Niagara regional chair and former longtime MPP Jim Bradley dies at 80

TORONTO — Jim Bradley, one of Ontario’s longest-serving provincial legislators and the chair of Niagara Region, has died.

A statement from the region says Bradley died at age 80 on Friday following a brief illness.

Bradley served at Queen’s Park from 1977 until 2018, when he returned to local politics.

He had first been elected to St. Catharines city council in 1970, when he was 25, and was again elected to represent that city in Niagara Regional Council 48 years later.

Soon after, council elected him regional chair, and the provincial government reappointed him to the position in 2022.

During his time as a provincial legislator, he held numerous senior cabinet roles, including several stints as environment minister — first from 1985 to 1990 and most recently from 2011 to 2014.

In a message Bradley left before his death, shared by Niagara Region, he thanks his constituents for putting their confidence in him.

“Our system of democracy is a true treasure, and I have always regarded it as a great honour to be able to advocate for the needs and desires of our city, our region, and our province,” he wrote.

Bradley is counted as the MPP with the second-longest term: 41 years. He’s behind only Harry Nixon, who sat in provincial parliament from 1919 until his death in 1962.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2025.

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press