In a ceremony filled with tears, laughter, song, sports references and nerd culture, British Columbians joined the friends and family of John Horgan to remember the former B.C. premier.
Horgan passed away on Nov. 12, following his third bout of cancer. The 65-year-old had been in the hospital for much of the past five months after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in June.
On Sunday, the Q Centre arena in Colwood was filled with those who came out to honour Horgan’s memory and legacy, both political and personal.
The stage, much like the entire ceremony, was adorned with objects and references near and dear to Horgan’s heart, including the flag of his cherished lacrosse team, the Victoria Shamrocks, a guitar, a copy of Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle and the emblem of his favourite show in the whole galaxy, Star Trek.
Two Shamrocks jerseys and a lacrosse stick adorned the two season ticket seats Horgan and his wife Ellie shared to support his beloved team.
Shamrocks team members tapped their sticks in respect as they welcomed the official party procession to the arena, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, B.C. Premier David Eby, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and B.C. Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix.
Al Ferraby lent his voice to a powerful rendition of the national anthem followed by an address by Scia’new First Nation Chief Russell Chipps.
Horgan’s eldest son Nate Horgan played the guitar as Ferraby sang a rendition of the hymn “How Great Thou Art.”
Speaking to the crowd, Nate thanked those who came out and for their kind words about his father. He then performed an original song he wrote for his dad, laughing and joking with the crowd about the brief moments he struggled to find his composure and finish the lyrics.
He ended the song with a Vulcan hand gesture in honour of Horgan’s love of Star Trek.
“Every time I write a new song. I’ll see your hand make the salute to prosper and live long,” Nate sang.
The ceremony would not be complete without “Premiere Dad’s” signature humour, which younger son Evan was happy to provide in his speech.
“Why do melons get so frustrated at weddings? Because they can’t elope. Yeah, I thought dad would like that one. I think he told it at my wedding,” he said with a chuckle.
Evan thanked the medical staff at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, where Horgan spent the last few days of his life, saying workers treated him with the utmost professionalism, compassion and dignity and made him comfortable.
Looking to those gathered, he said he didn’t think Horgan, or the rest of the family, truly understood the scope and reach of his influence in the province.
“I have 34 years of wonderful, happy memories with my dad, and I hope you’ll all forgive me, but I won’t be sharing any of them with you today… I shared my dad publicly with the people of B.C. for 19 years, and it was my great honor to do so,” he said.
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“But my favorite stories, the best ones that always make me smile, I’m going to keep those for myself and for our family so that on the dark days, we can tell them to each other and try and find some light.”
Evan recalled Horgan’s final day and how he asked his father what the family should tell people if he passed away.
“He said, ‘Just tell everyone I did my level best,'” Evan said.
Premier Eby spoke to Horgan’s “transformative change,” including his work on the province’s relationship of the province with Indigenous people through the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People Act, and by waiving tuition for kids in provincial care.
“I tell you, as a politician, and I’m sure it’s the question a lot of us politicians are here ask is, man, he left politics more popular than when he entered. How do you do that?” Eby said, eliciting laughs from the gathered crowd.
Eby said while Horgan needed coercing to run for leadership of the party, he never felt chained to a life as premier. Eby said Horgan always felt that if the position no longer felt right or he wasn’t making changes to improve the lives of British Columbians that he would be happy to step aside.
“I think that freedom helped him be really effective,” Eby said.
As Horgan’s successor, Eby thanked Horgan’s family for sharing him with the province.
“He always believed in people. He didn’t believe in parties. And in a time of strong, politicized partisanship around the world, John was always welcoming. He was always willing to work with people, and he was always prepared to create space for people who made mistakes, thank God for me.”
During his speech, Trudeau extolled Horgan’s ability to combine progressive values, pragmatism, wisdom and compassion, and that he never shied away from challenges.
However, above all, Trudeau said Horgan had an extraordinary sense of humor, something he experiences firsthand in their first meeting after he became premier. He recalled a question about oil pipelines being brought up and a nervous Horgan raised his hand for an animated response, but instead knocked over his glass of water.
“John looked up and deadpanned, ‘Spills can happen anywhere,'” Trudeau said.
“John lived an accomplished life. He was chief of staff Horgan. He was premier Horgan. He was his Excellency, Ambassador Horgan. But to people lucky enough to have known him, to the people of British Columbia, who greatly admired him and who he so clearly loved back, he will always be John from Langford.”
The ceremony extended well beyond its expected 90 minutes as those who who knew Horgan best, like his childhood friend Michael Allabarton, shared numerous stories of the man they loved.
Former deputy premier and minister of finance Carol James said Horgan’s influence on Sunday’s ceremony was evident. After stepping down as leader, James says Horgan was approached by officials to discuss a potential state funeral in the event of his death and what he would want it to look like.
“John, without missing a beat, said, ‘Do I have to be there?'” she said with a smile.
“Protocol hesitated for a moment and said, ‘It is usually expected, premier.’ ‘Well then, no thanks,’ John said. ‘Nothing stuffy for me.’ And so here we are at the Q Arena, one of John’s favorite places, just as we should be.”
James said while he was passionate about his role and took his responsibility, Horgan’s sense of humour always remained strong. He also was unabashedly Irish, she said, a fact he never let those around him forget, and used as an excuse for both fault and strength alike, including when he let an F-bomb slip in the legislature.
“He was always true to who he was, whether John the Premier of B.C. John, our colleague, our leader, our friend, our boss, our neighbor, or MLA, John was always John. He truly was the Premier’s premier, people’s premier.”
Before he returned to Canada, Horgan had been serving as Canada’s ambassador to Germany and living in Berlin with his wife Ellie. He died at the BC Cancer Centre in Victoria, B.C. at Royal Jubilee Hospital after returning to the province for end-of-life care.
Horgan served as B.C.’s 36th premier from July 2017 to November 2022.
He was one of the most popular premiers in the province’s history, often having popularity ratings well above 60 per cent largely due to his management of the COVID-19 pandemic and his work to deal with affordability issues.
Following his death, he was praised by political colleagues from all sides for his ability to connect with people and his commitment to every role he held in public office.
An online book of condolences is available for signing until Dec. 16.
– With files from Richard Zussman
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