At age 97, former Liberal leader Robert Nixon remains irrepressible

In October 1961, Harry Nixon, who in 1943 had been the 13th premier of Ontario but was by then just the opposition Liberal MPP for Brant, was driving along a dirt road back to his home in St. George, near Hamilton, when tragedy struck.

Nixon suffered a heart attack, drove off the road, and died. He was only 70 years old. He was — and still remains — the longest-serving member of the Ontario legislature ever, at more than 42 years.

Nixon’s death was an unexpectedly awful development for his family. But, of course, the political calendar stops for no one, and once the shock had worn off, Liberals realized there would have to be a byelection for Nixon’s seat.

Almost immediately, all eyes turned to Nixon’s son, Robert, who was just 33 years old but had political experience well beyond his age. The younger Nixon had been exposed to politics his whole life, meeting prime ministers and premiers[…] This is an excerpt. Read the full article at TVO.