David Reville
Encyclopedia
David Reville is a former politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1985 to 1990, and was later an advisor to the government of Bob Rae
. Reville is a member of the New Democratic Party
.
at the University of Toronto
and proceeded to law school. It was expected that he would follow the career path of his father, an Ontario judge. Instead, Reville became manic-depressive and attempted to kill himself during his law studies. He was institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital and became a crusader for mental health reform upon his release.
During an interview with Canadian Press, Reville intoned, tongue firmly in cheek, "I became a New Democrat because I was mentally ill" and was both amused and horrified when his statement appeared as a headline in newspapers across the country. He was making the point that he had begun to learn something about powerlessness in hospital, and joined the NDP to fight for marginalized people.
's city council from 1980 to 1985, and emerged as a popular alderman in the downtown area. He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election
, winning an easy victory in Riverdale. He was re-elected in the 1987 election
, defeating future Liberal
Member of Parliament
Jim Karygiannis
by about 1,500 votes. Reville was an opposition MPP throughout his time in the house.
, he worked as a liaison on caucus matters and undertook special assignments for Premier Rae. He almost certainly would have been appointed to cabinet had he remained in the legislature.
Reville was the first (and only) chair of the Ontario Advocacy Commission. He received an award from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities in 2001. He now operates David Reville & Associates in Toronto, specializing in social research and community development. In 2004, Reville began teaching for the School of Disability Studies at Ryerson University; one of his courses is called A History of Madness and the other Mad Peoples' History.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1985 to 1990, and was later an advisor to the government of Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. Reville is a member of the New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
.
Background
Reville was born into a privileged family. After graduating from Brantford Collegiate Institute in 1961, he attended Trinity CollegeUniversity of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and proceeded to law school. It was expected that he would follow the career path of his father, an Ontario judge. Instead, Reville became manic-depressive and attempted to kill himself during his law studies. He was institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital and became a crusader for mental health reform upon his release.
During an interview with Canadian Press, Reville intoned, tongue firmly in cheek, "I became a New Democrat because I was mentally ill" and was both amused and horrified when his statement appeared as a headline in newspapers across the country. He was making the point that he had begun to learn something about powerlessness in hospital, and joined the NDP to fight for marginalized people.
Politics
Reville served on TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's city council from 1980 to 1985, and emerged as a popular alderman in the downtown area. He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
, winning an easy victory in Riverdale. He was re-elected in the 1987 election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, defeating future Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Jim Karygiannis
Jim Karygiannis
James "Jim" Karygiannis, PC, MP is a Canadian Liberal politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988, and was the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal...
by about 1,500 votes. Reville was an opposition MPP throughout his time in the house.
Later life
Reville did not seek re-election in 1990, arguing that he wanted to devote his time to more useful pursuits. After the NDP won a majority government in the 1990 provincial electionOntario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, he worked as a liaison on caucus matters and undertook special assignments for Premier Rae. He almost certainly would have been appointed to cabinet had he remained in the legislature.
Reville was the first (and only) chair of the Ontario Advocacy Commission. He received an award from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities in 2001. He now operates David Reville & Associates in Toronto, specializing in social research and community development. In 2004, Reville began teaching for the School of Disability Studies at Ryerson University; one of his courses is called A History of Madness and the other Mad Peoples' History.