Victoria-area MLA and Children and Family Development Minister Grace Lore has announced she will be stepping down to undergo cancer treatment, CBC News has learned.
In a statement, Lore said she had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer late last month.
“This diagnosis was very sudden, and I am working with medical professionals to address this head-on right away,” she said. “By stepping back, I will be able to focus solely on my treatment and recovery, so I can get back to doing this work as soon as possible.”
Premier David Eby says Jodie Wickens will fill in as Minister of Children and Family Development on a temporary basis.
Lore was first elected MLA in 2020. She was appointed minister of state for child care in 2022, and in January of this year, she took over the Children and Family Development portfolio.
In 2021, she reduced her workload to care for her young son, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Before being elected, Lore was a political science professor at the University of Victoria.
Lore and her husband, Rob, have two children, Asher and Eve.
More to come.