Canadian federal election

Category:Green Party of Canada leaders

Category:Politicians from Ottawa

Category:Politicians from Vancouver

Category:Businesspeople from Ottawa

Category:Businesspeople from Vancouver

Category:Green Party of Ontario candidates in Ontario provincial elections

Category:Sustainable transport pioneers