The chief of the Okanagan Indian Band says Jim Prentice was committed to making a difference.
Prentice, a former Indian affairs minister, died Thursday in a plane crash in Lake Country.
"I for one thought quite highly of Jim Prentice. He was one of the most competent leaders," said Byron Louis, OKIB chief.
"As an elected official and cabinet minister, he know the files of his ministry and always spoke from a position of knowledge and honesty.
Louis admits Prentice had some critics.
"Prentice's honesty wasn't always appreciated by those who wanted to hear otherwise and afterword criticized him for not telling them what they really wanted to hear. This fact is sadly missing in today's politics," he said.
"He was a good man and a good leader and wouldn't be easily replaced in the near future."