About Matthew’s Life

Matthew was the beloved husband of Veronique Lemay and the loving father of his young daughters, Adeline and Flora Chapman-Lemay. Matthew also leaves behind his devoted parents, Rose and Lorne Chapman, his sister Jennifer Dickens Chapman, and her two children, Ava and Evan. He is also survived by numerous extended family members, colleagues, neighbours, and friends.

Matthew’s life was defined by kindness, curiosity, and purpose.
Over four decades, he pursued a wide array of passions with dedication. From being a free spirit to excelling as a trampolinist, an entrepreneur, a versatile musician, and a dedicated educator, he embodied the essence of a dreamer.

His dreams extended beyond himself as he tirelessly worked to protect the environment, envisioning a world free from greed and inequality.

His primary focus was on nurturing the planet, not only for its own sake but also for a future where marginalized communities would be uplifted.

Matthew was fortunate to grow up in a family that instilled values of personal responsibility, charitable giving, and respect for all individuals. His perspective was greatly enriched during his experiences living and working in diverse locations such as Zanzibar, Hong Kong, Egypt, and Colombia.

Matt was a dedicated advocate for climate action and sustainability.
Through his work at Climate Reality Canada, Matt equipped volunteers across the country to impact municipal policies in order to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

He created the Community Climate Hubs program and the National Climate League, to engage communities in gathering sustainability data and presented it in an annual benchmarking publication that pushed communities to do better for the planet. His leadership drove meaningful progress in climate change advocacy and empowered individuals to make a difference.

Matt and Vero bought an island in the St. Lawrence, just East of Montreal. It was Matt’s passion project to make it a home for activists to gather, to host eco-retreats, and foster a model of participative democracy. The island would become a symbol of the transition towards carbon neutrality in the spirit of an organized adventure. Long term, the idea was to give the land back to the indigenous peoples it belonged to, as a gift from citizens during the 400th anniversary of the city of Montreal (2042).

Matthew also founded the Montréal Climate Coalition, which aims to influence political and organizational leaders, institutions, and citizens to act in a concrete and bold way to get the City of Montreal to reach carbon neutrality by 2042, the 400th anniversary of the City of Montreal. Matthew had a great unifying style of leadership and immeasurable generosity, which rallied people from different backgrounds to actively engage them in a just and equitable ecological transition for the Montreal community.

Matthew’s memory will be forever cherished, and his legacy will continue to inspire all who knew him.