Former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley dies at 72

Former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley has died at the age of 72.

“It is with great sadness that I have learned of the death of the Honourable David C. Onley. On behalf of the people of Ontario, I convey my deep condolences to his wife Ruth Ann, to their children Jonathan, Robert, and Michael, and to their extended families,” Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell wrote in a statement.

Onley served as the province’s 28th Lieutenant Governor from 2007 until 2014. He was also named to the Order of Canada in 2017.

“His smiling face and exceptional skills as a communicator were already familiar to the many Ontarians who had followed his career in television journalism, which included a focus on science and technology reporting,” Dowdeswell wrote.

Onley, who used a motorized scooter after having polio as a child, was the first visibly disabled person to hold the lieutenant-governor position when he was appointed to the role in 2007.

He also had a long career as a television newscaster with a focus on science and technology reporting.

Dowdeswell said as a broadcaster Onley insisted he be shown in his mobility device on camera.

“Not content to simply lead by example, he was an active advocate on disability issues, particularly in the area of making the economic case for improved access to employment for people with disabilities,” Dowdeswell wrote.

Before being appointed lieutenant governor, Onley also served as the chair of the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council and was also a member of the Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centre’s accessibility councils.

He championed accessibility issues both during and after his term, at one point delivering a blistering indictment of Ontario’s efforts to keep up with its own accessibility legislation.

In a social media post, University of Toronto president Meric Gertler wrote the community was mourning the loss of a “true gentleman.”

Following his term as lieutenant governor, Gertler said Onley returned to his alma mater as a lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto Scarborough.

“A lifelong champion of accessibility, he made a difference in the lives of so many Ontarians. We send our deepest condolences to the Onley family at this very sad time,” the post added.

More to come …

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