VICTORIA — Ambassador to Germany and former British Columbia premier John Horgan has died at the age of 65, after his third bout with cancer.
Horgan served as B.C.’s New Democrat premier for five years before stepping down in 2022, then was appointed ambassador last year.
But in June, Horgan announced he was on leave after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and a government source has confirmed his death.
Horgan, who served five terms as a member of the provincial legislature, resigned his suburban Victoria seat in March 2023, citing health reasons after he received more than 30 radiation treatments to battle throat cancer.
His family, in a statement released late Tuesday morning, said Horgan passed away peacefully at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
“The wellbeing of British Columbia and everone in it was everything to him. He was surrounded by family, friends, and love in his final days.”
The family, including his wife Ellie and their two sons, are asking for privacy at this time.
Horgan’s retirement from political life didn’t last long as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named him Canada’s ambassador to Germany in November 2023.
Political scientist Hamish Telford, who teaches at the University of the Fraser Valley says Horgan accomplished a rarity in politics: he left office more popular than when he was first elected.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 12, 2025.
