Gord Perks

Environmentalist

Perks has worked for a number of environmental organizations. He was a writer for Pollution Probe from 1987 to 1989 and a "Pulp and Paper" campaigner at Greenpeace Canada from 1989 to 1993. He was executive director of the Better Transportation Coalition from 1994 to 1996 and was a senior campaigner at the Toronto Environmental Alliance from 1997 until 2006 with a focus on waste reduction and public transit. He also works as an adjunct professor at the Environmental Studies department of the University of Toronto.

Perks was the focus of province-wide attention when he disrupted Ontario Premier David Peterson's press conference launching the 1990 provincial election campaign. As Peterson announced the election and began to make a statement as to why his government should be re-elected, Perks appeared with a briefcase chained to his wrist containing a tape recorder playing a recording of environmental promises made by Peterson, in an act of criticism of the Liberal government's environmental record. Perks also heckled Peterson with a bullhorn. Greenpeace and other groups inspired by Perks' disruption plagued Peterson's campaign appearances.

Writer

Perks has written and co-authored a number of publications including The Green Consumer Guide (1989), Waste Less Now (1987) and Oil Drop (1989). In addition, he has written articles for Alternatives magazine and he wrote an environmental column for Torstar-owned Eye Weekly newspaper from 2003 to 2011.

Politics

Perks was a candidate for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Toronto's Davenport electoral district, in the 2006 federal election. He lost by over 7,000 votes to the incumbent Liberal Party Member or Parliament, Mario Silva.

A few months later, he ran for city councillor in the nearby Ward 14, Parkdale—High Park electoral district, in the 2006 Toronto municipal election. He was endorsed by then Mayor, David Miller, and ran against a slate of 13 other candidates. He won this highly contested race by a seven percent margin over his nearest rival.

With an endorsement from The Toronto Star, Perks easily won re-election in Ward 14, over nine other candidates in the 2010 municipal election. In his second term as councillor, Perks was named Chair of the Toronto and East York Community Council. In 2011, Perks voted against scrapping the $60 vehicle registration tax. He also voted against a 40 percent cut on councillors' budgets. He called it "short sighted" because it did not take into account differences in the size of wards and unexpected events and emergencies.