I rise on behalf of the NDP caucus and as the member for Windsor West to pay tribute to Michael Charles Ray, a former city of Windsor alderman, MPP, lawyer and community advocate in Windsor-Essex. Most importantly, to his family, he was a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and uncle.

I want to welcome Mike’s family and friends who are with us today: Mike’s daughter Lea, her husband, Tim, and their son Dane—and thank you, Lea, for your time going back and forth with me as I prepared this tribute; Mike’s daughter Stacey and her son Cole; Mike’s sister Cathy; his friend Sharon Wyatt; and, as was mentioned, David Warner, the Speaker for the 35th Parliament here at Queen’s Park.

I also want to acknowledge Mike’s family who are joining us remotely from Ontario, Quebec, Florida and all the way into Scotland: Mike’s wife, Joyce; grandchildren Carmen and Reid; and Mike’s sisters Dee, Mary, Pat and Loretta.

Speaker, oftentimes when we pay tribute to a former MPP who has passed away, we start our remarks highlighting when the former member was first elected to the Legislature and their term as an MPP. It seems like the natural place for all of us to start. I’m going to start closer to the beginning of Mike’s story. Mike was born on August 27, 1936, and grew up in Hamilton in a middle-class family. His father, Art, was a sales manager at Stelco and his mother, Elvera, focused her time—and I would suspect a whole lot of energy—on raising six children. Mike was their firstborn, followed by five younger sisters.

His mom would play the piano for hours each day. Mike’s daughter Lea told me she had the talent to be a concert pianist but was too busy raising six kids. Mike was raised to appreciate music, something he carried throughout his life. He always supported the arts, like Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Windsor Light Music Theatre, and University Players.

He graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an honours BA in economics and political science. He received a teaching degree from the Ontario College of Education and started his career as a high school teacher. He met his wife, Joyce, also a high school teacher, while they were both working in Thunder Bay. They married in 1964 and moved to Windsor in 1967. Mike wanted to become a lawyer, so he returned to law school. He was a member of Windsor Law’s first graduating class and was called to the Ontario bar in 1973.

He was a man of deep faith, which was an important guiding factor in his life and something that he ensured was a central factor in his children’s lives, as well.

Mike followed the decisions made by different levels of government and public bodies, and he was immensely interested in the sociological impacts they would have on marginalized members of society. His daughter Lea shared with me that Mike would walk up and talk to people living on the street because he wanted to understand why they were on the street. He would often say to his children, “No one chooses to be homeless”—a belief that I also share—and as a lawyer and politician, Mike wanted to understand what brought them to that circumstance, what brought them to living on the street. He wanted to help change the systems that caused people to be on the street.

Mike worked as a lawyer and was director of clinical law at the faculty of law, legal assistance program at the University of Windsor. His passion for fair representation for all was something he proudly passed on to his law students.

He was elected to Windsor city council in 1980 and served as an alderman until 1987—we call them city councillors now.

In 1987, Mike was elected as the MPP for Windsor–Walkerville in the 34th Parliament. He proudly served as MPP until 1990.

He returned to law following his career in politics. When Mike left provincial politics in 1990, he said—and I think there are people here who can relate to this—“It’s a welcome relief from politics. It’s nice to get back into the practice of law. Politics was seven days a week—including nights and weekends—operating in two cities and constantly travelling back and forth. It was a full calendar.”

Mike was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus and served on the boards of the Windsor Port Authority and Windsor Police Service.

He was a member of the YQG Windsor International Airport board and the Windsor Regional Hospital board at the time of his death on October 7, 2021, at the age of 85.

Mike is remembered by his colleagues as “fun to work with,” “believed in freedom and democracy,” “a great fighter” for his constituents, and a very respected MPP. He always stood up for what he believed was right—sometimes literally moved to his feet during intense debates.

Mike cared about the environment and defended it constantly, from the local environment in Windsor-Essex to preserving and protecting the greenbelt.

People voted for Mike because they believed in him, and he never wanted to let them down.

Mike always thought that local community was where the best of life was lived and that Windsor was the perfect size to have a wonderful life. That is why he fought so hard to improve on our infrastructure, hospitals, the downtown core, which I am a proud resident of, and our parkland, and to have the Windsor waterfront preserved for public use. Speaker, the beautiful waterfront, which I believe you saw not too long ago, stretches for many kilometres, and that is his legacy to our city.

Mike was an incredibly caring and kind person. I share this from his tribute that was posted online:

“While in the hospital, Michael often remarked about the professionalism and compassion displayed by the nurses, doctors and other staff. He was reassured that part of his life’s work came to fruition with the ongoing efforts to provide quality care to the patients at” Windsor Regional Hospital. “Beyond his forthright manner and diligent quest for justice, he taught us all that doing the right thing was not always popular, but was the necessary path. Compassion was the basis of his morality, and his impassioned stories, whether anecdotal or serious, will be missed. Michael was a true scholar and a gentleman.”

Leading up to his final days, Mike took time to call his loved ones, family and friends to let them know how he felt about them. His biggest concern was making sure that his family was taken care of.

Speaker, I read through the tributes to Michael Ray that were shared after his passing, and I will echo what the member for Windsor–Tecumseh said. I was going to read Marion Overholt’s quote, but he already did. But what I will say is that Marion Overholt doesn’t give out praise easily; you really have to earn it, and the fact that she spoke so highly of Michael Ray shows what an incredible advocate and human being he was for our community.

Speaker, Michael Charles Ray is a man I wish I had the pleasure of knowing and learning from.

I join members of my community in honouring Mike for caring so deeply, for his lengthy years of service and unwavering dedication to our community.

And a heartfelt thank you to Mike’s family for sharing him with all of us and for sacrificing your time with him as he fought for the betterment of our community.

Rest in peace, Mike, knowing others will continue to fight the good fight and will follow the path that you inspired us to take.

It is always an honour to stand in this proud Legislature, and today, it is my honour on behalf of Ontario’s New Democrats to pay tribute to Drummond White. I am pleased to acknowledge Drummond’s family and friends who are watching today’s tributes from Whitby and beyond: Drummond’s wife and partner of 50 years, Norah Love; children Amanda, Devin and Lenore, and their spouses Brad, Alli and Brandon; and beloved grandchildren Arya, Maisie, Ezra, Wilton, Ophelia and Miles. Drummond’s sister, Rosemary Johnston, nieces Kate, Alison and Emily and extended family and friends are also watching. And we would like to welcome Drummond’s daughter Lenore White to the Legislature today, and David Warner, the 35th Speaker.

When we pay tribute to former MPPs, it is a special chance to share the life and legacy of someone who worked to shape the world we live in, and in Drummond White’s case, the legacy of someone who was inspired by the world around him and an inspiration to those he met along the way. For anyone who met Drummond, they knew that he would listen with conviction and laugh with wild abandon, and we will miss that laugh.

Henry Perrin Drummond White was born in Toronto on March 19, 1951. As a child, he was bright, independent and a voracious reader and critical thinker. He was philosophically a social democrat from a very young age, and that never wavered.

Drummond came from a very conservative family. In fact, two of his first cousins are Perrin Beatty, the former MP and cabinet minister, and George Beatty, currently an Ontario judge and former Conservative MPP.

While respectful of his family’s background, Drummond never shied from making his own way and daring to march to a different drum. As a teenager at Oshawa’s O’Neill Collegiate in the 1960s, he invited Ed Broadbent to speak to the entire school assembly, which was quite bold in that community at that time, as his wife, Norah, recalled to me. Norah also shared that Drummond and she met in 1969 on day one at the University of Toronto. They were both studying English literature, philosophy and psychology, and they were, as she describes it, “somewhat hippieish, enjoying the music and counterculture of the times.” She was sure Drummond had a book in his hand when they met, probably Leonard Cohen poetry or maybe a political manifesto. They got married in 1972, settled in Whitby in 1981, and recently celebrated their 50th anniversary in September 2022 with their beloved family of three kids and now six active grandchildren.

Drummond’s commitment to social justice and social democracy was lifelong, not just during his time in the Legislature or serving with the NDP. Wherever they lived, Drummond would get involved in the local NDP riding associations and volunteer on campaigns. He always wanted to get the message out there, regardless of the outcome.

Although his parents might have liked him to pursue law, Drummond chose social work as his career. Social democrat values are consistent with those of social work and also with Unitarian principles, and Drummond was a chaplain for years at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Durham, and was very involved within that community.

As a social worker, Drummond worked with vulnerable individuals in child protection and counselling services, both on the job and in his free time. He was an active advocate for people across the community and province. He worked on welfare reform and child poverty issues, volunteered with immigrant support groups, and stood up for environmental protection, long-term care, LGBTQ rights and issues of equity and fairness across communities.

Drummond was very involved in professional social work organizations, as we’ve heard, and in 2005 was awarded the Canadian Association of Social Workers’ distinguished service award. Drummond would show up, stand up and speak up on social justice causes all his life.

Drummond’s family remembers a lifetime of attending vigils and demonstrations over the years. His kids would no doubt remember joining picket lines and events like Save Our Shores in Whitby, Eaton’s workers strikes and plenty of others, not to mention lots and lots of neighbourhood walks handing out leaflets.

Drummond was always involved in various campaigns—and as all of us know, not all of them are winning campaigns. In 1990, Drummond ran for the NDP. Norah told me that they weren’t expecting to win that election, so on election night, he was in the hot tub in the backyard. They called him, and someone said, “You’d better get over here,” and he was thinking, “Why? What’s the rush?” So they told him, “It looks like you won, and Al Furlong is on the way to congratulate you.” So he had to get out of the hot tub, dry off and get to his victory party. I hadn’t heard that story before preparing for this tribute, and I don’t know whether Norah is happy that I’m sharing it, but I’m sharing it.

In 1990, ridings that weren’t typically orange went orange in a wave. Drummond White ably represented the area of Whitby and part of Oshawa as the NDP MPP for Durham Centre from 1990 to 1995. He continued to be locally committed and involved in the Ontario NDP, and in 2017, was proud to be honoured with a lifetime membership.

Drummond was a strong political force locally and was an active parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, serving this House until 1995. Although he always followed politics and current events, Drummond had many more interests that informed his beliefs and his values. He loved the arts, literature, music, travel, physical adventure, and family.

I did not meet Drummond through politics. I met him through local theatre. No one would be surprised that Drummond and I both have occasionally tended towards the dramatic. In fact, the last time I saw Drummond was on a visit to Stratford, when we ran into Drummond and Norah. We were at a play and all had the chance for a quick visit at intermission. Many folks know well that Drummond and Norah were members at Stratford, and each season, the minute anyone could get tickets, Drummond was figuring out the schedules and getting tickets for the whole season—the whole entire season, and all the plays every season. For Drummond, theatre and arts were a family affair. His children grew up being taken to theatre and live events, folk festivals, concerts, science centres and museums. They spent time in nature along the French River and on many family trips.

Many people remember competitive chess with Drummond, although no one seems to remember winning.

Friends recall Drummond with his books and his dog and, usually, a Cuban cigar on the porch of Burr Lodge.

Drummond was always proud of his Scottish heritage and often solved all of the world’s problems with friends over a glass of Scotch.

Drummond White died on November 25, 2022, with his family by his side. The thoughtful and familiar tributes shared at this service made it very clear that Drummond had meant so much to so many. His six young grandkids loved their grandpa, and each put a Scotch thistle into a vase at the beginning of the service. Family and friends shared wonderful tributes.

Friend Niki Lundquist of Whitby shared, “When someone looks back at a life and can say, ‘They inspired me.’ That their hope for better, that their commitment to progress for people, that their activism and their politics improved lives in a real and tangible way—that is a rich legacy. It is a legacy of hard work and hope. For better. For everyone. That is Drummond’s legacy.”

Drummond White was committed to family and community, to newcomers and new friends, to justice and democracy, the environment, creativity and thought, and he debated, inspired, fought, challenged and changed the world he loved so deeply.

Drummond White wasn’t like anyone else I have ever met. He set a unique, authentic and enthusiastic example for living life. It was always clear he loved the journey and he loved his family.

This Legislature and the province of Ontario are grateful to Drummond’s family for sharing him with us.

Over Drummond and Norah’s kitchen table is a picture of Tommy Douglas, and on their wall is a Leonard Cohen print. It was Leonard Cohen who said, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” But it was Drummond White who shone a brilliant and true light and reflected any ray of light he came across to make the world so much brighter.

Thank you, Drummond. You will be missed.

Applause.

I rise today on behalf of His Majesty’s government to pay tribute to a special public servant, the late Mr. David Caplan. I also want to acknowledge the presence here of our former Speaker, Speaker Warner, who is with us in the gallery.

I want to begin by recognizing, as you did, Madam Speaker, David’s loved ones: his mother Elinor, a former cabinet minister, both of this House and in Parliament in Ottawa; his father Wilfred; David’s wife, Leigh, and sons, Jacob and Ben; his brother and best friend Mark; and many other family members who are with us today joining us at Queen’s Park. And thank you, former Minister Caplan, for sharing a few words about your son earlier.

David’s career at Queen’s Park was based on the values that many of us hold dear, of service over self, and this was a value instilled in him at a young age by both of his parents, Elinor and Wilfred Caplan.

Although I did not know David, I really would have liked our paths to have crossed, because I know from the colleagues in this House what a good fortune it was to have him here with us. It’s a real honour to have both a mother and son not only serve in this House, but serve in the same portfolio in different administrations as the Minister of Health. It’s quite unbelievable, and something rare.

When he passed, my colleague from Nepean who served with Mr. Caplan said, “He was a good public servant and a kind soul.” His former staff members noted that he was really “someone who had friends from all political stripes.” These recollections give us an important glimpse as to who David Caplan was as a person.

In preparing this tribute, I spoke to colleagues of mine here. My great colleague and friend, the member behind me from Sarnia–Lambton, was here when David was here. He said he had a great sense of humour and made an effort to get to know MPPs from all parties, even while serving as a government minister.

My colleague from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock, who would sit here, echoed this sentiment, noting that Mr. Caplan was a team player and could disagree on policy but was always friendly and able to share a laugh. She noted his dedication to his family and constituents.

We are lucky to live in Ontario, and we’re fortunate to serve here at Queen’s Park. Former Minister Caplan, as you know, less than 2,000 of us have had the honour to serve here, and both you and your son were one of them.

This is a place where we strive to make collegiality count, and members across the aisle have a lot of mutual respect for one another, especially in the halls. David Caplan emulated these values.

David cared about important causes like the Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity. Before coming to Queen’s Park, he started as a school trustee, as you told me earlier. He was always looking forward and working towards a better tomorrow.

I might add, to his wife, Leigh: We know it. We know that without having a supportive spouse and parents, you can’t make it here. You helped him along the way, and it’s important that we acknowledge you as well.

He served in both government and in opposition, always willing to extend a hand of friendship.

He was also one of the few members of the Jewish community who served here, both as a member and as a cabinet minister, and we acknowledge that as well.

We know that when someone passes, it’s a dark time. As the years go on, although the pain hopefully subsides, grief continues in different ways. Learning about David’s life and legacy, especially from my colleagues and his family, it’s clear that David was a light, and we should take comfort in remembering what a little light can do in darkness: It can give us that little bit of hope.

Today we honour David Caplan because he believed in Ontario, he believed our best days lie ahead, he believed in our province and in our future. Parce qu’il croyait en notre province et en notre avenir.

David fulfilled his duty to his province, honoured his commitment to his constituents and his family and brought so much light to so many. We will always remember him. May his memory be for a blessing.