Larry Gordon (June 28, 1950 – August 26, 2024) was the founder of Fair Vote Canada. Learn more about Larry in this public post on facebook by his daughter, Ellie.
Reflection from Wayne Smith:
I first met Larry Gordon at a meeting, organized by Larry, in a church basement. Over the next decades, Larry and a dozen other people from that meeting became my closest colleagues, as we built a national citizens’ movement to change the voting system.
Larry Gordon was executive director of Fair Vote Canada when I briefly served as president of the organization. Technically, that made me his boss, but in fact, I was his student, and he was my mentor. Together, we went out to buttonhole politicians, civic and labour leaders, and media, spreading the word that there is a better way to elect our representatives. We attended dozens of meetings in libraries, church basements, and living rooms, recruiting volunteers to build the chapters of our movement.
Larry seemed to know everyone, and everyone who knew him loved him.
Larry walked away from a successful career in co-op finance to work for a cause he believed in, to build a better democracy and a better Canada. He alone had the vision, the skills, and above all, the character, to build the movement. When Larry retired and I became Executive Director myself, I quickly realized Larry had been doing the work of five people.
When we began this work, most Canadians did not even realize that there are other ways to vote. Now, thanks to Larry Gordon, anyone paying attention knows that winner-take-all voting robs us of fair representation, and pollutes and corrupts our politics. There is an ongoing discussion in our media and our legislatures about changing to a proportional voting system.
Someday, we will have a fair voting system in Canada, and all of us will be better off for it. Then and now, we will owe a huge debt of thanks to Larry Gordon, my teacher, my hero, and one of my very best friends.
Wayne Smith, former President and former Executive Director of Fair Vote Canada
August 29, 2024
“Larry Gordon’s death is a significant loss to progressive and democratic forces in this country. Larry was a great practical reformer, always looking for the concrete steps that could be taken to equalize political power, whether it was via co-op living and banking, organizing for fair taxation, or leading Fair Vote Canada. And he was pretty funny too. I will miss his leadership and his friendship.”
– Dennis Pilon, Professor, York University
“Larry was the kind of person who could make anyone feel relaxed, accepted and enjoyed. A great gift which made him a successful activist, able to build and even start social movements from scratch. We will miss you, Larry.”
– Joyce Hall, 20 year volunteer leader in Fair Vote Canada
“I missed the news of Fair Vote Canada’s 2001 founding, so I missed our founding meeting in Ottawa. However, I quickly assembled a local multi-partisan group of PR supporters and invited Larry to come and speak to us at the Library in Cobourg. That was back when the Reform Party included many PR supporters, as did the Liberals, NDP and Greens. Larry gave us his usual comprehensive tour of the scene.
His work was at the right moment for the Ontario NDP, which had decided in 2000 to establish a Taskforce on Proportional presentation. It began work Feb. 18, 2002. It received 27 submissions; the first was from Larry Gordon as President of Fair Vote Canada. He warned them about Ranked Ballots: “ask yourself – does adding second or third choice votes produce majority support? Sadly, many of us are already represented by our second or third choices. We want representation by our own voice – our first choice.”
– Wilf Day, Fair Vote Canada’s national secretary for over 20 years
“When I became the Executive Director of FVC, Doug Baillie told me the first person I needed to speak with was Larry Gordon. We met for coffee and of course, he started our chat with his charming self-deprecating humour but the conversation quickly turned into a master class on democracy and the need for reform.
Over the years, I leaned on Larry regularly. Asking him for guidance and suggestions which he would graciously provide. He was generous with his ideas and insights while he cheered you on.
He knew everyone you needed to know. In my discussions, on a variety of topics, with allies across the Country they would often say ‘you need to speak with Larry Gordon’, or ‘do you know Larry Gordon?’
I came to know Larry as the ‘great big ideas guy’ with the foresight and chutzpah to develop and implement ‘the plan’: build an Ontario Co-operative Association? Larry was the guy. Show Canadians what progressive taxation should look like? Larry was at the head of the table. Change the voting system? Let’s do it!
After I left FVC we chatted regularly. I would often send him brainstorming ideas and he would tell me how he thought it might work… or when it wouldn’t. He was a gift to the progressive movement and a mentor to myself and many others. It was a privilege calling him a friend. I will miss him.”
– Kelly Carmichael, Executive Director of Fair Vote Canada 2013-2017
What a difference Larry’s life made, and I can only speak to one tiny part of it. Fair Vote Canada wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for him.
He was passionate, dedicated, and so funny!
He built the organization and saw us through the first 10 years and four referendums as its Executive Director, supporting volunteers everywhere.
I came into Fair Vote Canada just as he was leaving. He came to the very first event I ever put on as a volunteer, at our local library, as my speaker. I didn’t know he was leaving. He drove all the way down, just to support one volunteer he didn’t even know. He certainly changed the whole course of my life.
I’m so grateful to Larry for everything he gave the world and the impact he made on so many lives.
Anita Nickerson, Executive Director, Fair Vote Canada