Justin Trottier
Encyclopedia
Justin Trottier is an English-Canadian columnist
, public speaker and media personality, political candidate, and a former manager of an educational charitable organization. In 2009 he was one of the main spokespersons for the Canadian atheist bus campaign. His areas of interest include science
, atheism
, scientific skepticism
, civil liberties,, and men's rights awareness
.
with a degree in Engineering Science. His uncle, Lorne Trottier
, is the co-founder of Matrox
computing.
In March 2006 Trottier opened the Secular Freethought Centre, the first community centre in Canada for secular humanists. By January 2007 the Secular Freethought Centre had become the Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFI) and Trottier was hired as its first Executive Director. CFI currently operates 10 branches in Canada as a national educational charity. Trottier oversaw its national office, which coordinates its educational programs, campus and public outreach, social and community services, multimedia, and legal work.
In June 2010, Trottier hired Nathan Phelps, the estranged son of Pastor Fred Phelps
of the notoriously anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church
, to head up the Calgary, Alberta, branch of the Centre for Inquiry. Nathan Phelps has worked with CFI to promote gay rights issues and to advance tolerance and equality.
In 2011, Trottier was fired from his position as CFI National Director.
, which was covered by USA Today. He is a leading Canadian secularist, founder and first President of the Canadian Secular Alliance, and writes articles exploring church-state separation issues. He assisted in the formation of the One School System Network, a coalition of secular advocacy, religious, civil rights, and teacher and trustee organizations advocating for the defunding of the tax-payer supported Roman Catholic School System in Ontario. The One School System Network was an important part of the effort to oppose Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader John Tory
's 2007 election campaign proposal to fund all private faith-based schools in Ontario fully. Trottier is one of the coalition's primary spokespeople, during which he debated then Education Minister Kathleen Wynne
on live television.
Trottier participates in multifaith public events, including the Hamilton World Religion Conference, and has spoken on areas of shared ethical concern at both liberal and conservative Churches. Trottier is an advocate for civil liberties and human rights. He organized several events and conducted a number of interviews for Think Again! TV related to the prohibition on Gay Straight Alliance student clubs at certain high schools in Ontario.
Trottier also lectures, speaks and performs interviews related to skepticism and critical thinking. Major areas of interest include alternative medicine, especially homeopathy which was explored in a controversial episode of CBC's Marketplace in which Trottier's organization was featured. Trottier is critical of scientific claims made within new age spirituality and performed a lecture tour speaking on "The New Age Movement and Science: A Love-Hate Relationship."
. In June 2011 he published secret footage from a Peter Popoff faith healing event hoping to demonstrate how con artists manipulate crowds. He was a guest speaker at The Amazing Meeting, the largest annual skepticism event, hosted by the James Randi Educational Foundation
in Las Vegas July 2011.
Trottier co-founded the University of Toronto Astronomy & Space Exploration Society in 2003. He served as the organization's first President from 2003 until 2006, coordinating three symposium that were the largest public astronomy and space sciences events held at the University of Toronto. In 2005 Trottier joined the Board of Directors of the Canadian Space Society
and has served as the Society's External Director and as the managing editor of its publication, the Canadian Space Gazette.
Trottier appeared on an episode of TV Ontario's The Agenda
, hosted by Steve Paikin
, to discuss advertising atheism.
The Canadian Atheist Bus ads sparked counter campaigns in response, which Trottier publicly supported, including an ad sponsored by Syed Sohawardy of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and another by the United Church of Canada. Trottier was noted for championing free speech rights for all groups that had provocative messages censored in public space. A variety of cities refused to run the ads, although some withdrew their prohibition after a Supreme Court ruling found banning political or controversial ads a violation of the free speech provision in the Canadian constitution. In May 2011, he published a video investigating missing atheist ads in Kelowna, BC, arguing the city failed to protect the ads and to adequately support the free speech of citizens.
While at CFI he was the founder and was to serves as Chief Spokesperson for the new Extraordinary Claims Campaign, which uses the slogan, made famous by Carl Sagan: "Extraodinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence." However, he left CFI Canada before the bus campaign was put into effect.
Trottier was a guest on The Michael Coren Show
s Faith Matters panel about once a month from May 2008 until the show went off the air in July 2011. Trottier is a frequent guest on The Rob Breakenridge Show on AM770 Calgary Radio.
Trottier has appeared on CBC's The National, CTV's Canada AM Global's 16:9, TVO's The Agenda, CH TV news, and CP24. In January 2011 Trottier was featured on the cover of Eye Weekly (now The Grid) magazine. In June 2011 interviews with Trottier were a major component of Vision TV's two-part documentary "Godless"
During 2008 Trottier was the secular humanist columnist for the Globe and Mails online "Faith and Ethics" panel. In April 2009, he was invited to become a contributor to the National Posts
online Holy Post blog. In addition, he contributes to several other blogs, including the CFI Canada blog, and the Equalism Activism website which he uses as his personal blog.
In 2011 Trottier launched Think Again! TV, a YouTube
-based show focusing on news skeptical news critical of religion or the paranormal. It attempts at aiming at a younger youth audience. Since leaving CFI Canada, Justin has also left the Think Again! project.
to discuss men's rights
, male issues, and perspectives on gender, equality and diversity.
In 2011, he became the leader of the Toronto Men’s Issues Awareness Campaign. When interviewed by the Toronto Star
about the campaign he
he said: “Look at the landscape and for all our talk of equality, it’s ironic that our societal investments have really been on women’s issues. We should be equally open to appreciating men’s issues.” Later he discussed his view that women's shelters
are unfairly set up for women only. He was quoted as saying “They are almost entirely set up for women victims but if you look at the statistics, there are a surprising percentage of cases where men are being victimized.”
candidate for the Parkdale-High Park riding in the 2011 Ontario general election
.. Incumbent Cheri DiNovo
kept her seat while Justin Trottier placed 4th in the election.
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, public speaker and media personality, political candidate, and a former manager of an educational charitable organization. In 2009 he was one of the main spokespersons for the Canadian atheist bus campaign. His areas of interest include science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism is the practice of questioning the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence or reproducibility, as part of a methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge". For example, Robert K...
, civil liberties,, and men's rights awareness
Men's rights
Men's rights is an umbrella term, encompassing the political rights, entitlements, and freedoms given or denied to males within a nation or culture....
.
Early life
He is a graduate of the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
with a degree in Engineering Science. His uncle, Lorne Trottier
Lorne Trottier
Lorne M. Trottier, CM is a co-founder of Matrox, a computer corporation that specializes in computer graphics.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Trottier graduated from Baron Byng High School and thereafter received a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering in 1970 and a Masters of Engineering in...
, is the co-founder of Matrox
Matrox
Matrox is a producer of video card components and equipment for personal computers. Based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada it was founded by Lorne Trottier and Branko Matić....
computing.
Freethought activism and public education
In 2005 Trottier founded the University of Toronto Secular Alliance with Jennie Fiddes and Elaine Cairns. The organization successfully lobbied for the secularization of the University of Toronto's graduation ceremony through the removal of convocation prayers.In March 2006 Trottier opened the Secular Freethought Centre, the first community centre in Canada for secular humanists. By January 2007 the Secular Freethought Centre had become the Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFI) and Trottier was hired as its first Executive Director. CFI currently operates 10 branches in Canada as a national educational charity. Trottier oversaw its national office, which coordinates its educational programs, campus and public outreach, social and community services, multimedia, and legal work.
In June 2010, Trottier hired Nathan Phelps, the estranged son of Pastor Fred Phelps
Fred Phelps
Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. is an American pastor heading the Westboro Baptist Church , an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas...
of the notoriously anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme stance against homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. The church is widely described as a hate group and is monitored as such by the...
, to head up the Calgary, Alberta, branch of the Centre for Inquiry. Nathan Phelps has worked with CFI to promote gay rights issues and to advance tolerance and equality.
In 2011, Trottier was fired from his position as CFI National Director.
Major areas of interest
Trottier speaks frequently in defense of freedom of speech and helped launch the Campaign for Free Expression and its now annual Blasphemy Rights DayBlasphemy Day
Blasphemy Day International is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to openly express their criticism of, or even disdain for, religion. It was founded in 2009 by the Center for Inquiry. A student contacted the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, New York to present the idea, which...
, which was covered by USA Today. He is a leading Canadian secularist, founder and first President of the Canadian Secular Alliance, and writes articles exploring church-state separation issues. He assisted in the formation of the One School System Network, a coalition of secular advocacy, religious, civil rights, and teacher and trustee organizations advocating for the defunding of the tax-payer supported Roman Catholic School System in Ontario. The One School System Network was an important part of the effort to oppose Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
's 2007 election campaign proposal to fund all private faith-based schools in Ontario fully. Trottier is one of the coalition's primary spokespeople, during which he debated then Education Minister Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O. Wynne is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Don Valley West for the Liberal Party.-Background:...
on live television.
Trottier participates in multifaith public events, including the Hamilton World Religion Conference, and has spoken on areas of shared ethical concern at both liberal and conservative Churches. Trottier is an advocate for civil liberties and human rights. He organized several events and conducted a number of interviews for Think Again! TV related to the prohibition on Gay Straight Alliance student clubs at certain high schools in Ontario.
Trottier also lectures, speaks and performs interviews related to skepticism and critical thinking. Major areas of interest include alternative medicine, especially homeopathy which was explored in a controversial episode of CBC's Marketplace in which Trottier's organization was featured. Trottier is critical of scientific claims made within new age spirituality and performed a lecture tour speaking on "The New Age Movement and Science: A Love-Hate Relationship."
. In June 2011 he published secret footage from a Peter Popoff faith healing event hoping to demonstrate how con artists manipulate crowds. He was a guest speaker at The Amazing Meeting, the largest annual skepticism event, hosted by the James Randi Educational Foundation
James Randi Educational Foundation
The James Randi Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi. The JREF's mission includes educating the public and the media on the dangers of accepting unproven claims, and to support research into paranormal claims in controlled...
in Las Vegas July 2011.
Trottier co-founded the University of Toronto Astronomy & Space Exploration Society in 2003. He served as the organization's first President from 2003 until 2006, coordinating three symposium that were the largest public astronomy and space sciences events held at the University of Toronto. In 2005 Trottier joined the Board of Directors of the Canadian Space Society
Canadian Space Society
The Canadian Space Society is a federally-incorporated non-profit Canadian corporation. Inspired by the old L5 Society and other space interest groups, its principal objective is to sponsor and promote the involvement of Canadians in the development of Space...
and has served as the Society's External Director and as the managing editor of its publication, the Canadian Space Gazette.
Atheist bus campaign
Trottier is the founder and former President of the Freethought Association of Canada. During his leadership he acted as chief spokesperson for the 2009 Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign. The Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign received considerable media attention, including coverage by CBC, the National Post, Global TV, CityTV, the Globe and Mail, CTV News, This Magazine, Kelowna Daily Courier, Crossroad Television, and other outlets.Trottier appeared on an episode of TV Ontario's The Agenda
The Agenda
The Agenda with Steve Paikin is the flagship current affairs program of TVOntario, Ontario’s public broadcaster. The show practises what anchor and senior editor Steve Paikin calls "long-form" journalism. Each hour-long program tackles no more than two topics, and often only one...
, hosted by Steve Paikin
Steve Paikin
Steve Paikin is a Canadian journalist, author, and documentary producer at TVOntario . He is currently anchor and senior editor of TVO's flagship current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin, and previously hosted TVO's Studio 2 and Diplomatic Immunity.A native of Hamilton, Ontario,...
, to discuss advertising atheism.
The Canadian Atheist Bus ads sparked counter campaigns in response, which Trottier publicly supported, including an ad sponsored by Syed Sohawardy of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and another by the United Church of Canada. Trottier was noted for championing free speech rights for all groups that had provocative messages censored in public space. A variety of cities refused to run the ads, although some withdrew their prohibition after a Supreme Court ruling found banning political or controversial ads a violation of the free speech provision in the Canadian constitution. In May 2011, he published a video investigating missing atheist ads in Kelowna, BC, arguing the city failed to protect the ads and to adequately support the free speech of citizens.
While at CFI he was the founder and was to serves as Chief Spokesperson for the new Extraordinary Claims Campaign, which uses the slogan, made famous by Carl Sagan: "Extraodinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence." However, he left CFI Canada before the bus campaign was put into effect.
Media work
Since January 2011, Trottier has appeared regularly on the John Oakley Shows Tuesday morning Culture War segment on Toronto Radio AM640. His debate opponents have tended to be conservative religious leaders, including Reverend Charles McVety, Pastor Scott Mason, and Rabbi Mendel Kaplan.Trottier was a guest on The Michael Coren Show
The Michael Coren Show
The Michael Coren Show is an hour-long Ontario-based panel show hosted by Michael Coren which deals with current events and social issues. It aired weeknights on the Crossroads Television System, a multi-faith television network with affiliates in Ontario and Alberta...
s Faith Matters panel about once a month from May 2008 until the show went off the air in July 2011. Trottier is a frequent guest on The Rob Breakenridge Show on AM770 Calgary Radio.
Trottier has appeared on CBC's The National, CTV's Canada AM Global's 16:9, TVO's The Agenda, CH TV news, and CP24. In January 2011 Trottier was featured on the cover of Eye Weekly (now The Grid) magazine. In June 2011 interviews with Trottier were a major component of Vision TV's two-part documentary "Godless"
During 2008 Trottier was the secular humanist columnist for the Globe and Mails online "Faith and Ethics" panel. In April 2009, he was invited to become a contributor to the National Posts
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
online Holy Post blog. In addition, he contributes to several other blogs, including the CFI Canada blog, and the Equalism Activism website which he uses as his personal blog.
In 2011 Trottier launched Think Again! TV, a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
-based show focusing on news skeptical news critical of religion or the paranormal. It attempts at aiming at a younger youth audience. Since leaving CFI Canada, Justin has also left the Think Again! project.
Men's Rights Advocacy
In January 2009 Trottier and colleague Michael Payton launched The Pendulum Effect podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
to discuss men's rights
Men's rights
Men's rights is an umbrella term, encompassing the political rights, entitlements, and freedoms given or denied to males within a nation or culture....
, male issues, and perspectives on gender, equality and diversity.
In 2011, he became the leader of the Toronto Men’s Issues Awareness Campaign. When interviewed by the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
about the campaign he
he said: “Look at the landscape and for all our talk of equality, it’s ironic that our societal investments have really been on women’s issues. We should be equally open to appreciating men’s issues.” Later he discussed his view that women's shelters
Women's shelter
A women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
are unfairly set up for women only. He was quoted as saying “They are almost entirely set up for women victims but if you look at the statistics, there are a surprising percentage of cases where men are being victimized.”
Political career
In 2011, he became the Green Party of OntarioGreen Party of Ontario
The Green Party of Ontario is a political party in Ontario, Canada. The party is led by Mike Schreiner. It has never held any seats in the Ontario Legislative Assembly; however, the party did see significant gains in the 2007 provincial election, earning 8% of the popular vote with some candidates...
candidate for the Parkdale-High Park riding in the 2011 Ontario general election
Ontario general election, 2011
The 40th Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011 to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party will form a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New...
.. Incumbent Cheri DiNovo
Cheri DiNovo
Cheri DiNovo, MPP, is a Canadian social democratic politician. She is an United Church of Canada minister and previously headed the Emmanuel-Howard Park congregation in Toronto, Ontario. As the New Democratic Party of Ontario candidate in Parkdale–High Park, she was elected to the Legislative...
kept her seat while Justin Trottier placed 4th in the election.
External links
- Holy Post Justin's column in National PostNational PostThe National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
online edition