In 1956, he entered the University of Toronto (UofT) where he became a member of the Hart House debating committee, and on November 14, 1957, debated the senator and future American president, John F. Kennedy, on the question, "Has the United States failed in its responsibilities as a world leader?"[6][7] The Senator narrowly beat the Hart House team 204–194.[8] Lewis's performance was considered the highlight of the event, while Kennedy's was flat according to many members in the audience like John Brewin.[6] He spent his third year of university at the University of British Columbia (UBC) before spending his final undergraduate year back at UofT, where he failed to write his final examinations.[9] He went to law school twice in the early 1960s, dropping out of both UofT's and UBC's programs.[9]
Political career
Lewis c. 1963
He left his studies in the 1960s and took up a clerical position with the Socialist International, where he received an invitation to a conference in Ghana. He attended, and instead of returning to Canada, spent more than a year working, travelling, and teaching in various places in Africa. He recalled in his 2005 Massey Lectures that the relatively brief sojourn would be a key influence on his life, especially after the turn of the new millennium.[10]
A radical left-wing group nicknamed The Waffle had gained prominence, with one of its leaders, James Laxer, winning one-third of the vote when he ran to lead the federal NDP in 1971. Lewis felt that The Waffle was threatening the credibility and stability of the party and supported a movement against the group in June 1972 on the basis that it was a party within a party.[13]
In 1974, Lewis supported the Elliot Lake miners and advocated to Ontario Premier Bill Davis for the creation of the Royal Commission on the Health and Safety of Workers in Mines.[14] The commission's recommendations led to the creation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in 1979.[14]
Lewis led a strong campaign during the 1975 election with his oratory and passion, bringing new supporters to the party. The NDP highlighted issues such as rent control and workplace safety. Each day, Lewis told the story of a different Ontarian in trouble, making the case that this was due to inadequate legislation. Polls showed the NDP surging and the incumbent Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in freefall, and in the course of the campaign, Premier Davis was forced to commit his party to bringing in rent control and other progressive reforms to retain power. When the ballots were counted, the Tories were reduced to a minority government. Lewis's NDP had doubled its seats from 19 to 38, surpassing the Ontario Liberal Party to become the Official Opposition. To some, it appeared that it was only a matter of time before the NDP would form the government. The result was the best in the party's modern history until the Ontario NDP's majority government in 1990.[15]
The next election, in 1977, proved to be a disappointment. The growth of support for the NDP stalled, and while the Tories were kept to a minority, the NDP failed to make any gains. The party was reduced to 33 seats and lost its status as the Official Opposition to the Liberals. In 1978, a frustrated Lewis stepped down as party leader and as a Member of Provincial Parliament.[16]
From 1995 to 1999, Lewis was deputy director of UNICEF. In 1993, he worked on the "Graça Machel study", which was the first global study on the impact of armed conflict on children; it was presented at the UN General Assembly in 1996.[21] In 1997, Lewis was also appointed by the Organisation of African Unity to a panel that investigated the Rwandan genocide; the report, entitled Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide, was released in June 2000.[22][23] From 2001 until 2006, he worked as United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. In this role, he drew attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis and convinced leaders and the public that they have a responsibility to respond. He also spoke at the 2004 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. As an advocate for Africa, he criticized the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for their debt repayment policies, and accused African governments and the G8 of not doing enough for Africans.[24] He was widely praised for his effectiveness in this role.[25] In 2005, he adapted his Massey Lectures in a book titled Race Against Time, where he describes the disjuncture between what the international community promises and their actions in responding to the pandemic in Africa. Lewis also advocated for environmental causes.[26] He was also a member of the World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health.[27]
Lewis was chair of the board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. The foundation is located in Toronto.[34]
In October 2009, to raise money for the foundation, Lewis helped with a campaign to dare Canadians to do something for Africa called A Dare to Remember.[35] The campaign saw Lewis, along with musician k-os, federal NDP leader Jack Layton, Olympic gold medalist Duff Gibson and many other Canadians, performing various dares for the event.[35] He faced his own personal fears as part of the campaign, and sang live on CBC's The Hour with the band the Arkells.
AIDS-Free World
In 2007, Lewis and long-time colleague Paula Donovan co-founded AIDS-Free World, a non-profit organization that advocates for more effective global responses to HIV and AIDS.[36]
In 2009, Lewis strongly criticized Pope Benedict XVI's assertion that condom use only makes the AIDS crisis worse.[37]
Lewis had three siblings, and two of them were active and high-ranking officials within the Ontario NDP during the 1980s and 1990s: Michael Lewis was the secretary, and Janet Solberg was the president. His second sister is Nina Lewis-Libeskind, the wife and partner of world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind.[39]
In 2021, Lewis publicly revealed that he was undergoing experimental treatment for inoperable abdominal cancer, which recurred three years after surgery for an earlier occurrence of the disease.[41] He died in Toronto on March 31, 2026, at the age of 88, while under hospice care, just two days after his son Avi was elected federal NDP leader.[42] He was paid tribute by people including Prime Minister Mark Carney, federal Official Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, British Columbia Premier David Eby, Toronto mayor Olivia Chow, World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and David Suzuki.[43]
Honours and legacy
Known for his strong public speaking skills, Lewis was described as one of the best Canadian political orators of his generation. A lifelong democratic socialist, his speech at the 2016 federal NDP convention in Edmonton was given particular praise.[44]
For his humanitarian work in Africa and the United Nations, governor general Adrienne Clarkson appointed Lewis a Companion of the Order of Canada on October 10, 2002.[45] His investiture into the order was held on October 23, 2003.[45] He delivered the annual Massey Lecture in 2005, and it was published in book form under the title Race Against Time: Searching for Hope in AIDS-Ravaged Africa. The book consists of five lectures that depict the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, critically examining the international community's passivity as a contributing factor.
Lewis was awarded the Pearson Medal of Peace for his public service, and was named the Maclean's Canadian of the Year in 2003.[46] In 2005, Time named him one of the world's 100 most influential people.[47]
In 2006, two new secondary schools in the Toronto area were named after Lewis: Stephen Lewis Secondary School in Mississauga and Stephen Lewis Secondary School in Vaughan. The Mississauga school has a focus on educating students on issues relating to social justice and global citizenship to enhance the Ontario Curriculum.
In 2013, the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto presented Lewis with the Bonham Centre Award, recognizing his contribution to the advancement and education of human rights issues surrounding sexual education.[52]
Lewis had 42 honourary doctorates from Canadian and American universities; this is one of the largest numbers held by any Canadian.[53]
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