The city of Dauphin, Man., is mourning the passing of its mayor, Allen Dowhan, who died Tuesday at 74.
City officials said Dowhan — who spent more than two decades on council and reportedly announced his upcoming retirement just on Monday — had been battling illnesses for the last several years.
In a statement on social media Tuesday night, the city praised Dowhan for his optimistic approach.
“Many of us didn’t know the full extent of his health challenges because he was an eternal optimist and always believed that together we could do anything.
“And under his leadership, council accomplished many great things!”
Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont called Dowhan’s passing “a real loss for the Parkland” and described him as a man who fought hard for his community.
Dowhan first stepped into the mayor’s role in 2017, replacing the late Eric Irwin, who died unexpectedly while on vacation in November of that year.
According to an online obituary, an invitation-only funeral service for Dowhan takes place Saturday at Dauphin’s Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Resurrection, which will also be live-streamed.