Doug Yardley
Secretary and Newsletter Editor

1. Tell us about your background. 

I was born in England in 1951and our family came to Canada in 1952. My father was a Chartered Accountant, so we were always financially comfortable and I was able to attend university. We were not regular churchgoers and there was little religion in our home. Nonetheless, my father asked suspicious questions when I joined HAC (Humanist Association of Canada) in1981. As a teenager I was told that I had to believe in God until I was 21. I thought that was nonsense. 

2. How did you become a secular humanist?

I never became a secular humanist; I always was one. My science courses at university convinced me that the laws of nature were sufficient to understand the universe and that ethical decisions had to be based on real-world evidence. 

3. When did you become involved with HAT and what roles did you play?

In 1989 I heard from Olga van de Ven about the formation of a Toronto humanist group so I attended a gathering at Johan and Olga's old home in Scarborough on a chilly damp day in April. I served as recording secretary and newsletter editor. I also helped with the Word on the Street booth but in the later years they did not give us a good location. Also my lack of a car limited the materials I could bring to the fair. 

4. Are there accomplishments at HAT you are especially proud of?

I was delighted when the members approved a by-law that I proposed that provides for Honorary Life Membership. It specifies that a recipient must have shown their dedication to the cause through "personal struggle, risk, or sacrifice." It was written with Dr. Morgentaler in mind. It didn't seem appropriate to ask someone to pay membership dues after enduring prison for what he believed was right. 

5. What does HAT mean to you?

I have maintained my HAC and HAT membership and I am a regular user of Twitter, where I speak up for intellectual freedom and church-state separation. We need HAT and similar organizations more than ever when some people talk of "Christian nationalism" and hate and prejudice are becoming legitimized. 

6. What are your current interests?

These days I am heavily involved in cycling. Most weeks I volunteer for the Toronto Bike Brigade, delivering food packages to people in need. I spend two afternoons a week helping to repair bikes for Access Alliance's cycling program. I am still interested in nature and science. I have a hobby of photographing spiders and other bugs. I am also learning about whales and what I'm learning leads me to doubt that humans are superior to other creatures. I also care for a tortoise who has owned me since 1995.