Former Lt.-Gov. David Onley set to be remembered Jan. 30 at state funeral
Thestar.com
Jan. 20, 2023

Former Ontario Lt.-Gov. David Onley is set to be remembered at a state funeral on Jan. 30.

Morley Bedford Funeral Services says Onley will lie in state at the legislature on Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, then a state funeral will be held at a church in Toronto on the following Monday.

The current lieutenant-governor announced Onley’s death Saturday, saying he used his status as the province’s first lieutenant-governor with a physical disability to raise awareness of and help break down barriers facing other disabled residents.

Onley used a motorized scooter throughout his life after contracting polio as a child and frequently drew on his lived experience when highlighting existing accessibility barriers in all facets of society.

Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell says his efforts to draw attention to such issues predated his time in government and could be traced back to his years as a television reporter.

Onley, who was 72 when he died, was appointed lieutenant-governor in 2007 and remained in the position for seven years.