Vancouver Island’s political elite are remembering former B.C. premier Dave Barrett as a “towering figure” who, armed with his trademark charisma and an indelible passion for social justice, shaped the province for generations.
Barrett, leader of the province’s first New Democrat government, died in Victoria at age 87. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was living in a Victoria care facility.
“His visionary leadership and unflinching commitment to the well-being of ordinary people around the province led to lasting change that shaped our province for the better,” Premier John Horgan said in a statement.
A former social worker from Vancouver, Barrett was elected to the B.C. legislature in 1960. He became known as a champion for the working class and was elected to the assembly eight times.
Barrett’s left-leaning New Democrats defeated the five-term Social Credit government of W.A.C. Bennett in 1972.
“Anyone who can slay the giant that was W.A.C. Bennett deserves legendary status,” said Colin Gabelmann, an MLA in Barrett’s caucus who went on to become attorney general when Mike Harcourt was premier.
Barrett was brimming with charisma and showmanship, Gabelmann said. “He could perform with the best of them and he knew how to reach his audience. He was a very effective campaigner.”
Barrett’s quick wit “masked the fact that underneath all that was a serious, passionate guy who cared about people and issues of injustice, whether it was in the prison system or poverty or the treatment of older people in long-term care facilities,” said Gabelmann, who now lives in Campbell River.
Despite just three years in government from 1972 to 1975, Barrett is credited with creating the Agricultural Land Reserve, the Insurance Corp. of B.C., providing affordable prescription drugs through pharmacare and creating a provincewide ambulance service.
Barrett was a “towering figure” who “shaped the province that we know today in a major way,” Gabelmann said.
Former NDP interim premier Dan Miller, who worked in the Barrett government, called him one of the greatest premiers in B.C. history.
“He brought B.C. into the modern era, and he left a lasting legacy.”
Miller said the B.C. Assessment Authority doesn’t get much attention now, but land assessment was a mess when Barrett’s government took over. His government created the authority and cleaned up the assessment system.
“There are all kinds of things that are relatively unheralded but have lasted a long time,” Miller said. “He was very innovative and just a hell of a good guy.”
Former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister George Abbott said Barrett “ran a bold and innovative government.”
The longevity of Barrett’s policy initiatives, Abbott said, speaks to the thought and creativity behind them.
“He was an extraordinarily pleasant guy. He loved to get along with people and worked hard at it. There aren’t many politicians who walk the face of the Earth who haven’t gotten into a scrape now and then, but what should be remembered is his great legacy.”
