Fonds F 2190 - D'Arcy Martin fonds

D'Arcy Martin (1947- ) is a social activist, an adult educator, and an education coordinator for various unions in Ontario.

D'Arcy Martin was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1947. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1969 and then enrolled in graduate studies at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) where he received a Master of Arts degree. Martin focused his graduate work on the Latin American educational system and the problems associated with under-development. In 1995, Martin received his Ed.D. from OISE. Martin's doctoral thesis was on the Canadian labour movement, and was entitled "Streetsmart: Learning in the union culture."

Since 1978, Martin has worked as an educator within the Canadian labour movement where he has designed, administered and taught numerous union courses and seminars. Between 1978 and 1986, Martin was the Canadian Education Director of the United Steelworkers of America. From 1986 to 1992, he was the Education Representative (Ontario Region) for the Communications and Electrical Workers of Canada and from 1992 to 1997 he was the National Education Representative (Ontario Region) for the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. Since 1997, Martin has worked as an educator for a variety of labour unions and other organizations such as the Service Employees International Union, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour and the Canadian Grocery Producers Council.

Martin also established educational organisations and programs within the wider community. In 1973, Martin helped to found and direct the Development Education Centre (DEC), a non-profit collective designed to educate the public on the causes of underdevelopment in Canada and the Third World. From 1986 until 1996, Martin helped to establish and administer the Doris Marshall Institute (DMI). This Institute worked with community groups and union organisations to develop popular education methods, materials and programs. From its founding in 1988, Martin was active in establishing and supporting the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre in Hamilton. Between 1993 and 1997 Martin was on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association for Adult Education (CAAE), as well as serving as the chair for the Canadian Advisory Group of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE).

Martin was also involved with the formation of the Ontario Training and Assessment Board (OTAB) and the Ontario Training Corporation (OTC). As an advisor to the labour representative on the Premier's Council, Martin helped to shape both of these training initiatives.

D'Arcy Martin has written extensively on such topics as unions, education and training. Some of his publications include "Thinking Union: Activism and Education in Canada's Labour Movement," 1995, and "EducatING for a change," which was co-authored by Martin and was published in 1991.