About Dan

Dan Johnstone, also known as “Can Man Dan”, is a Canadian anti-poverty activist, philanthropist, community organizer, and motivational speaker. His fundraising group, also called Can Man Dan, works to alleviate poverty, among many other important social issues, throughout Alberta, Canada. Johnstone was born in Edmonton on July 31, 1987 during the notorious Edmonton tornado (also known as “Black Friday”).

Dan, along with his younger brother, was raised in a single-parent household and for years, the family struggled to make ends meet. To help support his struggling mother with bills and rent, Dan began working at the age of 13 and would deliver newspapers around his neighbourhood in the morning, while also working for a local fast food outlet after school. For years, the Johnstones relied on various social services and programs to keep the family afloat. Dan graduated high school in 2006 and attended Grant MacEwan University for one year, after which he left to care for his mother who had fallen ill. He entered the labour market, working mainly commercial and residential construction jobs, embracing the blue-collar lifestyle of hard work and determination. After rising through the ranks in his career and ensuring his mother’s well-being, Johnstone started his philanthropy work by creating Can Man Dan in 2011 and Localive in 2015. Johnstone has since become one of western Canada’s most well-known and respected philanthropists, bringing attention to several different social issues and raising millions in resources for many charities/non-profits around the province. Johnstone currently resides in Edmonton South where he keeps busy with his Can Man Dan endeavours, supporting local entrepreneurs with his Localive initiative, coaching community sports, volunteering at several local events, and acting as an ambassador to many different organizations. Dan has been praised for his work in the community and has earned a powerful reputation for his hard-working spirit, big heart, and unique events.

Fast-forward to 2018, Dan has decided he wants to represent Albertans on a greater scale as an MLA, holding political office as a means to affect greater positive change. He believes all Albertans should be engaged and active participants in political policy-making, and wants to be the bridge that connects the everyday person to the inner workings of the province.

Dan believes in:

• Protecting and supporting small-business owners and giving entrepreneurs the tools they need to build a better Alberta.
• Being transparent and accountable for taxpayer dollars, while developing new and innovative ways to stretch each dollar to its maximum potential.
• Investing in our children and their future through adequate schooling, smaller class sizes, and the proper tools for learning development; supporting teachers by compensating them fairly for the immense work they do, and taking care of their physical and mental health.
• Keeping divisive and polarizing politics out of the Legislature and uniting Albertans once and for all.
• Making sure every Albertan has the opportunity to work; keeping taxes low with an affordable cost of living.
• Supporting the province’s oil industry, which laid a foundation for prosperity across Canada, while working towards being the world leader in environmental consciousness and preservation.
• Ensuring that every man, woman, and child has a hot meal on their plate every night; social security and confidence that the government is working in their best interest.
• Keeping corporate, union, special-interest, and lobbyist funding out of politics; fair elections and a grassroots mentality; the people having a say regardless of socioeconomic status.
• A warm, welcoming, safe province for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic background, or political opinion.