COLWOOD, B.C. — A British Columbia ice arena, where John Horgan spent many hours cheering on his favourite local sports teams, was packed Sunday with a full house to pay tribute to the former premier, and wipe away a few tears.
Up to three thousand people gathered at the Q Centre in the suburban Victoria community of Colwood for a memorial service for the former New Democrat premier and Canada's ambassador to Germany who died last month at age 65 following his third bout with cancer.
Proof of Horgan's stellar status as a political leader, community builder and father figure was evident at a three-hour memorial service attended by leaders from across the political spectrum, lifelong friends and family.
Among the political leaders attending the ceremony: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, federal New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh, B.C. Premier David Eby, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and John Rustad, leader of B.C.'s Official Opposition Conservatives.
"John and I didn't talk a lot about spiritual stuff, but I have to say, a gathering of thousands of the political elite of British Columbia in a lacrosse arena on a Sunday would be pretty close to his definition of heaven," said Eby.
Horgan was a huge sports fan who kept a lacrosse stick and ball in his office and was a regular, jersey-wearing fan at Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse games at the same arena where his memorial was held.
"He was loyal," said Eby. "If you were on team Horgan, you knew it. He had your back no matter what."
Trudeau was seen wiping tears during the memorial when Horgan's youngest son spoke about his father.
"John, it was an incredible joy and privilege to have worked alongside you, but more than anything it was an honour to call you my friend," said Trudeau.
He said there is still a part of him that insists Horgan isn't gone.
Trudeau described an evening in Victoria where the two leaders met and spent long hours working on a federal and provincial agreement on health-care funding.
"John was determined in the way that only he can be, so one brisk late autumn evening in Victoria, the two of us together sat down in a lounge in the legislature, ordered what would prove to be too many pizzas and too few beers, and we talked as friends and partners about the future," said Trudeau.
"I felt John's vision and passion for a stronger, healthier Canada all through that evening, and after a long night, we got a deal done," he said.
Trudeau said Horgan lived an accomplished life as political chief of staff, as premier, as his ambassador, but for those who were lucky enough to have known him, "he will always be John from Langford."
Horgan's two adult sons, Nate and Evan participated in the memorial, providing emotional moments.
"I miss you so much. Now you're in God's hands," said Horgan's eldest son Nate after singing a song about his father.
Evan Horgan described his father as "nerdy. He likes to polish rocks. He loved Star Trek."
But he said he was also the kind of father who went to every hockey game, band concert and school event.
"He was the kind of dad who would come home from a long day of work exhausted and get on his hands and knees and play mini-hockey with me for hours because I couldn't stop bouncing around," said Evan, adding he was the last person to see Horgan alive and he asked him in his Victoria hospital room what he wanted him to tell people about his father.
"Just tell everyone, I did my level best," Evan said. "I love my dad. The world feels empty without him."
Former B.C. NDP leader Carole James, a long-time Horgan friend and political colleague, said she became acutely aware of his unique personality traits over the years.
She described four endearing traits: his Irishness, gift of the gab, love of sports and his passion for Star Trek, Star Wars and family.
"In fact, all of British Columbia knows these things about John," James said. "All of these things illustrate for me so clearly John's biggest strength, he was always true to who he was. John was always John. He truly was the people's premier."
Horgan served as B.C.’s New Democrat premier for five years before stepping down in March 2022.
He was also a five-term member of the legislature, representing the Victoria-area city of Langford, before resigning his seat in March 2023, citing health reasons after he received more than 30 radiation treatments to battle throat cancer.
He was appointed ambassador to Germany in November 2023, but in June, Horgan announced he was on leave from his post because he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
He had also been successfully treated for bladder cancer in 2008.
He died in hospital on Nov. 12.
Also attending the memorial were three former B.C. NDP premiers, Mike Harcourt, Dan Miller and Glen Clark.
NDP Energy Minister Adrian Dix paid tribute to Horgan on his way into the arena.
“We were great friends,” said Dix. “He was the MC at my wedding. We love the guy. It’s a hard day.”
Eby said Horgan led transformative change in the province in many ways, including with Indigenous people through the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous people.
"He changed the way many decisions were made in the province, got big money out of politics by limiting political donations, and changed the lives of kids in care by waiving tuition for them to go to college or university," Eby said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024.
Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press