Marion Dewar, shown here in archival CBC footage from January 2005, died in Toronto of injuries from a fall. (CBC)

Marion Dewar, a former mayor of Ottawa and one-time New Democratic Party member of Parliament, has died after an accident in Toronto.

Dewar, 80, died Monday of injuries sustained during a serious fall on Friday in Toronto, her son Paul Dewar confirmed in a statement Monday.

Her two sons and her daughter were with her at the time.

She had been in a coma since the fall, which took place while she was attending the Toronto International Film Festival.

Born in Montreal, she was first elected alderman in 1972 and served as Ottawa's mayor from 1978 to 1985.

'I think what was most remarkable about her was how well she could really just touch people in their soul.'— Brian Bourns, former Ottawa councillor

During that time, she organized Project 4,000 to bring to the city Vietnamese boat people, refugees of the Vietnam War who had spent years in Asian refugee camps.

After leaving municipal politics, she became president of the NDP and then was briefly elected to the House of Commons as MP for Hamilton Mountain in a 1987 byelection. She passed on her enthusiasm for politics to her son Paul Dewar, who is running for re-election as the NDP MP for Ottawa Centre.

Later, she took on a number of leadership roles within community organizations, including chair of Oxfam Canada. She became a member of the Order of Canada in 2002.

Remembered for leadership, energy

Ed Broadbent, a former NDP leader and former NDP colleague of Dewar, called her "a joyful soul" and "a remarkable champion of what was just and right" both at home and abroad.

"She was a happy warrior," Broadbent said. "She just had an ongoing desire to do good."

'She was a happy warrior.... She just had an ongoing desire to do good.'— Ed Broadbent, former NDP leader

In recent years, she continued to be involved in social movements and community events, said Brian Bourns, who was on city council when Dewar was mayor.

"She [was] still in demand as public speaker and still going to events with considerable energy at 80 years old."

He described her as someone who showed true leadership and had a personal connection with many, many people.

"I think what was most remarkable about her was how well she could really just touch people in their soul," he said Monday.

When he first ran for city council at age 30, he had trouble keeping up with the Dewar, who was in her 50s, he said.

"It was quite a challenge to get across the energy that she had."

Bourns recalled that when Dewar heard about the plight of the Vietnamese boat people and learned that Canada could take 4,000 refugees, she resolved to take all 4,000 into her community, ultimately opening up Canada's immigration and refugee policies as a result.

Phuong Lethebinh, who came to Canada as a Vietnamese refugee in 1979, said Dewar's death is like the loss of a family member to his community.