Death
In 1960 Hardie was diagnosed with cancer and took extended leave from the House of Commons. He returned to the Commons after going into remission and served for several months. Hardie soon became ill again and toured his constituency one last time. Upon his return he was admitted to Ottawa Civic Hospital where he was bed ridden for over a month as he underwent a series of chest operations which he did not survive.
Hardie died on October 18, 1961, vacating his seat in the Commons and was survived by his wife Isabel Hardie and four children. On the day of his death Diefenbaker paid tribute to Hardie calling him "a good man who will be remembered for his courage and abiding faith". His seat in the Commons was left vacant until the 1962 federal election, the Liberals nominated his wife to replace him in the Canadian House of Commons. She won the newly expanded Northwest Territories electoral district serving as a Member of Parliament from 1962 until her defeat in 1963.
A Northwest Territories owned vehicle and passenger ferry was named in his honour, it is known as the M.V. Merv Hardie ferry and operated at the Fort Providence McKenzie River crossing. As of November 30, 2012 the ferry has been replaced by the Deh Cho Bridge.
Read more about this topic: Mervyn Arthur Hardie
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