David Onley
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| His Honour the Honourable David Charles Onley OOnt LLD (hc) BA |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office September 5, 2007 |
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| Governor General | Michaëlle Jean |
| Premier | Dalton McGuinty |
| Preceded by | James Bartleman |
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| Born | June 12, 1950 Midland, Ontario |
| Spouse | Ruth Ann Onley |
| Profession | Journalist |
| Religion | Evangelical Christian, Baptist [1] |
David Charles Onley[1] OOnt (born June 12, 1950)[2] is the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Canada.[3] Onley is a former television personality; at the time of appointment, he was a science and technology reporter for Toronto television station Citytv, an anchor for the 24-hour news station CablePulse 24, and a host of CP24's weekly technology series, Home Page.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Midland, Ontario, Onley was raised in Scarborough,[4] now part of Toronto, and was educated at the University of Toronto, graduating with a degree in political science.
Beginning at the age of three,[5] Onley battled with polio, resulting in full paralysis. However, he undertook extensive physical therapy and regained the use of his hands, though not his arms.[6]
[edit] Career
Onley began his career in radio, hosting a weekly science show for Toronto radio station CFRB, subsequently joining the CKO network in 1983. He then joined Citytv in 1984, as weather specialist, a position he held until 1989.
From 1989 to 1995 he was the first news anchor on the then-new Breakfast Television, Citytv's morning show. He served as education specialist for Citytv and CablePulse 24 from 1994 to 1999. Onley became an anchor on CP24, when the station launched in 1999, and both hosted and produced Home Page on CP24.[4]
He was one of Canada's first on-air television personalities with a visible disability;[4] he uses a mobility device due to his paralysis. Camera shots began with only upper body shots but Mr. Onley demanded that the shot include him in his mobility device. In honour of his contributions to the advancement of disability issues in Canada, he has received awards from the Terry Fox Hall of Fame in 1997,[4] and the Clarke Institute's Courage to Come Back award.[4] He was appointed Chair of the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council to the Minister of Community and Social Services in 2005.[7] He was most recently inducted into the Scarborough Walk of Fame in 2006.
Onley wrote Shuttle: A Shattering Novel of Disaster in Space, a bestselling novel about space travel, published in 1981. It was nominated by the Periodical Distributors of Canada as book of the year. He was founding president of the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Canada.
[edit] As Lieutenant Governor
Onley's appointment as Lieutenant Governor was announced on July 10, 2007; he was privately informed of this after a Wednesday July 4, 2007, taping of Home Page: "I just had reached the top of the Don Valley Parkway... and there was no place to pull over. And when the Prime Minister of your country calls, all you can try to do is stay in the same lane, avoid any fender-benders and have a meaningful conversation, which I did."[3]
| “ | David Onley is a respected author, broadcaster and tireless champion for persons with disabilities. Through this work, he has demonstrated the qualities needed for such an important position. He has loyally served the province and his country in a number of roles, and I’m confident as Lieutenant-Governor, he will continue to do so.[4] | ” |
His first known interview as the designate was to CP24.[8]
He was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor on September 5, 2007, at Queen's Park in Toronto. As the province's first lieutenant governor with a disability, Onley said he would use his vice-regal position to help remove physical barriers to Ontario's 1.5 million people with disabilities, as well as focus on other issues affecting the disabled, including obstacles to employment and housing. Onley also stated, in his installation speech, that he would expand on his immediate predecessor's aboriginal literacy initiative, his aim being to see computers on every student's desk in northern schools.[9] For his installation, Onley approached the legislature on his electric scooter, however entered the legislative chamber on foot, using leg braces and canes.[10]
Onley and his wife continue to reside in their Scarborough home; Ontario is one of three provinces that does not have an official vice-regal residence.[10]
[edit] Personal life
He is married to Ruth Ann Onley, a Christian music performer. They have three sons, Jonathan, Robert and Michael.[4]
Onley and his wife are faithful Christians attending Safe Haven Worship Centre, a non-denominational though Baptist-influenced evangelical church in Pickering.
[edit] Titles, honours and awards
[edit] Shorthand titles
- June 12, 1950 – September 5, 2007: Mr. David Onley
- September 5, 2007 – present: His Honour The Honourable David Onley, OOnt
