Representative Charlie Angus Contact information

Charles Joseph Angus, commonly known as Charlie Angus, was born on November 14, 1962, in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. He is a prominent Canadian author, journalist, broadcaster, musician, and politician. Angus is a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and has been serving as the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Timmins—James Bay since winning the election in 2004. Within the NDP, he holds several critical positions, including Ethics, Federal Economic Development, Initiative for Northern Ontario, Indigenous Youth, Income Inequality and Affordability, and serves as the Deputy Critic for Labour.

In 2017, Angus ran as a candidate for the leadership of the federal NDP and secured an impressive 19.4% of the vote, showcasing his significant support within the party.

Beyond his political career, Charlie Angus is an accomplished author. He has written seven published books, including notable works such as “Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals” and “Birth of a Mining Superpower.” Moreover, Angus has a diverse background in the arts. In his early years, he co-founded the punk rock band L’Étranger in 1980, where he played bass and co-wrote many of their songs. The band was known for their socially conscious music, influenced by the Clash and their Catholic social justice roots. L’Étranger gained recognition with their anti-apartheid single “One People,” which became one of the first independent videos aired on the newly established MuchMusic. Later, Angus co-founded the alternative folk group Grievous Angels and continues to collaborate and perform with the band occasionally. In 2021, he released a new album, further highlighting his enduring passion for music.

Throughout his life, Charlie Angus has been actively engaged in community activism. In the 1980s, while residing in Toronto, he and his wife Brit Griffin established a Catholic Worker house and a homeless shelter for marginalized men, particularly refugees and former prisoners from minority backgrounds. In 1990, Angus relocated with his family to Cobalt, Ontario, where he continued his involvement in community development. Together with Brit, he launched HighGrader, a magazine dedicated to Northern Ontario’s life and culture. Their contributions were recognized when Angus received an award from the Northern Lights Festival Boréal in Sudbury in 1999 for his outstanding contributions to Northern Ontario culture.

Angus’s commitment to social justice is rooted in his progressive views and his affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. He actively supports the Catholic Worker Movement and was a long-time columnist for the progressive Catholic New Times. His dedication to advocating for the rights of marginalized communities led him to participate in various political and social initiatives. Angus played a significant role in opposing the Adams Mine garbage proposal and the disposal of PCBs in Northern Ontario. Additionally, he has been deeply involved in working with Canada’s First Nations, serving as a negotiator and consultant for the Algonquin Nation of Quebec. Angus also gained national attention for his efforts in raising awareness about the Kashechewan crisis in 2005.

Charlie Angus’s political journey began in 2004 when he entered federal politics as the New Democratic Party candidate for the Timmins—James Bay riding. Despite winning the election by a margin of less than 600 votes, Angus has consistently been re-elected in subsequent federal elections. During his tenure in the House of Commons of Canada, Angus has held various parliamentary critic positions, including Canadian Heritage, agriculture, public works, and treasury board. He has also been an outspoken advocate for privacy, ethics, and government accountability. Notably, Angus voted against the abolition of the Canadian Firearms Registry in 2010, opting for its reform instead, based on supportive studies provided by the police.

Over the years,

Angus’s contributions and effectiveness as a Member of Parliament have garnered recognition. The Toronto Star named him one of the ten most effective opposition MPs just two years into his parliamentary career. He received the “Best Constituent Representative” award at the 2007 Maclean’s Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. Angus’s influential presence was further acknowledged by Maclean’s magazine, as he was included in their Power List of the 25 most influential Canadians in 2012. Zoomer Magazine also recognized him as the third most influential Canadian over the age of 45. In 2011, CTV News Channel’s Power Play selected him as one of the top three MPs of the year, alongside the Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the NDP leader Jack Layton.

One of Angus’s notable endeavors has been his advocacy for the rights of First Nations children. He co-founded the Shannen’s Dream campaign, named in honor of Shannen Koostachin, a Cree youth leader with whom Angus collaborated to advocate for a new elementary school in her community. In 2012, Angus’s parliamentary motion known as “Shannen’s Dream,” which aimed to end the systemic under-funding of First Nation education, received unanimous support in the House of Commons.

Following the 2015 federal election, Angus assumed the role of NDP critic for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 42nd Canadian Parliament. He was also elected as Caucus Chair in January 2016 and became a member of the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development committee. However, Angus resigned from these positions in November 2016 to focus on the 2017 New Democratic Party leadership race. He officially registered as a candidate for the leadership on February 20, 2017, but ultimately finished second with 19.4% of the vote, losing to Jagmeet Singh, who was then an Ontario provincial politician.

Charlie Angus has continued to serve as a Member of Parliament, successfully securing re-election in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.