David passed peacefully at Victoria BC on October 11, 2022, with his wife, Karen Jensen, and one of his sons, Robert, at his side.
Born on February 25, 1940, in Campbellton NB and raised in Montreal QC, David was predeceased by his parents, Edwin Flaherty and Mary (Harquail) Flaherty. He was also predeceased by his brother, Hon. Jim Flaherty PC, and brother Ted. He is survived by his wife, Karen, sons Sean (Ann), Michael (Shauna) and Robert (Christine), stepchildren Jake and Alex, grandchildren Nicole, Nina, Sam, Caleb and Jack, and his sisters and brothers Ann, Gerry, Patrick, Norah and Mary.
Having received the gold medal in history at McGill University, David received his doctorate in history from Columbia University. He went on to teach American history at Princeton University and the University of Virginia before returning to Canada, to what was then the University of Western Ontario, where he was appointed in the law and history faculties. Building on his early scholarship, David broke new ground in privacy law and policy, publishing influential papers and texts on topics such as privacy in modern surveillance societies. He was known internationally for his academic and policy work on privacy and is remembered as a major contributor to the establishment of Canadian legal history scholarship.
In 1993, the British Columbia Legislature appointed David as the province’s first Information and Privacy Commissioner. He established the office from scratch, quickly building it into an internationally respected regulatory body in both freedom of information and privacy. After his distinguished service in that role, David established a busy consultancy, wisely helping governments, public institutions and businesses across Canada navigate their legal obligations while doing the right thing. Along the way, David was a mentor and confidante to many, generously offering wise counsel over the years.
During his nearly thirty years in Victoria, David devoted thousands of hours to the community. He was a long-time board member and president of, and donor to, Pacific Opera Victoria and was a generous donor to many other arts and community organizations, including the Victoria Symphony and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. His charitable contributions also benefit many other organizations, including the Garth Homer Society and the BC Cancer Foundation.
His many contributions as a scholar, teacher, policymaker, regulator and community volunteer were justly recognized by an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria in 2018 and Royal Roads University’s Chancellor’s Community Recognition Award in 2015.
David will be sorely missed by his family and his wide circle of friends and former colleagues around the world, all of whom knew him as an intelligent, wise, kind and generous man.
A private commemoration has been held and a celebration of life will be held later.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
22 Responses
All praise to David,
A great champion & such a good friend to many
A life so well lived…
Leaving the world a bit better for his many and varied charities and intellectual contributions.
My condolences to his family and his many other friends
His kindness as well as his greatness will be long remembered and cherished.
David was my colleague and friend in the history department at the University of Western Ontario for twenty years and near office mates for fifteen. His energy, enthusiasm, dedication and wide interests well beyond history, law and privacy were a constant inspiration and reproach. We kept in close touch when he left for Victoria and he never seemed far away. His memory will resonate to the very end. Sincere condolences and love to you all.
Neville Thompson
Dear Karen:
Bob and I were saddened about David’s passing. He will be missed by many including the arts community. His generosity and kindness will live on. Our condolences to you and your family at this very sad time.
Bob and Devi Jawl
Our condolences go out to all of David’s family.
He was a wonderful man and many will miss him.
Ivo Zanatta and family
Dear Karen and family,
Sending our sincere condolences to you at this sad time.
Lara Wilson & Kelly Harms
I knew David was incredibly accomplished but for me I will remember him as a wonderfully kind spirited art lover. I’ll forever treasure memories of our conversations about art and artists. Whether in the gallery or his beautifully appointed home time with David was never dull. I’ll miss our conversations and his spirit of joie de vivre. David was a true renaissance man and I will always value our friendship. To his friends and family I offer my sympathy.
My condolences to David’s family. When Alberta’s access to information and privacy law was being developed in the 1990’s David was a wonderful resource who provided insight, wisdom and encouragement to all of us involved in that initiative. Personally David inspired and encouraged me in my privacy work over more than 25 years. He has been a giant in the promotion of information rights internationally as well as within Canada. He was an amazing mentor to a burgeoning cohort of ‘privacy professionals’. I hope that David’s family can take some comfort from the widespread respect we all had for David and our affection for him. Gary Dickson
I will miss my friend and neighbour. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace.
Pete Rose
To the Flaherty family,
I last saw David in Victoria 3 years ago – not too many months before the beginning of the Covid scourge. I knew him slightly through the history department at Western, then made that nice visit in the summer of 2019. He delighted in showing me around his impressive art collection. His taste was exquisite, and the pleasure he derived from living in the midst of beauty was a joy to witness.
Kindest regards to the family, and especially to Mike, who spent many hours in my house building a great kitchen!
Renée Silberman
Our deepest condolences to you all at this difficult time. Uncle David will be missed.
All our love,
Lee Ann, David, Liam, & Madilyn Flaherty