Apr 12
6
Bio for Rod Taylor, ChristianGovernance columnist
ROD TAYLOR bio
Rod Taylor was born in 1951 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His family was involved in the US Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and various other social justice issues so Rod was exposed to political activism at a young age. He graduated from High School in California and moved with his parents and siblings to British Columbia, Canada in 1968.
After living in Vancouver and on Texada Island, he met his wife, Elaine, in the BC Interior and they were married in 1974. Rod has worked with his hands, maintaining track and roadbed for the CNR and on farms and in the oil and gas fields in Alberta and in sawmills and forestry work in BC. From 1987 until 2009, Rod was involved in lumber grading and lumber quality control in Smithers, BC, where Elaine operates a Christian bookstore. In 2000 Rod won the coveted BC Interior Lumber Grading Championship.
Rod has served as a first aid attendant, a union shop steward, a secretary and chairman of workplace safety committees, a department supervisor, a director of the Bulkley Valley District Hospital Society, a director of the Smithers and Telkwa Prolife Society and Chairman of the Bulkley Valley Christian Literature Society.
Rod and Elaine have two children and four grandchildren. They have been members of the Christian Heritage Party since its founding convention.
Rod has been active in both provincial and federal politics. In 2001, he ran as a provincial candidate for the BC Unity Party and in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011, he represented the CHP in the federal riding of Skeena-Bulkley Valley, one of Canada’s largest electoral districts.
In November of 2008, following the CHP Leadership campaign he was invited by newly-elected leader, Jim Hnatiuk, to serve as deputy leader. In June of 2009, he was invited by the leader and national board to take on a full-time role as Western Regional Development Director for CHP Canada, with responsibility for assisting in membership and EDA development in British Columbia and Alberta. He currently serves as CHP’s National Development Director on an interim basis
In the Fall of 2009, Rod assisted Jim Hnatiuk as campaign manager in his bid to capture a seat in the by-election in Nova Scotia.
Rod is committed to the growth and development of CHP Canada across the country. His current focus is to see membership expand and to equip our members with the tools they need to effectively organize in every province and electoral district of Canada.