Reg Alcock

As we were waiting in line to speak to the family, the gentleman beside me asked about the children. I realized that I don’t know know you personally but I thought, my what big shoes you have to fill. But then I thought how lucky you were, Matthew, Sarah and Christina to have had Reg as your role model. Not to take anything away from your Mother (and believe me Karen it took a very special woman to put up with all of Reg’s eccentricities!) I just started thinking that you are all at an age where you are deciding what to do with your future and to quote the hymn “Be not afraid”. Not only was your father fearless but your grandmother was as well; so whenever things get too sad or confusing remember their strength will be guiding you. And if that doesn’t help think of your Grandma leading an innocent group of Brownies on a camping trip in the middle of a farmer’s field where it rained for the whole time. Don’t believe me? Ask your Aunt Joan! God bless and stay strong in whatever you do!

Karen – my thoughts are with you and your family.

I worked with Reg many years ago while at the Parliamentary Centre and have great memories of long (and sometimes frustrating!), discussions on e-government and parliamentary reform and of freezing in hockey arenas to get documents reviewed as that was the only time he seemed to sit still!

I lost touch with Reg when I moved onto a new job but always turned up the volume when I saw him on TV. He never ceased to be, as Dr. Bennet described, a `SD`.

Reg asked the tough questions and made us believe we could build a better government.

Reg was one of a kind and will be missed.

Let me begin by offering my respect and regrets to Karen and the kids. I cannot imagine how difficult a time this has been for all of you.

I first met Reg at the University of Manitoba where we were both undergrad Arts students. That led to working with Reg at Childrens Home and that in turn led to sharing a farm in Abbotsford BC. When i think of those days, I think of a series of photographs. I will share some of those photos with you.

We ran an old McDonalds farm while we all worked full time.Reg decided that the farm should support itself and so he bougth 1000 chickens and every day we collected eggs to sell to health food stores in vancouver. We also had horses, cows, sheep, ducks and a 3 legged goat named Jeremy.Did I mention that we had no experience in farming?

Reg decided that he wanted to one day compete in a sled dog race in Alaska. So he bought malamute dogs and a training sled with wheels. On Sundays he would hook up the dogs and run them up and down the rural roads of Abbotsford. Of course there was no snow which confused both the neighbors and the dogs.

We decided to become country musicians and so bought a banjo for Reg and a mandolin for me and we played 1930′s pop songs. Our favorite song was “has anybody seen my gal”.

We worked together at seven oaks and later lived together on Churchill drive.He was my oldest and dearest friend. Like many people, he challenged me, he championed me and he inspired me. I owe my social services career to Reg.

He has been an enormous influence on my life and I will miss him.

We pray God will bless your family during this difficult time. We also pray that God will surround them with loads of love and constant support…

I never met Mr. Alcock. I have read about him but that was because I am a political junkie. I like to read about the politicans who do good for the nation and then go on to the next project.

I just read the communication sent to you by Dr. Bennett. I liked the part when she called Mr. Alcock and herself “shit disturbers”. We need more SD’s who work hard to a better world.

I also liked the way that Mr. Alcock was described as polite and attentive.

I am a Municipal politican who likes to read about great people after whom I should mold myself.

I believe I have found another great Canadian to learn from.

My condolences to you. I know what families of politicans have to live through to serve our country. Thank you.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Deborah Young

As a former campaign worker and former Young Liberal, I witnessed the tireless work of great Manitoban, Reg always had the interests of Manitobans close to his heart. The bbq’s at the Alcock home will never be forgotten. Manitoba has lost a great man, he was not only a great Manitoban but a great Canadian. I remember standing in the crowd watching him conceed defeat on January 23rd, 2006, and I was struck at the graciousness that he showed, Reg was passionate about what he did and whether it was in cabinet or in the backbenches he served his country well.

Hello,

My name is Aaron Montney, Manitoba Deaf Association President. Please accept my condolence to you and your family.

On the behalf of Manitoba Deaf Community, we really appreciate his support/advocates for us whenever we need him. His expertise has really helped us few times.

We lost a good Politican man and will miss him very much.

Hello,

My name is Sheila Montney, Canadian Association of the Deaf Past President.

First of all, please accept my condolence to you and your family.

Secondly, I knew him during my capacity as Canadian Association of the Deaf President. We had many meetings to discuss several issues like Video Relay Services (VRS) and ASL/LSQ official language.

Reg Alcock was most fascinating with the technology so he learned so much about VRS. He was surprised that the technology for hearing and Deaf isn’t equal. He felt that we all should have the same experience , not behind.

My best memories is when Rick Zimmer, Chairperson of ASL/LSQ official language and I went to meet him at his office. He showed us to the meeting room where he got exciting to show us some cool technology stuffs like phone conference or tv conference with a webcam. He is always proud and enthusiasts!!

I would like to say THANK YOU for allowing Canada/Manitoba/Winnipeg Deaf Community to have him in our lives by his wonderful support and advocate for our needs or rights!!

Now we all are very sadden by his loss as our wonderful and good politician man!

Now we hope that his spirit will be in my heart, Rick’s heart and other Deaf leaders to keep our and Reg’s goal accomplished with some issues we have worked on!

To Karen and the kids: My thoughts are with you during this very difficult time. On a personal level, Reg was always a great friend to me. As my MP, I was always very proud to say that I had someone with Reg’s vision representing me.

Au revoir, my friend.

Our province has lost a doer and a man of action.

My thoughts are with the family.

God bless.

To Karen and Sarah, Matthew & Christina.

Please accept my heartfelt condolence. Reg’s contribution to the Deaf Community will remain for ever.

With best regards.

Tarcisio Filippelli

Thank you for serving Canada — you will always be treasured and remembered Minister.

God Bless your family.

RIP Minister Alcock.

RIP Mr. Alcock.

What an amazing tribute to a remarkable Canadian.

Reg Alcock was a friend. He was the leader of the pack on open government, government accountability, parliamentary reform, e-democracy and generally spending money wisely so that govvernment would have the dollars necessary for those Canadians who need government the most.

Today, I was touched when going through the receiving line that Reg’s wife Karen explained to her children that I had been ‘a great friend of Reg’s’. I responded that we were both ‘Shit-disturbers’. We were trying to change the system – the ability of Parliament to hold Government to Account.

During that time there was a small possé of ‘reformers’ who met Monday nights at Don Lenihan’s home (Susan Delacourt’s too !)
MP’s-Reg&andI,Andy Scott, John Godfrey and Library of Parliament researcher Bill Young (now the Librarian of Parliament).

We dreamed in technicolour of how things ought to be … And learned about how things used to be … And worried out loud about the concentration of power in the PMO and the erosion of parliament’s ability to hold government to account.

By then, both Reg and I had offices next to one another on the centre aisle of the 6th Floor of Centre Block…. Reg was videoconferencing meetings with Winnipeg constituents way back then !!!! He refused to take ‘NO’ from the House of Commons.

We invited Parliament/Government guru Donald Savoie (‘Governing from the Centre’) and ordered in steak sandwiches from the Parliamentary Restaurant next door for all the other ‘reformers’.

We held Breakfasts with all-party reformers like Bill Blaikie and Suzanne Tremblay.

In 2008, we invited Robert Putnam up from Harvard to an invitational conference of 40 thoughtful people … Prepared to conspire on the role of citizens in our democracy – eg Monique Bégin, Charles Pascal, Bob Rae, Reform MP Ted White. Carol Goar wrote an amazing column in the Toronto Star ‘Democracy between Elections’ and we were off and running !

The next year we invited the e-democracy guru Stephen Coleman from LSE and Hansard Society … Due to the UK election he came in by videoconference, but many other practitioners of technology and citizen engagement came to deliberate with us all.

I always remember Reg holding up the back page of a newspaper with the computer ads … All the detailed specifics … Giga.googa,gaga … Truly off-putting to attract anyone other than geeks.

He then held up the back page with an automobile ad …. A beautiful mountain top, or a winding road in a forest …. He made the point that these ads told you where the car could take you ! … I often added that if you only know the ignition and the gas tank, you can buy a car and have it take you places !!!!

The computer nerds were putting people off and making it waaaaay too complicated.

To us one of the cornerstone of democracy has always been public places in which to debate ideas… The internet had to be viewed as a new ‘public place’ which could make our democracy even more relevant and responsive to citizens.

Don Lenihan and Reg led the ‘Crossing Boundaries’ initiative advocating for e-government – that would be able to break down the silos between government departments and jurisdictions….

And enable total cost accounting and true accountability.

Reg had decided that the Public Accounts Committee was always examining ‘past history’. His brain child was to have a ‘Government Operations’ Committee that would be able to examine the ways that government was structured and be the check and balances in ‘real-time’. He asked a number of us from all parties known to be unhappy with the status quo if we’d be prepared to serve on such a committee, he presented the idea to the Whip and House Leader… And voilá … It happened…. Reg Alcock was elected Chairman of this new important Parliamentary Committee… Brown envelopes from government departments flowed … And suddenly Parliament had a new capacity to hold the government to account… The most notable report was Radwadski … When the Commissioner was ‘too busy’ to attend …. The Committee responded with full force and the rest is history …

Reg and I were sworn into Paul Martin’s cabinet in December 2003 and worked together until our government fell in 2005.

We had our moments. He was passionate and knew what he wanted and was prepared to fight hard to get it. At times we clashed on things. But it’s what good friends do …

Reg taught us all sooooo much. A compassionate man who believed that there was a positive role that government could play in order to make better the lives of the most vulnerable.

We will miss him terribly. He still had so much to teach us all.

His legacy is huge. Kinda like the ‘Friendly Giant’ he was to all of us.

I have huge regrets that I saw him so rarely in his post-parliamentary life…. But huge sorrow that it will now never be possible to truly catch up… He has now truly passed the torch to all of us …. We must redouble our efforts to fight hard for the democracy he so believed in and fought for …

Thanks Reg …
And big hugs to Karen,Sarah,Matthew and Christina…

Your tribute to Reg today was truly wonderful…. The slide show almost therapeutic…

The website ourreg.ca an inspiration …

We will be proud to donate to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights http://www.friendsofcmhr.com in his honour …

But please stay in touch…. When you find yourself yelling at the television … Knowing that Reg would have been ‘doing something about this’ …. Please call … Let us know …. We can work together to make the better country Reg wanted …..
Much love, Carolyn (and Peter!)

Whenever we met Mr. Alcock over the past 20 years or so, he was most courteous and considerate towards. As we reflect- he was a good person.
RIP.
Our condolences to the family and we pray that God give them the strength to cope with the loss.
We are with you all.