Former city politician and social activist Gina Barber passed away Sunday morning in hospital.
Those who worked closely with the her are remembering Barber's tireless efforts for her community
MP Irene Mathyssen says, “Gina Barber was a woman of great passion. She was filled with life. She loved Ted Barber, she loved city hall, the politics. She liked getting in and getting elbows out, and she loved the NDP. Social justice was always at the top of Gina's list."
Barber was a longtime politician, professor and social activist.
This past June she was awarded with the Ontario Senior of the Year Award for her work advocating for seniors.
She helped fund a task force that designated London as the first age friendly City in Canada.
Even after leaving political office she continued to be very engaged with the NDP and kept tabs on city hall, attending meetings and blogging about municipal issues on her website.
One of her many accomplishments during her municipal campaign was her efforts to eliminate the board of control.
“Gina believed very much in democracy, and felt very strongly about the fact that London was one of the last municipalities that had a board of control, and so she ran in the municipal election in order to join the board of control so that she could ultimately vote to get rid of board of control," said Matthyssen.
Tribute are pouring on in social media. London Coun. Mo Salih wrote: "Thank you for your countless years of service to London Ontario and for making a difference. You will be missed Gina."
Joni Baechler wrote: "We lost a great community leader today."
And Ann Marie Decicco called Barber a trailblazer for women in politics.
