Trudeau names former B.C. premier Canada's ambassador to Germany
John Horgan, the former premier of British Columbia, has been named Canada's next ambassador to Germany.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment Wednesday, calling the former New Democratic Party premier a "passionate public servant and an experienced leader."
Horgan, who has twice battled cancer, stepped down as premier in November 2022 and resigned his seat in the B.C. legislature in March, ending a 30-year career in politics that included five terms as a Vancouver Island MLA and eight years as leader of the B.C. New Democrats.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office commended Horgan on his leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and his efforts to create jobs in an environmentally sustainable economy.
"I am confident that he will continue to serve Canada well and help advance our two countries' common interests in this new role, including our shared commitment to building a clean future with good middle-class jobs and a strong economy that benefits everyone," Trudeau said.
Horgan was among dozens of Canadians sanctioned by Russia's foreign ministry last spring after he publicly condemned the country's invasion of Ukraine, and pulled Russian vodka from B.C. liquor store shelves in protest.
Horgan called the sanction, which bars him from entering Russia, a "badge of honour, not for myself but for British Columbia."
A married father of two adult sons, Horgan took his first post-politics job in April when he joined the board of Elk Valley Resources, a coal-mining unit that was spun off from Vancouver-based mining giant Teck Resources.
In his new role as ambassador, Horgan will provide strategic advice to the prime minister as Canada and Germany navigate the shared challenges of food and energy security and global conflicts, the PMO said.
Horgan, 64, isn't the first former B.C. leader to receive a post in Canada's foreign service.
Former premier Gordon Campbell was named the high commissioner to the United Kingdom by the federal Conservative government in 2011, serving in the role until 2016.
The Canadian embassy in Germany is located in Berlin, with consulates in Munich, Dusseldorf, and an honorary consul in Stuttgart.
Germany maintains an embassy in Ottawa, as well as consulates in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.