Family, friends and former political colleagues are mourning the sudden death of former Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Patty Sahota.
Sahota, 54, had been visiting her parents in Merritt, B.C. from her Langley home when she passed suddenly on Monday, according to her sisters.
"We're just in disbelief," Nunden Sahota told the NOW in a phone call Thursday.
Sahota was elected to the legislature in May 2001, when the BC Liberals under Gordon Campbell swept all three Burnaby ridings and left the ruling New Democrats with only three of the province's 79 seats.
In February 2005 she was appointed Minister of State for Resort Development but did not win re-election that May.
At the time of her death, Sahota was vice-president of public relations for Flavelle OceanFront Development.
She had been active for years on the boards of the Westminster Savings Credit Union (now Prospera) and Simon Fraser University, according to her sisters.
Sahota, who grew up in Merritt, is survived by her parents and three sisters.
Former fellow BC Liberal MLA and cabinet minister Kevin Falcon said he was "deeply saddened" to learn of Sahota’s death.
"I enjoyed serving with Patty while she proudly represented #Burnaby in the @BCLegislature from 2001 to 2005," Falcon said in a post on X/Twitter. "I will miss her sunny optimism and perpetual smile. My thoughts are with her family and friends in this difficult time."
Deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of former BC Liberal MLA Patty Sahota. I enjoyed serving with Patty while she proudly represented #Burnaby in the @BCLegislature from 2001 to 2005. I will miss her sunny optimism and perpetual smile. My thoughts are with her family…
— Kevin Falcon (@KevinFalcon) February 14, 2024
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
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