Former B.C. premier and man with autism form enduring friendship
When Kody Bell went to get a Boston cream donut and a large milk at Tim Hortons all those years ago, he never expected to meet his newly elected MLA.
“I walked up to him and I said, ‘You’re John Horgan,’” Kody says.
“He said, ‘You got 12,642 votes. You beat the other candidate by x-number of votes,’” John recalls meeting Kody.
“And he was impressed about that,” says Kody, who has a developmental disability and is on the autism spectrum.
“I hadn’t committed that [exact number] to memory,” John says. “But Kody had.”
When Kody wondered about visiting the B.C. legislature buildings, John offered a personal tour.
“He was absolutely unvarnished,” John says of Kody. “And I liked that.”
“I got to sit in the speaker’s chair,” Kody says of the first of many visits to the legislature. “It was pretty neat.”
It led Kody to start volunteering at John’s constituency office, where he did everything from helping pick Christmas card art to being the voice on the answering machine.
“He’s not a partisan,” John says. “But he knows who he likes and who he doesn’t like.”
And Kody likes John.
“He’s a down-to-earth person,” Kody says.
John couldn’t help but like Kody.
“I chose to be friends with Kody early on,” John says. “Because of his genuineness.”
Beyond politics, they’re pals who regularly hang out together.
“[It’s] John and Kody’s excellent adventure,” John smiles from behind the wheel after picking Kody up for a drive and a visit.
“We have fun together,” Kody adds.
John will tell jokes and enquire about Kody’s family. Kody will express his infectious curiosity and genuine caring.
“Kody’s taken me to places that have made me cry, have made me laugh,” John says. “And made me reflect on what we can all do as a society, as a community, to lift each other up.”
They make a stop at the drive-through of the Tim Hortons where they first met. John orders a coffee. Kody requests a chocolate chunk cookie and two small milks.
They reflect on the day Kody was invited to attend the ceremony at Government House when John was sworn in as premier.
Following the ceremony, Kody was wandering around and happened to find the room where the cabinet was posing for the official photograph with the lieutenant governor.
“I went around and I didn’t think anyone would see me,” Kody recalls with a smile.
“You were at the side of the door,” John beams, imitating how Kody’s head peered into the room. “I’ll never forget that.”
John says he waved Kody into the room and invited him to sit where the lieutenant governor had just left.
Kody shows me the photo of him in the centre of the front row, surrounded by politicians.
“The unofficial photograph is Kody Bell right in the heart of it,” John smiles. “And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
And now that John has stepped down as premier and is preparing to leave the sometimes cynical and divisive world of politics, this optimistic friendship remains.
“His dearly departed mom used to always thank me and I would say thank you for letting Kody into my heart and letting me experience the wonder that he experiences the world with,” John smiles. “Everybody should see the world that way.”
It's a reminder of the unexpected gifts that come when we allow our differences to unite us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Getting the lowest mortgage rates in a high interest rate world
The challenges facing home buyers mean it's all the more important to do research and negotiate on rates, mortgage experts say, though they also caution that there's more to focus on than just what looks like the cheapest upfront option.