After attending a scheduled check-up with his doctor in mid-September, Watts was admitted to hospital, a senior government official confirmed to The Guardian.
He was later transported to a hospital in Saint John, N.B., for treatment. It was determined he’d had a mild heart attack.
The government official says Watts is recovering and is expected to be well enough to return to his duties as Speaker when the legislature resumes on Nov. 14.
Watts is 72 years old and has been serving as Speaker of the P.E.I. legislature since 2015. He won the position in a rare election by the members of the legislative assembly, in which three other Liberal MLAs challenged him, including Kathleen Casey, Bush Dumville and Janice Sherry, who has since resigned from office.
Casey, who has been serving as deputy Speaker, will take over as Speaker until Watts returns to work at the legislature. He has been serving as a Liberal MLA since 2007.
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