Canadian parliamentarians put aside their partisan differences in the House of Commons today to honour veteran Conservative MP Gord Brown, who died suddenly this morning after suffering a heart attack in his Parliament Hill office.
The 57-year-old MP, who represented the eastern Ontario riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, was first elected in 2004.
Brown is survived by his wife Claudine and two sons, Chance and Tristan.
He previously served as the Conservative Party whip, and was a member of several parliamentary associations and inter-parliamentary groups.
Prior to entering federal politics, he served as town councillor in Gananoque, Ont.
According to his MP website, Brown enjoyed kayaking, and was captain of the Conservative Party’s Hill hockey team.
“The whole House is in mourning,” said an emotional Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, during a special session of Parliament.
Scheer said Brown was a “quintessential happy warrior,” whose decades of work earned him the trust and respect of colleagues and constituents.
Heartbroken at the passing of our dear friend Gord Brown. A sudden and tragic loss for anyone who knew him. One of the most upbeat guys I’ve known. Please pray for his wife and children as they cope with this terrible loss.
— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) 2 May 2018
Prime Minister Trudeau described Brown as “a great guy.”
“He was a thoughtful, engaging individual, who brought out the best in everyone who worked or interacted with him,” Trudeau said. “Gord was particularly good at transcending partisanship here and really emphasizing the service, not just to our constituents, but to all Canadians.”
New Democratic Party MP Brian Masse said Brown, whose riding stretched along the Canada-U.S. border, was a “fierce patriot.”
Scheer said the parliamentary protective service were the first to respond shortly before 10 a.m. and “went above and beyond in doing everything they could to try to save Gord’s life this morning.”
Since 1868, 321 MPs had died while in office before today, according to CBC news. Brown’s death brought the total to 322. Liberal MP Arnold Chan died of cancer last fall. Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in August 2016.
Brown’s death comes almost two years after Jim Hillyer, another Conservative MP, died of a heart attack in his Parliament Hill office.
There is no word yet on funeral arrangements.
With files from Kathleen Harris, CBC News, and The Canadian Press
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.