Charlie Angus

Charlie Angus brings his Resistance Tour to PEI for two events this month. On September 5 at 7 pm, he will be at North Rustico Lions Club with guest speaker Michelle Neill and musical guests Rowen Gallant and Nick Ouwerkerk. The tour then stops at Carrefour Theatre in Charlottetown with musical guests Catherine O’Brien and Kelley Mooney and an open reception from 6:30–7:30 pm.

Born in Timmins, Ontario in 1962, Charlie Angus came to prominence as a bassist and co‑songwriter of the early 80s punk band L’Étranger, known for its anti‑apartheid anthem “One People” and influenced by The Clash and Catholic social‑justice ideals. In the mid‑80s he formed the folk‑rock group Grievous Angels, continuing to blend music with activism. During his Toronto years he and his wife Brit Griffin founded a Catholic Worker house and homeless shelter, embodying grassroots DIY change.

Angus’s shift to electoral politics was spurred by his leadership in the Adams Mine anti‑dump campaign in 1989, where he realized community mobilization could challenge corporate power directly. He joined the NDP and was elected as MP for Timmins—James Bay in 2004, often championing Indigenous rights, income inequality, and First Nations education—notably passing “Shannen’s Dream” unanimously in 2012.

Following two decades in Parliament, Angus retired from electoral life and continues to speak out on democracy, anti‑fascism, Indigenous justice and affordability.