Former Alberta premier Jim Prentice has died in a plane crash. The Cessna Citation aircraft he was riding in went down shortly after 10pm Thursday leaving the Kelowna airport, with the crash site located just 10km away.
It was en route to Calgary and all four people were on board were killed. The B.C. Coroner’s office has not publicly named the deceased, however condolences have poured in from across the country.
Prentice, who was 60, leaves behind his wife Karen, three children, and two grandchildren.
His family issued the following statement;
“Words cannot begin to express our profound shock and heartbreak at the news that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Jim, has died in this tragic event.
In addition, another member of our family was also on the plane, Ken Gellatly, the father-in-law of one of our daughters, also a very special man.
To lose two family members at once is unbelievably painful and we are certain you will appreciate and respect our wishes for privacy at this time and the coming weeks.
We are also thinking of the other families who have been affected by this tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with them.
In the time Jim has been with us, he was a friend to many. Jim was a loving and compassionate man who dedicated his life to his family and public service. He will be so greatly missed.
We are certainly appreciative of your condolences and prayers at this terrible time.”
A sad day for us who knew @JimPrentice and our sincere thoughts and prayers go out for the Prentice family. Rest in Peace Jim. https://t.co/fQ65zesX9a
— Bob Zimmer MP (@bobzimmermp) October 14, 2016
Tragic news about @JimPrentice – thank you for everything you did for our party and country. Family and friends are in our thoughts #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/PlMLLuZREC
— Conservative Party (@CPC_HQ) October 14, 2016