Gary Earl Coons (born 1950 Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Lachine, Quebec, then a suburb of Montreal, before moving to Burlington, Ontario in 1967. He played junior "B" hockey with the Burlington Mohawks and graduated from Nelson High School after completing grades 11 through 13.
Coons attended the University of Western Ontario in London, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Education, specializing in Math and Physical Education. While at university, Coons continued playing hockey, advancing to junior "A" with the St. Thomas Elgins before joining the university's Mustangs hockey team. During this time, he set a university league record for penalty minutes.
Early career
After completing his education, Coons moved to Prince George, British Columbia in 1976, where he worked at a juvenile detention centre and played for the Prince George Mohawks. a local chapter of the BCTF.
Political career
Coons was nominated as the BC New Democratic Party's candidate for the North Coast riding in 2005, and defeated the incumbent Liberal candidate Bill Belsey in that May's general election to become the riding's MLA; he was re-elected in 2009. During his time in the legislature, he served as opposition critic for BC Ferries and Coastal Communities, and sat on the Special Committee for Sustainable Aquaculture, the Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, and the Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations. He is reported as one of thirteen NDP caucus members who forced the resignation of Carole James as party leader in December 2010.
He announced his retirement as MLA in September 2012, and was replaced in his critic role by Maurine Karagianis in February 2013 before finishing his term. He was named to the B.C. Ferry Authority's board of directors in 2021, and was appointed to a second term in 2024.
Personal life
In 1981, Coons married Lois Elliot, a fellow educator in Prince Rupert who teaches at Pineridge Elementary School. The couple has two children, Hannah and Breton.