George Heyman

George Heyman is a social, environmental and labour activist and politician in British Columbia. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election, representing the district of Vancouver-Fairview as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party.

Heyman was head of the British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union from 1999 to 2008.He served on the governing Panel of Administrators of the B.C. Workers’ Compensation Board (Worksafe BC) from 1997 to 2001 and chaired the WCB’s audit committee. From 1998 to 2000 he was a federal government appointee as a Governor of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

From April 2009 to December 31, 2012 Heyman served as executive director of the Sierra Club BC.He oversaw the financial and administrative health of the organization as well as being Sierra Club’s primary public spokesperson on issues regarding energy, mining, conservation of species and habitat, climate change, environmental assessment, forest management and sustainable economic alternatives. Effective January 1, 2013, he took a leave of absence to run in the provincial election.

Heyman was nominated on October 21, 2012 as the British Columbia New Democratic Party candidate for Vancouver-Fairview in the 2013 provincial election.

The nominating contest was described by Norman Ruff, professor emeritus at the University of Victoria, as a "clash of titans." Heyman defeated high profile Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs. While both candidates were considered potential cabinet material, The Globe and Mail reported that Heyman had "the right stuff to be a power player" in an NDP government.

Heyman won the seat on election day, defeating BC Liberal cabinet minister Margaret MacDiarmid.

George previously served as the Opposition spokesperson for the Environment, Green Economy and Technology. Until February 2016 he also held responsibility for Film, Television and Translink.

On July 18, 2017 George Heyman was appointed the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in the newly formed NDP government.