WATCH ABOVE: MLA Manmeet Bhullar was killed in a car crash after stopping to help a fellow motorist on the QEII. Shallima Maharaj has more on the condolences pouring in for the well-respected politician, who was only 35 years old.
EDMONTON — Condolences began pouring in Monday night after Alberta PC MLA Manmeet Bhullar was killed in a highway crash earlier in the day.
His family released a statement Monday night, saying Bhullar left them doing something he loved – helping someone else.
“The light in our lives went dark today. Manmeet Singh left us while he was doing what he loved more than anything – helping someone else. We know he would want us to be thankful for the countless blessings he was given by God. Just as his faith, wife, family, friends, and community gave him strength, it will give us strength now. We thank you for your support during this difficult time and ask for privacy,” the statement read.
“He demanded excellence of himself and those around him. We are all better because of him.”
The family finished the statement with the hashtag #nicetomanmeetyou.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi posted a statement online saying he is “utterly gutted” to hear of Bhullar’s death.
Nenshi called Bhullar a “true warrior for fairness and justice, a big man with a giant heart, a friend.”
“Manmeet’s accomplishments are well-known. He was a powerful community advocate from a young age and first elected to the Alberta legislature at 28. He was brave and unrelenting in his role, particularly when it came to forcefully advocating for children in care – the least powerful people in our society,” Nenshi wrote.
“I will miss him so much. We all will,” he continued. “And all of us are reaching out to his family and friends now. We will be there for you now the way he was always there for us.”
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson took to Twitter to offer his condolences.
“Very sad news. Condolences to the Bhullar family and to Mr. Bhullar’s #ableg colleagues from all of us at City Hall.”
Duane Bratt, who taught Bhullar at Mount Royal University, said he was a big man with a huge heart.
“I think that was illustrated with the way that he died – sitting on the side of the road, in a blizzard, trying to help somebody.”
The interim leader of the PC Party also issued a statement Monday night, saying Bhullar’s “passion and dedication will live on in our hearts.”
“We will greatly miss him. To Manmeet’s family: many of our colleagues are dear friends of Manmeet and his family, and it breaks our hearts to know we have lost such a great soul. Manmeet accomplished more in his brief time than most people accomplish in their lifetimes,” Ric McIver said.
“Manmeet was much-loved as a husband to Namrita and a dear friend, not just to his colleagues but also to anyone who came to know him,” McIver said. “He was well-known for his humanitarian work at home and abroad, most recently advocating tirelessly on behalf of Sikh and Hindu Afghan refugees.”
Premier Rachel Notley said all Albertans should be proud of the significant contributions Bhullar made to public life.
“We have lost our colleague, Calgary-Greenway has lost a friend and effective voice in the legislature, and most of all, we have all lost a passionate advocate for Alberta,” Notley said in a statement. “Mr. Bhullar worked tirelessly in service of this province.”
Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said the absence of Bhullar will be felt right across Alberta.
“Words cannot express the incredible sadness we all feel over the sudden and tragic loss of our dear colleague,” Jean said in a statement Monday night.
“On behalf of the Wildrose, our deepest thoughts and prayers are with Manmeet, and with his beautiful wife, his parents, and his entire family. We hope that comfort beyond understanding will surround them during this incredibly difficult time.”
The hashtag #nicetomanmeetyou quickly began trending online, and was included in over 1700 tweets. By Tuesday morning it was the top hashtag in Edmonton.
Hundreds of people, including fellow politicians, took to Twitter to offer their condolences.
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Here is a last recorded speech Manmeet Singh gave just hours before the fatal collision, via glabalnews.ca
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Editor's note: The Sikh community has created a petition on change.org calling the province of Alberta to have a school in Calgary named after Manmeet Singh Bhullar saying, "He is most deserving of this tribute."