Tuesday July 2, 2024 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Last week the news was revealed that former BC Premier John Horgan is again battling cancer. This time it’s thyroid cancer. He had already dealt with throat cancer in 2021 and bladder cancer in 2008.
As Canada’s Ambassador to Germany, Horgan is in Berlin, and getting treatment there in hospital.
Sending good-wishes to John Horgan:
Local MLA Ravi Parmar (Langford-Juan de Fuca) last week posted in social media that members of the Langford-Juan de Fuca community can send “get well soon cards and letters” to John Horgan via the Langford-Juan de Fuca Constituency office, 122-2806 Jacklin Rd, Langford, BC V9B 5A4.
The BC NDP is also collecting well-wishes online (on X and Facebook). Some criticism was seen online today about the BC NDP for doing this online as a way to gather names and contact information of participants, though frankly there could be criticism that it took the party too long to get this up and running. As of today July 2, the link to send good-wishes is not on the BC NDP website (which is where most people would head first).
In reality, most people are so busy and not likely to use snail-mail, so the default to sending wishes via social media is probably the only way to see responses in volume (noting the data-mining opportunity for the political party to which Horgan has devoted nearly all of his adult life).
Messages can also be sent in writing directly by postal mail to: Ambassador John Horgan, Embassy of Canada to Germany, Leipziger Platz 17, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Horgan’s reach:
Horgan pulled the BC NDP party up by its bootstraps during his time as an elected MLA in the west shore of Greater Victoria (2005-2023), becoming premier in 2017 and setting in motion the current NDP provincial government (which became a majority government by way of a snap election in 2020) which has shifted focus to restoring economic stability for low and middle income people.
Horgan’s reach across communities is legendary. He very clearly pulled the province forward with supporters from many camps, in ways that someone only of his ilk could do … motivated, inspired, patient, crafty, friendly, and all with a wisecracking sense of humour.
That mix succeeded because at a human level he genuinely cares about people and how society and government might serve them better.
Though he was always just as quick to to express disapproval with acerbic wit. But his oratory was always delivered with ease, a glib gift of the gab that he frequently attributed to his Irish roots.
Indeed, on the Irish theme, he would hold significant events (like his nomination to leadership of the BC NDP and declaring the COVID pandemic as a health emergency in BC) on or about St Patrick’s Day, March 17, for good luck.
Comments in social media:
As the news broke on social media, comments of support and best wishes rolled in:
- “I know these two things, John is a fighter and all British Columbians are pulling for him to make a speedy recovery. Sending our love and support to Ellie and the boys”. ~ Premier David Eby
- “Sending my very best to John Horgan, a fine public servant and a good person.” ~ Bob Rae, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations
- “I’m very sorry to hear the news that former Premier Horgan is once again facing cancer. John Horgan gave an enormous amount of his life to public service with passion and dedication. My thoughts are with him and his family, and I’m hoping for a speedy and full recovery.” ~ Sonia Furstenau, Leader, BC Green Party
- “My thoughts are with former Premier @jjhorgan and his wife Ellie in this difficult time. On behalf of our entire BCUnitedCaucus, I want to wish him a speedy and complete recovery in this fight against cancer.~ ~ BC United Leader Kevin Falcon
- “On behalf of the entire Conservative Party of BC team, we send our best wishes to John Horgan as he battles cancer. We hope to see him return to good health soon.” ~ Conservative Party of BC
- “On behalf of the @crd_bc Board of Directors and staff we want to wish our best wishes to our former Premier John Horgan @jjhorgan as he battles cancer. “Live long and prosper” John from Langford!” ~ CRD Chair Colin Plant
- “I’m deeply sorry to hear about John. My thoughts are with him and his family as they navigate this challenging time. I hope he receives the timely care he needs and finds the strength to overcome this.” ~ Camille Currie, BC Green candidate, Esquimalt-Colwood
- “John from Langford is one of the toughest people I know. He’s beaten cancer before, and I know in my heart he will do it again. Love you Horgan, you got this!” ~ Ravi Parmar
Parmar said Horgan expects to ‘live long and prosper’ — a catch phrase from the Star Trek series. In local TV media coverage this evening, Parmar displayed the field hockey stick that Horgan left behind in his old office, where Parmar now resides as the MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca.
Breaking the news:
Serving as Canada’s Ambassador to Germany and stationed in Berlin since November 2023, Horgan is now in a German hospital for immunotherapy to deal with the cancer. His wife Ellie is with him in Germany. They have two adult sons; one lives in the UK and the other in Sooke.
Horgan made a cameo appearance on Focus BC (on Global TV) in December 2023. It was also Richard Zussman of Global TV who broke the news online this morning, after Health Minister Adrian Dix made Horgan’s news know.
Horgan’s note was posted on X:
“After a routine follow up in Berlin from my previous throat cancer another separate cancer was discovered that has proven to be complicated. I am on leave from my position at the embassy and in hospital receiving immunotherapy to treat this new thyroid cancer. It is the third instance of cancer I have had but I remain confident and hopeful that I will again live long and prosper.”
Island Social Trends in covering the west shore and BC politics got its start as MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), then Sooke Voice News in 2011-2013. followed by West Shore Voice News 2014-2020, all of it based in Horgan’s riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca. An editorial about Horgan in 2013 in Sooke Voice News was locally impactful in the days just ahead of the 2013 provincial election.
===== RELATED:
- Former Premier Horgan in hospital for thyroid cancer treatment (June 25, 2024)
- Horgan keeps one foot in the west shore (November 23, 2023)
- Horgan heads to Germany (November 1, 2023)
- John Horgan wraps up 18 years in BC elected politics (February 9, 2023)
- Premier Horgan not seeking reelection in 2024 (June 28, 2022)
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===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Mary P Brooke is the editor of Island Social Trends, a publication she launched in 2020 to explore the socioeconomic and political dynamics of the south Vancouver Island region, BC politics, and national issues.
Island Social Trends publishes daily at IslandSocialTrends.ca and bi-weekly in print. Premium Subscribers may purchase the PDF version of the print edition, which is delivered by email.