Dan Philip, a pillar of Montreal's Black community, has died
Dan Philip, one of the pillars of Montreal's Black community, has died.
Philip served as president of the Black Coalition of Quebec for over 40 years before retiring in 2020. The coalition confirmed his death Monday on Facebook.
"He represented and exercised leadership that positively changed the face of the Black Coalition for several decades by championing the aspirations of the Black community," the statement read.
A staunch defender of human rights, Philip advocated for the Black community by speaking out against racism and discrimination.
"He has been and remains a source of inspiration and will remain in the collective memory, for his constancy and remarkable patience. Where others would have given up the fight for justice, Dan Philip was determined, convinced that he would carry out his mission to the ultimate sacrifice," the statement continued.
Philip was central to the fight to desegregate the taxi industry in Montreal and he fought to prevent discrimination in the rental market. He also called for more accountability for police brutality against visible minorities, including high-profile cases like the 1987 police shooting death of Anthony Griffin and the 1992 police beating of Richard Barnabé, who died after more than two years in a coma.
The coalition was also vocal in demanding more diversity on Montreal's city council.
Philip received the National Assembly Citizenship Medal for the D'Arcy McGee riding in 2019.
On its website, the Black Coalition of Quebec referred to him as "A passionate man of action… characterized by his fight for the disadvantaged, to ensure that justice prevails everywhere at all times."
Former city councillor Marvin Rotrand, who worked closely with Philip for many years, remembered him as someone who fostered relationships and supported other communities.
"Dan was very human. And he really believed in building bridges between communities. He was literally decades ahead of his time by saying things like 'Blacks and Jews need to work together. We need to help each other,'" he said.
In October, Philip was honoured by Jewish organization B'nai Brith for his lifetime of civil rights work.
Rotrand said after suffering a stroke, Philip spent his final years at St. Andrew's Residential Care, where he died on Monday.
Details of his funeral will be provided at a later time, the Black Coalition said.
- with files from CTV News Montreal's Angela Mackenzie
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Swiss fans get ready to welcome Eurovision winner Nemo back home
Swiss Eurovision fans were getting ready Sunday to give a hero's welcome to singer Nemo, who won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing a nongender identity.
Flash floods and cold lava flow hit Indonesia's Sumatra island. At least 37 people were killed
Heavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano's slopes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 37 people and more than a dozen others were missing, officials said Sunday.
'I felt I wasn't alone': Ottawa's Mental Health Gala gets the conversation going
A personal experience has turned into one of Ottawa's biggest fund raisers to get the conversation going to remove the stigma of mental health in our community.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'Reimagining Mother's Day': Toronto woman creates Motherless Day event after losing mom
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."