Justin Tilson

Justin Tilson, a Manitoulin Island local, is a successful entrepreneur and a natural leader with a passion for economic and environmental sustainability.

While in his early teens, Justin started The Bike Medics, a bicycle sales and repair business that serves the people of Manitoulin Island to this day. In 1997, while riding his bike, Justin sustained a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed below the chest. After years of striving, he emerged from this accident with great resilience and an appetite for change. This new direction lead him to complete a degree in Entrepreneurship in British Columbia. After graduation, Justin co-founded Elastic Path Software, a company that has grown to a multi-million dollar enterprise with over 150 employees.

While expanding his business, Justin continued to be locally involved by starting a community garden and compost depot. His quiet ambition to grow food in the city stretched out to span a full city block, beautifying the neighbourhood and feeding many people along the way. Taking an occasional break from the garden, Justin served as an ambassador to the Rick Hansen Foundation, sharing his story and encouraging people to become involved in the Wheels in Motion annual fund raising event which supports spinal cord research and community accessibility projects. Justin was also a volunteer yoga instructor for boys and girls in a juvenile detention centre in Vancouver.

After contributing eight years to Elastic Path, Justin felt called to shift direction and pursue sustainability full time. To guide this change, Justin completed an MBA in Sustainable Development at Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI) near Seattle, Washington. While at BGI, Justin was introduced to his true passion, Permaculture, a system for designing sustainable human communities developed from understanding natural ecosystem evolution combined with traditional wisdom and modern techniques. Permaculture, both art and science, is Justin’s chosen means to create an abundant, resilient and prosperous future for the North. After completing his formal education, Justin returned to Manitoulin where he is currently designing and building a permaculture education centre, farm and nursery.

As a Green MPP, Justin would support local economic development, indigenous and non-indigenous arts & culture, education, thriving regional food production and clean, green, renewable energy. He is a compassionate leader and welcomes the opportunity to bridge divergent views to create solutions for a healthy, vibrant and sustainable North.