CBC News reports the tragic accident of Calgary MLA Manmeet Bhullar. Bhullar, 35, the Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary-Greenway, was killed Monday by an out-of-control semi-trailer on the highway between Edmonton and Calgary after he pulled over to help a motorist who had lost control on the snowy road.
Manmeet Bhullar’s colleagues, friends and family in Calgary are remembering him fondly for the sincerity he brought to public service throughout his relatively short yet accomplished life.
A loss for Alberta politics
“It’s devastating for everyone who knew Manmeet and knew what he did and his sense of spirituality and public service and what a fine person he was,” said former premier Jim Prentice.
“You really could not go anywhere in Alberta without being struck by the sense of admiration and affection and love that people in this province had for Manmeet as a political leader. This was a man who was in politics for all of the right reasons.”
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi expressed a similar sentiment about Bhullar’s final moments, saying pulling over to help a stranger is “exactly” fitting with his character.
“It’s a horrible thing to say, but it’s almost appropriate in that, if he was going to go, that he went helping somebody,” Nenshi said.
Premier ‘deeply saddened’
Premier Rachel Notley told reporters by teleconference from Ottawa Tuesday that she was “deeply saddened” by the news of Bhullar’s death.
She recognized Bhullar, in particular, for his work as minister of Human Services, when he led a shift toward greater transparency in reporting publicly on the deaths of children in provincial care.
“Whether in government or in opposition, Manmeet was always successful and very authentic, very committed and very capable,” she said.
“With his energy, youth and passion, I quite frankly suspected to see Manmeet in public life for decades to come. And I believe all Albertans are poorer for the fact we will not.”
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/manmeet-bhullar-remembered-prentice-fawcett-nenshi-1.3334178
Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Edmonton and Area Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Network.
A tragic day for Alberta. Mr. Bhullar was someone who cared deeply about this province. That horrible, horrible road has claimed the life of yet another victim.