Dave Barrett, who formed the first New Democratic provincial government in B.C. and was a mainstay in the legislature for more than two decades, passed away on Friday. He was 87.
Barrett, who represented Coquitlam for the majority of his time in Victoria and also spent some time as a federal member of Parliament, had been struggling with Alzheimer's disease, according to a statement from his family.
Port Coquitlam NDP MLA Mike Farnworth said Barrett left a lasting legacy on the province, highlighting such achievements as establishing a province-wide ambulance service, the Agricultural Land Reserve and the first guaranteed income program for seniors in the country.
"He was absolutely a remarkable individual," said Farnworth, who first met Barrett in the late 1970s. "He was a giant of a person in politics in British Columbia."
Barrett was first elected as an MLA for the Dewdney riding, which consisted of Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission in 1960, before becoming MLA for Coquitlam in 1966. He was still the Tri-Cities' representative when he became B.C.'s opposition leader in 1969 and was sworn in as the province's 26th premier in 1972.
"He lived up on Mary Hill," said Farnworth, noting that many people mistakenly associated Barrett with east Vancouver. "He was very much our local MLA… He is not Vancouver's premier. He was Port Coquitlam's premier."
Barrett's battles were legendary. In 1972 while still in opposition, after he defied the speaker of the legislature by asking the same question 67 times, he was barred from the legislature for five days. He had been concerned about a woman who had been poorly served by a private insurer after her husband died and wanted to know what the government intended to do about it.
"He cared deeply about his province and devoted much of his life to trying to make it a better and fairer place to live," the family said in a statement. "His love of the province was surpassed only by his devotion to his family. He will be sorely missed."
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@gmckennaTC
-with files from the Victoria Times-Colonist
