Charlie Angus

Charles Joseph Angus (born November 14, 1962) is a Canadian author, journalist, broadcaster, musician and politician. A member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Angus has been the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Timmins—James Bay since winning the 2004 election. He is the NDP critic for Ethics, Federal Economic Development, Initiative for Northern Ontario, Indigenous Youth, Income Inequality and Affordability, and Deputy Critic for Labour.

Angus was a candidate for leadership of the federal NDP in the 2017 election, where he received 19.4% of the vote.

He is the author of Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower.

Early life, music, writing, and activism
Angus was born in Timmins, Ontario, and moved to Toronto in 1973, where in 1980 he co-founded the punk rock band L'Étranger with childhood friend Andrew Cash. Angus performed bass and co-wrote many of the group's songs, which were influenced by the Clash and the group's Catholic social justice roots. L'Étranger is best known for their anti-apartheid single "One People", played frequently on the then-new MuchMusic. Angus later co-founded the alternative folk group Grievous Angels. After his election to Parliament, Angus continued to perform with the group on occasion and released a new album in 2021.

Angus was a community activist in Toronto in the 1980s where, along with his wife Brit Griffin, he established a Catholic Worker house and a homeless shelter for men, especially those who were minority refugees and former prisoners. He moved to Cobalt, Ontario, with his young family in 1990, and in 1995 Brit and Charlie launched HighGrader, a magazine devoted to Northern Ontario life and culture. In 1999, he received an award from the Northern Lights Festival Boréal in Sudbury for his outstanding contributions to Northern Ontario culture.

He is the author of eight published books, including an admiring biography of Les Costello, the celebrated Toronto Maple Leafs player who left professional hockey to become a Catholic priest in Timmins. Angus's fifth book, Cage Call, a photo documentary with photographer Louie Palu, was released in 2007.

From 2000 to 2004, Angus served as a trustee on the Northeastern Catholic District School Board.

Federal politics


Angus entered federal politics in the 2004 election as the successful New Democratic Party candidate in the Ontario riding of Timmins—James Bay, winning election to the House of Commons of Canada by fewer than 600 votes. He was re-elected in the 2006 federal election with an outright majority, over six thousand votes ahead of Liberal challenger Robert Riopelle. Angus was the NDP critic for Canadian heritage from 2004 to 2007, and was additionally critic for agriculture from 2004 to 2006.

In 2005, Angus's parish priest, Father John Lemire, confronted him and threatened to deny him Holy Communion if he voted with the government and his party to legalize same-sex marriage. Angus stood his ground and was denied communion. Angus's treatment provoked widespread public reaction both from those who supported the church's stance, and those who supported Angus. Some Catholic MPs were in the latter group, arguing that the Church was selective in its exclusion of practising Catholic MPs from its activities: Angus and fellow NDP MP Joe Comartin were the only two Catholic MPs who supported same-sex marriage but were excluded.

In 2007 he became the NDP critic for Public Works and Treasury Board, as well as the NDP spokesman for digital issues such as copyright and internet neutrality.

In 2006, after he had served just two years as a Member of Parliament, the Toronto Star selected Angus as one of the ten most effective opposition MPs. He also won "Best Constituent Representative" at the 2007 Maclean's Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. Angus was re-elected in the federal elections of both 2008 and 2011. Angus also served as the party's spokesperson on privacy, ethics, and government accountability. Angus voted against a bill to abolish the Canadian Firearms Registry in September 2010. Although the registry is unpopular with many of his constituents, Angus voted against its abolition based on supportive studies provided by police. He subsequently introduced a private member's bill to reform the registry.

He was named to Maclean's magazine's Power List in 2012 as one of the 25 most influential Canadians. The same year, Zoomer Magazine chose him as the third most influential Canadian over the age of 45; he was one of only two MPs on the list, alongside NDP leader Tom Mulcair. In 2011, CTV News Channel's Power Play placed him among the top three MPs of the year, along with the then Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and NDP leader Jack Layton, who had died that August. In 2012, Angus backed Paul Dewar to become leader of the NDP.

Angus has been an advocate for the rights of First Nations children and was the co-founder of the Shannen's Dream campaign, named in honour of the late Cree youth leader Shannen Koostachin, whom Angus fought with to build a new elementary school for her community. In early 2012, Angus' parliamentary motion "Shannen's Dream" calling for an end to the systemic underfunding of First Nations education passed unanimously through the House of Commons.

After the 2015 federal election, he was appointed NDP critic for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 42nd Canadian Parliament and elected Caucus Chair in January 2016. He was also a member of the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development committee. He resigned from both roles on November 23, 2016, in to prepare for the 2017 New Democratic Party leadership race. On February 20, 2017, Angus officially registered to run in the NDP leadership race to succeed Tom Mulcair. He placed second with 19.4% of the vote, losing to then Ontario provincial politician Jagmeet Singh. MPs Niki Ashton and Guy Caron respectively came in third and fourth.

Angus was re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

On April 4, 2024 Angus announced that he would not be running for re-election in the 45th Canadian federal election.

Works

 * We Lived a Life and Then Some with Brit Griffin, Sally Lawrence, and Rob Moir. Between the Lines Books, 1996. ISBN 1-896357-06-7.
 * Industrial Cathedrals of the North, with Louie Palu and Marguerite Andersen. Between the Lines, 1999. ISBN 1-896357-18-0.
 * Mirrors of Stone: Fragments from the Porcupine Frontier, with Louie Palu. Between the Lines, 2001. ISBN 1-896357-49-0.
 * Les Costello: Canada's Flying Father. Novalis, 2005. ISBN 2-89507-631-6.
 * Cage Call, with Louie Palu. Photolucida, 2007. ISBN 978-1-934334-02-7.
 * Unlikely Radicals. Between the Lines, 2013. ISBN 9781771130400.
 * Children of the Broken Treaty: Canada's Lost Promise and One Girl's Dream. University of Regina Press, 2015. ISBN 978-0889774018.
 * Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower, House of Anansi Press, 2022, ISBN 978-1487009496

Honours and awards
Angus was selected as "Best Mentor" during Macleans 12th annual Parliamentarians of the Year award and was also the 2007 winner for "Best represents constituents". He was also a finalist for "Most knowledgeable".