Joy Langan was a tiny woman. She found reaching things down from her kitchen cupboards a challenge. But it once took two burly police officers to lift her into the back of a paddy wagon.
Ms. Langan was short on height but long on conviction. Her 35-year career as a labour activist included becoming the first woman vice-president at the B.C. Federation of Labour. She was also active in the Canadian Labour Congress and at every level in the New Democratic Party, including as a member of Parliament for Mission-Coquitlam and president of the party in B.C.
She was elected in 1988 along with five other NDP feminists. Their commitment resulted in an increased awareness of gender parity and legislation relevant to women.
Ms. Langan introduced a private members bill that resulted in banning the sale of silicone breast implants due to complaints that they triggered autoimmune diseases and heart conditions. Although the implants are back on the shelves today, there are now safeguards in place.
Joy Langan was born in Rossland, B.C., to Vida May and Keefer Pollard. Her father was a pipefitter and a member of the Steelworkers Union. Her mother worked in ad sales for Pacific Press.
Although she was an excellent student, she dropped out in Grade 10 and never looked back. She told people that she had a working woman's PhD.
Her first daughter was born in 1964 and put up for adoption at birth. Several years later, mother and daughter were reunited, which was a great source of happiness for Ms. Langan. But sorrow hit hard in 1995 when Kathy Clancy took her own life.
Ms. Langan was briefly married to Gary Langan, and in 1966 her daughter Lisa was born. This was the inspiration for one of her earliest campaigns: securing daycare for parents on shift work.
In 1972, Ms. Langan became the first woman journeyman printer at Pacific Press much to her employer's chagrin.
"She had the highest [mechanical aptitude] test scores of all the applicants, so they had to hire her," her daughter Lisa said. "But they told her they didn't want her."
Once she set to work on the linotype machines and joined the International Typographical Union, her commitment to trade union activism began.
In 1979, she met fellow printer and fellow single parent Doug Schop and began a 30-year relationship. Meanwhile, pushing ahead in her political work, she became the first woman vice-president at the B.C. Federation of Labour and continued to fight tirelessly for women's rights.
She was elected to Parliament in 1988 along with an unprecedented number of NDP feminists, including Audrey McLaughlin, Dawn Black, and Lynn Hunter.
"I remember Joy and I walking up the steps from the flame to the Parliament buildings and looking at the building before we ever sat in there," Ms. Black said. "[I remember] thinking holy cow, we're actually here, we've done this. ... issues of women in society were front and centre in that Parliament."
Ms. Langan served as the NDP's federal labour critic until her defeat in 1993.
Her next incarnation was as national representative in the Lower Mainland for the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union.
A legendary moment happened on the picket line during a 1999 strike at the Calgary Herald. "We had planned a significant picket line to stop the papers from leaving the plant," said Dave Coles, CEP national president. "Joy decided to lie down beneath the wheels of a truck." She was promptly arrested and fired into the back of a paddy wagon along with her cellphone. Minutes later, Mr. Coles's phone rang: "Dave I have a really serious problem!' she said.
"Yeah I know you have, you're arrested!"
"No," she replied. "I need a cigarette."
In 2003, Ms. Langan led a campaign called Hungry in Hazleton, intended to help union members during a labour dispute at a sawmill. "There was a caravan of rental trucks and cars from the Lower Mainland picking up perishable food stuffs," Mr. Coles recalled. "Joy raised tens of thousands of dollars and literally tons of food that was trucked into Hazleton and distributed."
Ms. Langan retired from the CEP in 2008 and immediately became president of the BC Federation of Retired Union Members. Still an activist, she took on an advocacy role for seniors and no doubt shared bold stories of old glories.
People who attended Ms. Langan's funeral mass walked out of the church to the sounds of the old labour anthem Solidarity Forever, while the spirit of Tommy Douglas was fondly invoked.
Joy Langan
Joy Langan was born Jan. 23, 1943, in Rossland, B.C. She died of breast cancer on July 30, 2009, in Port Moody, B.C. She was 65. She was predeceased by her daughter Kathy Clancy. She is survived by her daughter Lisa Langan-Candlish (Neal), one sister, two brothers and her partner Doug Schop.
