Bennett Metcalfe (October 31, 1919 – October 14, 2003) was a Canadian journalist and first chairman of Greenpeace, which was founded in 1971. Ben Metcalfe was born in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

. Later he moved to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and at the age of 16 joined the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. He was posted in India and North Africa. After World War II he worked as journalist in France. He moved back to Canada in 1951, living in Winnipeg, West

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, and Shawnigan Lake. He worked as a journalist, editor, and freelance correspondent for Winnipeg Free Press, the Province in Vancouver and other publications. He also started a public relations company with his second wife Dorothy. In 1971 he joined the crew member of the Greenpeace boat sailing to protest against U.S. army nuclear bomb test near Amchitka island. When the Greenpeace Foundation was established, Metcalfe became its first chairman. He recognized the importance of a media campaign as a tool to gain support for environmental issues. He left his post when Greenpeace changed focus from nuclear weapons to fighting against whaling and seal hunting. He is the author of a biography of Roderick Langmere Haig-Brown: Metcalfe, E. Bennett (1985). ''A man of some importance : the life of Roderick Langmere Haig-Brown'' Published by James W. Wood, Vancouver. , . Metcalfe died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at age 83. He had three daughters Michelle, Charlotte, and Sophie; and sons Christopher (1958-1980), and Michael (1956-2002)

References

External links

Article in Globe and Mail

Obituary

Metcalfe reporting aboard Greenpeace vessel (CBC archive)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metcalfe, Ben Canadian environmentalists Journalists from Manitoba People from Winnipeg 1919 births 2003 deaths People associated with Greenpeace Canadian expatriates in the United Kingdom Canadian expatriates in France Royal Air Force personnel of World War II