Climate activist Lewis, husband to Naomi Klein, is well-known for his documentaries. They live in Halfmoon Bay with their child
(By News Desk)
Canadian documentary filmmaker and climate activist Avi Lewis announced today that he is seeking nomination as the New Democratic Party candidate in the federal West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country riding. He is expected to become the candidate by acclamation.
Avi Lewis is NDP royalty. His grandfather is David Lewis, one of the key architects of the NDP, succeeded Tommy Douglas and was leader of the federal party from 1971 to 1975. His father, Stephen Lewis, was a diplomat and leader of the NDP in Ontario from 1970-1978.
Avi Lewis is married to journalist, author, and activist Naomi Klein, well-known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization and capitalism. She is the author of international best-sellers No Logo, The Shock Doctrine, and This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate. Together, they made the film This Changes Everything.
The short film he made with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, “Message from the Future with AOC,” was nominated for an Emmy and was viewed more than 12 million times.
Lewis and Klein live in Xwilkway (Halfmoon Bay) with their 8-year-old son Toma.
Born in 1968, Avi Lewis started his career as a local news reporter in Toronto in 1990. He hosted current-affairs programs CounterSpin and On the Map on CBC and hosted the documentary show Fault Line on Al Jazeera. In the early 2000s, Lewis made several successful documentary films on themes of climate, social justice and cooperative movements.
He was one of the initiators of The Leap Manifesto, a precursor to the Green New Deal.
Currently the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky seat is held by Liberal MP Patrick Weiler, who beat out NDP candidate Judith Wilson in the 2019 election. The next Canadian federal election is set to take place in October 2023.
Lewis announced his candidacy on Twitter today:
“The overlapping crises we face must be addressed together,” said Lewis. .”There is no climate justice without safe and secure housing, there is no COVID recovery without putting workers first. It’s time for our communities to be represented by a party that fights for working people, not just the rich and corporations— that party is the NDP.”
Lewis said he is committed to work for the people of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country to fight for solutions that make life more affordable, and seek justice for Indigenous communities.
The Zoom launch of his campaign is this Saturday, May 22, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Registration is available here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/avi-lewis-campaign-launch-tickets-153852080715
Guest speakers are David Suzuki, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Naomi Klein.
Good news! They are part of a dedicated family that values social enterprise and the protection of human rights. I was on the Living Wage Campaign for BC Advisory Committee with Naomi’s brother, Seth Klein – another great advocate for adequate social safety networks.
This gives me hope that we’ll have an NDP candidate who is actually a social democrat rather than another neoliberal lite.
Yes. Good news indeed! Thanks, Avi!
I am so thrilled that Avi is running for the NDP. Perhaps we will finally have a person who follows through with their promises.