Ian Orenstein

Who is Ian Orenstein?

Ian Julius Orenstein is a political activist. Orenstein is the younger son of Oscar Orenstein and Jean Orenstein. He first lived in Toronto until 1967. Orenstein has also lived from 1967 to 1972 in Schumacher and Timmins and Ottawa. In 1979 he moved back to Toronto to help take care of an ill relative.

Orenstein is a socialist, and a longtime member of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

In 1978, Orenstein ran for Mayor of Ottawa. One Ottawa newspaper at the time described him as a "Robin Hood" figure. He finished in last place. Another NDP member, Marion Dewar, won the election.

In 1986, he challenged Bob Rae for the leadership of the Ontario NDP. At the time, any member could challenge the leader at the bi-annual Ontario CCF/NDP leadership conventions. This was principled symbolic protest against the increasingly centrist policy direction of the party under Rae's leadership. Orenstein had no chance of winning, and received only 38 votes against Rae's 776.

For many years, Orenstein has been involved in creating left-wing comic book series, including Comic Book Socialism and General Strike Comics. In the first issue of Comic Book Socialism, a woman named Angie Wells goes back in time to change the course of Canadian history. In later issues Comic Book Socialism published, a continuing series that was an allegory: on the Neo Conservative Harris Ontario government called: Harass The Mean Spirit. Some issues satirised Rae's political career; later collected in a comic book called: Fundamentals of Opportunism. The comics were published by Rosa Comics.