“I’m running to bring decades of experience in public health, environmental science and advocacy to the work of protecting our communities and our environment.”

Jay Van Oostdam is a veterinarian, public health professional and longtime environmental advocate with decades of experience working on the connections between human health and the environment.

Jay was born in Yellowknife and grew up in Regina. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Regina and later completed a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. He began practising veterinary medicine in Nanaimo and later worked across British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

He went on to complete post-doctoral work at the University of British Columbia’s Pulmonary Research Laboratory and a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health and Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota. That work led to a 25-year career with Health Canada and BC Environment studying environmental contaminants such as lead, mercury, PCBs and DDT and their impacts on human and environmental health.

During his time with Health Canada, Jay led the Human Health component of the federal Northern Contaminants Program, helping assess contaminant exposure in Arctic Canada and contributing to guidance for First Nations and Inuit communities on reducing exposure while safely maintaining traditional diets.

Jay also co-led the Human Health Assessment Group of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, working with scientists across the circumpolar region to better understand exposure to persistent organic pollutants. That work contributed scientific evidence used in the development of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

A longtime member of both the federal and provincial Green parties, Jay has been active in election campaigns and environmental advocacy for decades. He has also participated in direct actions to protect old-growth forests in Temagami, Ontario and at Fairy Creek in British Columbia.

Jay is running in Courtenay-Comox to bring his experience in public health, environmental science and advocacy into public service and to help strengthen the connection between healthy communities and a healthy environment.

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