David Reville

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David Reville (born April 19, 1943 in Brantford, Ontario) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1990, and was later an advisor to the government of Bob Rae. Reville is a member of the New Democratic Party.

Reville was born into a privileged family. After graduating from Brantford Collegiate Institute in l961, he attended Trinity College at the University of Toronto and proceeded to law school. It was expected that he would follow the career path of his father, an Ontario judge. Instead, Reville became manic-depressive and attempted to kill himself during his law studies. He was institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital and became a crusader for mental health reform upon his release.

During an interview with Canadian Press, Reville intoned, tongue firmly in cheek, "I became a New Democrat because I was mentally ill" and was both amused and horrified when his statement appeared as a headline in newspapers across the country. He was making the point that he had begun to learn something about powerlessness in hospital, and joined the NDP to fight for marginalized people. (source: Thomas Walkom, Rae Days, pp. 41-43)

Reville served on Toronto's city council from 1980 to 1985, and emerged as a popular alderman in the downtown area. He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election, winning an easy victory in Riverdale. He was re-elected in the 1987 election, defeating future Liberal Member of Parliament Jim Karygiannis by about 1,500 votes. Reville was an opposition MPP throughout his time in the house.

Reville did not seek re-election in 1990, arguing that he wanted to devote his time to more useful pursuits. After the NDP won an unexpected majority government in the 1990 provincial election, he worked as a liaison on caucus matters and undertook special assignments for Premier Rae. He almost certainly would have been appointed to cabinet had he remained in the legislature.

Reville was the first (and only) chair of the Ontario Advocacy Commission. He received an award from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities in 2001. He now operates David Reville & Associates in Toronto, specializing in social research and community development. In 2004, Reville began teaching for the School of Disability Studies at Ryerson University; one of his courses is called A History of Madness and the other Mad Peoples' History.