Former Hamilton Mountain MP Ian Deans dies

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A long time local politician has died.

Ian deans, whose political career began in 1967 as an MPP for the Wentworth riding, near Hamilton, passed away at the age of 78.

He was born in Scotland in 1937, and came to Canada in the 50’s with his parents. Before entering politics, he was a firefighter in Hamilton, a city that he would continue to fight for during his political career.

Politics was a passion for Deans, he got his first taste of it as a New Democrat MPP first elected to Queen’s Park in 1967. In the late 1970’s he ran to be leader of the Ontario NDP, he lost that race. But then two years later he was elected as an NDP MP in Ottawa, where he represented Hamilton Mountain from 1980 to 1986.

He left Federal politics to work for then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney as an administrator in the public service sector. When he ran for mayor in 2010, Deans finished in eighth place.

Ian Deans was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, but even that couldn’t slow him down. He said during his mayoral run,
“Like Michael J. Fox, I have learned to live with Parkinson’s disease. I will not surrender my dignity, nor my ability to effect change where it is needed.”

His passion for this city will be missed.