Political world pays tribute to Ken Dryden, remembered for his public service
Global News
Canadian politicians paid tribute to the legendary Ken Dryden on Saturday, remembering him as a deeply human individual with a passion and curiosity who stood tall for his country.
The death of Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden resonated in political circles on Saturday where the former NHL great left his mark as a long-standing member of Parliament and former Liberal cabinet minister.
The Montreal Canadiens organization announced Dryden’s death shortly after 12:30 a.m. Saturday. He died Friday at age 78 following a battle with cancer.
Dryden left the Toronto Maple Leafs organization to run federally in 2004 for the Liberal Party of Canada, elected in the Toronto riding of York Centre.
He was named minister of social development minister in former prime minister Paul Martin’s cabinet. His former chief of staff tells The Canadian Press that his curiosity and his ease with others helped him navigate the political world.
“A lot of people would have commented that he seemed to be a fish out of water (as an MP), but I’m starting to think it was perhaps the water that was different and not the fish so much,” said Mark Watton.
“He was genuinely interested in everyone he met including his colleagues around the cabinet table, his staff, his colleagues in Parliament and the advocates or constituents or others who he would come across.”
It was that insatiable curiosity exhibited by Dryden that made him stand out, Watton said.
“Even though he was most passionate about the social policy matters that we’re in front of him as the minister of social development, he was genuinely curious about everything else around the cabinet table,” Watton said.
