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PETERSEN o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2006-02-13 published
THOMAS, Harry
Passed away on Saturday, February 11th, 2006, in his 80th year. Loving husband of Ruth (née SAMPSON/SAMSON.) Dear father of Philip and Margaret THOMAS of Wilmington, Delaware, Anne and Raymond PETERSEN of Clifford, Elizabeth and Gordon JACKSON of Cambridge, Margaret THOMAS of Indonesia, and Evelyn and Ross McCOMB of Harriston. Cherished grandfather of 17 grandchildren. Predeceased by parents, Henry Thirwall (1949) and Mary Ann (1990), sister Mary SMITH (1996,) brother-in-law Bev SMITH (2005;) brother George (2006,) brother-in-law Ralph SAMPSON/SAMSON (1989,) and granddaughter Kimberley McCOMB (1996.) Survived by brothers Joe and Mary Ella THOMAS, Fred and Theresa THOMAS, both of Florida. Also survived by Nita and John DEKKER of Baltimore, Maryland, Pat and Dave EVANS of Guelph, Patricia and Tony OLIVER of Caledon East, George Peter and Orian SAMPSON/SAMSON of Arizona, and Bernice BROWN of Lindsay, plus many nieces and nephews. Friends may call at the McCulloch-Watson Funeral Home, Durham (519) 369-3837 on Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. A Celebration of Life for Harry THOMAS will be held at the Glenelg Centre Baptist Church on Wednesday afternoon at 1: 30 p.m. As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations to the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Glenelg Centre Baptist Church would be appreciated by the family.

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-01-04 published
Kin mourn gifted skier
London native Alexander PETERSEN, 24, died Monday after falling 45 metres off a mountain in Whistler.
By April KEMICK, Free Press Reporter, Wed., January 4, 2006
A talented young skier who first sharpened his skills on London slopes has died in a bizarre skiing accident on a Whistler, British Columbia, mountain.
Alexander PETERSEN, 24, who recently moved to the B. C ski resort from London, was skiing Monday near a roped-off area of Blackcomb Mountain when he fell more than 45 metres to his death, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said yesterday.
The Fanshawe College graduate -- described by family as an "expert" skier, with a Level 1 teaching licence -- was alone at the time of his death, police said.
PETERSEN's family, gathered last night at his parents' old north London home, were in shock at the death of the athletic, experienced skier.
"Alex has been skiing since he was four years old," said his aunt, Susan HALLIDAY, adding PETERSEN was involved with the London Ski Club from the time he was a child.
"He just loved to ski and he loved being in Whistler because he was near the mountains," she said.
"He moved there to ski."
After graduating from Fanshawe's millwright program, PETERSEN headed west to pursue a career and be near the slopes, Halliday said.
Though he hadn't found work as a millwright, the former Montcalm secondary school student scored a job with the Whistler and Valley transit system that allowed him plenty of time on the slopes, his aunt said.
He'd recently passed an examination to become a transit driver in the well-known ski destination, she said.
"He was so excited to be doing everything he loved," said HALLIDAY. She described her nephew as a man with a caring nature, uncharacteristic of people his age.
"He was a dear boy," she said.
"He was good with little kids and old people, just showed an amount of concern for other people like I've never seen."
PETERSEN's parents, Doris and Paul, described their youngest son as a gifted athlete who swam, played badminton and skied throughout his high school years.
Their blue-eyed, auburn-haired son was also a natural at dealing with kids, and excelled as a Boy Scout leader, said Doris.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the British Columbia coroner's service yesterday continued their investigation into PETERSEN's death.

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-01-06 published
PETERSEN, Alexander Ross " Alex"
At Whistler, British Columbia on Monday, January 2, 2006 in his 25th year. Beloved son of Paul and Doris PETERSEN. Loving▼ brother of Bjorn and his wife Patrycja LEGUT. Dear grand_son of Ruby TORRIE of New Hamburg. Dear nephew of Susan (Bob) HALLIDAY, Eric (Darlene) PETERSEN all of Sarnia, Anne (Bruce) HAMMER of New Hamburg, Doug TORRIE of Seattle, Washington, and the late Jack TORRIE. Also remembered by Don ROBSON (the late Sue ROBSON) and by many cousins and Friends. Friends may call on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the James A. Harris Funeral Home, 220 St. James Street at Richmond, London. The funeral service will be conducted on Tuesday, January 10 at 1: 00 p.m. in the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, 280 St. James Street at Wellington, by The Reverend Canon Donald R. FORD and The Reverend Rob LUXTON. Memorial contributions to Huron Church Camp, 190 Queens Avenue, London, Ontario N6A 6H7 or the charity of your choice would be gratefully acknowledged.

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-04-08 published
PETERSEN, Verna Marion▲▼
At Soldiers Memorial Hospital Orillia on Monday April 3rd. 2006 of Thornbury. Beloved wife of the late Olav Henry PETERSEN. Loving▲ mother of Mark PETERSEN, Corlyn RICHARDSON and Erin JOHNSON. Dear grandmother of James, Meaghan and Christopher RICHARDSON Ellice, Anthony and Jeffrey STOANGI; Michael and Alia PETERSEN. Great-grandmother to Alexandra LEGAULT. Cremation has taken place. There will be a private family memorial service.

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-04-24 published
PEDERSEN, Paul
Of Saint Thomas, formerly of Port Talbot and Union, passed away at the Saint Thomas-Elgin General Hospital on Saturday, April 22, 2006, in his 87th year. Beloved husband of 63 years to Sigrid (ERNSTSEN) PEDERSEN. Dearly loved father of Ebba SCHMID and her husband Ted of Rodney, Roy PEDERSEN and his wife Dorothy of Saint Thomas, John PEDERSEN and his wife Amy of North Plains, Oregon, and the late Grethe BEGLEY. Cherished grandfather of Cheryl, Michael, Dennis, Timothy, Jennifer, Elizabeth and Anna. Also survived by 4 great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. In addition to his daughter, he was predeceased by 5 sisters and 2 brothers. Born in Hald, Denmark, February 3, 1920, the son of the late Carl and Anna (PETERSEN) PEDERSEN, he came to Canada in 1949. Paul farmed and resided at Port Talbot from 1956-1990, after which he moved to Union and then to Saint Thomas in 1999. He was a member of St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, London and a Past President of the Optimist Club of Wallacetown. Friends will be received at the Sifton Funeral Home, 118 Wellington Street, Saint Thomas on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. where the funeral service will be held Wednesday at 1: 30 p.m. Interment in Saint Peter's Cemetery, Tyrconnell. Memorial donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association gratefully acknowledged.

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-12-16 published
PETERSEN, Mogens - Search for heirs
Summon Of Beneficiaries In The Estate Of Mogens PETERSEN
Mogens PETERSEN, who was born on the 27th of December 1934 in Denmark, civil registrabon no. 271234-0609, died on the 3rd of May 2006.
The deceased's daughter, Bente PETERSEN, born on the 29th of April 1959, who emigrated from Denmark to Canada with her mother, Herdis PETERSEN, on the 5th of September 1962, is requested to approach the below attorney preferably within one month from today's date. Possible children after Bente PETERSEN are as well requested to approach the attorney. Documentation of relationship must be enclosed.
Contact details: Appointed Authorized Administrator, Attorney Birgitte Arnfred, Bredgade 73, 1260 Copenhagen K, Denmark, phone +45 33308686, fax +45 33308687.
Page B6

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-02-15 published
PETERSEN, Frederick Carl
On February 11th, 2006 at 95 years, Fred passed away. Beloved husband of Gwen and father of sons Ardon and Duane. He left behind 6 grandchildren, Joshua, Charity, Jackie, Deanna, Ashleigh and David, 5 great-grandchildren, Tyrell, Kyle, Taylor, Calib and Harley. He was predeceased by 3 brothers and 1 sister. Memorial Service to be held at St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, corner of Avenue Rd. and Lawrence Ave., at 2 p.m. Friday, February 17th, 2006. In lieu of flowers, donations to Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-14 published
RODGERS, Christine (née PETERSEN)
Peacefully at the Kingston General Hospital on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at the age of 86. Chris, loving wife of 58 years to Al. Beloved mother of Margaret GUENETTE and grandmother of Andrew and Matthew. Dear sister-in-law of Milt SCHMIDT of Boston. A memorial service will be held in the chapel of the James Reid Funeral Home, Cataraqui (1900 John Counter Blvd., Kingston, 613-544-3411) on Monday, April 17, 2006 at 11: 00 a.m. Reverend Stephen SCHEIDT officiating. Inurnment Cataraqui Cemetery. Friends will be received on Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. As expressions of sympathy donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Chris' memory. (Donations by cheque only please). www.jamesreidfuneralhome.com

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PETERSEN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-21 published
PETERSEN ZAVITZ, Margaret▲

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PETERSON o@ca.on.grey_county.artemesia.flesherton.the_flesherton_advance 2006-03-08 published
PETERSON, Delmer
March 11, 2003.
A little tribute, small and tender
Just to say, we still remember.
-Gary and Anne.
Page 3

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PETERSON o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2006-01-31 published
OSBORNE, Margaret Ruth
Peacefully at home on January 28, 2006. Margaret (REYNOLDS- CHRYSLER,) age 84 years went to be with her Lord. Loving mother of Joan PETERSON, Jane JEROME, Ruthe HODGKINS, Elizabeth, Jack and Kaye, Lorrell, Dale and Bill and the late Timothy and Lucy CHRYSLER. Special mother of Annette HEARING. Dear grandmother of Levell and Emily Anne. Great-grandmother of Sebastian, Xavier, Tyler, Justin and Aliyah. Sister of Eleanor HUTCHINS, John and the late Gordon REYNOLDS. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. The family will honour Margaret's life with a visitation at Hyde and Mott Chapel, R.H.B. Anderson Funeral Homes Ltd., Hagersville, 2: 00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Funeral Service in the Chapel on Wednesday at 2: 00 p.m. Interment Caledonia Cemetery. Evening prayers 7: 00 p.m. Tuesday. As an expression of your sympathy donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or Alzheimer Society. Special thanks to Reverend Earl and Faye SAULT and Dr. Jim BULGER for visiting and being so faithful, also thanks to the P.S.W. and Victorian Order of Nurses for their care.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-01-13 published
CARROLL, Joan
Peacefully at University Hospital on Thursday, January 12th, 2006, Mrs. Joan CARROLL of London in her 79th year. Beloved wife of the late Fred CARROLL. Loving mother of Paulette WILLIAMS and her husband Garry, Chris O'QUINN and her late husband Lloyd, Mark CARROLL and his wife Donna, Mike CARROLL and his wife Debra, Bob CARROLL and his wife Elaine, John CARROLL, Gloria CARROLL and Dave PETERSON, and Leo CARROLL. Much loved grandmother of 13 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Dear sister of Frank ENGLISH and his wife Ruth, the late Doug ENGLISH and his wife Betty. Also survived by many sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law as well as many nieces and nephews. Cremation has taken place. A memorial visitation will be held on Friday from 2: 00-4:00 and 7: 00-9:00 p.m. at the Westview Funeral Chapel, 709 Wonderland Road North, where the memorial service will be conducted on Saturday, January 14th, 2006 at 10: 30 a.m. Interment of ashes, Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of Joan are asked to consider the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the charity of your choice.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-05-28 published
DOUGLAS/DOUGLASS, Jean Penman (HAY)
Peacefully in the arms of her beloved daughter and granddaughters at Victoria Hospital on Friday, May 26th, 2006, Jean Penman (HAY) DOUGLAS/DOUGLASS of London in her 82nd year. Precious mother of Rosslyn (Herb) PETERSON of London. Dear sister of Neilson (Ruth) HAY of London, and sister-in-law of Polly HAY of London, England. Cherished Nanny of Kirsta (David) SMITH and Kara PETERSON all of London. Loving great-grandmother to Kieran. A Memorial service will be conducted at Oakridge Presbyterian Church, 862 Freele Street, London on Tuesday, May 30th, 2006 at 1 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service with Reverend Doctor Terry INGRAM officiating. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of Jean are asked to consider the Multi-Organ Transplant Program -- London Health Sciences Foundation. Westview Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements. 641-1793.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-27 published
LISCUMB, Ruth▼ (ROBSON)
Of Ilderton at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital on Sunday, June 25, 2006. Beloved wife of Alfred. Loving mother of Doug (P.J.,) Glenn (Helen) and Janice TUNKS (Paul.▼) Dear grandmother to Dawn and Greg TUNKS, Robin▼ and Seanna LISCUMB and Christopher, Stephanie and Michael LISCUMB. Dear sister and sister-in-law of Edna ROBB and Bill MOLLAND. Predeceased▼ by brothers Stanley and Elliot ROBSON and sister Gladys MOLLAND and several nieces and nephews. There will be a private family service at T. Stephenson and son Funeral Home, Ailsa Craig on Wednesday June 28, 2006 with Rev. Michael PETERSON officiating. Private interment St. Georges Cemetery Hyde Park, Ontario. Donations to The Canadian Cancer Society or Strathroy Middlexsex Hospital Foundation would be appreciated. A tree will be planted in memory of Mrs. Ruth LISCUMB.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-28 published
LISCUMB, Ruth▲ (ROBSON)
Of Ilderton at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital on Sunday, June 25, 2006 in her 93rd year. Beloved wife of Alfred. Loving mother of Doug (P.J.,) Glenn (Helen) and Janice TUNKS (Paul.▲) Dear grandmother to Dawn and Greg TUNKS, Robin▲ and Seanna LISCUMB and Christopher, Stephanie and Michael LISCUMB. Dear sister and sister-in-law of Edna ROBB and Bill MOLLAND. Predeceased▲ by brothers Stanley and Elliot ROBSON and sister Gladys MOLLAND. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. There will be a private family service at T. Stephenson and son Funeral Home, Ailsa Craig on Wednesday June 28, 2006 with Rev. Michael PETERSON officiating. Private interment St. Georges Cemetery, Hyde Park, Ontario. Donations to The Canadian Cancer Society or Strathroy Middlexsex Hospital Foundation would be appreciated. A tree will be planted in memory of Mrs. Ruth LISCUMB.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-10-11 published
SCOTT helped introduce landmark pay equity law
By Angela PACIENZA, Canadian Press, Wed., October 11, 2006
Toronto -- Ian SCOTT, the political veteran who helped orchestrate the end of the Conservative party's 40-year-rule in Ontario and introduced North America's first equal-pay law for women in the private sector, died yesterday at his home. He was 72.
First elected in 1985, the year the Liberals elbowed their way to power, SCOTT served as attorney general and constitutional adviser to David PETERSON's government. He also served as solicitor general and as minister responsible for native affairs and women's issues.
A high-profile politician with statesmanlike allure, SCOTT was a member of the Liberal team that negotiated a formal agreement with the New Democrats, leading to the defeat of Frank Miller's minority Conservative government.
PETERSON called him "clever" and a "brilliant" advocate.
"Even▼ his enemies liked him," said PETERSON, who described SCOTT as a very close adviser. "He was a utility man. There were very few issues he didn't have his nose in."
In addition to his hallmark pay equity legislation, SCOTT brought in a freedom of information law and reformed Ontario's system of family law courts.
He was also behind Ontario Human Rights Code amendments that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. After his political life, he wrote a book acknowledging his homosexuality.
Praise for SCOTT poured in from both sides of the legislature.
"We are grateful for his public service and have been inspired by his courage," said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
Ontario Conservative▼ Leader▼ John Tory called SCOTT a "very special person."
SCOTT was "one of the truly extraordinary individuals in Ontario and Canadian politics," said former premier and current federal Liberal leadership hopeful Bob Rae.
"Very few people had his command of the issues and his command of the language."
As leader of the New Democrats in the mid-1980s, Rae worked with SCOTT on the deal that led to the Conservative government's defeat and gave Ontario its first Liberal premier since the Second World War.
He retired from politics in 1992 and returned to being a lawyer until a crippling stroke in 1993, from which he never fully recovered.
SCOTT was politically active until the very end, PETERSON said.
"He still had views on things," he said. "He had difficulty expressing them, but he was there."

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-10-21 published
WALLIS, Marie (née CRAIG)
A lifelong resident of Saint Thomas, passed away at the Saint Thomas-Elgin General Hospital on Thursday, October 19, 2006, in her 77th year. Wife of over 56 years to William M. "Bill" WALLIS. Mother of Judy ETHELSTON (Steve) of Saint Thomas, Nancy KER (Patrick) of Belleville, and Cathy PETERSON (Gordon HERN) of Granton. Grandmother of Tricia HORTON (Dale), Craig ETHELSTON (April CAMPBELL), Janet WILSON (Blair), Stacey KER (Jordan ARTHUR), and Scott KER. Great-grandmother of Brody ETHELSTON, Tori and Logan WILSON. Sister of Bertha CAUGHELL (William,) William CRAIG (Rhea,) late Ruth BAUGHMAN, late Jack and late James CRAIG. Sister-in-law of Ona CRAIG, Kay CRAIG, Gwendolyn and Lyle HEPBURN, Marion McKENZIE, and Jean and James BROKENSHIRE. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Born in Saint Thomas, October 1, 1930, the daughter of the late William and Hazel (CLUNAS) CRAIG. Marie was a member of Knox Presbyterian Church and a former member of Supreme Rebekah Lodge #251, Saint Thomas. Friends will be received by the family at the Sifton Funeral Home, 118 Wellington Street, Saint Thomas on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. where the funeral service will be held Tuesday at 11: 00 a.m. Interment in Elmdale Memorial Park. Memorial donations to the Saint Thomas-Elgin General Hospital Foundation (Palliative Care) or the London Regional Cancer Centre gratefully acknowledged.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-11-01 published
POUNDER, Roland
Suddenly at Quinte Health Care Prince Edward Memorial Hospital, on Monday, October 30th, 2006. Roland POUNDER, of London, formerly of Picton, at the age of 64. Beloved son of Marjorie and the late Bill POUNDER. Loved father of Robert and his partner Debbie of Picton, Steve and his wife Wendy of London, Louise PETERSON of Picton, Lori PETERSON and her partner Derrick MONROE of Cherry Valley and Jamie and his wife Tera of Milford. Dear brother of Arlie McKEE, Eleanor EASTERBROOK, Eunice NUTTALL, Barb HENNESSEY, Linda WHATTAM and the late Rodney POUNDER. Loved by his 11 grandchildren. Mr. POUNDER is resting at The Whattam Funeral Home, 33 Main Street West, Picton, Ontario. Funeral Service in the Chapel on Thursday, November 2nd at 2 p.m. If desired, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by the family. (Cheques only please). Friends may call on Wednesday evening from 7: 00 till 9: 00 p.m. Online donations and condolences available at www.whattamfuneralhome.com

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-11-25 published
PETERSON, Teresa▼ Jane▼ (née WILLIAMS)
Of Saint Thomas on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at the Saint Thomas-Elgin General Hospital, in her 48th year. Loved daughter of Finley and Jean (GARDNER) WILLIAMS and dearly loved mother of Kerrie Lynn and Shawn PETERSON. Loved▼ partner of Ron GRAY/GREY and dear friend of Gary PETERSON. Dear sister of Debra and her husband Dennis REMUS, Kathy▼ and her husband Rob EDGAR, Richard WILLIAMS and his partner Kelly SPICER, all of Saint Thomas and Jim and his wife Barb WILLIAMS of Aylmer. Sadly missed by a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and aunts and uncles. Teresa just graduated as a P.W.S. and had started working. She formerly worked for the Wayside Inn for a number of years. Resting at Williams Funeral Home, 45 Elgin Street, Saint Thomas where funeral service will be held Monday at 11: 00 a.m. Interment to follow in Saint Thomas Cemetery. Visitation Sunday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Remembrances may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Diabetes Association.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-11-26 published
PETERSON, Teresa▲ Jane▲ (née WILLIAMS)
Of Saint Thomas on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at the Saint Thomas-Elgin General Hospital, in her 48th year. Loved daughter of Finley and Jean (GARDNER) WILLIAMS and dearly loved mother of Kerrie Lynn and Shawn PETERSON and Salena GRAY/GREY. Loved▲▼ partner of Ron GRAY/GREY and dear friend of Gary PETERSON. Dear sister of Debra and her husband Dennis REMUS, Kathy▲ and her husband Rob EDGAR, Richard WILLIAMS and his partner Kelly SPICER, all of Saint Thomas and Jim and his wife Barb WILLIAMS of Aylmer. Sadly missed by a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and aunts and uncles. Teresa just graduated as a P.W.S. and had started working. She formerly worked for the Wayside Inn for a number of years. Resting at Williams Funeral Home, 45 Elgin Street, Saint Thomas where funeral service will be held Monday at 11: 00 a.m. Interment to follow in Saint Thomas Cemetery. Visitation Sunday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Remembrances may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Diabetes Association.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-12-04 published
PETERSON, Eve▲
In loving memory of my Loving Wife, Our Mother and Grammy Eve, who passed away 4 years ago today, December 4, 2002
May the winds of love blow softly
And whisper so you'll hear,
That we'll always love you and miss you,
And wish that you were here.
Your resting place we visit,
Flowers we place with care,
No one knows the heartache,
When we turn to leave you the there.
They say memories are golden
But we never wanted memories
We only wanted you.
Missing you more today than yesterday.
Loved and remembered always by your husband Norm and family.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-12-04 published
ROBSON, Joyce Jacqueline (FREEBORN)
Peacefully at Country Terrace Nursing home, Komoka on December 3, 2006, Joyce Jacqueline ROBSON (FREEBORN) formerly of Arva in her 74th year. Beloved wife of Everett ROBSON of Arva. Dear mother of Jeremy (Sally), Jay (Linda), Jamie (Heather), and Joel (Sandie). Loving granny of Ian, Jordan, Rachel, Chris, Tim, Adam, Mark, Travis, and Kevin. Survived by sisters Betty WARD and Marj TRAVIS, sister-in-law Betty FREEBORN and brother-in-law Garth ROBSON. Predeceased by brother Tim FREEBORN. Resting at the T. Stephenson and son Funeral Home, Ailsa Craig where Friends and relatives may call on Tuesday, December 5 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A private family service will be held at St. George's Anglican Church, Middlesex Centre. Interment at St. George's Anglican Cemetery with Rev. Michael PETERSON officiating. In lieu of flowers donations to St. George's Anglican Church, Middlesex Centre. In care of Michelle Polley, 31 Heritage Place, Ilderton, Ontario N0M 2A0 or World Vision 1 World Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2Y4 would be appreciated. A tree will be planted in memory of Mrs. Joyce ROBSON

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PETERSON o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-12-06 published
PETERSON, Vera
Formerly of Kingsville and London, widow of Dave PETERSON, at Lakefield Extendicare, Otonabee House in her 78th year. Mother of Paul PETERSON of Peterborough, Geoff PETERSON of St. Catherine's, David PETERSON of Wiarton. Grandchildren in Peterborough, Toronto, Kitchener, Windsor, Ottawa. Funeral arrangements at Sykes Funeral Home, Division Street, Kingsville, Ontario, 10 a.m. Friday, December 8th

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-05-05 published
PETERSON, Benjamin Norton
Peacefully at the Carpenter Hospice on April 28, 2006, in his 83rd year. Beloved father of Diane CHAMBERS, Janet BYRNE, Clyde PETERSON and Joann WOJCICKI. Loving▲ grandfather of five granddaughters, four grand_sons and three great-grand_sons. Uncle to several nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will take place Saturday, May 13th at 1 p.m. at the Dodsworth and Brown Funeral Home, Burlington Chapel, 2241 New Street (at Drury Lane), Burlington, (905-637-5233). The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the staff and all the volunteers at the Carpenter Hospice and Sunrise Assisted Living for their wonderful hospitality and for making Dad's final days both peaceful and dignified. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Carpenter Hospice or the Alzheimer Society of Canada would be appreciated by the family.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-11 published
Ian SCOTT, Lawyer And Politician: (1934-2006)
An Ontario politician with the air of a statesman, he was the social conscience of David Peterson's Liberal cabinet, writes Sandra MARTIN. In 1994, he suffered a devastating stroke that left him paralyzed but unbowed
By Sandra MARTIN with files by the late Donn DOWNEY, Page S9
Lawyer, civil-rights advocate and politician, Ian SCOTT had a silver tongue, a prodigious brain and an encompassing empathy. He also faced enormous hardships: His partner died of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and, six months later, he suffered a devastating stroke that robbed him of mobility and his ability to speak. He refused to accept his infirmity and spent the next dozen years retraining his wayward speaking skills with the same determination that he had exerted pleading cases before the court or arguing public policy around the cabinet table or in the Ontario Legislature.
"He was one of the most eloquent speakers, and that was what made the stroke such a cruel twist of fate," said his old friend, Roy McMURTRY, Chief Justice of Ontario. "But he never gave up and he was an inspiration to all of us."
On the public front, he will be remembered as the Ontario attorney-general who, next to the premier himself, put the Liberal stamp on David PETERSON's government between 1985 and 1990, the years when the party spectacularly won, then lost, the reins of power in Ontario. At the time, it was difficult to find an important provincial initiative that did not carry the odour of Mr. SCOTT's all-too frequent cigarettes.
Ian SCOTT was the social conscience of the Liberal cabinet and emerged immediately as a cabinet leader when the Liberals took office with a minority government in 1985. Long before his election as a Liberal, he had had ties with the New Democratic Party, and he combined this with his powers of persuasion to negotiate a deal with the New Democrats that formally ended 43 years of Tory rule in Ontario.
Mr. SCOTT, Mr. PETERSON, Robert Nixon (treasurer) and Sean Conway (education minister) became known as the four horsemen of what started out to be a reform government. He spearheaded the attack on doctors to end extra billing and was the government's counsel against the free-trade agreement. After a period of soul searching, he came out in favour of the Meech Lake constitutional deal, although he was among the first to warn of its weaknesses.
"He was a colossus of provincial politics," said Mr. PETERSON. "He had an intellectual cachet and wit, an advocacy that was second to none, a capacity for very hard work, and he was cunning. He knew how to get what he wanted."
Mr. SCOTT was a superb counsel, one of the best of his generation, said Judge McMURTRY. "He had a marvellous career as a lawyer and contributed greatly politically." Commenting on Mr. SCOTT's accomplishments as attorney- general, Mr. McMURTRY mentioned the merger of county, district and high courts, the process for appointing provincial court judges and his respect for individual and human rights.
During his tenure as attorney-general, Mr. SCOTT "utterly transformed Ontario's justice system, and played an indispensable role in constitutional talks, and otherwise, in the life of his government," current Attorney-General Michael Bryant said in a statement yesterday. "He introduced Ontario's first Freedom of Information Act, brought in North America's first pay equity legislation and created an independent panel to recommend judicial appointments to ensure only the most qualified candidates were appointed to the bench. Mr. SCOTT also amended the Ontario Human Rights Code to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation."
George Smitherman, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, had a more personal observation. "I loved Ian SCOTT. As a politically active gay man coming out in the mid-'80s, he was an inspiration to me. I'll miss being his member of provincial parliament, and I am resigned to never quite filling his shoes. I have lost a friend and it makes me profoundly sad."
Ian Gilmour SCOTT came from a distinguished Irish Catholic family of lawyers and politicians, including Sir Richard SCOTT, a proponent of separate school legislation, a speaker of the Legislative Assembly in Ontario and a cabinet minister in the governments of Edward Blake and Alexander Mackenzie and an influential senator during the Manitoba school debate in the 1890s. The eldest of six children of Ottawa lawyer Cuthbert SCOTT and his wife, Audrey (née GILMOUR,) Mr. SCOTT was born in the middle of the Depression. He went to Holy Cross convent, then Ashbury College.
His younger sister, Martha SCOTT, a fundraising consultant for the private sector, says he always knew he was gay. He never came out to his parents, but she says they probably suspected his sexual orientation. "They adored him, unreservedly," she said yesterday. Nevertheless, Mr. SCOTT admitted in a 1997 interview with Steve Paikin on TVOntario that his homosexuality had forced him to "compartmentalize" his personal and professional lives.
A gifted student, Mr. SCOTT entered Saint Michael's College at the University of Toronto at 17 and graduated with an honours degree in 1955. It was at university, probably in 1951, that he met Roy McMURTRY. "We spent the summer of 1955 working in Quebec City and living with two francophone families, hoping to master the French language," Judge McMURTRY recalled yesterday. "I don't know if either of us achieved our goal, but I think we developed a sensitivity and respect for the cultural and linguistic aspirations of our Québécois Friends, which influenced our future political careers." (In 1975, Roy McMURTRY, as attorney-general, committed Ontario to a bilingual court system; a decade later, Mr. SCOTT "tied up the loose ends" to complete the process.)
Mr. SCOTT graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1959, then articled with William HOWLAND, who was later appointed chief justice of Ontario. A labour lawyer, he formed his own law firm, Cameron, Brewin and Scott, in Toronto and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1973. He also taught law at Queen's University (where he earned a masters of law degree), McGill University, the Law Society of Upper Canada and the U of T.
Bob Rae, who followed Mr. PETERSON as premier of Ontario, was Mr. SCOTT's student in a public-sector labour-relations course at the University of Toronto in 1976. "He was funny and engaging as a teacher," Mr. Rae said. "Then I knew him a little bit as a colleague, because we were both labour lawyers and he supported me financially when I ran federally in 1978."
Despite not being with a long-established Bay Street firm, Mr. SCOTT assembled an impressive list of clients, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He was also the counsel for several high-profile public inquiries, acting for the Hospital for Sick Children during the Grange inquiry and counsel to the Commission of Inquiry into Certain Disturbances at Kingston Penitentiary, the Attorney-General's Task Force on Legal Aid and the royal commission into development of the Mackenzie Valley.
In 1981, he ran for the provincial Liberals against Margaret Scrivener in the riding of St. David, losing by just over 1,000 votes. He ran again in 1985 in a marquee contest against Julian Porter, a libel lawyer, chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission and scion of a prominent legal and political family in Ontario. This time, Mr. SCOTT won, the first Liberal to be elected in St. David in almost 50 years.
Mr. PETERSON, who had won the election with only 37.9 per cent of the vote, forged an alliance with Mr. Rae's New Democrats (which had received 23.8 per cent) to form what was called the Accord government. Mr. SCOTT served as attorney-general (succeeding Roy McMURTRY, who had held the post from 1975 to 1985 during William Davis's tenure as Conservative premier) until the Liberals were defeated by the New Democratic Party in 1990.
"He had consummate confidence in his own skills and abilities to persuade people to do what he wanted them to do, only because he was one of the greatest lawyers in the country," said Mr. PETERSON. "He could talk you into anything." He also liked the tension of public life, according to Mr. PETERSON, and he was steeped in a tradition of public service.
"To run a government," Mr. PETERSON said, "you need three guys a premier, a treasurer and an attorney-general." Mr. SCOTT, he said, "had an awful lot of influence" because of "his ability to speak, his advocacy, his passion, his Friendship with me." He "had his nose into every corner of that government because he was passionately interested in the policy issues and he was up to speed and he made contributions. He was a key guy at the cabinet table. People didn't trifle with him."
Sunday shopping, freedom of information, welfare changes and auto insurance all passed before Mr. SCOTT's tortoise-shell bifocals. Many New Democratic Party reforms, including changes to the court system, family law, native government and employment equity, were initiated under Mr. SCOTT's tenure as attorney-general. His portfolio also included responsibility for native affairs and women's issues, but he kept abreast of laws being drafted in all ministries, arguing that the province's chief law officer had to know the legal ramifications of any particular piece of legislation. One of his roles was to argue successfully before the Supreme Court in favour of protecting separate schools, in much the same way that his ancestor, Sir Richard, had done in the 19th century.
"He was a wonderful colleague, he was interested in everything, he was into everything," said Mr. Conway, a former cabinet colleague. "He was an outstanding attorney-general because he was an outstanding lawyer. He had a unique combination of sparkling intelligence and a wonderful curiosity."
Mr. SCOTT held on to his seat in the 1990 provincial election, but he didn't relish the opposition benches. He resigned in September of 1992 and returned to practising law at Gowling, Strathy and Henderson. Martha, his sister, said "he went into politics with an agenda, including law reform, and when he had accomplished that, he got out."
A confirmed smoker who had tried to kick the habit many times, he finally succeeded by wearing a nicotine patch. His partner, Kim YAKABUSKI, died of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in 1993. In 1994, Mr. SCOTT suffered a devastating stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side and suffering from severe aphasia. The medical experts thought he would end up in an institution, but "he wasn't interested in that life," said his sister.
He insisted on going home, persuaded his cleaning woman to come every day to get him dressed, and worked doggedly with speech therapist Bonnie BERESKIN, who not only taught him how to speak again but trained a key group of his legal colleagues and cronies (including Stephen Goudge, Ian Rolland and Chris Paliare) to work with him every day on his speaking skills. He recovered about 20 per cent of his speech and expanded his communication skills to include facial expressions, hisses, nods and telling looks.
"Here was a guy who had absolutely everything -- school was a snap and work was a snap," said Martha SCOTT. " You don't really imagine a person who has everything would have the resilience to deal with that kind off bad luck." Her brother, she said, was determined to reclaim as much of his life as possible. "I worked my ass off," he once said about his post-stroke recovery in a sentence remarkable for its length and its passion.
"Our Friendship grew after his stroke," Mr. Rae said. "He had a lot of guts and determination and he lived his live with panache right to the end. The greatest affliction that you can imagine for an advocate and an orator like Ian is losing the capacity of speech, but even then he had a way of communicating that was totally disarming. Occasionally, he would only be able to say yes or no, but he could take in everything and he used his eyebrows and his sense of humour [to communicate]."
Mr. SCOTT collaborated with Neil McCORMICK on a memoir, To Make A Difference, in 2001. He continued to have lunch with Friends in restaurants, using a scooter to get about town, and to attend the symphony. But, in the past couple of years, his health problems increased and he finally decided to let nature take its inevitable course.
Ian Gilmour SCOTT was born in Ottawa on July 13, 1934. He died in his sleep in Toronto yesterday after refusing treatment for a variety of illnesses, including cancer. He was 72. Predeceased by his partner, Kim YAKABUSKI, he leaves his five siblings and their families. The funeral will be held at Saint Michael's Cathedral in Toronto at 10: 30 a.m. on Friday.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-01-15 published
PRIES, Madeline Adeline (1911-2006)
Passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, January 14, 2006. Devoted wife of the late Egmont (Ed) PRIES. Loved and loving mom of Merle (Fred) LAWRENCE, Frances (the late John) SANDFORT, Elaine (the late Carl) PETERSON, Wayne (Judy) PRIES and Gail (Keith) BENNETT. Loving Nanny of Steven, Janet, Brenda, Craig (Tanya) LAWRENCE, Sally (Stu) LOOS and Ellen (Steven) YOUTSEY, Larry (Holly) and Jane PETERSON, Kimberley PRIES, Jackie (Jay) ANDERSON, Mark (Diane) PRIES, Tim (Alison) and Adam (Sherri) BENNETT. Adored great-grandmother of Sarah, Katherine, Peter, Alec, Wade, John, Jason, Carly, Tyler, Brooklyn, Shevaun, Chase, Mackenzie, Sam, Kaitlyn and Jillian. Predeceased by her brother Lorne WELTZ. Fondly remembered by in-laws and cousins and by her special friend and caregiver Rosemary PARKER, to whom the family is eternally grateful. For many years, Mrs. PRIES managed the concession booth at the Memorial Arena. Generations of young hockey players and figure skaters, curlers and rink rats enjoyed her Friendship and encouragement during that time. For her dedication, Madeline was awarded a Hockey Heritage Citation in 1995. She was a devoted member of St. George's Anglican Church for over fifty-five years. Friends will be received at the J.S. Jones & son Funeral Home, 11582 Trafalgar Road, north of Maple Ave., Georgetown, (905) 877-3631 on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral and committal service will be held at St. George's Anglican Church, 60 Guelph Street, Georgetown on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 2: 00 p.m. Cremation. In memory contributions to St. George's Anglican Church or the Hospital For Sick Children would be appreciated. To send expressions of sympathy visit www.jsjonesandsonfuneralhome.com

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-01-30 published
KING, Margaret
Peacefully at Ina Grafton Gage United Church Home, on Sunday, January 29, 2006. Beloved wife of the late Leo KING. Dear sister-in-law of Betty PETERSON and dear aunt of Donald PETERSON. Survived by many relatives and Friends in Halifax and Toronto. Friends may call at the Morley Bedford Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton Ave. West (2 stoplights west of Yonge Street) on Monday, January 30th from 7-9 p.m. A service will be held in the chapel, Tuesday, January 31, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Interment Resthaven Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-03-29 published
CONLON, Sophie (née BERNYCK)
Passed away peacefully on Monday, March 27, 2006 at York Central Hospital in her 78th year. Daughter of Michael BERNYCK and Frances REBAC and sister of Nancy PETERSON. Predeceased by her beloved husband Leonard (1994). Loving mother of James. Cherished grandmother of Brendon and Rory. Sophie will be lovingly remembered by all of her family and Friends. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 30 from 6: 30-8:30 p.m. and Friday, March 31 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the R.S. Kane Funeral Home (6150 Yonge Street, at Goulding, south of Steeles). A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2006 at 1: 00 p.m. at Saint Timothy's Roman Catholic Church (21 Leith Hill Road). Interment to follow at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Cemetery. Reception to follow at Sophie's Henry Farm home (32 Elfindale Crescent). Condolences to www.rskane.ca

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-20 published
SIPOS, Theodore Stephen " Ted"
Passed away at Fitzroy Harbour on Monday, April 17, 2006, at the age of 79. Loving husband of Valerie. Beloved father of Christina ANDERSON (Edward), Paul (Michele), Valerie JORGENSEN (David) and Irene CARVALHO (John.) Cherished grandfather of Matthew, Adam, Sean and Anna. Ted is survived by his sisters Kathleen MOLNAR, Elizabeth PETERSON and their families. Resting at Corbett Funeral Home, 95 Dundas Street, Cambridge (519-740-0669) where the family will receive Friends on Friday 7-9 p.m. The funeral service will be conducted in the funeral home chapel on Saturday, April 22, 2006, at 11 a.m., with visitation one hour prior. In Ted's memory, expression of sympathy may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or Alzheimer Society.

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-10-11 published
Esteemed lawyer, former Attorney General dies at 72
Talented orator suffered stroke
Introduced pay-equity law
By Tracey TYLER, Legal Affairs Reporter with files from Robert BENZIE
Ian SCOTT was a brilliant, charming, supremely confident overachiever who captivated the courtroom with his eloquence and wit. In his next act, as Ontario's reform-minded attorney general, he redefined the qualities expected from the person who holds that job.
But in one of life's cruel twists, at the prime of his life, a debilitating stroke robbed SCOTT of his ability to speak. And for the next 12 years, the man considered one of the country's most gifted lawyers and orators battled back, drawing on the same studious determination that characterized his legal career.
"He was a remarkable person, a tortured guy in some ways, but a beautiful human being," said former Ontario premier David PETERSON.
SCOTT, 72, died at his Toronto home early yesterday. He'd battled a variety of ailments in recent weeks, but after an extended stay in hospital he returned home. True to form, SCOTT, a voracious reader his whole life, insisted during his dying days that his sister read him excerpts from a recent memoir written by Eddie Goldenberg, political adviser to former prime minister Jean Chrétien.
SCOTT considered his time as Ontario's attorney general, between 1985 and 1990, the best job he ever had. As usual, he was centre stage.
"He was a real busy bee around government," PETERSON said yesterday. "I very much valued his judgment and he was a very, very, very powerful minister."
At Queen's Park, Premier Dalton McGuinty interrupted proceedings to announce SCOTT's death. Attorney General Michael Bryant said Canada has lost a legal legend.
"Everybody was in gobsmacked awe of the man.
Progressive Conservative▲▼ Leader▲ John Tory, who worked with SCOTT as a young lawyer, paid tribute to his friend as a "wonderful, courageous, funny, smart, dedicated man."
There▼ were high expectations riding on SCOTT when he sailed into office.
But the lustre quickly tarnished when PETERSON's Liberal government, in one of its first acts in office, announced plans to abolish the honorary designation of Queen's Counsel, long considered a form of patronage.
The initial huffing and puffing gave way to mixed reviews of SCOTT's performance. There were notable successes. He took steps to rid the judicial appointments process of patronage, setting up an independent advisory committee to screen candidates.
SCOTT introduced pay-equity legislation and waged a successful battle over full funding to separate schools.
But Ontario was rapidly acquiring a reputation for the longest trial delays on the continent. SCOTT was convinced the solution wasn't more money and judges, but a restructuring of the entire system. He locked horns with the judiciary over a move that merged three court levels into two.
"He was a reformer at heart and he wanted to make a contribution," said Toronto lawyer Chris PALIARE, one of SCOTT's former articling students and law partners. "If that meant merging the courts and offending some superior court judges, so be it."
SCOTT had a privileged Ottawa upbringing and seemed destined for a career in law. His father, Cuthbert SCOTT, was a leading intellectual-property lawyer. His great-grandfather, Sir Richard SCOTT, a member of Sir Wilfrid Laurier's cabinet, was responsible for the Scott Act, a temperance law.
The▼ eldest of six, SCOTT displayed first-born, overachieving tendencies from the start, said his younger sister, Martha.
In high school, SCOTT joined a debating league in an effort to overcome a childhood stammer. That, in turn, revealed a natural talent for oral advocacy.
"He was the most persuasive communicator I've ever encountered," said lawyer Linda ROTHSTEIN, who worked with SCOTT as an articling student.
But he was often so nervous before a case that he had to go and have a cigarette to calm down, PALIARE said.
Measured against that backdrop, SCOTT's stroke seemed particularly cruel, said Ontario Chief Justice Roy McMurtry, who considers SCOTT's death "the end of an era."
SCOTT recently remarked that he worked his "ass off" to regain some ability to speak, his sister said.
"In 12 years, he did make a life for himself," she said. "And he taught me that communication has nothing to do with speech, because he was able, with a raised eyebrow or a hand gesture or a single word, to be every bit as eloquent as he had been before."

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PETERSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-10-11 published
Ian SCOTT, 72: Former attorney general
'He was an old-fashioned progressive Liberal'
By Ian URQUHART, Queen's Park Columnist
The▲ obituaries today will describe Ian SCOTT as attorney general of Ontario from 1985 to 1990.
But that description does not do him justice, for SCOTT was more than a mere cabinet minister; he was the heart and soul of the provincial Liberal government during a remarkably reformist era in the late 1980s.
That government was led, of course, by David PETERSON, and also featured the likes of Robert Nixon and Sean Conway.
But it was SCOTT who infused Peterson's government with its reformist zeal.
"He was an old-fashioned progressive Liberal," recalled Conway about his former cabinet colleague yesterday after news of SCOTT's death, at age 72, had circulated. "He really did believe government was a positive influence in people's lives."
Thus, in a relatively brief time span from 1985 to 1990, SCOTT's fingerprints were all over a series of initiatives, including, most significantly, the negotiation of an accord with the New Democrats to end the 42-year reign of the Progressive Conservatives at Queen's Park. The Liberal negotiating team was comprised of SCOTT, Conway▲ and Nixon.
Once the Liberals were in office, SCOTT had a major hand in the introduction of pay equity, the ban on extra-billing, freedom-of-information legislation, class-action lawsuits, no-fault auto insurance, the negotiation of native land claims, abolition of the title of Queen's Counsel, a merit-based system of appointing judges, and restructuring of the courts.
When police insisted on laying yet another futile charge against the Morgentaler abortion clinic in Toronto, SCOTT used his prerogative as attorney general to stay the proceedings.
On another major Liberal initiative -- the extension of full funding to Catholic schools -- SCOTT personally argued the government's case before the Supreme Court, and won.
SCOTT was less successful in arguing internally against the "distinct society" clause of the Meech Lake accord, which he saw as dangerously ambiguous.
As the Meech talks neared a conclusion, PETERSON brought SCOTT in to address the other premiers on the issue.
"I made my points, but I could see that my target audience, Robert Bourassa (premier of Quebec) was not amused by what I had to say," SCOTT recalled later in his memoir. "We were dismissed somewhat icily.
"So the deal (Meech) was made. When it was done, I felt a deep malaise. I was full of misgivings about the wisdom of what we had done; anything, I thought, that rested on a fundamental ambiguity was doomed to failure at some point or other."
SCOTT considered resigning in the wake of Meech, but he decided not to because it would have been "a rebuke to PETERSON" and would have removed him from any future influence on the course of the constitutional talks.
Later, SCOTT came around to the view that Meech was "the best deal that we were ever likely to get."
In 1990, SCOTT was also on the losing side of an argument inside the Liberal government on whether an election should be called one year early.
Notwithstanding the misgivings of SCOTT and others in cabinet (including Conway and Greg Sorbara, now minister of finance in Dalton McGuinty's government,) PETERSON decided to go early, and lost.
But SCOTT narrowly won his own downtown Toronto seat and took a front seat in the opposition benches. "After two years in opposition, however, I found myself increasingly disenchanted," wrote SCOTT in his memoir in explaining his decision to quit the Legislature in 1992.
Thus ended a political career that was as brief as it was brilliant.
And during his seven years in the limelight, SCOTT carried with him the burden of a secret: that he was gay.
Adding to SCOTT's burden was the discovery soon after he became attorney general that his live-in lover was Human Immunodeficiency Virus positive.
Within the cozy confines of Queen's Park, SCOTT's sexual orientation was well known, but the general public remained oblivious to it. Occasionally, Queen's Park reporters -- usually from the Toronto Sun -- would challenge SCOTT about the matter, and his answer was always the same: "Print what you dare." They never did.
It remained for SCOTT himself to print the secret in 2001 in his memoir, To Make a Difference.
SCOTT wrote that he kept his sexual orientation in the closet when he entered politics because he felt that the Ontario of that time was unready to deal with the issue.
"And I saw no reason to make what would have been a futile attempt to change it," he added.
Now, two decades later, a gay politician is, if not commonplace, at least no longer shocking.
At Queen's Park, for example, we have a minister of health and a minister of education who are openly gay, and no one is making a fuss about it.
That, too, is part of SCOTT's legacy.

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