For Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, the circumstances surrounding the death of Jim Prentice were sadly familiar.
In October 1984, her father Grant Notley and five other passengers were killed in a plane crash in northern Alberta.
On Thursday night, a Cessna Citation went down shortly after taking off from Kelowna, killing Prentice and his friends Ken Gellatly, Sheldon Reid and pilot Jim Kruk.
READ MORE: Jim Kruk, ‘avid aviator’, identified as 4th person killed in BC plane crash
Notley reached out to Jim’s wife Karen when she heard about the fatal crash.
“It was a very difficult time for her but certainly, I obviously have a bit of experience … maybe more of an understanding than many about what she was going through that very day or the night before,” the premier said Monday.
“One of the things that I know from our own experience is that what helps the family through is hearing … how important their loved one is or was to the people of Alberta.
“I felt it was very important to pass on those feelings of respect and condolences to Karen Prentice and to her family.”
READ MORE: Jim Prentice remembered as ‘absolute pleasure to work with’ by peers
“There’s no words that anyone can say at a time like that, but just simply to let her know whatever the government of Alberta could do to help her family through this, we were certainly willing to do anything we could.”
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Notley said she’s heartened by the way the former premier is being remembered.
“I’ve been very pleased … to see the outpouring that’s been demonstrated by Albertans and the level of respect being described by Albertans. I believe that will be a very significant comfort to Karen as well as to their daughters and to their grandchildren.”
READ MORE: Obituary: Jim Prentice, 60, dies in Kelowna plane crash
Notley said she had a good conversation with Prentice a few days after the provincial election, which saw the NDP beat the ruling PCs.
“I think he was a little bit sad but he was very gracious … Jim Prentice was always a gentleman.”
She said they talked about the campaign and projects he’d been working on.
“You may be on opposite sides, but you’re both candidates and so you actually have a lot of shared experiences,” Notley said.
“He was very dedicated to try to improve outcomes for indigenous people in Alberta … We’re continuing to work on a lot of the same principles and ideas he’d gotten under way.”
Notley said, at age 60, Prentice still had so much to give Alberta and Canada.
“He was still of an age where he had tremendous opportunities to contribute. I think he had a very wide-ranging perspective. He was one of those people who could go into a room with people of differing views and be heard. There was certainly lots of opportunity for him to continue to serve Alberta in different ways.
“There’s no question that we’re at a loss for it.”
READ MORE: MPs hold moment of silence for former Alberta premier Jim Prentice
In Ottawa on Monday, a moment of silence was held for Prentice in the House of Commons.
Watch below: MPs hold moment of silence for former Alberta premier Jim Prentice
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose choked back tears as she told the House Prentice was a “true gentleman politician” who loved public service.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he cherished the time he spent with Prentice and will always remember his “kind, thoughtful manner.”
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