David Climenhaga
Encyclopedia
David John Climenhaga is a Canadian journalist, author, teacher and union activist.
Born in Victoria, British Columbia
, he has lived in Victoria, Prince Rupert, B.C., Ottawa
, Toronto
, Calgary
, Edmonton
and St. Albert, Alta. He spent many years as a full-time journalist with the Toronto Globe
and Mail, where he worked as a business reporter and copy editor
, and the Calgary Herald
, where he worked as a business reporter, political reporter, copy editor and night city editor.
In 1995, his book A Poke in the Public Eye, a light-hearted look at the often-uncomfortable relationships among politicians, journalists and public relations
people was published by Detselig Books of Calgary. In 1997 he was awarded the degree of Master of Journalism by Carleton University
in Ottawa for a thesis dealing with the decision of the Alberta Government
of Premier Ralph Klein to wind up the province’s highly regarded system of regional planning
. The thesis was based in part on journalistic work he had done on the Calgary Herald’s City Hall and Regional Affairs beats.
In 1999 and 2000, Climenhaga was a leader in the attempt by the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada to organize a union local and negotiate a first contract with the Calgary Herald. Before and during the eight-month strike by journalists in 1999 and 2000, Climenhaga was Vice-President of Local 115A of the CEP. When the strike ended in June 2000 with the dissolution of the union, he left journalism to work as Communications Director of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which with 75,000 members in 2011 is Alberta’s largest union.
Climenhaga has also taught courses in introductory journalism, newspaper copy-editing and political science
at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
in Calgary and in journalism at The King’s University College, a private Christian university in Edmonton.
In October 2007, Climenhaga ran for city council in the Edmonton-area city of St. Albert, his first run for public office. He received 5,804 votes, putting him within 150 votes of election. Since that time, he has written a regular column on Alberta politics for the Saint City News, the community weekly in St. Albert. He also writes David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary, a well-read political blog, and contributes regularly to the website rabble.ca which describes Climenhaga and his fellow contributors as "some of the best progressive writers in Canada."
Climenhaga is a recreational karate enthusiast, holding Sandan rank (third-degree black belt
) in Uechi-Ryu karate.
He is the son of Dr. John L. Climenhaga, the Canadian astrophysicist.
Born in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, he has lived in Victoria, Prince Rupert, B.C., Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and St. Albert, Alta. He spent many years as a full-time journalist with the Toronto Globe
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
and Mail, where he worked as a business reporter and copy editor
Copy editing
Copy editing is the work that an editor does to improve the formatting, style, and accuracy of text. Unlike general editing, copy editing might not involve changing the substance of the text. Copy refers to written or typewritten text for typesetting, printing, or publication...
, and the Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
, where he worked as a business reporter, political reporter, copy editor and night city editor.
In 1995, his book A Poke in the Public Eye, a light-hearted look at the often-uncomfortable relationships among politicians, journalists and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
people was published by Detselig Books of Calgary. In 1997 he was awarded the degree of Master of Journalism by Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in Ottawa for a thesis dealing with the decision of the Alberta Government
Politics of Alberta
The politics of Alberta are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Edmonton, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
of Premier Ralph Klein to wind up the province’s highly regarded system of regional planning
Regional planning
Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field of urban planning deals with the specific issues of city planning...
. The thesis was based in part on journalistic work he had done on the Calgary Herald’s City Hall and Regional Affairs beats.
In 1999 and 2000, Climenhaga was a leader in the attempt by the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada to organize a union local and negotiate a first contract with the Calgary Herald. Before and during the eight-month strike by journalists in 1999 and 2000, Climenhaga was Vice-President of Local 115A of the CEP. When the strike ended in June 2000 with the dissolution of the union, he left journalism to work as Communications Director of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which with 75,000 members in 2011 is Alberta’s largest union.
Climenhaga has also taught courses in introductory journalism, newspaper copy-editing and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
-Academics:SAIT Polytechnic offers two full baccalaureate degrees , four applied degrees, 66 diploma and certificate programs, 32 apprenticeship trades and 1,600 continuing education and corporate training courses....
in Calgary and in journalism at The King’s University College, a private Christian university in Edmonton.
In October 2007, Climenhaga ran for city council in the Edmonton-area city of St. Albert, his first run for public office. He received 5,804 votes, putting him within 150 votes of election. Since that time, he has written a regular column on Alberta politics for the Saint City News, the community weekly in St. Albert. He also writes David Climenhaga's Alberta Diary, a well-read political blog, and contributes regularly to the website rabble.ca which describes Climenhaga and his fellow contributors as "some of the best progressive writers in Canada."
Climenhaga is a recreational karate enthusiast, holding Sandan rank (third-degree black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
) in Uechi-Ryu karate.
He is the son of Dr. John L. Climenhaga, the Canadian astrophysicist.