Good morning. Let us pray.

Prayers.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Robert V. Callahan, who was the MPP for Brampton during the 33rd Parliament and Brampton South during the 34th and 35th Parliaments.

Joining us today in the Speaker’s gallery are members of Mr. Callahan’s family: his wife, Lyn Callahan; his sons Kevin Callahan, Peter Callahan, Timothy Callahan and Brian Callahan; his daughters-in-law Andrea Caskey, Cassandra Callahan and Cheryl Roth; and his grandchildren Emily Callahan, Ryan Callahan and Victoria Callahan. With them in the Speaker’s gallery is David Warner, the Speaker during the 35th Parliament.

I recognize the member for Durham.

I would like to take a few moments to honour the late Bob Callahan. I’d like to begin by sharing a famous story that exemplifies who he was as a person. About a decade ago, Bob Callahan and some friends went downtown to catch a Toronto Maple Leafs game. On his way there, he was approached by a homeless man who asked if he had any change. Mr. Callahan did not have any change, but he had a $50 bill with him. In classic public servant Bob Callahan fashion, he gave the man the entire amount. He then spent a few minutes talking to the man, and concluded the conversation with a legendary line: “Just remember, I’m Bob from Brampton.” This story tells you a lot about Bob Callahan and his 43 years serving in public life. This 43-year résumé makes him one of the longest-serving politicians in Canadian history.

Brampton Bob passed away at the age of 83 on Boxing Day, 2020.

Mr. Callahan was a Liberal member of provincial Parliament who had friends on all sides of the aisle—a truly well-respected man. In fact, Brampton had recently named one of its community centres the Bob Callahan Flower City Seniors Centre in his honour, just a few days before his passing.

Mr. Callahan is survived by the love of his life, Lyn, his wife and partner for 58 years. He was a loving father to his four sons and a loving grandfather to his seven grandchildren.

Bob had a reputation of never missing his sons’ or grandchildren’s games. That is why he will be remembered by his family as the best fan anyone could ask for.

Bob will be remembered for his humour; his genuine kindness; his humility; his care and concern for others, especially the most vulnerable; and his tireless service to the community.

I remember Bob, his wife, Lyn, and his sons at Thunder Beach over many summers, and I know that Bob’s memory is honoured as Lyn continues to cottage at Thunder Beach in recent summers.

Even when Brampton Bob was not involved in politics, he continued helping people through his legal practice focused on criminal law. Bob often said that a large percentage of his clients were simply victims of their circumstances. He not only provided his clients with legal representation, but he took an interest in helping them change the direction of their lives through rehabilitation, gaining access to further education, and improving their life skills.

In 1969, Bob put his name in the ring to run for Brampton council. This was the beginning of what would become a lifetime of proudly serving the people of Brampton. Bob saw Brampton grow from a small town of just 15,000 to the vibrant city it is today.

A fun fact about when Bob Callahan was first elected to council: He was not a councillor as we refer to such office-holders today, but instead an alderman. While serving on council, among many other things, he was instrumental in the development of the Peel Heritage Complex, the new city hall, the Rose theatre, the Gage Park skating trail, the Powerade Centre, South Fletcher’s hockey complex, and double tracking for GO trains.

He continued doing great work during his 10 years as member of provincial Parliament, championing the construction of the A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse as well as the Brampton Civic Hospital, and he was an outspoken leader for many social changes happening within the province at that time.

Bob Callahan was first elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly in 1985 for the riding of Brampton. He was re-elected in 1987 and again in 1990 for the new riding of Brampton South. Over the years, Bob served on various committees here. He was the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, the Select Committee on Health, the Standing Committee on Administration of Justice, and the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills. He also served as a member of the Standing Committee on General Government.

All in all, not only was Bob Callahan a tremendous public servant who dedicated his life to serving those in need, but he was also an inspirational human being, a mentor to many, a great legal mind, and a true parliamentarian in the best sense of that tradition.

I look up to the family this morning—and I didn’t personally know Bob. This is my first honour as a member to stand and provide a tribute to a previous member who was here, and I hope I do him justice for you.

Speaker, it’s an honour to rise in my place on behalf of the official opposition and offer a few words of reflection on the life and service of Bob Callahan.

When journalist Steve Paikin paid tribute to the late Bob Callahan in January 2021, he wrote, “Callahan exemplified some of the best that public life can showcase.” Powerful words.

But when you truly consider Bob’s life and his contributions to his community, it quickly becomes apparent that Paikin’s kind words, while true, don’t fully do justice to the impact the man jokingly known as “Bob from Brampton” had on his city and his family. If you were to drive through Brampton, Bob Callahan Flower City Seniors Centre is an obvious tribute to Bob’s many years of faithful service. But if you took a closer look, it becomes apparent that Bob’s legacy looms large over the Rose City, both in the iconic—such as the Rose theatre, city hall, the Alderlea, and Gage Park skating trail—and the essential public works like GO service expansion, Brampton Civic Hospital, and the A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse. And those are only a few of the Brampton landmarks that Bob played a role in bringing to life. In fact, Bob’s 43 years of provincial and municipal service almost seem like a timeline of Brampton’s rapid rise from a small rural town to one of Canada’s most diverse and rapidly growing communities.

After two unsuccessful runs for provincial office in 1977 and 1981, he finally made it to Queen’s Park in 1985, when voters chose him to be Brampton’s MPP, following the retirement of the incomparable Bill Davis—the first time someone other than Davis had represented the city in three decades. Knowing he had big shoes to fill, Bob went to work, mindful but undaunted, building on his many years of experience in municipal politics to become an effective voice for Brampton while carving out a formidable legacy of his own, earning the respect of political allies and opponents alike. After his defeat in 1995, Bob returned to municipal politics, driven by his love for Brampton and his passion for public service.

A man of faith, Bob lived his life by the golden rule, treating others as he would want to be treated. This belief guided him as powerfully during his years as a criminal defence lawyer, when he worked with clients to rebuild their lives and offered his services and expertise pro bono to those in need, as it did during his time in elected office, which he treasured greatly for its opportunity to bring positive change to the lives of Bramptonians.

Bob’s commitment to Brampton also stretched beyond the council chamber and Queen’s Park, including volunteer roles coaching lacrosse and service on the boards of St. Leonard’s House, Peel Memorial Hospital, and the Credit Valley Conservation Authority.

Speaker, as elected officials, we owe so much to our families for their love, support and sacrifices they make over the course of our careers in office. But taking a look at Bob’s obituary, it is clear that he had his priorities right. Those closest to him remember him not for his long lists of political accomplishments, of which there were many, but for the lasting and loving impact his life made on those he held dear. It’s clear that Bob put first things first and understood his legacy as a husband, father, grandfather and friend was no less important than his contribution as a politician. All of us who are elected would be well served by following a similar path.

To the members of the Callahan family with us today and to those watching on television or online, thank you for sharing Bob with Brampton and Ontario and for the sacrifices you made throughout his many years of service. This honour belongs to you just as much as it does to him.

In closing, Speaker, Bob wasn’t just from Brampton; Bob was Brampton, and we are all better for it.

Thank you, Bob. You were an exemplary man, an exemplary person of service. Rest well.

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance of the late Mr. Robert V. Callahan, with five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government, five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, and five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group.

It’s an honour to pay tribute to Bob Callahan, best known as “Bob from Brampton,” member of provincial Parliament for Brampton and Brampton South from 1985 to 1995.

Welcome, to his family. We’re so happy that you can be here.

I didn’t know Bob, but in preparing this tribute, I got to know the kind of person that Bob was, his qualities.

As a politician, he remembered these golden rules: Never forget where you came from, who sent you and what they sent you to do. Bob’s accomplishments, which were so great, in building up his community and building up the community we have here in the Legislature demonstrated to me that he never, ever forgot that.

Bob was a hard worker throughout his life, in his education, activities in the community.

And after serving here for 10 years, he went back to serve on Brampton council for 17 years, having served there 10 years before he got here. I’m not sure many of us would have that kind of stamina or endurance for political life. It can be a little corrosive at times, but it didn’t wear Bob down.

At a time when most people are slowing down, Bob appeared to be speeding up—or, at least, not slowing down.

From what I’ve read and what I understand, he was a man of deep faith, and that was evident. He led a very centred life, focused on others, wherever he was. I imagine him going to St. Basil’s church, just a block away from here, where I like to go in the mornings. Being in this place requires you to be centred, and Bob knew what he had to do to achieve that.

My father, like Bob, worked in criminal justice, and he used to say two things: Nothing replaces a genuine interest in people, and people can and will change and the effort to help them do so is worthwhile. I can imagine Bob saying those two things as well, after learning what I’ve learned over the last couple days.

Steve Paikin told a story, which we’ve heard this morning, of Bob being stopped on the street on the way to a hockey game by a man asking for money. All he had was $50, which he gave to the man. He also took the time to talk to him, to show a genuine interest in him, and said to him, “Just remember, I’m Bob from Brampton.” A year later, going to another hockey game, he heard someone shout, “Hey, it’s Bob from Brampton.” It was the same guy. The man remembered him not just because of the money, but because Bob took the time; he listened. I don’t think that was the only time that happened. It happened many times during Bob’s life.

I like to find somebody who sat with the member we’re giving tribute to, and I was lucky enough to get in touch with my old boss Premier Dalton McGuinty. I asked him if he had something to share with Bob’s family. He has written quite a bit, so I had to cut this down a little bit, and I want to apologize to him. Here’s what he had to say:

“Bob embodied that lovely quality that never goes out of style, decency. He was a decent man.

“Bob Callahan was a proud Liberal. But his decency led him to respect and enjoy his colleagues on all sides of this Legislature.

“Bob worked hard on behalf of his constituents and, along the way, encountered the usual frustrations in politics. It was his decency that led him to uphold respect for this place and all our democratic institutions.

“Life can wear us down and rob us of our youthful idealism. Life’s inevitable hard knocks can force us onto the sidelines. We can give up on others and turn inwards ...

“Not Bob.

“Bob devoted an amazing and inspiring 43 years of his life to meeting the needs of others through public service. It would be perfectly understandable for ‘Bob from Brampton,’ the name he gave himself, to have become cynical ... to have grown tired and tainted by what can be a corrosive experience.

“But that wasn’t Bob.

“Bob brought unfailing decency and honour to his political responsibilities. He was devoted to his community and, through his good example, reminds us all that the reward of public service is to be found in the service itself.”

To his wife, Lyn; his sons, Kevin, Peter, Timothy and Brian; their spouses; and all of Bob’s grandchildren: I know that you miss your husband, your father and your grandfather. Bob from Brampton led an incredible life of public service to his community, and that incredible life was possible because you shared him with us. That’s something that we ask from all our families and something that we are all so grateful for. Thank you.

Applause.

We give thanks for the life and public service of Bob Callahan.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Mitro Makarchuk, who was the MPP for Brantford during the 28th, 30th and 31st Parliaments. Joining us today in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. Makarchuk’s family: his sister, Lisa Makarchuk; his brother-in-law, James Love; his nephew, Darwin Milian Valdez; and his friend Honora Dines. Also in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. David Warner, the Speaker during the 35th Parliament.

I recognize the member for Orléans.