BRAD NICKASON
AGE: 55
OCCUPATION: small business owner, artist and graphic designer
CONTACT: [email protected], @GPCCoPoCo, 604-537-6449, BradNickasonGPC (Facebook)
As an artist, Brad Nickason has been evoking images of peace and environmentalism for more than 15 years, creating in that time both Port Coquitlam's signature leaf logo and the online Peace Art Collective, a group with more than 9,000 members worldwide, among other projects.
But it is with a passionate sense of urgency that he is pursuing a seat at the federal table under the Green Party banner.
"Part of my becoming active politically is a continuation of that peace movement," Nickason said. "But I also have three daughters, and what kind of future am I going to leave to them when I see the things that are going on globally?"
Nickason has lived in Port Coquitlam for 26 years and sits on the city's Cultural Advisory Committee. He is also the creator, author and illustrator of a series of children's exercise books focusing on safety and social issues, and also created educational pamphlets on conserving sensitive freshwater ecosystems.
It was after a teaching exchange trip to Australia with his family in 2006 that Nickason started the Peace Art Collective, creating and transmitting an image of peace every day to members around the world that he continues to this day. But he acknowledges that it's still not enough and that climate change, particularly in areas with dwindling resources, is posing an even bigger threat to peace.
"We don't have time to waste and wait around," Nickason said. "I want to be an advocate. There's a better way for us to go forward in the world together."
And while few are predicting a majority Green win this election, Nickason is firm in his belief that the party known for its stand on environmental issues has a lot to offer residents in the Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam riding, across Canada and around the world — whether it's pushing for a more diversified economy and promoting job growth in new and green industries; supporting affordable, quality childcare; implementing social programs that foster a more inclusive society; advocating for better transportation alternatives; or conducting government business in a more transparent fashion.
All that's needed, Nickason said, is for voters to get to the polls on election day so that all Canadians' voices can be heard — ideally with several Green members of Parliament at the table.
"Voting is the most powerful thing anyone can do," Nickason said. "And I think this community has a huge opportunity to be leaders. When a community like ours gets together and puts their faith in a party like the Green Party, it sends a huge message and, I would argue, not just to Canada but to the rest of the world."
