Peacekeeping and veterans Issue inspires veteran to run

A passion for peacekeeping and veteran’s issues led Ed Reddy to become a member of the Green Party as candidate for the riding of Calgary Skyview.

Reddy served for ten years in the Canadian Armed Forces as a radio operator for peacekeeping missions. He completed two tours of service: with the United Nations in 1988 in a peacekeeping effort in Iraq, where he was a radio operator for border patrols, and in Doha, Qatar in 1991.

“I did peacekeeping in the late ‘80s and had a whole lot of fun doing it. It was a great way to give and it is very much a humanitarian type of effort and engagement in foreign countries versus the current path which is aggressive and militaristic focused way to visit a country instead of trying to help people. Peacekeeping is about keeping the peace and knowing the people and being part of the community. You are in a position of healing and rebuilding,” said Reddy.

Having spent ten years in both the regular forces and the reserves, retiring in 1997 as a reservist, Reddy feels strongly about veterans’ issues.

“Before they [CAF members] get released they should be identified. They should have a meeting with Veterans Affairs and get the help before they are released. Because the moment they get out and then have to go to Veterans Affairs they’ve already lost,” explained Reddy.

After hanging up his uniform, Reddy transferred his skills from the military to a job in IT sector. He attended SAIT and completed a diploma in Computer Technology in 2001. Reddy worked in several tech companies and worked for five years at the National Energy Board.

Currently, he is self-employed working as a consultant for Cenovus Energy Inc. and also is Chairperson for SAIT’s Information Technology Software Advisory committee.

Reddy first tried his hand at politics in 2011 when he served as a social media co-ordinator for Green Party Candidate Heather McIntosh.

“I believed in what the Green Party was saying. My sister-in-law actually got me into the Green Party probably early 2008. They’re an old party out of Europe with strong roots in family values and strong roots in the environment and sustainability…and is focusing first on the citizens,” said Reddy.

After Reddy assisted with two other campaigns including Green Party candidate Chris Turner’s campaign, he was asked in April of 2015 by the party to run in the new riding of Calgary Skyview.

Reddy believes the Green Party stands for many issues that the other parties don’t consider as platforms such as education and immigration.

“The other parties talked about it but it wasn’t necessarily a platform and it wasn’t necessarily something they would do. They [The Green Party] don’t play lip-service,” noted Reddy.

Ed, his wife and their three children reside in Calgary.