He now has a lot of titles which include; Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition Leader, Leader of the Official Opposition, Member of the Legislative Assembly but for people in Sooke and the Juan de Fuca he is just plain old John Horgan.
Horgan is an affable man, a man of the people and a man with integrity, a sense of humour and common sense. He has worked his way up the political ladder to where he is now through hard work and dedication. While many may not agree with the party he represents few dislike the man himself. He shows up where he can and he gives of his time freely when he can.
After speaking with Horgan for almost two hours, (see page 15) he took the time to show me places of interest in the legislature. He now has a big corner office worthy of his position but his last office was a tiny cubicle, like most for MLAs.
If you have never been on a tour, consider going, it is well worth the visit and it is interesting to learn some of the history of the building and what goes on in the hallowed halls of our province’s seat of power.
Explanations of why certain things are symbolically done is fascinating. Much of the pomp and ceremony comes from the British side of things and has carried forward to our modern age.
One of the “interesting” places was the press gallery and their quarters. The room is full of desks, circa 1920, and there are still three phone booths in the room for those frantic calls of breaking news to editors. There are modern touches like computers but the rest is antiquated and reminds one of times long past. Again, a fascinating corner of the legislature. The library is a bastion of civility and the quiet corners offer a place for reflective thought.
The whole place is worth a visit, if just for the architecture, the history and the art.
Pirjo Raits, Editor
