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OTTAWA — Longtime member of Parliament Irene Mathyssen, who served the London, Ont., region both provincially and federally under the NDP banner, has died at the age of 75. She had been battling cancer.
Former NDP MP Lindsay Mathyssen announced her mother’s passing on social media on Tuesday.
“To Londoners and Canadians, she was known for her public service, her dedication to her community, and her commitment to the people and causes she believed in,” she said in a statement on Facebook.
“She believed that our responsibility is to leave this world a better place than we found it. That belief is part of her legacy and I will do my best to honour it throughout my life.”
Mathyssen was first elected provincially in 1990 and served as Ontario’s tourism minister.
She was elected to represent London federally in 2006 and held her seat of London—Fanshawe until her retirement from politics in 2019.
During her time as MP, Mathyssen notably led a successful effort to remove the federal portion of the sales tax from menstrual products.
NDP Leader Avi Lewis said she will be remembered as someone “who fought relentlessly for our movement, and for a Canada that upholds the dignity of every person.”
“In calling for a housing bill of rights, the expansion of EI for workers, and fighting for women’s liberation, Irene pushed to make life better for people on every front,” Lewis said in a statement.
Conservative London-area MP Andrew Lawton said in a media statement that Mathyssen was “a tireless advocate for her values and her constituents and was always generous with her time when I was working in radio.
“My thoughts are with Keith (Irene’s husband) and Lindsay.”
Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal MP for London Centre, called her a “profoundly important” community voice.
“She spoke up for those who had been forgotten and ignored and always approached her work with kindness, humility and dedication. This was a true public servant,” he said in a media statement.
Mathyssen was succeeded in the House of Commons by her daughter Lindsay, who held the seat of London—Fanshawe until 2025.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2026.
The Canadian Press
