It’s an honour to stand here in the Legislature on behalf of the Ontario Liberal caucus and pay tribute to former MPP Carman McClelland from Brampton North.

As has been stated, Mr. McClelland was born in Angola, Africa, in 1951, and after his family immigrated to Canada, he attended York University for his undergraduate degree. He later attended law school at the University of Windsor, and upon his graduation, he began to practise with the firm of Fogler, Rubinoff here in Toronto. He was also a board member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities.

Carman fell in love with Brampton, and it is where he chose to settle down and raise his family.

In those days, it wasn’t easy being a Liberal in Brampton. The Big Blue Machine was dominating provincial politics and, of course, Brampton was home of chairman Bill Davis. But the riding went red in 1985 and, in 1987, it would be split in two, and this is when Carman took his shot in the newly formed riding of Brampton North. Carman coasted to victory in Brampton North in 1987. He led through the advance polls and finished above the Tory candidate by nearly 7,000 votes. Being re-elected in 1990 in a squeaker, he bested the NDP candidate by only 98 votes. That’s a big swing, 7,000—I’m not sure my heart would take that kind of close election, Mr. Speaker.

His tenure in the Legislature was ended in 1995 with the Common Sense Revolution, and this is when he chose to return to his life as a lawyer. He also served as vice-president of the Peel Law Association executive committee and, later, he was president of the Brampton Board of Trade.

But politics was in his blood. Carman attempted a provincial comeback in 2007 and ran again municipally in 2018—and while unsuccessful, it was clear that his dedication to public service was at the core of his being.

He was an active member of the community, involved in local sports leagues, and he also served on the boards of many local clubs in Brampton. As has been mentioned, he was a member of the local advisory board for the Canada Community Development Project. He was vice-chairman of the local advisory board for the summer Canada Student Employment Program in 1981, and he was a dedicated member of the Bramalea Rotary Club.

Mr. Speaker, it’s without a doubt that Mr. McClelland cared deeply about his community—not just by advocating for them inside this Legislature, but through his extensive involvement in the community on local boards and with the board of trade.

On behalf of the Ontario Liberal caucus, I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to his family—Karen, Emma, Doug; siblings, Brad and Sandy—for sharing Carman with us, sharing him with the people of Brampton.

May he rest in peace.

Applause.

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.