Oakville councillor remembered as 'trusted friend, colleague' after sudden death

Oakville councillor remembered as 'trusted friend, colleague' after sudden death

Grant settled in Oakville in 1995, first ran and won as town councillor in 2003

After 23 years of service to the Town of Oakville, Coun. Marc Reyer Grant passed away on Monday from a "sudden illness," said friend and former councillor Jeff Knoll.

He said the world had lost "one of the kindest, funniest and most loyal people" with Grant's loss and that personally he had lost his best friend.

"Marc, our meeting has adjourned. The final credits have rolled, and it is time to say goodbye," said Knoll in a Facebook post that was filled with comments from resident's sharing their own memories.

"We shared countless stories and collaborated on more projects and initiatives than I could ever name. No matter how serious, difficult or stressful the situation, we always left laughing."

Grant was serving his seventh term as the councillor of Ward 5. The town has not yet provided any information on who would cover the ward or if a byelection would be held.

The longtime councillor is being remembered as "a trusted friend and colleague," Mayor Rob Burton said in a statement Tuesday. He extended condolences on behalf of the council and community.

"We all benefitted from Marc's service to our town," said Burton. "He was a champion of transit, parks, and public gathering spaces, a voice on poverty and food security."

Grant 'cared deeply' for Ward 5, Oakville: Former MP

Grant settled in Oakville in 1995 after living across Canada and the world, said his biography on the town's website.

Prior to politics, Grant worked in a variety of fields, including journalism, marketing consultation and as a chef. The website stated he also worked as a communications specialist at CBC.

Knoll said he first met Grant through Scouts as adults and that they quickly became "fast friends" with a shared interest in science fiction, filmmaking and politics.

"He was Star Trek. I was Star Wars. Somehow, we made it work," said Knoll on Facebook.

He said the pair went on to bond through the years as they campaigned together for Ward 5, worked together under Knoll's business Film.ca and even produced a comedy television show.

"We sat beside one another around the ouncil table for 23 years. We always had each other’s backs, and we always had the backs of the residents we were honoured to serve," he said.

The workplace comedy series, Coming Distractions, was a passion project that Grant was proud of, Knoll said.

Grant "cared deeply" about Oakville and was always quietly supporting the community along with his family, said former MP Pam Damoff on Facebook.

"A huge loss for Oakville, but a bigger loss for those who loved him," she said, adding they had worked together for 5 years on council and then 10 more years when she was MP of Oakville North-Burlington.