(Toronto) The current Lieutenant Governor of Ontario has declared that David Onley, who held the same position as her for seven years, is dead. He was 72 years old.
Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell issued a statement on Saturday evening announcing Mr Onley’s death, but did not provide any details.
She mentioned that he is survived by his wife Ruth Ann and three sons.
Mr Onley, who used a motorized scooter after having polio as a child, was the first visibly disabled person to hold the role of lieutenant governor when he was appointed to the post in 2007.
He championed issues of universal accessibility during and after his tenure, even at one point painting a scathing portrait of Ontario’s efforts to comply with its own accessibility legislation.
He also had a long career as a television news anchor with a focus on science and technology reporting.