Former Alberta Premier Jim Prentice killed in plane crash near Kelowna

Remembering Jim Prentice Chris Epp recaps the legacy of the former Premier of Alberta and Member of Parliament who passed away in a plane crash.

Former federal cabinet minister and Alberta premier Jim Prentice was one of four people who died in a BC plane crash on Thursday night.

Surrey Air Traffic Control called RCMP at about 10:07 p.m. after they lost contact with a Citation jet shortly after it took off from the Kelowna Airport.

The wreckage was located north of Kelowna, east of Wood Lake, around midnight.

“Several resources were immediately dispatched to the jet’s last known location,” said Corporal Dan Moskaluk, spokesperson for the RCMP in Southeast District. “RCMP investigators located the crash site approximately 4 km into a heavily wooded area north of Beaver Lake Road east of Lake Country.”

The TSB says the aircraft disappeared off of radar and that there were no emergency calls or signals.

Officials say the site is consistend with high impact from a vertical descent and that all four people on board were killed in the crash.

"It was during climb out from Kelowna that something went wrong obviously to cause the aircraft to descend and collide with terrain," Yearwood told CTV Morning Live. "We are organizing a team to deploy to the accident site,"

“Our police officers and police dog reached the crash scene shortly after midnight, but unfortunately they were not able to locate any survivors,” said Moskaluk, “There was catastrophic damage at the crash site.”

Prentice held a number of portfolios in Harper's cabinet and he also ran for the federal PC leadership in 2003.

He was sworn in as Alberta's 16th premier in September 2014 and joined a Washington, D.C. think tank after losing the 2015 Alberta election to the NDP.

Prentice’s family released a statement about his passing and said that Ken Gellatly, the father-in law of one of Prentice’s daughters, was also killed in the crash.

“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.”

The plane crash also claimed the lives of Sheldon Reid and pilot Jim Kruk. Friends of Kruk confirm the pilot was a friend of Prentice's and the pair  would travel to British Columbia to golf.

The Reid family remembers Shedon as 'a man of incredible generosity' who will be 'fondly remembered for his smile, his laugh and the depth of his care and compassion for those he loved'.

The tragic news spread quickly across the country and politicians and Canadians are mourning Prentice's death.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Medicine Hat when the news broke and says he was shocked and saddened to learn of Prentice’s death.

“Jim was a man who brought his deep convictions to everything he turned his hand to, whether it was law, business, or politics. At each step of his career, Jim was a strong voice for the people of Alberta and for the people of Canada. He was highly respected and well-liked in the House of Commons, across all party lines, because he brought an intelligent, honest and straight forward approach to everything he did. I greatly enjoyed my interactions with Jim, the time I spent working beside him, across from him in the house and while we didn’t always share the same views, he was always incredibly kind and respectful to me and I will miss him profoundly,” said Trudeau.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said in a statement that she spoke to Prentice’s wife, Karen, as well as PC Leader Ric McIver and said “There are no words adequate for moments like this, as my family knows very well.”

Notley’s father, Grant, died in a plane crash while on his way home from Edmonton in 1984.

“Today our thoughts are with his family. With Karen and their daughters Christina, Cassia and Kate. And with two grandchildren who will have much to be proud of in their grandfather,” said Notley. “There are words to remember Premier Prentice’s contributions to Alberta. He served our province in so many roles for so many years. He deeply loved Alberta. He worked tirelessly for all of us, in the true spirit of one who is committed to public service. I benefited from his advice, and the Government of Alberta is continuing to pursue many of his initiatives. All Albertans are the better for this.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi wrote about Prentice on his blog saying he was thoughtful, respectful, and an inspiration to those in public service.

“All of our thoughts and prayers are with Karen, their daughters, and their families. Thank you for sharing Jim with all of us. I also want to extend sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives with Jim. This is a devastating loss for everyone,” said Nenshi.

Tsuut’ina First Nation Chief Roy Whitney thanked Prentice for his work with First Nations people.

“On behalf of the entire Tsuut’ina Nation, I offer prayers and our expressions of love and support to the family of our former Premier, Jim Prentice.  Jim leaves a rich legacy of public service and loyal representation federally and provincially.  However, of special note was his genuine commitment to, and work on behalf of First Nations people in Canada.  Jim brought his remarkable work-ethic, intellect and passion to bear on matters critical to the improvement of quality of life for First Nations people.  Tsuut’ina mourns with other Albertans as we consider the immense contribution of his truly honourable man,” he said in a statement.

PC Interim Leader Ric McIver said he was 'heartbroken' and that Prentice was a friend and mentor.

"Jim was a friend and mentor to us all and his dedication to public service was an inspiration to everyone who had the honour of working with him. As the Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre-North, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Minister of Industry, Minister of Environment and as Alberta’s 16th Premier, he made significant contributions to his community on both the provincial and federal levels," he said in a statement. "Beyond this dedication and commitment to public service, Jim was a kind and generous man who always put his family first. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife Karen, their daughters and the entire Prentice family.”

Former Premier Alison Redford told CTV Calgary that she knew Prentice for almost 30 years and said he was very supportive of her career.

“I think that today when I first heard the news, the first thing I thought of was how sad it will be for his family and this is a family that has given their lives to public service. He certainly has and it’s a very sad day. He was, from everything I ever saw, and I think many people across the country would say, he was a wonderful husband, a wonderful father,” she said. “He was an entirely consistent person.”

Former politician and journalist Danielle Smith said Prentice’s death is a huge loss to those who valued his political contributions.

“I met him on a campaign that I worked on back in 1992 so Jim Prentice has been somebody I’ve kept on coming into contact with, year-over-year, always been incredibly impressed with his ability, his talent,” she said. “There are so many people who are going to be grieving for him today, people who are longtime friends and colleagues because he had a very loyal circle of people who have followed with him through each of his stages that he’s gone through in politics and I think that’s a credit to him as a person, it’s a credit to him as a manager, it’s a credit to him as a boss, that he had so many people wanting to see him succeed in public service.”

An online book on condolences has been set up on the province’s website. Click HERE for more information.