The member for Don Valley West.

Today, we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Joe Dickson, who was the MPP for Ajax–Pickering during the 39th, 40th and 41st Parliaments.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery are Mr. Dickson’s family: his wife, Donna Dickson; his son, Jim Dickson; and his sisters-in-law Sandrae Haslam and Debbie Allen.

I recognize the member for Oshawa.

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 Joe Dickson.

Joe was a loving husband and dear father and grandfather. He leaves behind his wife, friend and partner of 56 years, Donna Dickson; his two grown children, Jim Dickson and Joanna Dickson-Jones; their spouses, Elaine Dickson and David Jones; his five adoring grandchildren, Madeline, Grace, Carys, Audrey and Fynn—I’m sure they’re watching today—and his brothers and sisters, Ellen Spence, Ed Dickson, Marg Osborne, Judy Reid, Mary Westlake, Christine Dickson, Paul Dickson and Veronica Brown; and loving extended family, friends and former colleagues who miss him greatly and are assuredly watching today.

We are pleased to be joined by his wife, Donna Dickson; son, Jim Dickson; sisters-in-law Sandrae Haslam and Debbie Allen; and, of course, his friend and former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, David Warner.

Hi, Donna.

Louis Joseph Dickson, or Joe, was born March 26, 1940, into a large Catholic family in Ajax and grew up to serve Ajax and be its biggest fan. Joe’s mother, Mary, had grown up in Pickering Village and his father, Lou, was an RCAF World War II veteran who set down roots in Ajax. Joe was raised and educated there and loved sports growing up, a love that led him to establish Ajax minor basketball at age 16, and he later helped establish the Ajax senior hockey league. He started his own printing business, Dickson Printing, at age 18, and never stopped sponsoring and supporting local sports teams from when it opened its doors in 1969. President of Dickson Printing for 48 years, Joe was a committed and successful small business owner through the ups and downs and many changes across his community, and often spoke from experience with a local business perspective.

Joe began his career of public service in 1970, when he served as a Catholic school board trustee for two terms and kept his faith and family close during his many years of public service. He was first elected to Ajax council in 1983, serving until 1990, and returned to council chambers from 1992 to 2006. He loved serving ward 2 but was known well beyond his ward. He once described his story and success like this: “It all comes down to being the oldest of 10 children and having two wonderful parents. We were always helping one another—that’s what it was all about.”

Joe was a volunteer and community man. Ajax Civic Award winner and committed town enthusiast, Joe Dickson was fondly called “Mr. Ajax” and is well remembered by generations of Ajax neighbours. Joe founded and chaired many charitable organizations and initiatives and loved volunteering. From when he first started Ajax minor basketball at 16 all the way through the annual charity golf tournament that he and his wife, Donna, organized and sponsored for 25 years, Joe never stopped giving back to his hometown community.

On a personal note, I served as one of Durham region’s seven MPPs with Joe Dickson from 2014 to 2018, and when MPPs from across Durham region came together at the provincial volunteer service awards night, it was very special to see how many of the long-time volunteers in Ajax and Pickering knew Joe personally.

It wasn’t only his constituents who recognized Joe for his work, however. In 2002, he had been awarded the Queen Elizabeth 50th anniversary medal for service to his community and Canada. It was just part of who Joe was: kind, generous and connected.

Nearly everyone in his hometown had a connection to Joe, whether through sports or one of his many volunteering endeavours, whether they were featured in his magazine, or from his apples. Children who remember that Joe Dickson gave them apples around town grew up to vote for Joe as adults. They knew him and they knew where to find him, and they elected him.

Joe won a provincial seat on the McGuinty Liberals’ ticket to serve Ajax–Pickering in 2007 and held the seat until 2018. When Joe was asked why he was running, he said it was “to become the town’s best communicator with Ajax residents and to continue to focus on my residents, just as I have done the last eight elections.”

Joe Dickson served this Legislature in many roles, from deputy government whip early on to various portfolios as parliamentary assistant. One of the things that Joe was most proud of was the expansion of the Ajax Pickering Hospital, which he worked for many years to see happen, to better serve his community.

On a personal note, before I was elected, the very first protest I ever organized was outside Joe Dickson’s office, to protest Bill 115. True to form, Joe Dickson came out to talk with us and was disappointed he hadn’t known we were coming because, as he told us, he would have had hot chocolate for us.

He was an excellent connector. He was a strong and committed bridge between his home community and his place here in the provincial Legislature. When so many get caught up in the sparkle of Queen’s Park, Joe stayed firmly rooted in his community.

Joe Dickson passed away on April 7, 2022, surrounded by those he loved and who dearly loved him. Friends from across the community shared their remembrances and memories. They remember him as one-of-a-kind, hard-working and thoughtful, and one of the finest people you could ever meet. Messages online highlight that Joe truly cared about his community and was extremely well thought of.

As Joe’s children shared after his passing, “Joe was a lover of life, family, friends and mostly Donna. Safety was always first with Joe, although anything with a fast engine made Dad happiest: boats, racing cars, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and his prized 1969 Dodge RT Charger he ordered new so that he had a ‘safe ride’ for wife and kids as he started his own family. Fish and chips on Fridays, a daily coffee, and a refreshing Crown-and-Coke after a long week’s work helped him keep grounded.”

Joe Dickson has left behind his family, a long community career and a legacy of neighbourhood connections and warm, sincere relationships. Ajax, Pickering and Ontario are grateful to Joe Dickson for his life of service, invested heart and commitment to the town and people he loved.

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

Louis Joseph Dickson was a well-loved member of the Ajax community. He was known as Joe, Mr. Ajax or Joe Everywhere by his friends and constituents.

Joe was the oldest of 10 children. He was born in Ajax and lived and worked there his whole life. Joe Dickson, a businessman and dedicated member of the community, started Dickson Printing in 1960, and it stayed in business until 2020. He was a representative for Ajax who cared deeply about his community and what it needed.

His wife Donna, his son Jim Dickson, his two sisters-in-law—and we’re also joined by David Warner, former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We’re glad you’re here today.

Joe was known for his great sense of humour, friendly smile, a willingness to listen and a love to weave a story. I think he may have figured out what every politician wants to know: how to clone himself. He never seemed to miss a grand opening, an event, a celebration or a constituent concern. So I think he may have figured it out after all. He was always there with a scroll, a smile, a picture, a kind word, a story to tell. He was a larger-than-life figure who loved life, his family and, as he often referred to her, his guardian angel, Donna.

He was always willing to go where he was needed. He was a great politician who served with passion and style. Anyone could talk to him, no matter their religion or political party. He always worked hard to protect the interests of the people who lived in Ajax. Joe was very involved in the process of making November Hindu Heritage Month, and the community has always been very grateful for his support. It was one of his proudest accomplishments.

If you saw Joe driving around in his small blue and yellow Dickson Printing car, you would never think that he liked fast cars. I only found that out recently. According to his son, he liked anything with a fast engine, but he was especially proud of his 1969 Dodge Charger, which he kept in mint condition.

Joe was involved in many activities in his community for a long time. In the early 1970s, he was a member of the local school board. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was an Ajax municipal and regional councillor. He was re-elected to council in 1997. He was given the Ajax Civic Award, which is given every year to a person who has used their free time in extraordinary ways to support their community.

He was a big reason why Ajax Home Week and Ajax Environmental Affairs Week were started, both of which he was intimately involved in. He looked forward to the homecoming week and being part of the parade, touching base with constituents, giving out candies to the kids, and he especially loved the pancake breakfast by the lake with the veterans and seniors during homecoming week events. He was a great friend to the Legion and a big supporter of veterans.

Before being elected to the provincial Legislature in 2007, he worked in several jobs in the community. I can list a few, but I’m sure there are many more that will be mentioned. He was the founder and co-chair of the annual Ajax-Pickering Multiple Sclerosis Walk and executive vice-chairman of the Ajax Municipal Housing Corp. He was involved in the Ajax Heritage Advisory Committee. He ran as a Liberal candidate for Ajax–Pickering in the 2007 election. He was voted back in office in 2011 and again in 2014. During his time in the Ontario provincial Parliament, he was parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, and deputy government whip.

Joe was an inspiration to me, and he was one of the reasons I decided to run for trustee and then for MPP. We had some great talks. One time in particular, after I had finished bending his ear on a complaint I had, he said to me: “Well, why don’t you run?” And I did. I just wanted to thank Joe for supporting that. He was that kind of guy. After I entered my name, he gave me the Joe rules: Always, always be accessible to your constituents, and always be willing to talk.

He was unapologetic in his faith and his service to God and was a member of the Catholic Church up until his death. Joe will always be remembered for being kind and willing to help people in need, both in and out of his community.

I also understand and recognize Laura Oliver, who was his assistant. She was his right hand in outreach in his constituency office.

And so, as I close, I echo the words of others: Thank you, Joe. You will be truly missed.

It’s an honour for me to rise today and to pay tribute to Joe Dickson, a much-loved and respected member of our Liberal caucus, a gentleman who welcomed me into this Legislature.

Known to many as “Mr. Ajax,” Joe had an unwavering love for his family and his community, as was clear in the way that he took pride in serving the people of Ajax–Pickering for more than 30 years.

First elected as an Ajax councillor in 1983, Joe Dickson finished up as Ajax–Pickering MPP in 2018, a role in which he had served since 2007. In representing Ajax as MPP, Joe served as the deputy government whip from 2007 to 2011, and he went on to serve in the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration from 2013 to 2014 and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines from 2014 to 2018 as a parliamentary assistant.

For his many years of service, Canada’s Governor General honoured Joe with both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 “for outstanding achievement or public service in Canada.”

It is no surprise, then, that Joe was so well known in his Ajax riding. He was known for being a huge advocate and champion of the hospital there, and more generally for the whole of the Ajax community. And this was true throughout his life and career, as well as in his business and personal life.

Dickson Printing, Joe’s family-owned business, opened in 1969 and developed into a full-service printing operation which won 17 straight readers’ choice awards for best printing company. And when he retired from politics in 2018, Joe returned to Dickson Printing as president, spending his time with his beloved wife, Donna; his two children, Jim Dickson and Joanna Dickson-Jones, and their families; and his five grandchildren, Madeline, Grace, Carys, Audrey and Fynn.

I had the privilege of knowing Joe professionally, and I have so many fond memories of him. He invited me to many Caribbean events in Ajax. It meant a lot that he never missed an opportunity to acknowledge me whenever he saw me in this chamber or in the halls. He made me feel included.

Mostly, I remember Joe and his beautiful wife, Donna, as they had such an impact, standing head and shoulders above the crowd in life and in commitment to service. Whenever they were at our Liberal events, you would just notice their elegant figures coming through the room. Joe was known for his good nature and his sense of humour. He was always poking fun. You never were in his presence without getting a good laugh.

On a personal note, I remember Joe and Donna frequently visiting my cousin’s restaurant in Ajax for dinner. As the head chef there, my cousin developed a fondness for Joe and Donna, a sentiment that was commonly felt among all who knew them.

I was at a local restaurant, Beryl’s Pepper Pot. It’s an authentic Jamaican restaurant that actually spread three franchises across Durham—family and independently owned and operated. As you know, Joe Dickson was a supporter of small businesses. He helped this owner, Beryl, get herself established and championed her opening her third location. She said to me that it would never have been possible without Joe. He made the call.

So today, I want to express my deepest respect and admiration for Joe Dickson for stepping up and serving in public office throughout his lifetime, for contributing in countless ways to the success of the community he loved, and for making Ontario politics a more fun and interesting place to be.

Joe Dickson devoted his life to serving the public and his beloved community of Ajax. Ajax and all of us are indeed fortunate to have had such a passionate and devoted MPP. I want to say thank you to his wonderful family for sharing him with us for so many years. Thank you.

Applause.