The flags in front of Timmins’ City Hall have been lowered to fly at half-mast in honour Jim Prentice the South Porcupine-born former Premier of Alberta who died Thursday night in a small plane crash in British Columbia.
Prentice, 60, was also a former federal cabinet minister, quit politics last May after the Alberta NDP swept the Progressive Conservatives from power. Prentice was on board the small jet that went down Thursday night after taking off from the Kelowna airport.
The plane was en route to the Springbank airport, outside Calgary. The Transportation Safety Board says all four people on board died.
“The flag at Timmins City Hall flies at half-mast, in honour and memory of former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice,” said Timmins Mayor Steve Black.
“It has been confirmed that Prentice was among the four people who tragically lost their lives in a small plane crash in British Columbia on Thursday,” Mayor Black said. “Not only was Prentice a well-known politician, he was also a Timmins native – born in South Porcupine to a gold mining family.”
“We’d like to offer our sincere condolences to Jim’s wife Karen and the family,” said Mayor Steve Black. “Jim has been described by former Conservative Finance Minister Joe Oliver as a passionate and skilled public servant who got into politics for all the right reasons.
“Joe has been quoted saying Jim cared deeply about the people he served and he was always devoted to their best interests – someone whose integrity and good judgment you could always rely on. He will be sadly missed by many.”
Pursuant to the city’s flag policy and the Mayor’s request, the flag will remain at half-mast until sunset on the day of the funeral or commemorative service.
“Though I have never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Prentice, I have a tremendous amount of respect for the life he led and am proud that a resident of Timmins had such a profound role in public service and serving the people of our great country,” Mayor Black said.
Charlie Angus, Timmins-James Bay MP, who frequently participated in heated, but respectful debates with Prentice when he was a federal cabinet minister, said he had the greatest respect for Jim Prentice.
“Jim Prentice was a real class act,” Angus said. “We had some real intense debates, but Jim was always respectful.”
“Our families were both from Timmins and new each other," Angus said. “Maybe that is what drove the respect we had for each other, though we differed politically.”
Angus recalled one particular long, and exhausting exchange between him self and Jim Prentice.
“At the end of the session I went over to talk to Jim and see how he felt about the debate,” recalled Angus. “I guess it went all right, Jim said, my mother called and told me I am still her favourite MP and you are still her second favourite.”
The other thing that Angus recalled was that Prentice was a tough opponent as he was always well informed about the issues they were debating.
In an earlier in a statement, Angus offered his condolences to the family of Jim Prentice.
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Jim Prentice was born in south Porcupine, Ontario and was one of five children born to Eric and Wilma Prentice. His father, Eric, played briefly with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1943-44 season. His uncle Dean Prentice played 22 years in the NHL.
Jim Prentice was also a very good hockey player but a knee injury ended his hockey career.
His family moved to Grand Cache, Alberta when Jim was 13 years old.
For Jim Prentice’s complete biography click here
