KELOWNA — Hundreds of people are expected to attend a public memorial to remember a B.C. political giant. A celebration of life service for former B.C. Premier Bill Bennett will be held at the Delta Grand hotel in Kelowna on Sunday.
Members of the public will join friends, family, former government colleagues and the current premier to remember the social credit leader who followed in his father’s footsteps.
READ MORE: Bill Bennett remembered in his hometown as witty, competitive and intelligent
Bennett, who had been in ill-health for several years with Alzheimer’s disease, was B.C.’s third longest-serving premier, leading from 1975 to 1986. Bennett passed away at his home in Kelowna on December 3, 2015.
Among his accomplishments as premier were the building of the Coquihalla Highway and overseeing the drive to Expo 86 in Vancouver, including the building of the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre and SkyTrain.
At the same time, his focus on financial restraint resulted in many government cutbacks and conflicts with unions, culminating in the famous Solidarity protests of 1983 that almost led to a general strike.
Bennett also helped keep Kelowna at the centre of B.C. politics for many years.
READ MORE: Bill Bennett, B.C. premier from 1975 to 1986, dead at 83
Bennett retired in 1986, three years into his third term, and today is generally lauded by political observers of all stripes.
A live stream of the memorial, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. PST, is below.
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