John Shields died earlier this year at 78. New York Times photo by Leslye Davis

The New York Times recently published a great story about the life and death of former B.C. union leader John Shields, who was tormented by an incurable disease.

It details how, with the help of his family, friends and his doctor, he choose to live and die. The NYT times story by Catherine Porter is here.

Shields was the former president for 14 years of the B.C. Government Employees’ Union, the biggest union in British Columbia, Canada.

Under his tenure, the union went from 20,000 members to about 58,000. He was also a former Catholic priest, social worker, civil rights activist and “the savior of a floundering land trust that included 7,191 acres of protected wilderness and historic properties,” the story said.