Marc Grant, a councillor who served the Town of Oakville for more than two decades, has died at the age of 59. “A dear friend died yesterday, and the world has lost one of the kindest, funniest and most loyal people you could ever know,” said Coun. Jeff Knoll of Oakville’s Ward 5 in a post to Facebook, with numerous comments from residents sharing their memories of Grant. Grant died Monday due to a sudden illness. He was elected to office in 2003, serving as Ward 5 Town Councillor for 23 years. In a statement, Mayor Rob Burton described the former councillor as someone who “was a champion of transit, parks and public gathering spaces, a voice on poverty and food security.” “We all benefitted from Marc’s service to our town.” ‘Caring, supportive and funny with a sharp wit’ In a statement to CTV News Mackenzie Grant described her father as someone who was “caring, supportive and funny with a sharp wit.” “My Father was so many things I find it hard to distill into words. He was so passionate about his work – advocating for the people that call Oakville home and making sure they felt heard and understood.” Mackenzie said her father moved movies, TV shows, and acted as her “personal trend setter.” “He often knew what the next big thing was, or what was cool before I did, which was honestly impressive.” Mackenzie said outside of work her father put his time towards cooking, and loved trying new foods. “He was a trained chef and loved trying new foods, flavour combinations and gathering over a meal. He loved finding small businesses and restaurants to try out.” Mackenzie said Grant was “always around with a listening ear no matter how busy he was with other work.” “No matter how much he did for his family or our community, he always felt as though there was more work to be done and would try to find more ways he could help out.” “I feel like I’m missing a piece of me without him here. He was someone I took everything to, from small problems to big wins. I miss hearing his laugh already, his point of view and perspective on life.” A memorial service will be held for grant Oakville Town Hall on Saturday August 8th. ‘Time to say goodbye’ Knoll, who served with Grant as the town’s Ward 5 team, described Grant as his “best friend who was genuinely hilarious.” “His perfectly timed quips and sidebar comments could make me laugh in almost any circumstance.” Prior to serving on council, Grant first came to the Town of Oakville in 1995. He previously worked at CBC as a communications specialist and as a political strategist for multiple politicians, according to Grant’s bio on the town’s website. “We sat beside one another around the council table for 23 years. We always had each other’s backs, and we always had the backs of the residents we were honoured to serve,” said Knoll, who encouraged Grant to go into politics after mounting a “spirited defence of his community” in opposition to a local street light. Knoll called their years serving council together as “an adventure.” “No matter how serious, difficult or stressful the situation, we always left laughing,” Knoll wrote. According to the Town of Oakville’s official website, flags at all Oakville facilities will be flown at half-mast until Grant’s memorial service. “Marc, our meeting has adjourned. The final credits have rolled, and it is time to say goodbye,” said Knoll. “Rest in peace, my friend.”
