About Teale
Lives in Cloverdale, Saanich near Rutledge Park with his partner Stephanie.
A volunteer member of the board of the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network, where he leads the Pocket Places Project, which helps map, build, stock and promote little free libraries around the region.
Has a PhD in politics and international studies from the University of Cambridge, and two BAs from the University of Calgary (political science and international relations).
An expert in illegal fishing and the strategic use of international law by non-state actors.
A dedicated environmentalist, he co-founded OceansAsia, a marine conservation organization dedicated to protecting our oceans and combating illegal fishing and wildlife crime.
Passionate about equality, he co-founded and chairs the AccessBC Campaign for free prescription contraception in BC.
Teale learned early on that welcoming and engaging public places invite neighbours to meet, mix and ultimately form community.
The process by which people work together to create quality public spaces is known as placemaking, and Teale is dedicated to using this practice to nurture community in Saanich. Combining his passion for books and placemaking, Teale has been helping to promote, build, map, and stock little free libraries around the CRD.
“Placemaking is all about softening the hard edges of the urban landscape, and creating vibrant public spaces where people can meet and interact, something that is critical to building and strengthening community. I grew up on a street in downtown Calgary where all the neighbours knew each other. It was more than a street, it was a community. On any given summer evening you’d find neighbours gathered on one porch or another, chatting and enjoying a glass of wine. This evening tradition needed friendly neighbours (and wine) to develop, but it was also helped along by readily available front porches. This taught me a valuable lesson; that the spaces in which people live influence how community develops. Creating the spaces and programs that will allow community and well being to flourish is an important role for municipal government.”
Teale is a board member for the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network, and leads their Pocket Places Project, which is principally dedicated to mapping, supporting and propagating little free libraries. Over the past year, he has helped set up dozens of little free libraries around the region. You will often see him cycling about town dropping off books to little libraries - to date he has personally delivered over 30,000! Teale also volunteers with the Victoria Tool Library, and supports his strata’s community garden.
Teale is a passionate teacher and debate coach
Speech and debate have played a central role in Teale’s life. He began debate in grade 8, barely able to get through 30 seconds of a speech, but worked his way towards competing in national and international tournaments at the high school and university levels.
Teale now works to pass this experience on to others, particularly young people, through speech and debate coaching.
“Debate opened my eyes to the world around me. I would watch the news so my arguments would be better informed, and in the process I was exposed to new ideas and issues. The critical thinking skills that are fostered through debate help me approach policy decisions with care. I’m able to appreciate and weigh a wide range of different perspectives. Debate was also my first experience with teaching. As the president of my high school and university teams I was in charge of training my peers. It’s amazing to watch the transformation of a shy student into one who can successfully express opinions, gaining confidence along the way. Debate has the power to change lives and open minds.”
Teale has worked with individuals one-on-one and with teams at schools across the capital region, including Bayside Middle School, Glenlyon Norfolk School, Brentwood College School, Stelly’s Secondary School, Selkirk Montessori. He currently volunteers with the Alberni District Secondary School debate team, which he helped form and coaches weekly by Skype. Teale also provides advice and support to schools across Vancouver Island to help increase the number of active debate teams in the region. He has played a lead role in reviving the BC Provincial Mock Trial competition held in Victoria.
Teale is a skilled researcher and policy-maker
Rigorous research is at the heart of much of what Teale does, and he believes strongly in using the best available research to inform decisions. He has BAs in political science and international relations from the University of Calgary, and a PhD in politics and international studies from the University of Cambridge. Teale was the recipient of a Chancellor's Scholarship for his undergraduate studies and was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship for his PhD. His training as a researcher taught him how to absorb and synthesize large amounts of information quickly and to take in – and appreciate – a wide range of views. It has also taught him the value and use of quantitative metrics to evaluate the success of policies.
“I have studied international relations for many years, and I am increasingly convinced that the solution to so many global problems can be found at the local level. We should not wait for cumbersome international negotiations to conclude before setting ourselves to the task of improving our communities and the ecosystems where they are found. The city is the future of change, where tangible and transformative change occurs.”
Teale has worked as a freelance researcher on issues ranging from forestry, fisheries, secular issues, Arctic politics, marine conservation and organized crime. He is a world expert on illegal fishing, and has presented his research at several UN conferences and meetings.
He currently works as the Director of Research for OceansAsia, a marine conservation organization he co-founded, as the Research Coordinator for the BC Humanist Association, and on an international team of academic studying team of
Teale has written policy for issues at the provincial and federal levels, and is currently a lead organizer on the BC-wide AccessBC Campaign for free prescription contraception. To learn more about his various projects please visit the Campaigns and Projects and Media pages.
Teale is a proud and active New Democrat
Teale has been an active member of the New Democratic Party since he joined in 2006. Since this time he has served in a wide variety of roles in both Alberta and BC.
He was the candidate for the NDP in Calgary West in the 2006 and 2008 Canadian federal elections, and ran for the Alberta NDP in Calgary Bow in 2008.
Applying his training as a political scientist, Teale has drafted policy for provincial and federal conventions, including policies on access to contraception, post-secondary tuition, and protecting the environment.
“I am drawn to the values of the NDP - principles like equality, fairness, and justice. New Democrats believe that we can build a society which allows everyone to reach their full potential. I want to live in a society where progress is measured by how much we care and support each other and our environment. Where people and their well-being are put before narrow private interests.”
Teale has volunteered and worked on a number of campaigns in roles ranging from canvasser, speech and debate coach, and organizer.
Teale currently servers as the President of the Saanich-Gulf Islands Federal NDP Riding Association, a position he has held since 2016.
Teale is also proud to support electoral reform and has worked on referendum campaigns in BC and in the UK.
Did you know that Teale is ...
Bilingual
Fluent in, and an avid supporter of French. He has worked to promote French and bilingual debate in the province, hosting a bilingual provincial tournament when he was the head debate coach at Glenlyon Norfolk School. He has also been a volunteer and regular guest on CILS 107.9 FM, Victoria’s Francophone community radio station.
A Budding Mycologist
Teale has an Instagram account dedicated entirely to photos of mushrooms! He loves hiking around Vancouver Island, where his ever-patient hiking companions wait (for a little while at least) for him to snap shots of all sorts of fungi.
A Hockey Player
A strong supporter of sport, Teale has played hockey all of his life. He played hockey while at University and coached the Cambridge University Women’s Ice Hockey Club.
He was a volunteer games maker at the 2012 London Olympics and more recently volunteered at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, BC Women’s Curling Championship in Victoria.