JOHN. O. POWELL

Your Federal New Democratic Party Candidate in Kelowna

 A resident of British Columbia for 38 years, John Powell was born in Toronto in 1939.  He has lived in Kelowna for 32 years, where he worked as a teacher until his retirement in 1998.

John graduated from North Toronto C.I. in 1957.  He studied history, English and political science at the University of British Columbia and completed a BA and a Secondary Education Transfer programme in 1967.  In 1974, he completed a Superior Level certificate at Laval University Summer Session, and he studied at the University of Montpellier from 1987-88.

John started teaching in Kobe, Japan in 1964, and he worked as a substitute teacher in Surrey while completing his degrees at UBC.  The last ten years of his teaching career were at George Elliot Secondary School in Winfield, Lake Country.

John has been an activist with the British Columbia Teacher’s Federation since 1969, serving as the Okanagan Regional Co-coordinator on the Learning and Working Conditions Committee in the early 1970’s. A long time executive member of the Central Okanagan Teachers, he was a bargaining negotiator from 1985-87. He has served on the Canadian Teachers Federation French Language Commission representing teachers on the national level for 3 years, serving as it’s only English Canadian vice-president.

He has been active in the NDP since 1972, serving in a variety of capacities including riding president, delegate, treasurer and federal candidate in 1979 and 1980.

John enjoys singing and is active with the Okanagan Festival Singers.  In 1995 he helped create the Okanagan Handelian Society, which has evolved into the Kelowna Choral Concert Series, bringing world-class and professional choirs to Kelowna from around the world.  He has been president of the Series for four of the last five years, and between 1994 and 1997 served on the provincial board of the B.C. Choral Federation.  He relinquished this position to serve as both vice-president and president of the Kelowna and District Arts Council.

He is currently president of the Kelowna Community Music School board.

In 1998, John was a finalist for the Kelowna Arts Person of the Year Award.

He is active in his Church, serving as a Stewardship Chairman, lay reader and former Trust Administrator.

John is married to Dawn a medical secretary in the orthopaedic field.  They have two children – Daphne and Scott, who are currently studying at the University of Victoria.