George Heyman
February 6, 2020 — People
![](https://newcities.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/george-heyman-150x150.png)
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, British Columbia
George Heyman was first elected as the MLA for Vancouver-Fairview in 2013, and was re-elected in May 2017. Born and raised in Vancouver, George has lived and worked here and throughout northwest BC. George currently serves as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and he previously served as the Opposition Spokesperson for Environment, Green Economy, and Technology.
Prior to his election as MLA, George was Executive Director of the Sierra Club BC, one of our province’s oldest environmental advocacy and education organizations. He also served three terms as president of the BC Government and Services Employees’ Union (BCGEU) from 1999 to 2008.
George also has been a faculty member of Simon Fraser University’s Dialogue and Negotiation program, teaching courses in multi-party negotiations and collaborative decision making. He has guest lectured at a number of universities in BC and abroad, and served on advisory committees for post-graduate and undergraduate degree programs at three BC Universities.
He has also been a board member of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – BC, the Columbia Institute, and the Workers’ Compensation Board. George is a passionate advocate in Victoria for issues facing Fairview constituents – including education, health care, the arts, child care, workers’ rights, transit, and affordable housing.
Since his appointment as the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy, in July of 2017, George has been dedicated to advocating for the people and the environment against climate change. He took on a major role in creating the CleanBC plan, aimed at the reduction of air pollution, while creating more jobs and economic opportunities for people, businesses and communities in the renewable energy sector.