MACDONALD, Paul Joseph Macdonald

A beloved son, brother, uncle, community leader, and friend, passed away on February 22nd, 2026 from heart and kidney complications. Born in Montréal, Quebec, he lived a life centred on justice, solidarity, and human rights. A pioneer of the gay liberation movement in Canada, Paul organized the first lesbian and gay rights demonstration on Parliament Hill in August 1971. A founding member of The Body Politic, the country’s first significant gay publication, Paul was unflinching in his efforts to dismantle homophobia at a time of open hostility toward the gay community. Forever engaged with the political issues of the day, he was also wonderful company – a raconteur who enjoyed the finer things in life: a long lunch, a chinwag with friends at local haunts on Church Street or at the 519, or a Puccini opera enjoyed from the cheap seats.

A graduate of the University of Waterloo, Paul worked in the audio industry and spent most of his career at Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto. In his later years, Paul was active in the congregation of St. Matthias, and cherished his time with his ‘prime timers’ crew, remaining deeply embedded in the community he had long served.

Paul proudly embraced his Québécois heritage and always felt at home in la belle province. His family will forever remember him as a fixture at réveillon dinners, arriving with his much-revered oyster soup and regaling everyone with stories of his travels – whether his days as a traveling salesman, his stint as a schoolteacher in England, or from his many sojourns around the globe. His encyclopedic-like knowledge ranged from the confit de canard on a dinner menu in the south of France to the intricacies of Japan’s train signal system.

Paul was predeceased by his parents, Renée and Frank MacDonald. He will be greatly missed by his sisters Nancy Baines, Christine Biggar, Teresa Fielding, his P.E.I cousins (The Stewarts), as well as his many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind a wide circle of friends in Toronto and around the world. At Paul’s request, there will be no funeral; a celebration of life will be held in the spring. Donations in Paul’s memory can be made to
Egale Canada https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/egale/ or the
Rainbow Railroad https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/rainbow-railroad/