SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife man has collected 900 signatures in what might be one of the NWT's biggest petitions yet.

Mark Bogan, right, hands his 900-signature petition in support of Bill C-560 to Ben Nind in Dennis Bevington's constituency office Wednesday. - Daniel Campbell/NNSL photo

Mark Bogan, secretary for the Canadian Equal Parenting Council, dropped off his petition at the office of Dennis Bevington, NDP MP for the Western Arctic yesterday. Bogan said he's been in Yellowknife collecting signatures since April 1 in support of Bill C-560, a bill that seeks equal parenting in cases of marital breakdown.

The courts currently use a sole-custody model of children following a divorce.

"People were very receptive. I figure I got anywhere from 15 to 20 signatures an hour," said Bogan.

Standing in front of the post office, downtown liquor store and uptown liquor store, usually for two hours per day, Bogan

collected all but seven of the 900 signatures on the petition.

Also known by the faux-superhero moniker Plywood Man, Bogan has made a name for himself in Yellowknife and abroad with his provocative - though sometimes illegal - stunts in support of father's rights.

In 2004, Bogan was arrested after lobbing several small plastic bags mixed with chalk and dye - all of which missed - at federal election candidates during a public forum inside Northern United Place.

Bogan was fined and put on probation a year later, when he released a bag of crickets inside the judge's chambers in Yellowknife.

Then in 2008, he was booted out of Ontario for barricading himself on the roof of Jack Layton's constituency office in Toronto.

The stunts, often in support of the Fathers 4 Justice organization, were in protest of the sole-custody model used in family courts.

Nowadays, Bogan has put away the superhero costume and sticks to his "good old-fashioned petition," as he puts it.

"I think that's a thing of the past, thank you. It's unlikely that will resurface," Bogan said of Plywood Man.

Bogan said he hopes Bevington will give the bill a chance.

"I'm hoping that his party might reconsider their current position. They're opposing the bill," he said.

"I would hope that this might give it a push, and at least give this bill a chance to make it through committee, and that would be a good starting point."

Bevington said Bogan's petition is one of the larger ones he's had, but could not confirm if it was the biggest. He promised to present it in the House of Commons, but expressed concerns about the bill.

"It detracts from the individual justice that's required by the divorce act. It may lead to a lot more fractious litigation. There's some issues with it."

Bevington hinted he'd follow suit with his party's position.

"I'll consider what's going on with it, but it's a very contentious bill, and obviously one that I don't know that I'll be supporting it," said Bevington.

Bogan thanked the town and local businesses for accommodating him during his campaign.

"Generally, people around town as I was walking were also extremely accommodating, so I thank the entire town for its patience."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.