Paul M. Taylor (born 1982) is a Canadian food security & anti-racism activist and former executive director of

FoodShare Toronto FoodShare Toronto is a Toronto-based Canadian not for profit organization that delivers programs that address hunger and advocates for better policy from government. In addition to advocacy, programs include delivery of food boxes, supporting urba ...

. He is currently the co-CEO of Evenings & Weekends Consulting. In 2020, Taylor and colleagues delivered 20,232 free food boxes to food-insecure people in Toronto. In 2022, he announced that his organization would pay interviewed job applicants $75 for their time. Taylor ran for election as the federal member of parliament for

Parkdale—High Park Parkdale—High Park may refer to the following Canadian electoral districts: Federal districts * Parkdale—High Park, an electoral district created in 1976 and abolished in 2025 * Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, an electoral district create ...

twice.

Early life

Taylor was born in Toronto in 1982, the second son to a mother from

Saint Kitts Saint Kitts, officially Saint Christopher, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis constitute one ...

; they grew up in a household that was reliant on government financial support.

Career

Taylor was previously the executive director of Gordon Neighbourhood House, and in 2017 he became the executive director of

. In the role he is known for drawing links between food security and racism. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic he delivered 20,232 free food boxes to Canadians with food insecurity. In March 2022, he announced that FoodShare Toronto would pay all employees a living wage and pay all interviewed job applicants $75. Taylor teaches at

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It maintains three campuses in Greater Vancouver, respectively located in Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and ...

. He serves on the British Columbia board of directors of

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is an independent think tank in Canada. It has been described as "left leaning". The CCPA concentrates on economic policy, international trade, environmental justice and social policy. It is es ...

and has previously served on the board of directors of ''Metro Vancouver Alliance'' and ''Food Secure Canada''. He is the founder of the ''Vancouver Food Summit'' and the co-chair of British Columbia's ''Poverty Reduction Coalition''. Taylor ran for election as the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

candidate for

in 2019 and 2021, finishing second both times to incumbent

Arif Virani Arif Virani (born November 23, 1971) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the minister of justice and attorney general of Canada from 2023 to 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, Virani represented Parkdale—High Park in the Hous ...

. Taylor notably tightened the gap between him and Virani from 15.9 percentage point difference in

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

to just 3.2 percentage point difference in

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

. Taylor announced on social media that he would not run in the next federal election.

Electoral record

References

External links

* 2021

Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it fall ...

OpE
''Do you work in a non-profit? Now’s the time to convince your directors to push for political change''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Paul M. 1982 births Living people Activists from Toronto Food security Canadian chief executives Canadian anti-racism activists Ontario candidates for Member of Parliament New Democratic Party candidates in the 2021 Canadian federal election New Democratic Party candidates in the 2019 Canadian federal election