Melanie Mark resigns from BC tourism minister role due to health reasons

Melanie Mark at BC Place Stadium during the announcement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities in June 2022. (Melanie Mark/Facebook)

Melanie Mark, one of the most prominent members of Premier John Horgan’s cabinet, has suddenly resigned from her role as the BC minister of tourism, arts, culture, and sport.

The announcement, due to unspecified health reasons, was made in a statement by Horgan this morning.

Although Mark has departed from her role as minister, she has retained her seat as the MLA for the riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

She was first elected in the riding in 2016, becoming the first First Nations woman elected as an MLA in BC. After the Fall 2020 election, she also became the first First Nations woman to serve in the cabinet of the provincial government, with her role as the head of tourism.

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“Today, Minister Melanie Mark advised me of her decision to resign her cabinet portfolio and go on medical leave to focus on pressing and urgent personal matters. While I regret that she will not be at the cabinet table, I respect her decision and her commitment to her constituents,” wrote Horgan.

On her Facebook, Mark wrote that “I value my role and remain committed to the constituents of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant. I thank my family and colleagues for their support at this time.” She did not provide any further details.

Lisa Beare has re-assumed the responsibility of tourism, arts, culture, and sport, effective immediately. Beare, who is the MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, was the tourism minister during Horgan’s first term, and she will retain her current portfolio of minister of citizens’ services.

In recent years, the provincial Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport has been tasked with reviving tourism from the pandemic’s effects, and most recently it put its $1 billion plan to redevelop the Royal bc Museum in downtown Victoria on hold due to the controversy surrounding the project. But it reversed its early position against co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Vancouver named as one of the host cities earlier this year.

Before the end of 2022, the provincial government is expected to make a decision on whether to support the First Nations-led bid to host the 2030 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Whistler, and Sun Peaks. Beare is expected to lead the deliberations on behalf of the provincial government.

As well, later this fall, Horgan will be resigning from his role as premier and the BC NDP’s party leader, following his battle with cancer earlier in the current term. The BC NDP’s decision on its new party leader this fall will effectively double as the selection of the next premier of the province. David Eby, the MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey, and up until recently, the BC attorney general and minister responsible for housing, is the frontrunner to replace Horgan.

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