Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi reacts to the loss of a political giant

It was supposed to be a celebratory moment for Calgary’s mayor, marking the opening of a brand new park, but instead he opened it with a moment of silence for the loss of his friend Jim Prentice.

The former Alberta Premier and Member of Parliament was killed when the private plane he was on crashed outside of Kelowna, B.C.

“We were all devastated to learn of the passing of an extraordinary public servant, former Premier Jim Prentice,” he told the crowd. “It would be appropriate for us, as we’re celebrating community today, to remember his legacy and the way he built community, he was an inspiration to all of us.”

Nenshi says he was shocked and devastated to hear the news Friday morning.

“I’ve admired him for a long time, he was one of my very first meetings when I became mayor. He was the Minister in charge of the Calgary region and he made sure to come see me in those first few days,” he reflected.

Calgary’s Mayor fondly remembered about how he questioned Prentice on his move to return to provincial politics.

“He just spoke to me very plainly and very clearly about the love that he has for this place and for this community. Every now and then with politics I get to work with people, regardless of their political stripe, who just want to do good, who just want to do good for their community and he was absolutely one of those people.”

Nenshi says Prentice also meant a lot to the indigenous and multi-cultural communities.

More of the mayor’s reflections can be found on the Periscope feed below.

Nenshi also wrote out this statement earlier in the day:

“This morning, I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn that former Alberta Premier, Jim Prentice, was amongst four people killed in a plane crash in southern BC. The loss of all of these lives is devastating.

“Jim came to see me when I became mayor (one of my very first meetings, in fact), and he helped me navigate those tough first few weeks. Even after he left federal politics, he was an important part of this city and always ready to help however he could.

“I remember getting a call while I was at a function at Heritage Park. I snuck into an employees-only hallway to have a long chat with this man I had long admired. He told me he was thinking of running for leader of the PC party and for Premier. I think I asked him: “why in the world would you want to do that? You’ve got a great career and a wonderful family, and you’ve given so much to the community already.” He replied in a way that clearly and plainly spoke of his love for this province and his hopes for the future.

“In politics, I get to work with people from all political stripes who are filled with a desire to do good no matter what. I also get to work with people who are thoughtful, respectful, and driven by a need improve this community we all share. Jim was all of these things, and so much more. He is an inspiration to all of us who aspire to public service.

“It wasn’t even a year ago that we lost Manmeet Bhullar, but I’d like to share one of his stories. When the Sikh community was struggling to set itself up in Calgary and trying to build the first gurdwara in this city, they faced a lot of opposition from a community that didn’t know much about their faith. They were represented by an idealistic young lawyer who fought for respect, acceptance, and diversity. That lawyer was named Jim Prentice.

“All of our thoughts and prayers are with Karen, their daughters, and their families. Thank you for sharing Jim with all of us. I also want to extend sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives with Jim. This is a devastating loss for everyone.”