Long-serving Thunder Bay MPP Michael Gravelle not seeking re-election

A long-serving Thunder Bay MPP has announced he won't run in the upcoming Ontario provincial election as he undergoes cancer treatment.

Michael Gravelle, who spent 27 years in office as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party, announced Monday he would not seek re-election, after announcing on April 5 the cancer he'd battled a decade ago had returned.

"Making the decision that I'm not able to run again for office was just about the most tough decision I've ever, ever made," Gravelle told CBC News on Monday.

"[I] talked with my family, doctors, friends and staff about it, and came to the conclusion that despite the fact that I was going through the chemotherapy, I was having significant side effects, and it was becoming more and more difficult to carry on," he said.

"I'm certainly hoping to continue to get better from from a health point of view as soon as I can, and be able to do some other things in my life."

Gravelle called his first election campaign, in 1995, an "extraordinary" one.

"It was probably the most fun campaign we had because it was the first one," he said. "And to some degree, we didn't know what we were doing."

"We're just going out there and knocking on doors and pushing very hard," Gravelle said. "At that time, Lyn McLeod was the leader of our party and we felt pretty optimistic."

From Opposition to cabinet minister

That election, however, saw Mike Harris of the Progressive Conservative party elected as Ontario premier.

"I spent the next eight years in Opposition fighting hard on behalf of my constituents and and getting some things done, which I was very proud of, including providing insulin pumps for Type 2diabetes," Gravelle said.

Gravelle would then serve as caucus chair, and joined the Liberal cabinet in 2007 as Minister of Northern Development and Mines.

He's also been responsible for Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, and Minister of Natural Resources, during his career.

Gravelle said the work he did on getting the highway between Thunder Bay and Nipigon twinned is something he remains very proud of.

"We really felt that was something that needed to happen with no alternate route, with the roads, highways being closed so frequently," he said. "From a safety, and from an economic, point of view, it became very important."

Work on the highway twinning remains ongoing.

"Certainly, I'm very proud of being and working with along with my colleague Bill Mauro, who was the MPP at the time, to bring a law school to northern Ontario here at Lakehead University," Gravelle said. "Bringing an angioplasty clinic to then today regional hospital was very important, and working towardcardiovascular surgery at the hospital was another project that we took very, very seriously."

Widespread support for cancer fight

In a statement issued Monday, Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said "as his friend, the last thing I want to be doing today is accepting MichaelGravelle's decision to step away from politics."

"I know deciding to stand down from re-election would have been among the hardest decisions Michael has had to make," Del Duca stated. "But I'm glad he and his family are deciding to put his health and his recovery first. Politics shouldn't have anything to do with moments like these and must be set aside to put healing first."

"Michael is a true Lion of the Legislature," the statement reads. "Through his storied career in provincial government, Michael improved the lives of more people than he knows. I know that Michael's support and wisdom will always be available to me and his successor in Thunder Bay-Superior North."

"Stay well, my friend. Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do to make Ontario a better place for all of us."

Federal Indigenous Services Minister and Thunder Bay Superior North MP Patty Hajdu also shared a message of support onsocial media, saying Gravelle's "legacy is a gift and we are grateful. We are all with you in this most important time of healing."

Ontario NDP candidate for Thunder Bay-Superior North Lise Vaugeois also sent well-wishes for Gravelle on Monday.

"I want towish MichaelGravellegood health, successful treatments and many happy days with his family ahead,"Vaugeois stated. "I thank him for his many years of service to the community and wish him all the very best."

Gravelle credited the personal relationships he'd developed with constituents as very important in terms of the success he saw as an MPP.

"I think the key for any politician is to listen to their constituents, to make sure that indeed their concerns are not only heard but are expressed at Queen's Park and in a variety of other ways as well," Gravelle said. "It's my personal relationships with my constituents that touch me the most, and it's what I'm thinking about most these days in particular."

"Ilike to think I've made a difference," he said. "It's fighting for fairness. It's fighting for equality. It's been fighting for justice, fighting for those who really cannot fight for that for themselves, the most vulnerable. And that's been a real priority for me as well."

The next provincial election is expected to take place on June 2.