Born in Spaniard’s Bay, Newfoundland, in 1926, Ed Finn grew up in Corner Brook, where he later became first a printer’s apprentice, then a reporter, columnist, and editor of that city’s daily newspaper, the Western Star.

His long career as a journalist later included two years as a reporter with the Montreal Gazette and 14 years as a labour relations columnist for the Toronto Star.

During his four-year fling in politics in Newfoundland (1959-1962), he served as the first provincial leader of the NDP and ran as an NDP candidate in two provincial and two federal elections. He worked closely with Tommy Douglas for some years and helped defend and promote his pioneering Medicare legislation in Saskatchewan.

Throughout the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, he did communications work for labour unions, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and served for three years on the board of directors of the Bank of Canada.

Ed’s 70-plus years in journalism culminated with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He retired in 2014 after serving 20 years as editor of the CCPA’s monthly magazine, The Monitor.

Ed was appointed to the Order of Canada in November 2020 for his lifelong contributions to Canada’s political discourse as a trade unionist, journalist, writer and politician.

Ed passed away peacefully in Ottawa on December 27, 2020 at the age of 94.