Brian Jean suspends Wildrose leadership campaign after son's death
CBC News | Posted: March 20, 2015 7:35 PM | Last Updated: March 22, 2015
Derek Fildebrandt to stand in at campaign events
Wildrose Party leadership candidate Brian Jean is suspending his campaign until further notice following the death of his son.
The 24-year-old died after spending a year in hospital with an undisclosed illness.
A statement from Jean's campaign says scheduled events over the next two days will proceed.
The former Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Derek Fildebrandt — who is running for the party in Strathmore-Brooks — will fill in for Jean during his absence.
The new leader of the party will be announced on March 28.
“With profound sadness, on behalf of all my colleagues, I extend my deepest condolences to Brian Jean, his family and his friends," said Wildrose interim leader Heather Forsyth in a statement.
“All of our hearts are broken by this sudden and unexpected news. The loss of a relative is one of the most devastating experiences a person can face. Brian is a fighter and I’m proud to call him my friend. Wildrose [members] will be here to support Brian and the Jean family in any way we can.”
Jean is a former MP from Fort McMurray. He has said one of the reasons he wants to be a provincial politician is because of what he has seen first-hand in the health-care system.