John Horgan remembered as remarkable man with the common touch

Popular leader John Horgan, who died Tuesday at 65-years-old following a battle with cancer, is already being remembered as the people's premier.

Popular leader John Horgan, who died Tuesday at 65-years-old following a battle with cancer, is already being remembered as the people's premier.

“There’s only one John Horgan. He’s a remarkable human being, the way he had to connect with people,” remembered an emotional Ravi Parmar, NDP MLA in Horgan’s old Langford riding.

Following the 2017 election, Horgan forged an alliance with the BC Greens, giving the NDP power for the first time in 16 years. It made the once reluctant leader premier, and earned him friends on all sides of the aisle.

“He was not your normal politician,” remembered former Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, on Tuesday. “What you saw with him was what you got, he showed leadership by empowering others around him.”

He rolled the dice, calling a snap election part way through the pandemic and winning a second term and a super majority — a strong endorsement of his strong leadership during the pandemic

“He was a remarkable person, a really remarkable person,” said Mike Farnworth, longtime colleague and friend, as he fought back tears Tuesday.

Following his cancer diagnosis, Horgan left politics in 2022, transitioning to ambassador for Canada to Germany.