North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas says John Horgan will be remembered as one of BC’s finest Premiers.
Horgan passed away Tuesday morning at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria at the age of 65 from cancer.
Douglas says one of his strongest memories of Horgan was that he had “kind of a superpower” that gave the former premier an ability to remember names and details about people.
“He really took the time to get to know people, and to meet the Premier and have him remember your full name and know something about you definitely meant a lot to me, and I think to other people over the years, as well.”
Douglas says that during Horgan’s early years as an MLA, his riding included parts of the southern Cowichan Valley, so it was nice to later have a premier with a knowledge of the area and its challenges was a big asset.
He says Horgan played an important role in getting the new hospital now under construction on Bell McKinnon Rd in North Cowichan.
“John was the first provincial leader to come to the Cowichan Valley and make a commitment to build a new regional hospital.”
Douglas also says Horgan guided the province through a very tough period during the COVID19 pandemic, and laid the groundwork for some important changes in social programs, the environment, and workers rights.
Horgan was elected in the Malahat-Juan de Fuca riding in 2005, which became the Langford-Juan de Fuca constituency in 2088, and served four consecutive terms as the MLA for the area.
He was the Premier of British Columbia from 2017 until 2022, and was then appointed as Canada’s ambassador to Germany in December of 2023.
Douglas sends his condolences to Horgan’s family and says after years of service to the province it’s sad that he wasn’t able to enjoy his full retirement.
Horgan is survived by his wife, Ellie, and two son
