Stephen Lewis: A Legacy of Justice

0:00It's April 1st, from your city to your ears. This is Vancouver News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. Steven Lewis, the legendary Canadian diplomat and Indie P. Leader, passed away at 88 after an eight-year fight with abdominal cancer. David Suzuki, his close friend, spent one final hour with him at a Toronto hospice last Saturday, telling Lewis he loved him and that his legacy would endure. News of his death hit yesterday, right after his son, Avi Lewis, was elected the federal Indie P's ninth leader on Sunday. Lewis kicked off his career young, getting elected to Ontario's legislature at just 26 back in 1963. He led the provincial Indie P and served as opposition leader, pushing for rent control and worker safety laws. Even rivals like progressive conservative Premier Bill Davis respected him enough to recommend him as Canada's UN ambassador in 1984. At the UN, Lewis shaped Canada's tough stand against South Africa's apartheid, convincing Prime Minister Brian Moroni to amp up a key speech that earned a standing ovation.

1:06Later, he tackled HIV and AIDS in Africa as a UN envoy, co-founded a foundation that's raised over $200 million for grassroots efforts, and kept advocating right up to last June despite his illness. Friends and colleagues are mourning a giant in social justice. Suzuki called him Canada's greatest public speaker, while honorites of Bains from UNICEF remembered his impact on AIDS work and how he always listened to. Those living with HIV. Prime Minister Mark Carney hailed him as a pillar of compassionate leadership. Suzuki believes Lewis hung on just long enough to see Avi's win, ensuring his fire for justice passes to the next generation. In a world needing voices like his, that legacy hits different, keeping the fight alive through family and inspiration.