B.C. cabinet minister resigns

Premier John Horgan is having to make some changes to his cabinet after Melanie Mark resigned as Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.

Horgan said Mark is leaving the post to go on medical leave to focus on “pressing and urgent personal matters.”

The premier has appointed Citizens Services Minister Lisa Beare to take over Mark’s former portfolio.

Elected in 2016, Mark is the first First Nations woman member of the legislative assembly (MLA) in British Columbia’s history, representing the riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

Mark is Nisga’a, Gitxsan, Cree and Ojibway. She was born and raised in East Vancouver and has deep roots in northern B.C. and Manitoba.