Former B.C. premier John Horgan, Canada's ambassador to Germany, dead at 65
Horgan was diagnosed with cancer for 3rd time earlier this year
Former B.C. premier John Horgan has died at the age of 65, CBC News has confirmed.
In June this year, Horgan told CBC that he had been diagnosed with cancer for a third time during a routine followup appointment for his previous throat cancer.
Horgan went on leave from his position as Canada's ambassador to Germany at the time.
He is survived by his wife, Ellie, and their two sons Evan and Nate.
In a statement posted to X by Horgan's longtime friend and press secretary Sheena McConnell, the Horgan family said he passed away peacefully at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria on Tuesday morning.
"Our hearts are broken to announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and friend, John Horgan," the statement reads.
"The wellbeing of British Columbia and everyone in it was everything to him.
"Live long and prosper," the statement concludes, with a nod to Horgan's love of Star Trek.
Longtime B.C. New Democrat Mike Farnworth was supposed to see Horgan Tuesday morning, but instead learned his friend of 36 years had passed away.
"He was a remarkable person, a really remarkable person," Farnworth said through tears.
Farnworth lit up as he shared stories of Horgan with reporters.
"It didn't matter who you were, what you did, he was able to connect with you, sit down, have a conversation, have a beer, whatever. Whether you agreed with his politics or you didn't agree with his politics, he just had this ability to connect with people."
PHOTOS | The political career of John Horgan:
Born in Victoria, Horgan was raised by his single mother following the passing of his father when Horgan was just an infant.
He attended Trent University in Peterborough, Ont., where he earned an undergraduate degree in history and Canadian Studies, and met his future wife, Ellie. He then went to Australia where he completed a master's degree in history at the University of Sydney.
He then looked for work in a museum in Ottawa, he told CBC News in 2011. The only job he could get was on Parliament Hill opening the mail, which pushed him toward politics as a career.
Horgan was first elected to the B.C. Legislature in 2005 and became leader of the NDP in 2014.
He became B.C.'s premier in 2017, holding the province's top job until 2022, when he announced he would be stepping down. He cited his health and lack of energy as the primary reason.
Horgan left his seat as a member of the legislative assembly the following spring.
Horgan 'believed in the power of public service': Trudeau
During his time in office, Horgan eliminated the medical services plan premium and pushed B.C. to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. He saw the province through the COVID-19 pandemic, several devastating wildfires and floods, and a worsening toxic drug crisis.
Heiltsuk Nation Elected Chief Coun. Marilyn Slett said Horgan spent time in her community after a tugboat spilled 110,000 litres of diesel and oil in the traditional fishing territory of the Heiltsuk First Nation in 2016.
It was one of many visits to the community, she said.
"For us, he was a genuine person, really cared deeply about working with Indigenous communities," Slett said.
Former premier Glen Clark told CBC's BC Today host Michelle Eliot that Horgan was warm, authentic and genuine.
"He wasn't a phony politician," Clark said. "He was of course very quick, very smart and told a lot of dad jokes."
Former premier Christy Clark, once Horgan's adversary in the legislature, said that while she disagreed with him on many things, he was a "dedicated public servant."
"He loved people," she said during an interview on CBC's On The Coast. "He delighted in seeing the fun that could be had behind the screen sometimes that the public didn't always see."
Clark praised Horgan for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In British Columbia we saw less division around COVID than anywhere else in the country," she said. "He and [Health Minister] Adrian Dix did a very good job in getting us through COVID with as few deaths as possible, and with as much accordance among us as possible. I think he will be remembered for that."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Horgan as Canada's ambassador to Germany in November 2023.
Trudeau expressed his condolences in a statement posted to social media.
"John Horgan believed in the power of public service. He saw it as a privilege, as a way to help others and to make our country better. He loved British Columbia. As premier, he had a tenacity, passion and dedication for his work that very few could match.
"He always believed that we would get more done if we worked together."
The former premier was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2008. He was declared cancer free after surgery and treatment.
Horgan was again diagnosed with cancer in late 2021 when a mass on his throat was found to be cancerous.
Earlier this year, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
"It is the third instance of cancer I have had but I remain confident and hopeful that I will again live long and prosper," he said in a June statement.
'John loved this province and its people': Eby
Premier David Eby said Tuesday that the flag at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria will be lowered to half-mast in Horgan's honour.
He described Horgan as a "consequential premier at a critical time in our history."
"John was a remarkable man," Eby told reporters at the legislature.
"I think for many British Columbians he made them think differently about politics and about politicians. He was accessible and he was fun and funny and he was called Premier Dad, and rightly so."
Eby said Horgan was a coach, a mentor and an inspiration who offered advice whenever it was needed.
B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said that when he was first elected to office, his son struggled because Kahlon was always away. He turned to Horgan for guidance.
"Two weeks later, he showed up at my house, unexpected, with an RCMP detail," he said. "He started playing Pokémon and playing Lego with my kid. When he left, next day my son said to me, 'I understand now why you're in Victoria, because you have to help people. Uncle John came to tell me that.'"
Eby said Horgan had a temper from time to time, adding that if you hadn't been yelled at by Horgan, you hadn't truly worked with him.
"I truly worked with John Horgan," he said with a smile.
Horgan had an ability to turn a "clear political liability moment" into an asset, Eby said.
He accidentally knocked over a water glass during a news conference about the Trans Mountain pipeline — which he opposed — and quickly remarked "spills can happen anywhere."
During a heated conversation on privacy concerns and cellphones, Eby recalled, Horgan pulled out his own phone, unlocked it and passed it around to reporters to see what apps were on it.
"There was a word game he particularly liked," Eby said.
"He had the ability to take those moments where it was a tough moment, or it was just maybe a little embarrassing, and made people just love him more, and for me that really encapsulates who he was."
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