Diane Deans, who served as councillor for almost three decades, dies five years after cancer diagnosis

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Diane Deans, one of the longest serving councillors in Ottawa history, has died.

Deans died Tuesday, just two weeks after entering palliative care for ovarian cancer, a disease she lived with for five years. Her death was announced in a statement from husband Ron Richards, daughter Megan McGovern and grandson Evan.

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“Despite her diagnosis, Diane continued to live every day to its fullest with a fighting spirit, unwavering tenacity, courage and compassion. She served as an Ottawa City Councillor for 28 years and, even after her diagnosis, Diane continued to fight for issues of importance to Ottawa residents and leaving an indelible mark on countless people’s lives,” the statement said.

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“I’m profoundly sad,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said after hearing news of Deans’ death. “She was so young and still a very active person and she’s given so much of her life to this community. It’s a tremendous loss.”

Sutcliffe called Deans a trailblazer and a role model.

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod posted about how much she admired Deans.

“My family and I want to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Diane Deans,” MacLeod posted on X. “I remember Diane taking her young daughter to City Hall when I was a staffer and I marveled that she could be a Mom and Councillor. About a decade later I found the strength and determination to be a Mom and MPP myself. That’s because I had role models like Diane and Jan Harder, who showed me I could. Diane did many things, but advancing women in politics will be her forever legacy.”

Deans’ own account on X expressed her own philosophy, post-politics.

“Finding the joy in life after City Hall. Dedicated to making a big difference and leaving a small footprint. Have the courage of your convictions.”

A graduate of the University of Guelph, Deans arrived in Ottawa and worked as a staff member on Parliament Hill before entering municipal politics, winning her first election in 1994, the first of eight consecutive electoral wins. She met her first husband, former NDP MP Ian Deans, on Parliament Hill. They divorced after a 22-year marriage. He died in 2016.

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Then 61, Deans announced in September 2019 that she had cancer, diagnosed “after a summer of not feeling well.” She underwent months of chemotherapy, telling this newspaper in 2020 that she spent time wondering, “Why me?” but, after realizing how many people are touched by cancer, shifted her thinking to “Why not me?”

“I have the privilege of being a leader in this community. Ovarian cancer really needed a champion. Maybe somebody like me can give others hope,” she said.

She returned to council in September 2020.

Deans was an outspoken critic of the secrecy surrounding the construction and testing of the Confederation Line LRT, frequently sparring with former mayor Jim Watson. That battle culminated in February 2022, when Deans was ousted as chair of the Police Services Board in the midst of the convoy occupation of downtown Ottawa.

Deans and the board had moved quickly to hire a replacement for former police chief Peter Sloly, who had resigned, without informing Watson or council. Council, in turn, turfed her from the board, with Watson telling reporters that people had lost confidence in the board.

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Deans fired back, accusing councillors of “destabilizing the oversight body for Ottawa police in the middle of the biggest crisis in this city’s history.”

Deans considered running for mayor in 2022, but withdrew from the race a few months before the election “for personal and professional reasons.” The city’s next mayor needed to commit to serve two terms to solve the “deep and divisive” issues on council, she said at the time.

“Regrettably, I do not feel that I can make a commitment of that length to the people of Ottawa,” Deans said.

Her family said they were moved by the outpouring of support they received after the announcement that she had entered palliative care.

“We have heard from hundreds of people who have shared their stories of the incredible impact my mom had on their lives. My mom was my role model, but also a role model for so many other girls and women, demonstrating that no dream is beyond reach,” McGovern said in the statement.

A celebration life open to the public will take place on Saturday, May 25, at 2 p.m. at the Infinity Convention Centre on Gifford Drive, followed by a reception.

Books of condolence will be located at Ottawa City Hall and the Greenboro Community Centre on May 21-23.

People are also invited to share their condolences by email to: diane.deans01@gmail.com.

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