Former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed is reportedly seriously ill in the hospital that bears his name.

84-year-old Lougheed was recently named “Canada’s Greatest Premier” in June.

He was also outspoken in favour of current Premier Alison Redford in the recent election, a move that many say turned the tide for the PC party.

There is no information on the nature of the illness but his family is asking for privacy and released a statement on Tuesday.

              

Peter Lougheed and his family are very thankful for all of your kindness and prayers at this time. We are grateful to the media and the public for respecting our privacy.

We will issue a statement when circumstances warrant.

The office of current Premier Redford also issued a statement:

             

Premier Redford considers Peter Lougheed a mentor and a dear friend. She continues to be inspired by his leadership.

The former Premier’s loved ones are requesting privacy and we hope these wishes will be respected. Our thoughts are with the Lougheed family today.

We'll have more details on CTV News starting at 5.