Ryan Meili
Encyclopedia
Ryan Meili is a medical doctor and community organizer who ran for the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
in 2009 placing second with 44.93% of the vote.
Meili currently works as a rural relief locum giving doctors in small communities time off. When not working in rural Saskatchewan, he lives in Saskatoon’s core community of Riversdale.
, Saskatchewan, land which is still farmed by his brother. He attended Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw before going on to the University of Saskatchewan
where he studied Human Anatomy and Languages.
After finishing his first degree, Meili travelled to Central America to experience life in the developing world. In 1999 he co-organized a project with fellow community organizer, Kerri Klein, called Limbs and Light for Latin America. The project raised money to purchase a school bus which they then filled with prosthetic limbs for landmine victims and drove to Nicaragua
.
He also works for the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. As the chair of the Social Accountability Committee, he’s responsible for helping ensure that Saskatchewan’s future doctors are equipped to meet the health needs of the diverse communities they will serve. Among Ryan’s focuses are aboriginal, international, rural, and inner-city health.
Meili is perhaps best known for his role as a co-founder of SWITCH, the Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health. Ryan helped spearhead this student-run, interdisciplinary, inner-city clinic, whose mandate is to bring students from nursing, medicine, social work, physiotherapy, pharmacy, nutrition, and numerous other disciplines together to serve the residents of Saskatoon’s core communities. Ryan was also the clinic’s first coordinator, and continues to work there as a supervising doctor.
In 2001, Meili was arrested during a peaceful protest at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City. He received an absolute discharge and the conviction was erased after one year.
; current MLA Deb Higgins
and former party president, Yens Pedersen
. Meili ran on a platform of party renewal: "Meili said he hopes his entry into the race helps revive the NDP. 'If the NDP is allowed to die, only to be resuscitated every 20 years . . . then we’re not building a healthy society,' he told about a dozen supporters." His policies placed him in the progressive wing of the party.
Dr. Chanchal Bhattacharya, an Alberta political scientist who studies the use of new technology in political campaigns said:
Meili's was also the first campaign to include endorsements from members of the general public who didn't necessarily have a high public profile like traditional political endorsers. This list included small business people, academics, students, lawyers and others. Near the end of the leadership campaign, both Dwain Lingenfelter
and Yens Pedersen
began using a similar strategy on their endorsement pages.
in the 2011 provincial election. This is a riding which is traditionally held by the NDP but is currently held by Joceline Schriemer
, a Saskatchewan Party MLA. This announcement fulfilled a promise made during his concession speech at the end of his leadership race. Meili began his nomination campaign by using Facebook to announce Money Bomb 2.0, a sequel to his first money bomb which he used to great effect in his leadership campaign. Three other candidates are also seeking the NDP nomination in this riding.
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
in 2009 placing second with 44.93% of the vote.
Meili currently works as a rural relief locum giving doctors in small communities time off. When not working in rural Saskatchewan, he lives in Saskatoon’s core community of Riversdale.
Early life and education
He grew up on a family farm near CourvalCourval, Saskatchewan
Courval is a hamlet in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Listed as a designated place by Statistics Canada, the hamlet had a population of 5 in the Canada 2006 Census.-Climate:-References:...
, Saskatchewan, land which is still farmed by his brother. He attended Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw before going on to the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
where he studied Human Anatomy and Languages.
After finishing his first degree, Meili travelled to Central America to experience life in the developing world. In 1999 he co-organized a project with fellow community organizer, Kerri Klein, called Limbs and Light for Latin America. The project raised money to purchase a school bus which they then filled with prosthetic limbs for landmine victims and drove to Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
.
Medical Training
Meili entered the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in September 2000 and graduated in 2004. He completed his residency at the Westwinds Primary Health Centre in Saskatoon in June 2007.Advocacy and Community Organizing
While in medical school, he became involved in health care advocacy. At the time of the Romanow Commission, he helped found a student group called Health Professionals for Medicare dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of a single-payer, publicly funded health care system. He remains passionate about this issue and is presently the Saskatchewan board member for Canadian Doctors for Medicare.He also works for the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. As the chair of the Social Accountability Committee, he’s responsible for helping ensure that Saskatchewan’s future doctors are equipped to meet the health needs of the diverse communities they will serve. Among Ryan’s focuses are aboriginal, international, rural, and inner-city health.
Meili is perhaps best known for his role as a co-founder of SWITCH, the Student Wellness Initiative Toward Community Health. Ryan helped spearhead this student-run, interdisciplinary, inner-city clinic, whose mandate is to bring students from nursing, medicine, social work, physiotherapy, pharmacy, nutrition, and numerous other disciplines together to serve the residents of Saskatoon’s core communities. Ryan was also the clinic’s first coordinator, and continues to work there as a supervising doctor.
In 2001, Meili was arrested during a peaceful protest at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City. He received an absolute discharge and the conviction was erased after one year.
Campaign for the Leadership of the Saskatchewan NDP
Meili entered the race for the leadership of Saskatchewan's NDP party on February 5, 2009. He was the fourth and final declared candidate joining former Deputy Premier Dwain LingenfelterDwain Lingenfelter
Dwain Lingenfelter is a businessman, farmer, politician and former Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Lingenfelter won the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party on June 6, 2009...
; current MLA Deb Higgins
Deb Higgins
Deb Higgins is a Canadian provincial politician, who was the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Moose Jaw Wakamow from 1999 to 2011....
and former party president, Yens Pedersen
Yens Pedersen
Yens Pedersen is a lawyer and was a candidate in the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership race. Before entering the leadership race, he served as the President of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Yens was the NDP candidate in the constituency of Regina South in the 2007 provincial...
. Meili ran on a platform of party renewal: "Meili said he hopes his entry into the race helps revive the NDP. 'If the NDP is allowed to die, only to be resuscitated every 20 years . . . then we’re not building a healthy society,' he told about a dozen supporters." His policies placed him in the progressive wing of the party.
Innovative Use of Web 2.0 Technology
As part of his campaign, Meili released a series of professionally produced campaign videos on both his web site and on YouTube. He has also announced a week-long "money bomb" which is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan and may be the first of its kind in Canadian politics. Also of note, three of the four bloggers who regularly wrote about the leadership race endorsed the Meili campaign - Accidental Deliberations, Head Tale and Louis Riel Trail. The fourth, Buckdog, did not formally endorse any candidate.Dr. Chanchal Bhattacharya, an Alberta political scientist who studies the use of new technology in political campaigns said:
"The Meili campaign is different because it’s exploiting the full potential of the Internet as a campaign tool...Despite very limited resources, Meili is effectively using Web 2.0 social media like YouTube and Facebook to reach new voters and energize existing ones. It’s a 21st-century Saskatchewan campaign.”
Endorsements
- Dr. Allan Backman, School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan
- Lon BorgersonLon BorgersonLon Borgerson is a Canadian provincial politician. He was the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Saskatchewan Rivers from 2003 to 2007.- References :...
, former Provincial Cabinet Minister - David ForbesDavid ForbesDavid Forbes may refer to:*David Forbes , Scottish soldier*David McHattie Forbes , Scottish agriculturalist, and plantation manager, judge, explorer in the territory of Hawaii...
- sitting MLA, currently Opposition critic for Social Services, Disabilities, Housing, and the CBO Sector - Don Kossick]] - 2006 Federal NDP Candidate in Blackstrap
- Greg Marchildon, Executive Director of the Romanow Commission
- Angie Merasty, President of the Aboriginal New Democrats of Saskatchewan
- Don MitchellDon MitchellDon Mitchell may refer to:*Don Mitchell , American actor best known for his role in the TV series Ironside*Don Mitchell , designer of the Mitchell Nimbus, Mitchell U-2 Superwing and AmeriPlanes Mitchell Wing A-10...
, 2008 Federal NDP Candidate in PalliserPalliser-People:* Anthony Palliser , painter* Arthur Palliser , Royal Navy admiral* Charles Palliser , American-born, British-based novelist* George Palliser , Second World War Royal Air Force fighter pilot...
Riding, former Mayor of Moose Jaw and 1970 candidate for the leadership of the Saskatchewan NDP - Peter PrebblePeter PrebblePeter W. Prebble is a Canadian provincial politician. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, representing the constituencies of Saskatoon Sutherland from 1978 to 1982, Saskatoon University from 1986 to 1991 and Saskatoon Greystone from 1999 to 2007.He was...
, former Provincial Cabinet Minister - Maynard SonntagMaynard SonntagMaynard Sonntag is a Canadian politician and a former Saskatchewan cabinet minister.He was raised and educated in Goodsoil, Saskatchewan. Prior to being elected, Sonntag was a manager in the Credit Union system from 1980-1991....
, former Provincial Cabinet Minister - Dion Tchorzewski, Regina attorney, son of former Cabinet Minister Ed Tchorzewski
- Nettie WiebeNettie WiebeNettie Wiebe is a Canadian professor, born January 22, 1949. She grew up near Warman, Saskatchewan. She has a BA and MA in Philosophy from the University of Saskatchewan and a Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of Calgary....
- former National Farmer's Union President, Federal NDP candidate and third-place finisher in 2001 provincial NDP leadership race.
Meili's was also the first campaign to include endorsements from members of the general public who didn't necessarily have a high public profile like traditional political endorsers. This list included small business people, academics, students, lawyers and others. Near the end of the leadership campaign, both Dwain Lingenfelter
Dwain Lingenfelter
Dwain Lingenfelter is a businessman, farmer, politician and former Leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Lingenfelter won the leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party on June 6, 2009...
and Yens Pedersen
Yens Pedersen
Yens Pedersen is a lawyer and was a candidate in the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership race. Before entering the leadership race, he served as the President of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. Yens was the NDP candidate in the constituency of Regina South in the 2007 provincial...
began using a similar strategy on their endorsement pages.
Saskatoon-Sutherland
On April 9, 2010, Ryan Meili announced that he would be seeking the NDP's nomination in Saskatoon SutherlandSaskatoon Sutherland
Sutherland is a neighborhood or subdivision of the University Heights SDA, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.Saskatoon Sutherland is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Canada....
in the 2011 provincial election. This is a riding which is traditionally held by the NDP but is currently held by Joceline Schriemer
Joceline Schriemer
Joceline Schriemer is a Canadian politician. She was elected to represent the electoral district of Saskatoon Sutherland in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2007 election. She is a member of the Saskatchewan Party....
, a Saskatchewan Party MLA. This announcement fulfilled a promise made during his concession speech at the end of his leadership race. Meili began his nomination campaign by using Facebook to announce Money Bomb 2.0, a sequel to his first money bomb which he used to great effect in his leadership campaign. Three other candidates are also seeking the NDP nomination in this riding.
Awards
- 2007 - named Saskatoon’s Global Citizen of the Year by the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation.
- 2006 - Saskatchewan Health Care Excellence Award
- 2004 - Dr. G. Ernest McBrien Award for the highest standing in his Family Medicine clerkship.