Tickets required to attend memorial service for former premier John Horgan

British Columbians looking to pay their respects to former premier John Horgan on Sunday will need to reserve tickets, according to the province.

Horgan died last month at the age of 65, after a third battle with cancer.

The memorial service, scheduled for Dec. 15, will be held at the Q Centre in Colwood, B.C., just outside Victoria.

In a media release, the province said anyone wanting to attend the service must reserve tickets. While there is no charge, only two tickets can be reserved per person.

You can reserve your tickets here or by calling the Office of Protocol at 250-387-1616. Tickets won't be available upon arrival.

The public is being asked to arrive at about 11:30 a.m. PT. Doors will open at 11:45 a.m., and the service will begin at 1 p.m.

Born in Victoria, Horgan was raised by his single mother following the death of his father when Horgan was just an infant.

He was first elected to the B.C. Legislature in 2005 and became leader of the NDP in 2014. He became B.C.'s premier in 2017, holding the province's top job until 2022, when he announced he would be stepping down. He cited his health and lack of energy as the primary reason.

Among his most significant achievements during his time as B.C.'s leader was the passing of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) — making B.C. the first province in Canada to enshrine the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) into law.

He also helped British Columbia through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following Horgan's death, his friends and colleagues praised his dedication to public service and recalled his love of a good dad joke.