David Coon
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David Charles Coon (born October 28, 1956) is a Canadian conservationist and politician who has served as leader of the
Green Party of New Brunswick The Green Party of New Brunswick (PVNBGP; ), commonly known as the Greens, is a green politics, green provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada. Formed in 2008, the party has been under the leadership of David Coon since 2012. The party ...
since 2012 and as a Member of the
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick () is the deliberative assembly of the New Brunswick Legislature, in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. The assembly's seat is located in Fredericton. It was established in Saint John ''de jure'' ...
for
Fredericton South Fredericton South () was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was first contested in the 2014 general election, having been created in the 2013 redistribution of electoral boundaries by ...
since
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
. Born in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Coon was raised in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
,
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, where he graduated from high school. He later graduated from
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
and received a diploma from
Vanier College Vanier College () is an Quebec English, English-language public College (Quebec), college located in the Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1970 as the second English-language public coll ...
, and began working with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. Having previously done work with the
Green Party of Canada The Green Party of Canada () is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1983 with a focus on green politics. The Green Party is currently the fifth largest party in the House of Commons by seat count. It elected its first member of ...
, Coon entered provincial politics full-time in 2012 after being elected to lead the Green Party of New Brunswick, which was formed just four years prior. Coon joined the 58th Legislature after being elected to represent the newly contested provincial
electoral district An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...
of Fredericton South in 2014, becoming the first ever Green legislative member in
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
and the second provincial Green politician in Canada to win a seat in a provincial legislature. He was re-elected in
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
and again in
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
. Following an
electoral redistribution Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral distr ...
in 2023, Coon's elected riding was replaced with two new electoral districts; he was elected in the new riding of Fredericton-Lincoln in the 2024 provincial election.


Early life and education

David Charles Coon was born on October 28, 1956, in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, the eldest child of Charles Coon and Iris Page. He spent his childhood in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
,
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, where he graduated from high school. Coon later attended
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
, primarily studying
ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...
, where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
in 1978. Coon later reflected that "while I was at McGill a Green Peace chapter was started there which I got very involved in." He additionally attended
Vanier College Vanier College () is an Quebec English, English-language public College (Quebec), college located in the Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1970 as the second English-language public coll ...
, where he received a Pure and Applied Science diploma. In 1985, Coon later moved to
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
and started working with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB), serving as its policy director.


Conservation career

Coon worked as an environmental educator, organizer, activist and manager for 33 years, 28 of those years with the CCNB. In 1986, Coon critiqued a
United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear w ...
-proposed
nuclear waste Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. It is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, nuclear decommissioning, rare-earth mining, and nuclear ...
dump site near
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
's Bottle Lake, stating that "burying this stuff at Bottle Lake is an inexpensive and rough way of getting these things out of sight and out of mind." He also criticized
Irving Oil Irving Oil Ltd. is a Canadian privately owned intergenerational gasoline, oil, and natural gas producing and exporting company, a subsidiary of the parent company Irving Group of Companies, one of the largest "private conglomerates" in North Amer ...
for having "not shown much interest in trying to solve the pollution problem" in relation to a series of
gas leak A gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas or another gaseous product from a pipeline or other containment into any area where the gas should not be present. Gas leaks can be hazardous to health as well as the environment. Even a small leak into ...
incidents causing pollution throughout New Brunswick, particularly in the Saint John area. In 1988, following an apology towards Canadians by
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
official
Jonathan Lash Jonathan Lash (born August 12, 1945) is an American attorney who was the sixth president of Hampshire College (2011–2018) and member of the board of directors of the World Resources Institute where he served as president from 1993 to 2011. He re ...
for the lack of U.S. progress to combat
acid rain Acid rain is rain or any other form of Precipitation (meteorology), precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists b ...
, Coon criticized the governments of New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
for "causing much of the acid rain problem in their provinces." He added that "approximately 80% of the acid rain-causing pollution emitted in the
Atlantic Provinces Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landmass of the four Atlantic pr ...
is caused by the New Brunswick Power Commission and the Nova Scotia Power Corporation," also highlighting that both "have plans for new
coal-fired power plant A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate a ...
s." Sharing the risk of acid rain in the region, Coon pointed out 175 bodies of water in New Brunswick "known to be at risk from acid rain" and added that "half the lakes and rivers in southern Nova Scotia are deteriorating." As part of the CCNB, Coon was also involved in the
anti-nuclear movement The Anti-nuclear war movement is a new social movements, social movement that opposes various nuclear technology, nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified them ...
in New Brunswick which opposed the construction and subsequent upgrades of the
nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a Nuclear fission, fission nuclear chain reaction. They are used for Nuclear power, commercial electricity, nuclear marine propulsion, marine propulsion, Weapons-grade plutonium, weapons ...
at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station. In 1989, Coon stated that "the mere possibility of a serious accident with the reactor or
radioactive waste Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material. It is a result of many activities, including nuclear medicine, nuclear research, nuclear power generation, nuclear decommissioning, rare-earth mining, and nuclear ...
stored at the site is too great a risk to justify expansion of
nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...
in the province," further adding that "It's one of the newest and it cost us a billion dollars – it better work." In 2002, Coon received the New Brunswick Environmental Network (NBEN) Phoenix Award for "his devotion to conservation and
sustainable communities The term "sustainable communities" has various definitions, but in essence refers to communities planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living. Sustainable communities tend to focus on environmental and economic sustainability, urban i ...
and for his thoughtful guidance, which has been a source of strength and inspiration for New Brunswick's
environmental movement The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement) is a social movement that aims to protect the natural world from harmful environmental practices in order to create sustainable living. In its recognition of humanity a ...
over the past two decades." Later that year, he also received a silver award in the ''
Canadian Geographic ''Canadian Geographic'' is a magazine published by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, (RCGS) based in Ottawa, Ontario. History and profile After the Society was founded in 1929, the magazine was established the next year in May 1930 unde ...
''-sponsored
Canadian Environment Awards The Canadian Environment Awards were established in 2002 through a partnership between the Government of Canada and Canadian Geographic Enterprises. The national program recognized dedicated Canadians who act locally to help protect, preserve and r ...
, and received another NBEN Phoenix Award along with fellow CCNB member Inka Milewski in 2004. In 2006, Coon criticized Irving Oil's proposal for another refinery in Saint John, stating "apparently, Mr. Irving hasn't heard we're in the midst of a global meltdown. Every new barrel of oil that is pumped out of the ground and refined is making the problem worse." Coon has also provided education and training in energy efficient home renovation and home-based renewable energy systems, writing a regular column for ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'' on the topic. During his time as Policy Director at the Conservation Council, Coon's work to protect drinking water led to the creation of New Brunswick's Clean Water Act and to the province's Petroleum Product Handling and Storage Regulation. This earned the New Brunswick environmental organization the United Nations Environmental Programme's Global 500 award. Coon has advocated for community-based ecological resource management and land use. He worked with commercial fishermen's organizations to establish the Bay of Fundy Fisheries Council to advance community-based fishery management. His collaboration with the National Farmers Union helped create the first agricultural conservation club in New Brunswick. He was a founding director of Canada's first community supported agricultural initiative, Harvest Share Co-operative on Keswick Ridge, and co-founded the New Brunswick Community Land Trust. In 2008, Coon began serving as the CCNB's executive director. Following a 2011 radioactive spill at Point Lepreau, the only
nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant (NPP), also known as a nuclear power station (NPS), nuclear generating station (NGS) or atomic power station (APS) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power st ...
in
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...
, Coon pushed for more details to be released to the public about the incident, stating that "they need to release the actual information on the radiation levels and exposures that might have resulted in this case."


Political career

Prior to becoming elected as leader of the
Green Party of New Brunswick The Green Party of New Brunswick (PVNBGP; ), commonly known as the Greens, is a green politics, green provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada. Formed in 2008, the party has been under the leadership of David Coon since 2012. The party ...
, Coon did work for the federal
Green Party of Canada The Green Party of Canada () is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1983 with a focus on green politics. The Green Party is currently the fifth largest party in the House of Commons by seat count. It elected its first member of ...
. During his running for leadership of the New Brunswick Greens, Coon proposed to serve as leader full-time; at the time he was the conservation council's executive director. His only other contender for leadership was Roy MacMullin, who sought plans for the party to work with the NDP and
People's Alliance People's Alliance may refer to: * People's Alliance ( ''Volksunie''), Belgian political party which split in 2001 into the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie and Spirit * People's Alliance (Bulgaria), a Bulgarian party from 1921 to 1923 * People's Alliance ( ...
parties. On September 22, 2012, the day of the election, both candidates participated in a protest against
fracking Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of formations in bedrock by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure inje ...
outside of the
legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...
as part of "Global Frackdown" Day. The election was held at the Fredericton Convention Centre. Out of the 208 votes cast between both candidates, Coon received 131 votes and was elected as the provincial Green Party leader, succeeding interim leader Greta Doucet. In 2013, following the opening of a
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
in
Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...
which only had English
menu In a restaurant, the menu is a list of food and beverages offered to the customer. A menu may be à la carte – which presents a list of options from which customers choose, often with prices shown – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-est ...
s, Coon advocated for sign legislation similar to that enforced in the neighbouring, largely-
Francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...
city of
Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...
, which would, due to New Brunswick's official bilingual status, require for international businesses to include both English and French signage. Although the proposal was considered by critics to be "excessive", Moncton was previously voted to be the first officially bilingual city in Canada and had already required bilingual government-provided services. In March 2014, Coon demanded for the provincial government under
David Alward David Nathan Alward (born December 2, 1959) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 32nd premier of New Brunswick, 2010 to 2014. Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the ...
to publicly release a
contract A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of thos ...
they signed with J. D. Irving to "guarantee wood supply from
Crown land Crown land, also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. Today, in Commonwealth realm ...
." He criticized the agreement, which allowed for 21% more
softwood Scots pine, a typical and well-known softwood Softwood is wood from gymnosperm trees such as conifers. The term is opposed to hardwood, which is the wood from angiosperm trees. The main differences between hardwoods and softwoods is that the sof ...
to be cut, and argued that "New Brunswickers and
First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...
have a right to know what David Alward has signed away to the Irvings." He expressed concerns for the potentiality of the public of the province having "to compensate J.D. Irving if public efforts to rebuild local forest economies, establish community forests, resolve aboriginal title, or increase conservation measures in the future diminishes the amount of wood the government has agreed to provide the company over the long term," limiting future government actions, further adding that "First Nations and all New Brunswickers have a right to see what obligation the Alward government has imposed on us with this contract." Paul Robichaud, the Minister of Natural Resources, responded by stating that "the agreements between the government and forest companies will be announced publicly after an initial round of announcements by industry." In May 2014, Coon criticized the provincial government's proposal, through the
Department of Natural Resources This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies that are responsible for state-level regulating, monitoring, managing, and protecting environmental and public health concerns. The exact duties of ...
, to extend the
moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
hunting season A hunting season is the designated time in which certain game animals can be killed in certain designated areas. In the United States, each state determines and sets its own specific dates to hunt the certain game animal, such as California, in ...
deadline, calling it "completely political." Arguing that the proposal prioritized efforts to garner votes over
environmental protection Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...
, Coon stated that "politicians can't buy people's votes with a bottle of
rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
anymore and they can't afford to buy them with
tax cut A tax cut typically represents a decrease in the amount of money taken from taxpayers to go towards government revenue. This decreases the revenue of the government and increases the disposable income of taxpayers. Tax rate cuts usually refer ...
s so what are they left with?" In response, Robichaud argued a potential economic boost for the province being a reason to increase the season.


MLA for Fredericton South (2014–2018)

During the 2014 provincial election, Coon campaigned for the newly created seat of
Fredericton South Fredericton South () was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was first contested in the 2014 general election, having been created in the 2013 redistribution of electoral boundaries by ...
in the Legislative Assembly; his campaign was supported by a number of former NDP members, including former candidate Penny Ericson and former leader Allison Brewer, who said that he "offers a unique perspective to politics." As opposed to other parties at the time, Coon and his party had a particularly strict opposition towards gas fracking, as well as the controversial proposed oil
pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
, Energy East. He also made the proposal to improve access to
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
, which emerged as an issue following the closure of New Brunswick's only private abortion service-providing clinic in July. Coon won the seat with 31% of the vote against three other candidates, including Craig Leonard, the previous Energy Minister for the Progressive Conservatives. He became New Brunswick's first Green legislative member, and the second member of a provincial Green Party to win a seat in a provincial legislature, following Andrew Weaver in
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. Since his election in 2014, Coon has introduced private member's bills aimed at increasing local food security and expanding local agriculture, creating jobs in energy efficient building renovations and renewable energy, lowering the voting age, protecting citizens against frivolous lawsuits. He has championed improving access to both mental and primary health care, alleviating poverty, the provision of midwifery services, climate action, and forest management that is socially and ecologically sound. In 2015, Coon attended the
2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21 or CMP 11 was held in Paris, France, from 30 November to 12 December 2015. It was the 21st yearly session of the United Nations Climate Change conference, Conference of the Parties (COP) ...
under the invitation of
Brian Gallant Brian Alexander Gallant (born April 27, 1982) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 33rd premier of New Brunswick from October 7, 2014, until November 9, 2018. Of Acadian and Dutch descent, Gallant practised as a lawyer before winn ...
. During his political career, Coon has advocated for the government to fulfill calls to action made by the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state ac ...
. In 2016, he called for government funding towards mandatory public school programs which would introduce the
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
Maliseet language Peskotomuhkati-Wolastoqey ( or Maliseet-Passamaquoddy ( ; ''skicinuwatuwewakon'' or ''skicinuwi-latuwewakon'') is an endangered Algonquian language spoken by the Wolastoqey and Passamaquoddy peoples along both sides of the border between Maine ...
to
curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...
s, which he had been advocating for since 2010. Later that year, Coon spoke with
University of New Brunswick The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a public university with two primary campuses in Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick. It is the oldest English language, English-language university in Canada, and among the oldest public universiti ...
director David Perley, which led to him introducing a
private member's bill A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in wh ...
focused on improving the public school curriculum on
indigenous education Indigenous education specifically focuses on teaching Indigenous knowledge, models, methods, and content in both formal and informal settings. The growing recognition and use of Indigenous education methods can be a response to the erosion and ...
. On May 5, 2017, the bill was granted
royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in othe ...
after being passed by the government. He has served as a member of the Standing Committee on Estimates and Fiscal Policy, the Standing Committee on Procedure, Privileges and Legislative Officers, and the Legislative Administration Committee. He also served as a member of the Select Committee on Climate Change, whose recommendations formed the basis of New Brunswick's Climate Action Plan.


2018 re-election, continued party growth (2018–present)

Coon was re-elected to Fredericton South in the 2018 provincial election, with his party also electing two more MLAs: Kevin Arseneau in the riding of Kent North and Megan Mitton in the riding of
Memramcook-Tantramar Tantramar is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was created in the 1973 electoral redistribution and first used in the 1974 election as Tantramar. It went largely unchanged in both the ...
. The party was early to release a full
party platform A political party platform (American English), party program, or party manifesto (preferential term in British and often Commonwealth English) is a formal set of principal goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, t ...
, with 120 commitments including a ban on
glyphosate Glyphosate (IUPAC name: ''N''-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by EPSP inhibitor, inhibiting the plant enzyme 5-en ...
spraying. During the 2020 provincial election, the Greens secured in donations for their campaign – more than any other third party in the province. Coon, along with Arseneau and Mitton, were all re-elected to their respective seats. In September 2023, Coon appointed both Arseneau and Mitton as
deputy leader A deputy leader (in Scottish English, sometimes depute leader) in the Westminster system is the second-in-command of a political party, behind the party leader. Deputy leaders often become Deputy prime minister when their parties are elected to go ...
s for the Green Party. Following an
electoral redistribution Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral distr ...
that same year, Coon's incumbent riding was to be replaced with two new electoral districts; he is running in the new riding of Fredericton-Lincoln for the 2024 provincial election.


Personal life

During his work at the CCNB, Coon met his future wife, Janice Harvey, a St. Thomas University educator who served as the CCNB director at the time, during an environmental meeting. They have two daughters, and had a son who died at birth. Coon and his family lived in
Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...
before moving to rural Waweig in Charlotte County for a number of years, then later returned to Fredericton in late 2012 to live in his planned candidacy riding of Fredericton-Silverwood, which was abolished following the 2013 electoral redistribution. As of 2023, Coon continues to live in Fredericton within the boundaries of the Fredericton South-Silverwood riding.


Electoral record


See also

* List of Green party leaders in Canada


References


External links

*
Green Party of New Brunswick
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coon, David Living people 1956 births Leaders of the Green Party of New Brunswick Green Party of New Brunswick MLAs Politicians from Toronto McGill University alumni Politicians from Fredericton 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Canadian conservationists Canadian anti–nuclear power activists Vanier College alumni