Oakville councillor Marc Grant remembered after sudden death at 23 years of service

Oakville Councillor Marc Reyer Grant has died after a sudden illness, ending a 23-year tenure representing Ward 5 on town council.

Grant settled in Oakville in 1995 and first won election as town councillor in 2003. He was serving his seventh consecutive term when he passed away Monday. The town has not yet provided information on who would cover the ward or whether a byelection would be held.

Mayor Rob Burton issued a statement Tuesday, saying the community had "benefitted from Marc's service to our town." Burton said Grant "was a champion of transit, parks, and public gathering spaces, a voice on poverty and food security."

Former councillor Jeff Knoll, who served alongside Grant for 23 years, remembered him as "one of the kindest, funniest and most loyal people" and described their friendship as unshakeable despite their different science-fiction tastes. "He was Star Trek. I was Star Wars. Somehow, we made it work," Knoll said. The two collaborated on numerous projects and initiatives, including a workplace comedy series called Coming Distractions.

Prior to his work in municipal politics, Grant had a varied career that included journalism, marketing consultation, chef work, and communications at CBC. His biography on the town's website noted he had lived across Canada and internationally before settling in Oakville.

Former MP Pam Damoff, who worked with Grant on council for five years and then as his MP for ten more, said his loss was "huge for Oakville, but a bigger loss for those who loved him." She noted he "cared deeply" about the community and was "always quietly supporting" residents alongside his family.