UPDATE: Flags lowered to half-mast for former Kamloops councillor Marg Spina

KAMLOOPS – Former Kamloops city councillor Marg Spina has died after a year-long battle with cancer.

The veteran city councillor took an extended medical leave in December of 2016 to deal with breast cancer she called “incurable” at the time.

In a Facebook post shared by Coun. Arjun Singh, Spina’s daughter Christina Maria says her mom died at 4 a.m. today, Dec. 15, surrounded by family at a hospice in Kamloops.

Her family thanked the staff at Royal Inland Hospital and Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Hospice House for their care and support.

Singh called Spina a "dynamic trailblazer" who worked on the behalf of many, and added he would miss his former colleague dearly.

Kamloops mayor Ken Christian released a statement saying he was saddened to hear of Spina's passing, calling her service to the city continuous.

"From consumer affairs to the Food Bank, she advocated strongly for those in our city who were less fortunate," Christian said in the statement.

He says Spina always represented seniors, people with disabilities and those less fortunate.

"Marg made a difference," he said.

Christian asked that flags at all civic buildings be lowered to half-mast at noon today for 48 hours.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is also mourning the loss of Spina, the district's former board director, saying in a statement she served on the board from 2011 until her resignation from Kamloops city council this year.

"Marg was an enthusiastic participant in board discussions and on the various committees on which she served," the release states. "Marg will be sadly missed by all."

Earlier this year, Spina was honoured for her time in politics, after stepping down from city council. 

— This story was updated at 2:27 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, to include a statement from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

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