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Mark McLane is being remembered for his humour and his leadership.
The health minister and Progressive Conservative MLA for Cornwall-Meadowbank died Tuesday at 56 after a serious illness.
Mermaid-Stratford PC MLA Jenn Redmond worked closely with McLane and remembers him as a great colleague and friend.
“Certainly, our hearts are broken,” she said Wednesday. “We knew Mark wasn’t well, but we certainly thought we had more time with him. And so shock, a little surreal, devastated — all those feelings were there.”
Redmond described McLane as supportive, someone who always knew when a funny story was in need, and with a “fierce desire” to help his constituents.
“He was a passionate family man,” she said. “He was a great friend. And so we’ll hold on to those memories.”
In a new release late Tuesday, Premier Rob Lantz said McLane “never stopped until the job was done.”
“He always showed up; whether it was for his community, for his colleagues, for his friends — and most importantly for his family,” the statement reads.
“Whether you met Mark once, worked with him every day, or were having a sociable with him around a kitchen table, or if you were unlucky enough to square up to take a faceoff against him on the ice — you walked away with the same feeling: you always wanted him on your side.”
Lantz said McLane, even in difficult situations, was able to find “common ground with anyone he dealt with,” and brought empathy and a steady presence that made people feel supported.
“Mark approached every challenge with humility and optimism, reminding those around him that collaboration and kindness could overcome even the toughest moments or the most challenging tasks,” he said in the statement.
“Mark’s contributions to our province will be felt well into the future. We honour his service, we remember his leadership, and we are profoundly grateful for his dedication to the people of Prince Edward Island.”
‘A lot of heavy hearts’
Sydney Gallant, the president of the P.E.I. Progressive Conservative Party, called it “a very sad day for the PC Party family and for all Islanders.”
She said she was shocked to learn of McLane’s passing.
“Our hearts go out, particularly to his wife and his daughters and his whole family,” she said.
“Mark impacted a lot of people in a positive way, so our hearts go out to all those people, as well…. I think there’s a lot of heavy hearts in P.E.I. today.”
Gallant said she got to know McLane when he first ran for political office in the Cornwall-Meadowbank byelection in 2021.
Since then they had grown close, with Gallant describing him as kind and funny.
“He always finds a way to lighten the mood and was always the first one to step up when help was needed,” she said. “We’ll really miss him in the party.”
In a joint statement from Health P.E.I. and its board of directors, interim CEO Laurae Kloschinsky described McLane as thoughtful and compassionate, and said he was dedicated to improving health care for Islanders.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues,” the statement reads. “Mark McLane will be profoundly missed and his impact on Island health care will continue for years to come.”
Progressive Conservative MLA and cabinet minister Mark McLane has died Tuesday. In a statement, P.E.I.’s premier remembered him as a great Islander, a great husband and father, and a great friend.
Redmond recalled that McLane would often lighten the mood with a joke or anecdote during sometimes tense meetings, leading to contagious laughter in the room.
“What I would say about Mark is that he did stand with us,” she said. “I hope he felt like we stood with him every step of the way.”
Gallant recalled McLane’s first day campaigning in the 2021 byelection. He wanted the first door that he knocked on in Cornwall to be the home of his late mother.
“I think we all felt something that day because it just showed the Mark that we all grew to know and love, and that is that he cared so much about his family and he wanted to give back to the community that had given him a lot,” Gallant said.
“That moment of wanting to make that his first stop and to set the intention for the campaign really, I think, just spoke volumes about the person that he was.”
Redmond said she had an opportunity to sit with McLane at his home on Friday.
Even then, she said, McLane was quick with a joke. While she was helping his family, Redmond heard McLane say, “There’s a lot of muscle here, you must be the brains of the operation,” to which she responded enthusiastically, “You’re right!”
Redmond sat with McLane to “just shoot the breeze, not talk work, not talk shop.”
With the provincial legislature reconvening next week, Redmond said it’s going to be difficult to see McLane’s empty seat.
“How do you put somebody near his seat or in his seat?” she said. “I think that that’s going to be a really hard, hard week.”
Redmond said stories about McLane have been shared since his death, showing that his life “touched the Island.”
“We actually see the scope of what he’s done and impacted,” she said. “It’s the things he’s done as a human being and being involved in sport and community and helping seniors.…
“We’re very, very proud to have known Mark.”
Books of condolences will be available to the public to share sympathies and honour McLane:
- Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island (George Coles Building), 175 Richmond St., Charlottetown, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Shaw Building, 95 Rochford St. (south entrance), Charlottetown, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Cornwall Town Hall, 15 Mercedes Dr., Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- A digital book of condolences is also available.
