Can Man Dan

Dan Johnstone
Don Johnstone holding a tomato can with the writing "Serving the community. Since 2011."
Dan Johnstone (AKA Can Man Dan) poses for a picture in the midst of one of his signature winter campouts for Alberta food banks.
Born (1987-07-31) July 31, 1987
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Residence Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Nationality Canadian Métis
Occupation Activist, philanthropist
Years active 2011 – present
Website www.danjohnstone.com

Dan Johnstone (born July 31, 1987 in Edmonton, Alberta), also known as "Can Man Dan,"[1] is a Canadian anti-poverty activist, philanthropist, community organizer, and social activist.[2][3][4][5][6] His fundraising group, also called "Can Man Dan," works to alleviate poverty and strengthen communities in Alberta by working with several non-profit groups and charities.[7] Johnstone hosts many events around Alberta, but is perhaps best known for his annual "Stand Against Hunger" campaign,[8][9][10] where every December, Dan camps out for weeks in the back of a tractor-trailer aiming to fill it with food donations for various food banks & charities around Alberta.[11] Due to the severity of the winters commonly found in Alberta,[12] and the freezing cold temperatures that go along with them, these campouts have become highly publicized and staple events[13] for many food banks.[14] Can Man Dan's "Stand Against Hunger" campaign has proven to be very successful, as Dan has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, and hundreds of thousands of pounds of food for local food banks from these events alone.[15][16][17][18] Johnstone has created and hosted many other events around Alberta aimed to help those less fortunate, including his annual "We're Here For Ya Day" event.[19][20] Can Man Dan offers free hair services, a barbecue lunch, personal hygiene products, backpacks filled with school supplies, fresh bread, and food hampers to thousands of men, women and children every year on this day.[21][22][6][23][24]

After growing up in a single-mother, low-income household, Johnstone was motivated to support the same services that his family had used while he was growing up and started the Can Man Dan initiative.[16][25][26] Johnstone has stated that his ultimate goal is to raise awareness and support for charities in distress, and ultimately assist in the ending of poverty and homelessness in Alberta by forming a united community.[27][28] On top of the various community events[29] that he hosts, Johnstone is also a motivational speaker[30] that travels to many schools and high-profile events around western Canada to share his story and various adventures. Johnstone also leads an inner city feed program, where he and his group of volunteers make and distribute meals, care packages, and backpacks filled with different supplies to Edmonton's homeless community every month.[31][32] Johnstone has stated, "I have never made a single cent off of this initiative, and I never will," [33] as he believes that helping others and spreading a positive message throughout the community is more important than making a profit.[34][35] Johnstone has also been an outspoken supporter for many other social issues and programs such as the protection of domestic abuse victims, supporting LGBTQ rights and freedoms, initiating a basic income for Canadians,[36] and defending social housing projects.[37]

Notable charitable work & career highlights

Johnstone's activism and philanthropy work began in Edmonton, Alberta in the summer of 2011, when he began going door-to-door around various neighbourhoods[38] by himself collecting food and clothing donations for various charities, such as the Edmonton Food Bank, the youth shelter, and various homeless shelters and soup kitchens.[39][40][41] In June 2013, Can Man Dan provided immediate assistance to Calgary's Food Bank and those affected by the 2013 Alberta floods in the form of 5000 pounds of food.[42] In both December 2013 and December 2014, local Edmonton chain restaurant, Delux Burger Bar, featured Can Man Dan as their "Celebrity Chef."[43][44] Delux Burger Bar locations across Edmonton added the Can Man Dan burger to their menus, and gave a portion of sales to the Edmonton Food Bank on Dan's behalf. Dan also arranged to have the Can Man Dan burger served to hundreds of Edmonton's homeless & less fortunate as he hosted "Burger Night" at one of Edmonton's local homeless shelters. Johnstone made headlines in April 2014 after he announced that he would wrestle in a professional wrestling match with Canadian wrestling promotion, the PWA (The Prairie Wrestling Alliance) to raise money, food and awareness for Edmonton's homeless youth population.[45][46] Despite suffering a fractured nose during the bout, Johnstone ultimately won his debut wrestling match raising thousands of dollars and thousands of pounds of food for Edmonton's Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS), an organization that Dan's mother had used when she was a teenager. In the spring of 2015, Johnstone started a new community project aimed to help struggling locally-owned businesses attain new customers called "Localive".[47] In June 2015, "WO Magazine" listed Johnstone as one of their "Top 5 Anti-Poverty Activists".[48]

In the summer of 2015, Johnstone was voted in by Edmonton's general public to serve as an honorary parade marshal for their annual K-Days festival parade. Johnstone, along with five other community heroes and various departments of Edmonton's first responders, were made honorary parade marshals and each given $2500 to donate to a charity of their choice.[5][49][50] In November 2015, a press release was issued announcing that Johnstone was made honorary chairman and official ambassador for Edmonton's Adopt-A-Teen program, a social program that Dan and his family used when he was growing up. Since being made Adopt-A-Teen's honorary chairman in 2015, Johnstone has helped provide thousands of low-income and underprivileged teenagers with a $50 gift card for Christmas.[51][52][53][54] Johnstone made national headlines in December 2015 as he announced that he would spend the month touring Alberta and camping out in various cities to raise resources for multiple food banks across the province affected by the economic downturn.[2][55][56][3][57][58][59][60][61][62] Johnstone's "Tour of Alberta" raised 25 tonnes of food and thousands of dollars for various food banks throughout Alberta to distribute to people in need.[63][64][65][66][67][68] In May 2016, Johnstone revealed that he and his mother were former victims of domestic abuse and that he was starting a thirty-five-day campaign to raise awareness for domestic abuse victims and raise money for a local women's shelter (WIN House) in Edmonton. Johnstone's campaign consisted of completing six "extreme and wacky" stunts around Edmonton, which were intended to raise awareness and money. Johnstone's stunts included wrestling in a professional wrestling match against Ring Of Honor's Silas Young,[69] becoming an Edmonton Eskimos cheerleader for a day, and undergoing intense police training with Edmonton Police Services, among other things.[70][71][72][73][74][75][76]

In December 2016, Johnstone embarked on his "Feed Alberta Tour" hoping to raise food and funds for various food banks across Alberta that were hit hard due to the ongoing recession. Johnstone travelled to the cities that were most affected by the stagnant economy and camped out in freezing cold temperatures for several days on end. Johnstone's "Feed Alberta Tour" raised more than 50 000 pounds of food and close to $20 000 in cash donations.[77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85] One month after its initial release in December 2016, Dan personally paid for forty low-income single parents and their children to watch Rogue One in theatres. Dan cited that Star Wars was one of his favorite movie franchises and he believed that all children should have the opportunity to watch it.[33] In March 2017, Dan publicly urged Edmonton's city council to use a $38 million snow-removal surplus on renovating and restoring Edmonton's crumbling low-income housing units.[86] In May 2017, Can Man Dan took 55 students from a local Catholic elementary school to down Edmonton's inner streets of to pass out hundreds of care packages filled with food, personal hygiene products, and socks to the cities' homeless and most vulnerable.[31][87] In September 2017, Can Man Dan was voted "Best Activist" in Vue Weekly's "Best of Edmonton 2017" series. Readers, along with Edmonton's general public voted Johnstone as Edmonton's "Best Activist" for his hard work and dedication to the community.[88] In November 2017, Dan announced that he was hosting the "Can Man Dan city-wide food drive" to replenish Edmonton's struggling local food bank, which was seeing record high usage at the time.[89][90] Dan put out a plea to Edmonton residents and Edmonton's city council to help him "refill all of the empty shelves" at the Edmonton Food Bank and to work together to ensure that "no one goes hungry" over the holiday season.[91][92] Dan's citywide food drive managed to raise over 110 000 pounds of food and $65 000 in 30 days.[93]

After the death of Colten Boushie, Dan was just one of many aboriginal leaders to publicly condemn the not-guilty verdict.[94] In September 2018, Johnstone was able to equip 2 100 low-income children in the Edmonton region with school supplies, backpacks, food hampers, haircuts, and breakfast supplies before the 2018/2019 school semester started.[95][96] Later that month, Can Man Dan was also voted Edmonton's "Best Philanthropist" in Vue Weekly's annual "Best of Edmonton" series, a local contest that is held ever year and where the winners are ultimately determined by online votes.[97]

Personal life

Daniel Lee Johnstone was born in Edmonton, Alberta on July 31, 1987 during the notorious Edmonton tornado (also known as "Black Friday") that claimed 27 lives, and he is the eldest son of Pamela Johnstone. Dan is an avid professional wrestling fan, a self-declared cinephile, and board game enthusiast.[98] His favourite television show is Game of Thrones, and he is also a huge fan of reality television, and has said that he one day hopes to compete on Big Brother Canada and The Amazing Race Canada. Dan considers himself to be a political independent, but believes that all levels of government should take a more centrist approach when governing, as he believes that divisive and polarizing politics are harmful to a society and the community.[33]

Politics

In June 2013, Dan Johnstone announced that he would be running in the Edmonton municipal election, 2013. Johnstone declared that he would be running for the open seat in Edmonton's Ward 10 which was vacated by Mayoral hopeful, Don Iveson.[99] Johnstone, a self-declared fiscal conservative, was the youngest candidate running for any position in the 2013 Edmonton election, being only 25 years old when he announced his candidacy. Johnstone's platform was largely based on the repair of basic infrastructure, paying off the city's deficit, focusing on the revitalization of mature neighbourhoods, investing in the building of low income housing, as well as building a stronger public transit system while lowering fares.[100][101][102] Johnstone also pledged to self-fund his entire campaign and donate $10 000 for each year of his terms' salary to various charities and causes around Edmonton citing that, "politicians make entirely too much money."[103] Johnstone openly refused to take money or campaign contributions from corporations, unions, developers, or special interest groups.[33] He was ultimately defeated by former Alberta Party candidate, Michael Walters.[104]

On December 27 of 2015, Johnstone announced his candidacy for the Ward 12 by-election race in Edmonton's south-side district to replace Amarjeet Sohi who was elected to Justin Trudeau's Liberal government in October 2015.[105][106] Johnstone, once again labelling himself as a fiscal conservative and socially progressive candidate, concentrated on restructuring Edmonton's photo radar system and redirecting a majority of the revenue to Edmonton's Police services, ushering in a more economical public transit system, postponing the building of the Valley Line LRT route, and mandating that a certain percentage of newly developed land must contain low-income and other forms of social housing.[107][108][109][110][111] Johnstone was also openly critical of the record-breaking thirty-two candidates citing that it would confuse casual voters and result in a low voter turnout.[112][113] Johnstone was defeated by local police detective, Moe Banga.[114]

In May 2018, Johnstone announced that he was seeking the Alberta Party nomination to be their official candidate in the upcoming 2019 Alberta provincial election. Johnstone was looking to represent the Alberta Party in the province's Edmonton-South district, but left near the end of June 2018, citing lack of "leadership, direction, and organization;" he also noted he was not impressed with the new leadership under Stephen Mandel, and preferred the leadership style of former Alberta Party leader Greg Clark. Although Johnstone's campaign was brief, he was running on a platform of lowering and controlling Alberta's ballooning debt (which is forecasted to hit $96 billion in 2023),[115] supporting Alberta's small businesses and local entrepreneurs, investing in the building of more housing projects for low-income families and seniors, lowering taxes, protecting social programs that his family had used while living in poverty, and working to end the divisiveness often found in politics.[116][117]

References

  1. ↑ "Can Man Dan camps out for the Edmonton Food Bank". CBC. 2013-12-08.
  2. 1 2 "Local Anti-poverty activist "Can Man Dan" wraps up winter campout". Edmonton Sun. 2015-12-21.
  3. 1 2 "Can Man Dan takes the show on the road". Edmonton Examiner. 2015-12-02.
  4. ↑ "20 Questions: Dan Johnstone a.k.a "Can Man Dan"". Edmonton Examiner. 2013-05-13.
  5. 1 2 "Edmonton K-Days' parade marshals announced". Edmonton Sun. 2015-07-08.
  6. 1 2 "Can Man Dan helps families". Edmonton Examiner. 2015-09-09.
  7. ↑ Caley Ramsey. "Can Man Dan launches part two of his campaign to end hunger in Edmonton". Global News.
  8. ↑ "Can Man Dan is at it again". Channel 12. 2015-12-05.
  9. ↑ Trevor Robb. "Can. Done. Did". Edmonton Examiner.
  10. ↑ "Can Man Dan at it again to help Edmonton's less fortunate". Global News. 2015-12-03.
  11. ↑ "Can Man Dan camps out for Edmonton's Food Bank". Edmonton Examiner. 2012-12-12.
  12. ↑ "Can Man Dan camps out before Christmas for the Food Bank". Metro Edmonton. 2013-12-22.
  13. ↑ "Can Man Dan camps out for Calgary's Food Bank". 660 News. 2014-12-12.
  14. ↑ "Can Man Dan camp out raises food and funds for Edmonton Food Bank". Yahoo News. 2015-12-06.
  15. ↑ "Can Man Dan campout nets 20000 pounds for food bank". CBC News. 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  16. 1 2 "The return of Can Man Dan". CBC News. 2012-12-07. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
  17. ↑ "#38 Can Man Dan". Food non-fiction. 2015-12-16.
  18. ↑ "Can Man Dan hits southern Alberta". Shaw TV Lethbridge. 2015-12-18.
  19. ↑ Jennifer Ivanov. "Food hampers and haircuts: Can Man Dan helps hundreds in Edmonton". Global News.
  20. ↑ "Can Man Dan". Global News.
  21. ↑ "Cutting Out Hunger fundraiser featured free hair cuts, hot dogs, ice cream and food donations to the Food Bank". Edmonton Examiner. 2013-05-08.
  22. ↑ "Can Man Dan is here for ya". Edmonton Examiner. 2014-09-04.
  23. ↑ "Taking stress out of the back to school grind". Edmonton Examiner. 2017-08-29.
  24. ↑ "We're Here For Ya". CTV Edmonton. 2017-11-21.
  25. ↑ "Can Man Dan success story: Dan Johnstone a.k.a "Can Man Dan"". Edmonton Sun. 2014-12-16.
  26. ↑ "Can Man Dan to spend weekend in truck to raise food, funds for Food Bank". Metro Edmonton. 2012-12-07.
  27. ↑ "Dan Johnstone's official website". www.danjohnstone.com. 2015-06-17.
  28. ↑ "Can Man Dan is 'Moving Hunger Out'". Edmonton Examiner. 2011-12-23.
  29. ↑ "Dan Johnstone, a.k.a Can Man Dan, hopes to meet his monetary goal for Edmonton's Food Bank this weekend". Edmonton Examiner. 2012-12-18.
  30. ↑ "Giving back feels great". Alberta Health Services. 2015-07-09.
  31. 1 2 "Students deliver care packages to Edmonton's less fortunate". Edmonton Journal. 2017-05-11.
  32. ↑ "Elementary students hand out care packages to homeless". Metro Edmontonl. 2017-05-11.
  33. 1 2 3 4 "03 – DAN JOHNSTONE". The GT Podcast. 2017-09-28.
  34. ↑ "Dan Johnstone's official website". danjohnstone.com. 2015-06-17.
  35. ↑ "Legends of Edmonton - Can Man Dan Johnstone". SONiC 102.9. 2016-06-19.
  36. ↑ "Episode 3 Dan Johnstone". The GT Podcast. 2017-09-28. Event occurs at 63 minutes, 00 seconds.
  37. ↑ "Dan Johnstone's official website". Can Man Dan. 2017-08-14.
  38. ↑ "Edmonton Aboriginal News". Aboriginal multi-media society. 2015-07-28.
  39. ↑ "Can Man Dan on CTV Alberta Primetime". CTV Alberta Primetime. 2015-07-28.
  40. ↑ "I like it RAW - Raw veganism in beef country". I like it RAW. 2016-02-16. Event occurs at 6 minutes, 04 seconds.
  41. ↑ "Can Man Dan's Plan". NAIT News Watch. 2015-01-22.
  42. ↑ "Businesses help". 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
  43. ↑ "Can Man Dan at it again!". Edmonton Breakfast Television. 2014-12-04.
  44. ↑ "Can Man Dan appears on City TV's BT". City TV. 2014-12-02.
  45. ↑ "Can Man Dan fights for youth". Edmonton Examiner. 2014-04-26.
  46. ↑ "Edmonton's Can Man Dan will fight pro's to help raise money for YESS". iPick. 2014-04-23.
  47. ↑ "Localive". CTV Edmonton. 2015-04-30.
  48. ↑ "Top 5 Anti-Poverty Activists". WO? Magazine. 2015-06-10.
  49. ↑ "Local first responders will lead the way as K-Days parade marshals". Edmonton Journal. 2015-07-08.
  50. ↑ "K-Days' honorary parade marshals". Dinner TV. 2015-07-08.
  51. ↑ "Can Man Dan shares how Adopt-A-Teen saved Christmas". Edmonton Sun. 2015-12-08.
  52. ↑ "Adopt A Teen needs your help". iNews880. 2015-12-15.
  53. ↑ "Thousands of teens have a reason to celebrate". Edmonton Sun. 2015-12-25.
  54. ↑ "Can Man Dan wraps up his Feed Alberta Tour". Edmonton Sun. 2015-12-21.
  55. ↑ "Can Man Dan touring Alberta to help end hunger". Edmonton Sun. 2015-12-02.
  56. ↑ "Can Man Dan stops in Lethbridge". Global Lethbridge. 2015-12-18.
  57. ↑ "Can Man Dan comes to Fort McMurray". Fort McMurray Today. 2015-12-07.
  58. ↑ "Can Man Dan takes down campout". 630 CHED. 2015-12-07.
  59. ↑ "Can Man Dan visits Lethbridge". Lethbridge Living Online. 2015-12-01.
  60. ↑ "Can Man Dan to campout at Lethbridge Safeway". Country 95.5 fm. 2015-12-14.
  61. ↑ "Can Man Dan phone interview". Country 95.5 fm. 2015-12-18.
  62. ↑ Claire Theobald. "Edmonton Anti-Poverty activist touring Alberta over the holidays to help end hunger". MyInforms.com.
  63. ↑ "Can Man Dan helping Edmonton's Food Bank Again". Global Edmonton. 2015-12-07.
  64. ↑ "Can Man Dan visit spurs donations for Food Bank". Lethbridge Herald. 2015-12-24.
  65. ↑ "Can Man Dan raises money for Food Bank". CBC News. 2015-12-06.
  66. ↑ "'Tis the season to support the Food Bank". Connect. 2015-12-15.
  67. ↑ "Can Man Dan announced Tour of Alberta results". Can Man Dan official Facebook Page. 2015-12-25.
  68. ↑ "The Can Man Can". Lethbridge Herald. 2015-12-20.
  69. ↑ "CWE Canada Tour". PW Torch. 2016-05-30.
  70. ↑ Alex Boyd (2016-05-16). "Can Man Dan speaks out about domestic violence". Metro Edmonton.
  71. ↑ "Can Man Dan has six new stunts up his sleeve to raise money for local women's shelter". Edmonton Examiner. 2016-05-18.
  72. ↑ "Can Man Dan back at it again, this time for WIN House". 630 CHED. 2016-05-23.
  73. ↑ "Can Man Dan is back at it". CKNW. 2016-05-23.
  74. ↑ "Edmonton Eskimos Cheerleader for a day". SONiC 102.9. 2016-06-23.
  75. ↑ "Can Man Dan & WIN House stand up to domestic abuse". YouTube. 2016-05-09.
  76. ↑ "CWE accepts Can Man Dan's open challenge". CWE Canada. 2015-05-15.
  77. ↑ "Can Man Dan camps out to collect donations for Edmonton's Food Bank". CTV Edmonton. 2016-11-27.
  78. ↑ Mark Woolven (2016-11-28). "Can Man Dan raises 7k and 7.5 tonnes of food for the food bank". 630 Ched.
  79. ↑ "Can Man Dan to brave the elements this weekend". Lethbridge News Now. 2016-12-15.
  80. ↑ Claire Theobald (2016-12-16). "Adopt-A-Teen : How giving grows". Postmedia.
  81. ↑ Karen Bartko (2016-11-24). "Food bank fundraiser Can Man Dan kicks off winter campout "Feed Alberta Tour"". Global News.
  82. ↑ Ameya Charnalia (2016-11-24). "Can Man Dan kicks off 2016 winter tour of Alberta". Metro Edmonton.
  83. ↑ Flether Kent (2016-12-12). "Edmonton charities worry about meeting Christmas demand in bad economy". Global News.
  84. ↑ Marty Forbes (2016-12-11). "My 2016 list of awesome people". Edmonton Sun.
  85. ↑ "Feed Alberta Tour 2016". Dan Johnstone's official website. 2016-12-26.
  86. ↑ "Snow-removal savings help city slide through year with surplus". 2017-03-03.
  87. ↑ "Elementary students hand out care packages to homeless". Metro Edmonton. 2017-05-11.
  88. ↑ "Best of Edmonton 2017 results". Vue Weekly. 2017-09-20.
  89. ↑ "Can Man Dan collecting food for the Edmonton food bank before the holidays". Global News Edmonton. 2017-11-23.
  90. ↑ Claire Theobald (2017-12-15). "Adopt-A-Teen: Can Man Dan paying kindness forward". Edmonton Sun.
  91. ↑ "Can Man Dan". CTV Edmonton. 2017-11-21.
  92. ↑ Mitch Goldenberg (2017-11-22). "Can Man Dan collects, fundraises for food bank". Edmonton Examiner.
  93. ↑ Claire Theobald (2017-12-26). "Can Man Dan collects more than 50 000 kilograms of food for Edmonton food bank". Edmonton Journal.
  94. ↑ "Can Man Dan on Twitter: "I am aboriginal. I am 30 years old[...]". Twitter. 2018-02-09.
  95. ↑ "We're Here For Ya Day supports low-income families in Edmonton and area". Global News. 2018-08-23.
  96. ↑ Albert Delitala (2018-09-02). "Edmonton families line up for free school supplies, haircuts as kids return to class". Global News.
  97. ↑ "Best of Edmonton 2018". Vue Weekly. 2018-09-20.
  98. ↑ "20 Questions". Edmonton Examiner. 2013-05-13.
  99. ↑ Robb, Trevor (2013-06-26). "Dan Johnstone, a.k.a. Can Man Dan, seeks vacant Ward 10 seat". Edmonton Examiner. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
  100. ↑ "Election 2013 response: "Can Man Dan" Dan Johnstone". The Local Good. 2013-08-25.
  101. ↑ "Dan Johnstone Ward 10 candidate". CTV Edmonton. 2013-09-05.
  102. ↑ "Dan Johnstone - Ward 10". Eliminate Poverty Edmonton. 2013-09-28.
  103. ↑ "Running for political office with Dan Johnstone". Her Success. 2016-06-18.
  104. ↑ "2013 Official Election Results". 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  105. ↑ ""Can Man Dan" runs for Ward 12". Edmonton Examiner. 2016-01-06.
  106. ↑ "Edmonton's Ward 12 set to have crowded field for byelection". Metro Edmonton. 2016-01-04.
  107. ↑ "Ward 12 candidates weigh in on the Valley Line LRT". Metro Edmonton. 2016-02-08.
  108. ↑ "Ward 12 candidates turning against Valley Line LRT". Edmonton Journal. 2016-02-19.
  109. ↑ "Ward 12 candidates weigh in with their opinions". Vue Weekly. 2016-02-17.
  110. ↑ "Where do Ward 12 candidates stand on key issues". Edmonton Journal. 2016-02-19.
  111. ↑ "Meet the 32 candidates of the Ward 12 by-election". Edmonton Journal. 2016-01-26.
  112. ↑ "Ward 12 by-election log-jam getting worse". Edmonton Sun. 2016-01-24.
  113. ↑ ""Can Man Dan" Dan Johnstone talks by-election". Youtube. 2016-01-25.
  114. ↑ "Moe Banga wins historic Ward 12 by-election". CBC. 2016-02-22.
  115. ↑ "Alberta budget 2018: NDP aims to erase deficit by 2023 as debt climbs to $96 billion". Edmonton Journal. 2018-03-23.
  116. ↑ Catherine Griwkowsky (2018-05-14). "Anti-poverty activist Can Man Dan running as Alberta Party candidate in Edmonton". Toronto Star.
  117. ↑ Dan Johnstone (2018-06-27). "Let me be your champion! Official Campaign Announcement & Resignation". Dan Johnstone's official website.
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