There was a moment of silence in the council chambers at London City Hall on Wednesday afternoon as councillors reflected on the passing of longtime politician Irene Mathyssen. A tearful Hadleigh McAlister, the Councillor for Ward 1 stood up and said, “A lasting memory for me will be on election night four years ago, she gave me a big hug and said I’m so proud of you, now go out there and do some good.” Moments later the Councillor for Ward 12 Elizabeth Peloza spoke of Irene and her daughter saying, “When the seat for London-Fanshawe changed from Irene to Lindsay that was a first in Canadian history for politics with a daughter succeeding her mother,” she said. “There’s a lot of work that she started and we will carry on.” As a member of the New Democratic Party, Irene was a part of London’s political landscape over a three decade period. She first served as MPP from 1990 until 1995 and then as MP from 2006 until 2019. Her daughter Lindsay would then hold on to the seat of London Fanshawe until 2025. “Even here at 300 Dufferin Avenue, she never served municipally but she certainly has a legacy in this building,” said Shawn Lewis, the deputy mayor who also worked in her constituency office for 12 years before getting into politics himself. “Irene may have been small in stature but she was a giant in this community touching thousands of lives,” said Lewis. “The work she did in Parliament on different pieces of legislation is immeasurable, for example she fought for eight years to get the HST taken off of feminine hygiene products.” Before getting into politics, Irene was an English teacher and Lewis says she never really left that profession behind saying “I would not be here today without her influence.” Another politician she mentored was Edmonton Strathcona MP Heather McPherson. “Irene was an incredible force in our movement as a New Democrat,” said McPherson. “I learned so much from Irene and she would be available anytime, day or night whenever you had any questions.” Over the past several months she had been battling cancer until it took her life over the long weekend. The Mathyssen family is expected to have a celebration of life for Irene at a later date. “She will be dearly missed by all of the people who loved her,” said Lewis. McPherson added “I really cherished the time with her, I just wish it would have been longer and it should have been longer for all of us.” Irene Mathyssen was 75 years of age.
