Chris has proven his commitment for working toward progressive change in BC on issues ranging from Education, Human Rights and the Environment. Chris Moon has been an activist for 22 years, since he was in high school. His interest in social issues stems from a deep concern for the welfare of others and the world we live in. As a high school student, on the eve of the first Gulf War, he helped organize an anti-war peace-march along the main street of his small home town of Creston BC. He also stood up for sustainable logging practices as a member of the East Kootenay Environmental Society.
At the University of Victoria, Chris studied Sociology, Political Science and History. He successfully ran twice in campus wide elections for the board’s executive position of Director of Services. In this role, he coordinated campus clubs and their funding, weeks of welcome celebrations, and student union building services. He also campaigned alongside fellow students, the Canadian Federation of Students, to first secure and then extend a tuition-fee freeze in BC for all post-secondary students. He also played a key role in assessing support for, and campaigning for, the first universal-transit-pass for university students in BC. The UPASS is now used by students throughout BC; saving them hundreds of dollars per year in transit costs and reducing BC’s carbon footprint.
Chris began his career as an educator while living in Taipei Taiwan teaching English as a foreign language. Upon returning to Canada, Chris moved into the Dunbar neighbourhood while he attended UBC to enter the Teacher Education Program. Since graduating UBC in 2008, Chris has had several temporary contracts and taught on-call in the Vancouver School District. He teaches high school Social Studies, History, Law, Geography, Civics, and P.E.. He has helped actively campaign against Bill 22 and he currently sits on the Executive of the BC Social Studies Teachers’ Association, coordinating professional development workshops for the BCSSTA’s annual conference.
Inspired by Jack Layton and the Federal NDP Chris chose to once again engage in politics. He worked as the campaign manager for the Vancouver – Quadra NDP Candidate, Victor Elkins. The campaign was a success as they more than doubled the NDP’s share of the votes and managed to fund-raise more than was spent. Recently, Chris has been helping Musqueam community members hold vigil over the grave sites of their ancestors at the Marpole Middens. He has spoken out publicly against increased tanker traffic in BC’s coastal waters by writing an editorial for the Vancouver Courier outlining the reasons why increased oil tanker traffic is unacceptable.