B.C. premier planning to step down, says 'energy flags' since latest cancer bout
The premier of British Columbia has announced plans to step down, but not until the provincial NDP can choose his successor.
John Horgan appeared at a news conference Tuesday, following a two-day cabinet retreat in Vancouver, and confirmed he will not be seeking a third term in office.
The premier said he made the difficult decision during a recent walk on the beach with his wife Ellie, during which they reflected on his latest bout with cancer.
Watching otters splashing offshore, Horgan said he was reminded that "doing a little bit more playing, a little less working is probably not a bad idea."
"I have to now reflect on what to do with the summers ahead of me," he said.
Horgan was diagnosed with cancer last November, months after discovering a lump in his throat, and underwent 35 rounds of radiation before completing his treatment in January.
The 62-year-old, who had a previous battle with bladder cancer in 2008, said he's found himself with less energy since coming back to work.
"My health is good, but my energy flags as the days go by," the premier said.
The B.C. NDP is expected to hold a leadership convention to choose Horgan's successor this fall. The premier stressed that his work will continue until then, but said he can't commit to another six years leading the province.
"This has been the thrill of my life to be the premier of British Columbia, and I will be the premier of British Columbia tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that," Horgan said.
"There has been endless speculation, as a result of my recent battle with cancer, about what my plans would be. I want to put the speculation to rest so we can get back to what really matters."
Heading into Tuesday's announcement, political scientists suggested there has been no outside pressure for Horgan to resign, and that the decision to do so would likely be his alone.
While the provincial government has faced significant challenges, from affordability to the family doctor shortage, a recent Angus Reid Institute poll found Horgan remains one of the most popular premiers in the country – despite his approval rating falling to its lowest level in years.
Last week, Horgan took full responsibility for the controversy surrounding the Royal B.C. Museum replacement, which was met with significant backlash over its estimated $789-million price tag, and announced the government was suspending the project.
Experts speculated the premier's decision might have been designed to spare a hurdle for the NDP's next leader.
"I've talked about the need for generational change in our politics, not just within the NDP but indeed within all our political institutions," Horgan said Tuesday. "We need to make space for the next generation to bring forward their energy and their ideas."
Horgan rose to power in 2017, with the NDP forming the province's first minority government since 1952 thanks to a confidence and supply agreement with the B.C. Green Party.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Bhinder Sajan and Kendra Mangione
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.