Former MP Paul Dewar battling brain cancer

By Brier Cook

Local politicians are expressing their support for former NDP MP Paul Dewar following his recent brain cancer diagnosis. Dewar’s condition was made public in a heartfelt post on his Facebook page in mid-February.

“On January 26th, I went for a 36 km skate on our beloved Rideau Canal. The following days I experienced some discomfort in my left arm, which I attributed to my skating,” he wrote. “As the week progressed my arm was feeling heavy and not getting any better. As an active person, I naturally thought it would go away. But it didn’t.”

Dewar said tests later revealed a cyst on the right side of his brain.

“While this cancer is devastating news, I am going to pursue the next phase of my treatment with determination, passion and an appreciation for life,” Dewar said in the post.

The 55-year-old Dewar, son of former Ottawa mayor and prominent New Democrat Marion Dewar, was Ottawa Centre’s representative in the House of Commons from 2006 until his narrow defeat by Liberal MP Catherine McKenna in the 2015 federal election.

Joel Harden, the Ottawa Centre NDP candidate in the June 7 provincial election, said Dewar had an enormous impact on the city and beyond during his nine years in office.

“We keep getting people asking how Paul’s doing, people mentioning their respect for him and what he has done for people living in Ottawa Centre,” Harden said. “When we knock on doors and see how much Paul earned the respect of people in Ottawa Centre, it makes our work that much easier. We don’t have to establish the NDP, and Paul and his mom had a lot to do with that.”

Harden said Dewar continues to be a respected leader in the community, despite losing his seat to McKenna in 2015. Harden added that he has wanted to send messages to Dewar and his family, but has resisted out of respect for Dewar’s request for privacy.

 

 

Oliver Kent, president of the Ottawa Centre federal NDP, recently saw Dewar at a public fundraiser. The event raised money for a scholarship to help young immigrants and refugees pay for their post-secondary education, and was named in honour of Dewar’s late mother, who had spearheaded efforts to bring 4,000 Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian refugees to Ottawa in 1979.

Kent said that even though Paul Dewar was the best-known person in the room at the charity event, he was not interested in “hogging the limelight.”

“He was more interested in having the audience hear the stories of some of the people who had been helped,” Kent recalled.

Kent was involved in the financial aspects of the Dewar’s campaign during both the 2011 and 2015 federal elections, and considers himself a friend, colleague and “big fan” of Dewar.

Kent, a former president of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said he found Dewar’s work with the national advocacy organization for wilderness protection to be especially significant.

“Paul was a tireless ally,” said Kent.

“I think what Paul has done specifically is carry on the legacy that his mom started as mayor of Ottawa,” Harden added. “I would only underscore my belief that the NDP would not be where it is today in Ottawa were in not for the Dewar family.”

The two politicians said they wish all the best for Dewar while he undergoes treatment in Ottawa.

“I want Paul to know, I want the community to know, that our campaign is a moment for that torch to be carried forward,” Harden said. “We want the Dewar family to feel as if the entire community is wrapping their arms around them, that we love them and that we appreciate them, that we value them and that we look forward to Paul’s healthy return.”

“We all wish him a speedy and complete recovery, but he is in our hearts whatever lies ahead,” added Kent.

Dewar’s Facebook post concluded with a message for local residents concerned about his condition.

“Everyone of us knows someone who has had cancer and each journey is personal,” Dewar wrote. “People ask what they can do. If you can, please consider getting involved in something that will help your neighbourhood. Look for the beauty that exists all around us and share it with each other.”

Dewar also asked for “privacy for me and my family over the next few months as I work to get back to my usual level of physical and community activity.”