David Onley, former Ontario lieutenant-governor, remembered as role model, family man
David Onley, a former lieutenant-governor for Ontario, was remembered Monday as a tireless advocate, a role model, a man of faith and a devoted husband, father and grandfather.
Onley, who emerged as a champion of disability rights both during and after his seven-year stint as Ontario's 28th lieutenant-governor, died at age 72 on Jan. 14.
He used a motorized scooter throughout his life after contracting polio as a child and was lauded by mourners for always pushing for accessibility rights for all.
His son said Monday that Onley's greatest wish was for all disabled people to have the ability to fully participate in the social, cultural and economic life of Canada. When he became lieutenant-governor, Onley told his son that the legislature wasn't fully accessible.
"I asked him what he was going to do about it," Jonathan Onley said. "His response? 'Well, if they want me, they're going to have to prove it."'
It was David Onley's mantra for the events he attended as lieutenant-governor, his son said.
"He wouldn't accept temporary accessibility measures," Jonathan Onley said. "It needed to be permanent. He wanted to ensure all those who came after him had the same access, the same ability to fully participate."
As a father and husband, David Onley was doting, his son said. He would talk to his family often about baseball and about his faith in God.
"As a kid, I often asked, 'Dad, what do you think heaven will be like?"' his son said. "He told me there is no polio in heaven, and he was excited to run, and that the two of us would play a game of baseball together one day."
Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell said Onley was an inspiration "and a role model without comparison."
"He believed that the lieutenant-governor's office could be a transformational force for good, and he worked daily and tirelessly to realize that possibility," she said in her eulogy.
Onley's story is not just one of adversity, but one of accomplishment, Dowdeswell said. He was a boy from Midland, Ont., known for his "curiosity and desire to learn," and rose to greatness, she said.
"There can be no doubt of David Onley's greatness," Dowdeswell said. "He represented some of the best qualities of who we are as Canadians, qualities that we don't talk often enough about: compassion, empathy, and most of all, kindness."
Premier Doug Ford said Onley's legacy won't soon be forgotten.
"His life of service is a call for each of us to commit to the same values of respect and inclusion, to make Ontario a more welcoming place for disabled people, to make Ontario a more welcoming place for all people," he said.
The funeral was open to members of the public as well as dignitaries.
Neil Hewitt, who attended the same church as Onley, said his father lost the use of one leg due to polio and Onley inspired him.
Joan Miles, another community member who was there to pay her respects, said she admired Onley for his advocacy.
"I appreciated very much his presence on media, on Citytv and the fact that he ... insisted on doing his broadcasting with the (scooter) visible," Miles said.
Melanie Barnett said she is on the autism spectrum and travelled from Oshawa, Ont., to attend the funeral.
"David Onley is a very symbolic figure for people ... with disabilities," she said. "His legacy is to have equality rights for people with disabilities, and to have fully-accessible buildings."
Jaclyn Pope said she is visionally impaired and Onley inspired her to become an accessibility advocate.
"He worked so hard for everybody. He thought of everybody, so we want to continue that," she said after the service. "He impacted my life."
Prior to becoming lieutenant-governor, Onley spent more than two decades working at Citytv as a reporter, joining the station as a weather specialist.
Robert Onley, another one of David Onley's three sons, said Citytv viewers would constantly stop his dad while he was out in public, and he would engage with them, "even if he was halfway through a bite of his New York Fries at the Scarborough Town Centre."
"One time on a very cold January day, just like today, a woman stopped him and asked him for the forecast on her wedding day," Robert Onley said.
"So my dad asked, 'Well, when is the wedding date?' She replied, July 31. Completely unfazed, dad said, 'Well, there's a 50 per cent chance of rain and a 50 per cent chance of sunshine.' The woman smiled and said, 'Thank you,' visibly relieved. Dad was forever the weatherman."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.