Peter Adams, a former Liberal MP and MPP, a father, grandfather, writer, runner, expert on Arctic ice and a founding professor of geography at Trent University, has died. He was 82.

Dr. Adams - who held a PhD - died Friday night at Peterborough Regional Health Centre, said his daughter Joanne Simpson. She said he had cancer and kidney failure.

Dr. Adams is survived by Jill, his wife of 58 years, and their four adult children: Joanne, Mich�le, Annette and Will.

He had nine grandchildren ranging in age from six to 28, and he's also survived by four siblings in his native England.

"We feel incredibly lucky to have had Peter as a father because he set an example for living life authentically and enthusiastically," his children stated in an email sent to The Examiner on Saturday.

"He helped others and stayed interested and curious in people and the world around him until his final days."

Dr. Adams was born on April 17, 1936 in Ellesmere Port, a small English village; he grew up there during the Second World War, stated his family in an obituary submitted to The Examiner.

He studied at University of Sheffield, where he met Jill and competed in track and field.

He was awarded a scholarship to study at McGill University in 1959, where he completed his PhD in geography and glaciology.

He also went on Arctic expedition during his time at McGill, which sparked a passion for Northern research.

Soon Jill moved from England to Montreal to join Dr. Adams in Montreal, where they were married on Sept. 24, 1960.

For the next three years Dr. Adams did research at McGill's Subacrtic Research Station in Labrador, and he and Jill travelled in Britain and France.

Then the couple settled in Peterborough in their house on Aylmer St., where they lived for 50 years.

In the mid-1960s, Dr. Adams was the founding chairman of the geography department at Trent University; while teaching at Trent, he involved many students in his Arctic research.

During those years he also continued running: he ran the Boston Marathon three times, as well as the Midnight Sun marathon in Nunavut.

Dr. Adams got into politics when he became a public school board trustee.

He was prompted to run when a proposal to convert Peterborough Collegiate into a junior high school; he didn't think that would be good for his children, he told Peterborough This Week in an interview in 2014.

Later he got into provincial politics, serving as the Liberal MPP for Peterborough from 1987 to 1990. He then lost his seat to NDP Jenny Carter, who became a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae.

Then he went into federal politics: Dr. Adams was elected MP in the election of 1993, defeating Conservative incumbent Bill Domm by nearly 16,000 votes.

He was re-elected in 1997, 2000 and 2004 - and did not run for re-election in 2006 (he was succeeded by Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro).

Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef wrote in a statement to The Examiner that Dr. Adams had been a mentor and friend - and that he was very proud to live in this city.

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"He loved Peterborough and worked tirelessly to represent the interests of the people who live here," she wrote. "Peterborough was his favourite word."

Former Liberal MPP and Minister of Agriculture Jeff Leal also mentioned in an interview how much Dr. Adams loved this city.

"He was fiercely proud Peterborough was his home," Leal said.

As an MPP, Leal said, Dr. Adams helped bring the blue box program to Ontario.

His Arctic research also reflected his deep caring for the environment: Leal said Dr. Adams was researching the rate at which Arctic ice was melting many years before climate change was a popular topic.

He was an "outstanding" leader with a "great intellect", Leal said: "Truly a remarkable Canadian."

Dr. Adams never stopped working, even in retirement: that's when he and Jill volunteered for the Toronto-based charity Sleeping Children Around the World, delivering bedkits to children in Bangladesh, Uganda, Honduras and India.

He also volunteered to help establish Casa De Angelae, a home for women with developmental disabilities in Peterborough.

He received an honorary degree from Trent University in 2010 and was made a member of the Order of Ontario in 2012.

Dr. Adams was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2014, and his children write in the obituary that their father's life "changed drastically" after that.

"However, his passion and hard work for education, athletics and service never ceased," they write. "Even when he was weak and in pain, he continued writing, walking and meeting."

Peterborough County announced the flags at the Peterborough County Court House and the county offices on Water Street will be lowered to half-mast on Monday and a moment of silence will be held at the start of Wednesday's county council meeting.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13 at St. John's Anglican Church in Peterborough, where Dr. Adams was a longtime member. The family says all are welcome.

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