It’s an honour to rise on behalf of the official opposition to pay tribute to Carman McClelland in acknowledgement of his years of service to the people of Brampton and Ontario. I’d like to acknowledge his family for this celebration of life. We know that public service poses unique challenges for the family members of those who hold office, and we both honour them and thank them for sharing Carman with Brampton and Ontario.

Carman brought a unique perspective to this place. As a child of missionaries, he spent many of his formative years abroad in Africa, moving to the then small town of Brampton in 1964 for his high school years.

Carman had a front-row seat to the rapid changes in Brampton, watching it transition from a small community of 20,000 in his teens to one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities. His riding alone, one of two in the city at the time, was nearly five times larger than the entire town of his youth, boasting over 95,000 residents during his time in office.

Carman loved Brampton and its people and took great pride in the things that made a fast-growing Brampton special. He always spoke very highly of the city’s diversity, its economic and social potential, and the unique characteristics that made Brampton North, in his words in this chamber, “one of the greatest communities in the province.”

Carman’s service to Brampton and its people went far beyond his time in elected office and was reflected in his volunteer work with his church; Rogers Cable 10; the William Osler health centre; The Bridge, which was an in-custody and release program; and the Brampton Youth Hockey Association, just to name a few.

During the 1987 election, Carman won easily in a campaign where improved transportation and a new hospital were top priorities for Brampton voters—issues that continue to resonate with the community some 35 years later.

Regardless of where he sat in this chamber, be it in the government benches or over here on the opposition side of the House, he never forgot the people who sent him to this special place, always bringing the challenges and triumphs of his beloved hometown to the floor of this Legislature.

Carman was a fierce advocate for improved health care in his city and pushed for increased services and access in Brampton North from both sides of the aisle.

He was also an outspoken voice for the environment, using his platform as an MPP to draw attention to issues like acid rain, landfill expansion and water quality.

After losing his bid for re-election in 1995, Carman returned to practising law in Brampton, though elected office never strayed far from his thoughts.

Carman re-emerged with a desire to serve, putting his name forward as a candidate for Brampton council in 2018. In an interview with the Brampton Guardian during the campaign, Carman spoke passionately about his desire to share his “experience and commitment to ‘servant leadership’” as part of an overall goal to help “build a better Brampton.” Though unsuccessful, it is clear that his passion for his city continued to play a prominent role in his life.

Thank you, Carman, for your service to Ontario. May you rest in peace.