Tributes from the political world in B.C. are pouring in for a former Burnaby MLA.
On Monday, the province announced that former Burnaby-Willingdon B.C. Liberal MLA John Nuraney had died.
There were no other details about his death, but Premier Christy Clark issued a statement about the former politician.
“When I think of John Nuraney, one word comes to mind: gentleman,” she said in a statement. “No matter the interaction, John Nuraney dealt with people in a way that made them feel important and honoured. He was a man who epitomized traits we don’t often hear used anymore: class, grace and principled.”
Clark went on to say: “That spirit was a testament to who he was and was determined to always be. After having his business and assets seized by Mobutu Sese Seko’s corrupt government in Zaire, John saw a better life for his family halfway around the world and seized the opportunity. British Columbia was lucky he chose us. John arrived here with nothing, but you can’t keep a man of his talent down. He was a tireless entrepreneur, philanthropist and champion of causes from the theatre to a school lunch program for hungry kids. John was more than just a colleague – he was a mentor and a friend. My thoughts are with the Ismaili community, who lost one of their most respected leaders, but especially with John’s family. Above all, John was a proud husband, dad and grandfather. Through them his legacy of compassion will continue.”
Nuraney was born in Kenya and moved to Canada in the mid-1970s.
He entered politics in 1996 running for the Liberals in the old Burnaby-Willingdon riding before losing out to NDP’s Joan Sawicki.
In 2001, he won the riding by more than 5,000 votes, holding onto his seat until 2009 when he was defeated by the now-retiring NDP MLA Cathy Corrigan in the new Burnaby-Deer Lake riding.
