It is a becoming testomony to John Horgan’s love of sport that it was a rugby match meetup that sparked the primary tremor within the political earthquake that made him British Columbia’s thirty sixth premier.
The setting was the gold medal recreation of the 2017 HSBC Canada Ladies’s Sevens at Starlight Stadium in Horgan’s residence constituency of Langford.
Whereas Canada and New Zealand fought it out on the sphere, Horgan after which B.C. Greens chief Andrew Weaver received collectively for a pleasant chat within the stands. Horgan, in fact, was sporting his favorite Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse workforce baseball cap, however extra on that later.
Then B.C. Inexperienced Celebration chief Andrew Weaver, left, after which B.C. NDP chief John Horgan take within the ultimate match on the HSBC Canada Ladies’s Sevens in 2017. Horgan is sporting his favorite Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse workforce baseball cap. (Chap Hipolito/The Canadian Press)
Not lengthy after what some dubbed the “rugby summit,” the 2 males introduced the Greens would help the NDP by a confidence and provide settlement, giving Horgan’s celebration sufficient seats to kind a minority authorities, thus ending the B.C. Liberals 16-year dynasty within the B.C. Legislature.
Canadian rugby legend Gareth Rees mentioned Horgan’s enthusiasm for sports activities was a giant affect on how he operated within the political world.
“He was a sports activities individual but in addition a workforce member — he performed workforce sports activities,” mentioned Rees, the primary rugby participant inducted into Canada’s Sports activities Corridor of Fame.
“He and Andrew Weaver — one other rugby man — the way in which they handled one another was about getting a end result, getting an consequence for the folks of B.C.”
Because the outdated saying goes, politics and sports activities do not combine. However for Horgan, the mixture was, in some ways, his secret to success.
The 65-year-old died of thyroid most cancers at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria on Nov. 12, two years after leaving workplace. He’s survived by his spouse, Ellie, and two sons.
Buddy Jim Hartshorne, proprietor of the Victoria Shamrocks, mentioned he typically teased Horgan for being such a giant athletic supporter.
“He was an absolute jock. It did not matter what sport it was; he thought he was good at it,” laughed Hartshorne.
Horgan’s love of lacrosse and the Victoria Shamrocks was handed down from his father, who labored as a timekeeper within the penalty field at Shamrocks residence video games, in line with Hartshorne.
The long run premier was a very good lacrosse participant in his youthful days. And as his political fortunes rose he hardly ever missed an opportunity to rep the hometown workforce.
Hartshorne mentioned the pictures of Horgan posing in his customized Shamrocks baseball cap are many, together with on the the Nice Wall of China, the North Korean DMZ and Checkpoint Charlie, to call just some.
The Shamrocks mourn the passing of an amazing good friend of the membership. Our heartfelt condolences exit to Ellie and the remainder of John’s household, associates, and colleagues. pic.twitter.com/unuTpfYojP
—@WLAShamrocks
“He had a giant head, so we needed to particular order a hat. However he took that hat world wide,” mentioned Hartshorne. “This was Premier John J. Horgan supporting the Victoria Shamrocks. He did it with delight, and he did it with function.”
Michelle Collens, director of vacation spot occasions and tourism for the Metropolis of Vancouver, mentioned Horgan’s perception in sport as a automobile to convey folks collectively — particularly within the post-pandemic world — was evident in his help of the 2025 Invictus Video games, the boys’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, and this weekend’s Gray Cup in Vancouver.
I am extremely grateful for the management of John Horgan and his ardour for sport to attach with group. This week as we put together to host the Gray Cup, it is John’s legacy that gave the nod, so I am going to proudly put on my orange and cheers to an incredible workforce BC champion 🧡Thankyou🕊️ pic.twitter.com/zQQ09MzXKV
—@collens
“He was the primary individual to place up his hand to say, ‘You go win that bid, and I will be the primary ticket purchaser to make the Gray Cup occur,'” she mentioned.
“The Invictus Video games, immediately when it was pitched to him, he simply mentioned, in fact, we need to try this for our heroes and our servicemen and girls. John actually seemed ahead to the chance, to seeing that sport could be that equalizer, that chance to attach folks once more,” mentioned Collens.
Premier John Horgan takes a shot on web throughout a promotional occasion for the Canadian junior males’s hockey workforce in Victoria, B.C., Dec. 11, 2018. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)
As of Nov. 15, no date had but been introduced for Horgan’s memorial service.
A e book of condolences has been arrange on-line and within the Corridor of Honour on the Parliament Buildings in Victoria, the place the general public is invited to share messages and recollections.
