Evelyn Gigantes Celebration of Life
Evelyn's Celebration of Life
We're gathering to celebrate a life well lived. This is a time to come together, share memories, raise a glass, and honor someone who mattered. Your presence means everything, and the stories you carry with you are exactly what this afternoon is for. We hope to see you there as we laugh, remember, and celebrate the kind of person who deserves to be talked about for years to come.
Please join us to remember and celebrate our dear and cherished Evelyn Adelaide Gigantes — much-loved mother, sister, aunt, mentor, recognize leader. A journalist and politician who was a advocate for the people and friend to many — who died peacefully at the age of 83 at the Civic Hospital Heart Institute in Ottawa on Friday, January 16, 2026.
To her family, Evelyn was a source of guidance and strength — thoughtful, principled, caring, and encouraging — grounded in her belief that people could, and should, make the world kinder and more just.
Those values and legislation also shaped her public life. Evelyn served as the MPP for Carleton East and Ottawa Centre, and as a cabinet minister in the NDP government of Bob Rae, roles she approached with seriousness, integrity, and a strong sense of responsibility to the people she represented. She never lost sight of why she entered public life in the first place: to help those who needed it most and to push for a fairer society.
The Members of Provincial Parliament will pay tribute to Ms. Evelyn Gigantes in the Legislative Chamber in the fall of 2026.
There will be music, catering and beverages provided. There will be a link to watch and view live stream for those joining us remotely.