A long-time Oakville councillor and Liberal candidate for the upcoming federal election has died.
Oakville Mayor Rob Burton posted a statement on Facebook early Sunday, confirming that Coun. Max Khan passed away overnight.
"It is with extreme sadness that I must inform you that our friend and colleague Max Khan passed away Saturday night shortly after midnight," he said in the post.
"I understand he went to the hospital around 7 p.m. with a variety of pneumonia-like symptoms. He had told several of us that he had been suffering with what he believed to be a flu for several days."
Fellow councillor, Jeff Knoll, said that Khan had survived cancer three times in the past.
Burton said he believes a funeral will be held early Monday afternoon, and he will share details of the service on Facebook.
Khan, who was also a lawyer, was elected to Oakville council in 2006. He had been nominated to run for the federal Liberals in the upcoming election in the new riding of Oakville North-Burlington.
In a separate tweet, Burton called Khan a "tireless tiger" when it came to defending Oakville residents.
"We've lost a people's champion," he said.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was among the many friends and colleagues who paid tribute to Khan Sunday.
Shocked and very saddened at the sudden passing of #Oakville's @MaxKhanLib. My heart is with his loved ones - he will be sorely missed.
— Justin Trudeau, MP (@JustinTrudeau) March 29, 2015