FILE PHOTO - Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
September 01, 2016 - 10:08 AM
KAMLOOPS - After two terms in office, Kamloops-North ThompsonMLA Terry Lake has announced he will not run for a third.
The local MLA and current provincial health minister has decided to step back from politics after serving at the provincial and municipal level for more than a decade.
In an interview on CHNL radio in Kamloops this morning, Lake said at 59 years of age it's time for a change and new challenges.
“I’ve decided not to seek reelection,” he said. “It was an extremely difficult decision.”
While he isn’t sure what he’ll pursue next, Lake the option of returning to his position as faculty at Thompson Rivers University, where his wife works.
“It’s only one of the options to consider,” he said.
However, he does plan on staying in Kamloops for now.
Premier Chirsty Clark called Lake an invaluable member of her team and champion of Kamloops with "laser focus" and strong work ethic.
"On behalf of all Terry's colleagues, I want to thank Lisa and their three beautiful daughters for sharing him, and wish the Lake family all the best in the next phase of their lives," Clark says in a media release.
Lake was first elected to Kamloops city council in 2002. He went on to become mayor from 2005 to 2008 before being elected to his first term as MLA in 2009. At the provincial level he served as the Minister of Environment for two years before his current role as Minister of Health, which he has held for three years.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Brendan Kergin or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016