Premier McLeod on the passing of Jim Prentice

Ministers' Statements and Speeches

YELLOWKNIFE (October 14, 2016) – Premier Bob McLeod has issued the following statement on the tragic passing of former Alberta Premier and Member of Parliament Jim Prentice:

"I am shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Jim Prentice. Mr. Prentice was dedicated to making this country a better place for everyone, and spent much of his life working for Canadians in both the federal and provincial political spheres.  He was a good friend of the Northwest Territories and vacationed here at every opportunity.

"From our earliest years, Jim and I shared a common love for the game of hockey. When his promising hockey career was cut short due to injury, a loss to hockey became a gain for Canadian politics.

"From the age of 20, Jim found himself drawn to politics, and it was those early days that helped shape work ethic. He worked behind the scenes in provincial politics in Alberta for many years, helping to pave the way for his eventual election to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Calgary Southwest in 2004, and in 2006 when he became a cabinet minister, holding the portfolios of Indian and Northern Affairs, Industry, and the Environment over the course of his time in Ottawa.

"As Premier of Alberta, he believed in a collaborative relationship between our two jurisdictions and worked to set a path forward to strengthen our economic and cultural links. His collaborative approach to our longstanding relationship can found in our March 2015 meeting to sign the Mackenzie River Basin Bilateral Management Agreement, a co-management agreement on water.

"Mr. Prentice always showed a willingness to work with First Nations to further understand and advance the issues that were important to them, and understood the need to balance resource development with environmental responsibility.

"I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to his wife Karen, his three children and two grandchildren, and friends during this difficult time."

Media Inquiries:

Andrew Livingstone
Senior Cabinet Communications Advisor
Department of the Executive                                                                                         
Government of the Northwest Territories
Box 1320 Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9                                                                                             
Tel: (867) 767-9140 ext. 11091
Cell: (867) 447-0443
Fax: (867) 873-0169
Email: andrew_livingstone@gov.nt.ca
Web: www.gov.nt.ca