The Green Party of Canada fielded sixty candidates in the 1984 Canadian federal election, none of whom were elected. This was the first election that the Green Party contested. Some of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.
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Robert Silverman is a veteran political activist in Montreal. Sometimes known as "Bicycle Bob," he has taken part in several campaigns supporting bicycle use over automobiles.[1] He was a Green Party candidate in 1984 and ran for Montréal Écologique in the 1990 municipal election; in the latter campaign, he led a march to city hall supporting more bicycle lanes and better public transit.[2] Silverman is also a member of Independent Jewish Voices (Canada) and has campaigned in support of Palestinian rights.[3]
| Election | Division | Party | Votes | % | Place | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 federal | Laurier | Green | 751 | 2.79 | 6/9 | David Berger, Liberal[4] |
| 1990 municipal | Montreal City Council, Laurier ward | Ecology Montreal | 380 | 9.15 | 4/6 | Robert Perreault, Montreal Citizens' Movement[5] |
References
edit- ^ In the 1970s, Silverman and his allies would paint bicycle lanes on Montreal streets overnight to pressure city hall into officially approving such lanes. See Josh Freed, "Bicycle Bob was years ahead of his time; now we need a Bicycle Bob for our time," Montreal Gazette, 22 September 2007, A2. On one occasion, he dressed as Moses and invited the local media to watch him try to part the Saint Lawrence River to allow cyclists to "escape" the island. Despite the event's comical overtones, his purpose was to embarrass Montreal's transit authority into allowing bicycles on buses that cross city bridges; the city later relented, giving Silverman the status of a folk hero in some circles. See "'Bicycle Bob' goes to Viet Nam Bikes behind bamboo curtain please anti-automobile activist," Toronto Star, 20 March 1989, C2.
- ^ During the march, he described the car as "one of the major contributors to world pollution" and expressways as "overrated specimen of so-called progress." See Andre Picard, "Auto pollution, carnage focus of funereal protest," Globe and Mail, 3 November 1990, A6.
- ^ In 2008, he spoke against the State of Israel's actions in the 2008–09 Gaza conflict. See Charlie Fidelman, "Angry Montrealers take to streets," Montreal Gazette, 29 December 2008, A14.
- ^ Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Thirty-third General Election, 1984.
- ^ Election results, 1833-2005 (in French), City of Montreal, accessed 5 June 2011.