Former British Columbia (BC) Premier John Horgan passed away on November 12th. He was 65 years old. The BC government announced this. He passed away at a hospital in Victoria.
Premier David Eby said at a press conference, “John was an outstanding figure in British Columbia’s history and as a person. He left a significant legacy to British Columbia.”
In 2017, when Horgan was leader, the BCNDP (New Democratic Party) agreed to an informal coalition with the BC Green Party and took power, defeating the BC Liberal Party in a close election. In October 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the party won a majority in a snap election and ran a stable government. However, he resigned in 2022 due to ill health. He was later appointed Canadian ambassador to Germany but returned to Japan after being diagnosed with cancer. He has been undergoing cancer treatment since June of this year.
He also has deep ties with the Japanese Canadian community, having appeared as a guest speaker at Sakura Gala, a charity event hosted by the Japanese Canadian Foundation.