Former B.C. premier John Horgan, Canada's ambassador to ...

Courtney Dickson · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 12, 2024 2:36 PM EST | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

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. 

WATCH | Former premier John Horgan has died: 

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. 

WATCH | John Horgan speaks to CBC in 2011: 

Horgan was first elected to the B.C. legislature in 2005 and became leader of the NDP in 2014.

He was elected as 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.

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.

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."

WATCH | Glen Clark remembers friend and colleague John Horgan: 

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.

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.

He 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."