Areas of Expertise: Energy systems, nuclear power, sustainability, communications and campaign design, strategic planning and non-profit management
Shawn-Patrick Stensil is the Deputy Executive Director at the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA).
Shawn-Patrick comes to CELA with over 25 years of professional experience as an environmental advocate, policy analyst, and leader within non-profit organizations in Canada. However, his environmental activism began as a child when he witnessed the impacts of chemical exposure on his mother from the factory she worked at. Having seen his mum’s personal fight to protect and advocate for herself, Shawn-Patrick has a deep respect for CELA’s mission to seek justice for those harmed by pollution, in particular low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Previously, he worked as a director at both Greenpeace Canada and the Sierra Club of Canada, leading the design and implementation of advocacy campaigns. Shawn-Patrick has been a frequent media commentator and has also testified on policy and regulatory issues to many provincial, national, and international government committees and agencies.
He has prepared innumerable regulatory submissions and briefs for federal and provincial governments and agencies, and has also authored, co-authored and contributed to a large array of research reports on sustainable energy and nuclear risks.
At Greenpeace, Shawn-Patrick advised and supported the design of international campaigns as well as the development of the organization’s emergency response protocols. He was trained as a Radiation Protection Advisor for Greenpeace International and has participated in radiation monitoring work at Chernobyl, Fukushima and in Spain.
In 2009, Shawn-Patrick was named Best Environmental Activist by Toronto’s Now Magazine.
Although he now lives in Toronto with his partner, he enjoys cycling around southwestern Ontario where he grew up. He loves cats, beer, dark humour, 80s heavy metal, Canadian history and visiting local cemeteries when he travels.
Shawn-Patrick has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
You can follow him on Twitter via @SPStensil