Jon Coleman, an influential figure at the intersection of Indigenous rights, construction, and community advocacy in the Cowichan Valley. As a proud member of the Cowichan Tribes and the owner of Jon-Co Contracting, Jon has emerged as a formidable leader, dedicated to challenging systemic barriers that impact both his community and workers at large.

Last fall, Jon found himself temporarily locked out of contributing to the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project due to its designation as a CBA project. Undeterred, he spoke out against the exclusionary impacts of ideologically driven CBAs, implemented under the current NDP government, passionately declaring, “It’s not fair, it’s not right, and I will not be stepped on anymore. I will keep coming back here until we have paperwork that states where we stand.”

With first-hand experience of the challenges posed by ill-conceived and poorly structured CBAs, Jon emphasizes the negative repercussions of such agreements on workers, particularly on Indigenous workers, whom these agreements claim to uplift.

Currently residing in Duncan, Jon is not just a business owner but a family man deeply ingrained in his community. As the primary caregiver for his sisters’ children in care and a father and grandfather himself, Jon, alongside his partner, intimately understand the challenges faced by local families in the Cowichan Valley. His perspective, shaped by both personal and professional experiences, positions him as an unwavering advocate for the community’s well-being.