Citizens Environment Alliance [of Southwestern Ontario] Mourns Death of Founder

Ric Coronado
1941 - 2019

Citizens Environment Alliance Mourns Death of Founder

With heavy hearts, we inform you of the death of our founder, Ric Coronado on Tuesday July 30th, 2019. He is survived by his son, Derek.

For more than three decades, Ric was a tireless and effective citizen advocate for environmental and labour issues in Essex County and beyond.

In the 1980’s, Ric established and chaired the environment committee at Local 444. In 1990, he was responsible for pushing for the first environmental contract language between Chrysler and the CAW that established a joint National environment committee. This became the model for joint workplace environment committees that were later established in all Canadian big three manufacturing facilities. Ric was also instrumental in the formation of the City of Windsor's Windsor Environmental Advisory Committee and the formation of the Labour caucus of the Canadian Environmental Network. Simultaneously, he spent years working on Detroit River issues through the Binational Public Advisory Committee.

Ric was a spirited mentor to countless environmental activists in the Windsor area and beyond. In 1985, he founded the Windsor and District Clean Water Alliance, later renamed the Citizens Environment Alliance of Southwestern Ontario (CEA). This established a diligent and powerful international voice for environmental issues in the Great Lakes watershed. In a local appearance many years ago, Dr. David Suzuki referred to Ric as a “silverback” among environmentalists. This was fitting because Ric was both a fearless protector and a gentle and respected elder who had an enormous influence on his community.

Ric believed that every citizen has a responsibility to inform themselves and contribute to the improvement of their communities however they are able. It is a testament to his character that many of the politicians and power brokers whom he held to account so fiercely later sought Ric’s friendship and approval.

Ric led by example. He faced his own health challenges with determination and grace, and persevered where many would have surrendered. His commitment to the CEA was unwavering, and he was rightfully proud of the work the organization continues to do under the capable leadership of his beloved son.

Ric’s personal encouragement inspired generations of people who took up causes as citizen advocates. His wonderful sense of humour and unflinching loyalty will be missed by all those lucky enough to call him a friend. We mourn his passing and call on all those who remember Ric to honour his memory the way he would have appreciated most: keep pushing for clean air, clean water and healthy natural habitats in your community.

[The above is as posted by CEA. Beyond Nuclear note: Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps, who is a Don't Waste Michigan board member, has long worked with Ric, since the mid-1990s. An early project, in 1997, was fighting together against Mixed Oxide (MOX, plutonium and uranium) fuel, to be made from U.S. weapons-grade plutonium. More recently, CEA and Beyond Nuclear worked together in an environmental coalition to challenge the Fermi nuclear power plant in southeastern Michigan, and the Davis-Besse atomic reactor in northwestern Ohio, both on the Lake Erie shoreline. Several years ago, Kevin was honored to have been invited to speak on a Detroit River cruise, at an annual fundraiser for CEA. Ric's decades-long commitment to protect the environment of the Great Lakes, his sense of humor, and his joie de vivre, will be sorely missed.]