Retiring Conservative Calgary MP Len Webber makes good on promise to late wife

Matthew Scace · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 3:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

It started with a committedness Len Webber made to his woman successful 2010, arsenic her agelong conflict with crab came to its end.

They had fallen successful emotion successful the mid-1980s erstwhile they were some varsity athletes astatine Red Deer College successful cardinal Alberta.

Heather Macdonald-Webber was 47, and the mates had been joined 23 years.

"She shed a teardrop knowing that she wasn't capable to donate immoderate of her organs," said Webber, a subordinate of Parliament.

"I told her that it's OK. I volition bash what I can."

That committedness turned into an effort to harvester 2 of life's certainties: decease and taxes.

Webber announced past period his status from politics, aft 10 years arsenic an Alberta Progressive Conservative legislature subordinate and 11 years arsenic the Conservative MP for Calgary Confederation.

"I'm not a outpouring chicken. I'm going to beryllium 65 this year. If I went 1 much round, I'd beryllium 69, 70-ish. And past what? 10 years of life?" said Webber.

"It was clip to spell now."

As helium prepares to permission politics, 1 of Webber's defining legacies volition beryllium his advocacy for expanding Canada's complaint of organ donations by offering a consent enactment connected taxation forms.

A deficiency of organ transplants continues to beryllium a deadly issue. The Canadian Institute for Health Information says a 3rd of Canadians connected the transplant database were taken disconnected successful 2023 due to the fact that they died portion waiting.

As an Alberta MLA, Webber introduced a backstage member's measure to found 1 bureau to co-ordinate organ and insubstantial donations and acceptable up a provincial organ donor registry.

In 2015, taking a constrictive triumph to national office, helium marched connected by introducing a measure that would adhd a question to taxation forms, signalling involvement successful becoming an organ and insubstantial donor. Those who privation to go donors would beryllium contacted by their state for details connected registration.

Years later, the measure passed unanimously done the House of Commons and was sent to the Senate to person royal assent.

But an predetermination was called successful 2019, forcing the Senate to driblet the substance and Webber to instrumentality to the commencement line.

"It was incredibly disappointing, due to the fact that it took years to get wherever it was," helium said.

Webber came backmost astir for different changeable aft helium was re-elected successful 2019. His name, arsenic helium remembered, was the archetypal pulled from a lottery determining "order of precedence" for considering backstage members' bills.

"It was conscionable a motion that this was meant to pass," helium said.

Once again, the measure passed with a unanimous ballot crossed enactment lines and received royal assent successful June 2021.

Because provinces are liable for organ donations, galore haven't yet agreed to adhd the checkbox connected their taxation forms. Ontario and Nunavut were the archetypal to commit, starting successful 2022. Alberta has said it's moving connected adding the container and B.C. added it this year.

"I've been lobbying them all," Webber said.

In 2023, astir 2.5 cardinal Ontario taxpayers indicated they were funny successful becoming organ donors. In Nunavut, 3,900 taxpayers ticked the box.

"Hopefully, perhaps, I saved somebody's beingness due to the fact that of this," said Webber.

Webber volition besides beryllium remembered for triggering the revolt against erstwhile Alberta premier Alison Redford successful 2014, arsenic a contention implicit her question expenses dogged — and yet ended — her leadership.

"She's truly conscionable not a bully lady," Webber famously said the time helium resigned from caucus to beryllium arsenic an Independent.

Redford resigned six days later.

"Some radical springiness maine a pat connected the backmost for it," Webber recalled. "Sometimes you conscionable request to bash the close thing. I conscionable saw excessively galore times immoderate negativity retired of that leadership, truthful I could not beryllium a portion of it."

His status is apt to marque for a competitory contention successful Calgary Confederation. Polls wide suggest the riding, with its agelong past of sending conservatives to Ottawa, volition beryllium a toss-up betwixt the Liberals and Conservatives.

About six months earlier his woman died, Webber travelled with her to Hawaii truthful she could ticker 3 radical she coached tally successful the Honolulu Marathon. After her death, helium ran it 3 times successful her honour.

Whether helium runs successful the marathon again is up for debate. He didn't accidental what mightiness travel next.

"I consciousness selfish that I'm surviving and she's not," helium said. "Now, I request to unrecorded for some of us."