List of premiers of British Columbia

The premier of British Columbia is the first minister for the Canadian province of British Columbia. The province was a British crown colony governed by the governors of British Columbia[1] before joining Canadian Confederation in 1871.[2] Since then, it has had a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the legislative assembly. The premier is British Columbia's head of government, and the King of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the lieutenant governor of British Columbia. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of British Columbia and presides over that body.[3]

John Horgan is the current premier of British Columbia.

Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every four years from the date of the last election. An election may also take place if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a no-confidence motion.[3]

Before 1903, British Columbia did not use a party system; instead, premiers of British Columbia had no official party affiliation and were chosen by elected members of the legislative assembly from among themselves. Candidates ran as "Government", "Opposition", "Independent", or in formulations such as "Opposition independent", indicating their respective positions to the incumbent regime.

British Columbia has had 35 individuals serve as premier since joining Confederation, of which 14 individuals had no party affiliation, three were Conservatives, eight were Liberals, four were Socreds, and six were New Democrats. The first premier was John Foster McCreight, who was inaugurated in 1871. Joseph Martin spent the shortest time in office, at 106 days. At over twenty years, W. A. C. Bennett spent the longest time in office, and is the only premier to serve in more than four parliaments. The incumbent premier is John Horgan, who was sworn in on July 18, 2017.

Premiers of British Columbia

  No party affiliation   British Columbia Conservative Party   British Columbia Liberal Party   British Columbia Social Credit Party   British Columbia New Democratic Party

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Term of office Electoral mandates (Assembly) Political party Riding Cabinet Ref.
1
John Foster McCreight
(1827–1913)		 14 November
1871		 23 December
1872
  • Title created (caretaker government)
  • 1871 election (1st Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Victoria City  
2
Amor De Cosmos
(1825–1897)		 23 December
1872		 11 February
1874
  • Appointment (1st Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Victoria  
3[lower-alpha 1]
(1 of 2)
George Anthony Walkem
(1834–1908)		 11 February
1874		 1 February
1876
  • Appointment (1st Parliament)
  • 1875 election (2nd Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Cariboo  
4
Andrew Charles Elliott
(1829–1889)		 1 February
1876		 25 June
1878
  • Appointment (2nd Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Victoria City  
5[lower-alpha 1]
(2 of 2)
George Anthony Walkem
(1834–1908)		 25 June
1878		 13 June
1882
  • 1878 election (3rd Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Cariboo  
6
Robert Beaven
(1836–1920)		 13 June
1882		 29 January
1883
  • 1882 election (4th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Victoria City  
7
William Smithe
(1842–1887)		 29 January
1883		 28 March
1887
  • Appointment (4th Parliament)
  • 1886 election (5th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Cowichan  
8
Alexander Edmund Batson Davie
(1847–1889)		 1 April
1887		 1 August
1889
  • Appointment (5th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Lillooet  
9
John Robson
(1824–1892)		 2 August
1889		 29 June
1892
  • Appointment (5th Parliament)
  • 1890 election (6th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for New Westminster
(1889–1890)
MLA for Cariboo[lower-alpha 2]
(1890–1892)		  
10
Theodore Davie
(1852–1898)		 2 July
1892		 4 March
1895
  • Appointment (6th Parliament)
  • 1894 election (7th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Cowichan-Alberni  
11
John Herbert Turner
(1834–1923)		 4 March
1895		 15 August
1898
  • Appointment (7th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Victoria City  
12
Charles Augustus Semlin
(1836–1927)		 15 August
1898		 28 February
1900
  • 1898 election (8th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Yale-West  
13
Joseph Martin
(1852–1923)		 28 February
1900		 15 June
1900
  • Appointment (8th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Vancouver City   [lower-alpha 3]
14
James Dunsmuir
(1851–1920)		 15 June
1900		 21 November
1902
  • 1900 election (9th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for South Nanaimo  
15
Edward Gawler Prior
(1853–1920)		 21 November
1902		 1 June
1903
  • Appointment (9th Parliament)
 Non-partisan MLA for Victoria City  
16
Richard McBride
(1870–1917)		 1 June
1903		 15 December
1915
  • Appointment (9th Parliament)
  • 1903 election (10th Parliament)
  • 1907 election (11th Parliament)
  • 1909 election (12th Parliament)
  • 1912 election (13th Parliament)
 Conservative
(Ldr. 1903)		 MLA for Westminster-Dewdney
(1903)
MLA for Dewdney
(1903–1907)
MLA for Victoria City[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5]
(1907–1915)		  
Led first partisan administration. During First World War, the provincial government purchased and took possession of two submarines to defend the province from the threat of German attack; quickly transferred by order of the federal government to the Royal Canadian Navy in August 1914. Created the province's first university, the University of British Columbia.
17
William John Bowser
(1867–1933)		 15 December
1915		 23 November
1916
  • Appointment (13th Parliament)
 Conservative
(Ldr. 1915)		 MLA for Vancouver City  
18
Harlan Carey Brewster
(1870–1918)		 23 November
1916		 1 March
1918
  • 1916 election (14th Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 1912)		 MLA for Victoria City[lower-alpha 6]  
Brought in women's suffrage, instituted prohibition, and combatted political corruption.
19
John Oliver
(1856–1927)		 6 March
1918		 17 August
1927
  • Appointment (14th Parliament)
  • 1920 election (15th Parliament)
  • 1924 election (16th Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 1918)		 MLA for Dewdney
(1918–1920)
MLA for Victoria City[lower-alpha 7]
(1920–1924)
MLA for Nelson
(1924–1927)		  
Developed the produce industry in the Okanagan Valley, and tried to persuade the federal government to lower the freight rate for rail transport. In 1923, hosted the visit of Warren Harding to Vancouver, the first ever visit of a sitting United States President to Canada.
20
John Duncan MacLean
(1873–1948)		 20 August
1927		 21 August
1928
  • Appointment (16th Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 1927)		 MLA for Yale  
21
Simon Fraser Tolmie
(1867–1937)		 21 August
1928		 15 November
1933
  • 1928 election (17th Parliament)
 Conservative
(Ldr. 1926)		 MLA for Saanich  
Attempted to apply "business principles to the business of government" during the Great Depression hit. Unemployment reached 28% – the highest in Canada. Set up relief camps. The Kidd Report recommended such sharp cuts to social services that the Conservative Party split and decided to run no candidates in the 1933 election. Local riding associations that supported Tolmie ran "Unionist" candidates while those supporting former premier Bowser stood "non-partisan" candidates and others ran as Independent Conservatives, resulting in electoral collapse and only 2 Conservative MLAs (one pro-Bowser, one pro-Tolmie) being returned and Tolmie losing his own seat.
22
Thomas Dufferin Pattullo
(1873–1956)		 15 November
1933		 9 December
1941
  • 1933 election (18th Parliament)
  • 1937 election (19th Parliament)
  • 1941 election (20th Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 1929)		 MLA for Prince Rupert  
Attempted to extend government services and relief to the unemployed during the Great Depression. Re-elected in 1937 using the slogan "socialized capitalism". Failed to win a majority in 1941 and removed as leader by his party when he was unwilling to form a coalition government with the Conservative Party to keep the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation out of power.
23
John Hart
(1879–1957)		 9 December
1941		 29 December
1947
  • Appointment (20th Parliament)
  • 1945 election (21st Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 1941)		 MLA for Victoria City   [Co.]
Became Liberal leader and premier in order to form a coalition government with the Conservatives, which his predecessor had refused to do, in order to keep the socialist CCF out of power. Undertook an ambitious program of rural electrification, hydroelectric and highway construction. Built Highway 97 to northern British Columbia and relaunched the Bridge River Power Project, which was the province's first major hydroelectric development. Established the BC Power Commission to provide power to smaller communities that were not serviced by private utilities.
24
Boss Johnson
(1890–1964)		 29 December
1947		 1 August
1952
  • Appointment (21st Parliament)
  • 1949 election (22nd Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 1947)		 MLA for New Westminster   [Co.]
Introduced compulsory health insurance, and a 3% provincial sales tax to pay for it, expanded the highway system, extended the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, and negotiated the Alcan Agreement, which facilitated construction of the Kenney Dam. Coalition government collapsed when Conservatives left to form the Official Opposition in January 1952, leaving Johnson to lead a straight Liberal government until its defeat in that year's general election.
25
W. A. C. Bennett
(1900–1979)		 1 August
1952		 15 September
1972
  • 1952 election (23rd Parliament)
  • 1953 election (24th Parliament)
  • 1956 election (25th Parliament)
  • 1960 election (26th Parliament)
  • 1963 election (27th Parliament)
  • 1966 election (28th Parliament)
  • 1969 election (29th Parliament)
 Social Credit MLA for South Okanagan  
Longest-serving premier. Oversaw rapid expansion of the province's highway system and BC Rail, creation of BC Ferries, BC Hydro, and the Bank of British Columbia, hydro-electric dam-building projects on the Columbia and Peace Rivers and the creation of the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University.
26
Dave Barrett
(1930–2018)		 15 September
1972		 22 December
1975
  • 1972 election (30th Parliament)
 New Democratic
(Ldr. 1970)		 MLA for Coquitlam   [4]
Reformed the welfare system, established the province's Labour Relations Board, and expanded the public sector. Reformed Legislative Assembly by introducing question period and full Hansard transcripts of legislative proceedings. Brought in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to protect the supply of farm land and Insurance Corporation of British Columbia to provide public car insurance.
27
Bill Bennett
(1932–2015)		 22 December
1975		 6 August
1986
  • 1975 election (31st Parliament)
  • 1979 election (32nd Parliament)
  • 1983 election (33rd Parliament)
 Social Credit
(Ldr. 1973)		 MLA for South Okanagan
(1975–1979)
MLA for Okanagan South
(1979–1986)		  
Implemented significant cuts to social services and education and repealed labour laws, resulting in a general strike. Spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Expo 86 and the construction of BC Place, Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system, and the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. Built the Coquihalla Highway.
28
Bill Vander Zalm
(b. 1934)		 6 August
1986		 2 April
1991
  • Appointment (33rd Parliament)
  • 1986 election (34th Parliament)
 Social Credit
(Ldr. 1986)		 MLA for Richmond Vander Zalm ministry
29
Rita Johnston
(b. 1935)		 2 April
1991		 5 November
1991
  • Appointment (34th Parliament)
 Social Credit
(Ldr. 1991)		 MLA for Surrey-Newton Johnston ministry
30
Mike Harcourt
(b. 1943)		 5 November
1991		 22 February
1996
  • 1991 election (35th Parliament)
 New Democratic
(Ldr. 1987)		 MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant Harcourt ministry
31
Glen Clark
(b. 1957)		 22 February
1996		 25 August
1999
  • Appointment (35th Parliament)
  • 1996 election (36th Parliament)
 New Democratic
(Ldr. 1996)		 MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway G. Clark ministry
32
Dan Miller
(b. 1944)		 25 August
1999		 24 February
2000
  • Appointment (36th Parliament)
 New Democratic
(Ldr. 1999)		 MLA for North Coast Miller ministry
33
Ujjal Dosanjh
(b. 1947)		 24 February
2000		 5 June
2001
  • Appointment (36th Parliament)
 New Democratic
(Ldr. 2000)		 MLA for Vancouver-Kensington Dosanjh ministry
34
Gordon Campbell
(b. 1948)		 5 June
2001		 14 March
2011
  • 2001 election (37th Parliament)
  • 2005 election (38th Parliament)
  • 2009 election (39th Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 1993)		 MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey Campbell ministry
35
Christy Clark
(b. 1965)		 14 March
2011		 18 July
2017
  • Appointment (39th Parliament)
  • 2013 election (40th Parliament)
  • 2017 election (41st Parliament)
 Liberal
(Ldr. 2011)		 MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey
(2011–2013)
MLA for Westside-Kelowna
(2013–2017)
MLA for Kelowna West
(2017)		 C. Clark ministry [lower-alpha 8]
36
John Horgan
(b. 1959)		 18 July
2017		 incumbent
  • Appointment (41st Parliament)
  • 2020 election (42nd Parliament)
 New Democratic
(Ldr. 2014)		 MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca Horgan ministry [lower-alpha 8]
Min. Led a minority government
Co. Led a coalition government

Timeline of British Columbia premiers
Gordon CampbellUjjal DosanjhJohn Oliver

Premiers by region of the province
Location of riding Number of premiers Premiers
Interior 12
  • George Anthony Walkem
  • Alexander Edmund Batson Davie
  • John Robson (1890–1892)
  • Charles Augustus Semlin
  • Richard McBride (1903–1907)
  • John Oliver (1918–1920, 1924–1927)
  • John Duncan MacLean
  • Thomas Dufferin Pattullo
  • W.A.C. Bennett
  • Bill Bennett
  • Dan Miller
  • Christy Clark (2013–2017)
Lower Mainland 5
  • John Robson (1889–1890)
  • Boss Johnson
  • Dave Barrett
  • Bill Vander Zalm
  • Rita Johnston
Vancouver 7
Vancouver Island 15
  • John Foster McCreight
  • Amor De Cosmos
  • Andrew Charles Elliott
  • Robert Beaven
  • William Smithe
  • Theodore Davie
  • John Herbert Turner
  • James Dunsmuir
  • Edward Gawler Prior
  • Richard McBride (1907–1915)
  • Harlan Carey Brewster
  • John Oliver (1920–1924)
  • Simon Fraser Tolmie
  • John Hart
  • John Horgan

Living former premiers

As of September 2022, eight former premiers are alive, the oldest being Bill Vander Zalm (1986–1991, born 1934). The most recent former premier to die was Dave Barrett (1972–1975), on February 2, 2018.[4]

NameTermDate of birth
Bill Vander Zalm 1986–1991 (1934-05-29) May 29, 1934
Rita Johnston 1991 (1935-04-22) April 22, 1935
Mike Harcourt 1991–1996 (1943-01-06) January 6, 1943
Glen Clark 1996–1999 (1957-11-22) November 22, 1957
Dan Miller 1999–2000 (1944-12-24) December 24, 1944
Ujjal Dosanjh 2000–2001 (1947-09-09) September 9, 1947
Gordon Campbell 2001–2011 (1948-01-12) January 12, 1948
Christy Clark 2011–2017 (1965-10-29) October 29, 1965

See also
  • Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
  • List of premiers of British Columbia by time in office

Notes
  1. Unlike other Canadian jurisdictions, British Columbia's legislative library follows the American convention of giving multiple ordinal numbers to premiers who serve non-consecutive terms. George Anthony Walkem is therefore both the third and fifth premier.
  2. In the 1890 election, Robson also won the seat in the riding of Westminster but turned it down.
  3. Immediately lost a confidence vote 28 to 1 upon being appointed but formed a cabinet and governed for another three months anyway.
  4. In the 1907 election, McBride also won the seat in the riding of Dewdney but turned it down.
  5. In the 1909 election, McBride also won the seat in the riding of Yale but turned it down.
  6. In the 1916 election, Brewster also won the seat in the riding of Alberni but turned it down.
  7. In the 1920 election, Oliver also won the seat in the riding of Delta but turned it down.
  8. C. Clark's government remained in office after the 2017 election until defeated 44 to 42 on a confidence vote less than a week into the legislative session. The lieutenant governor asked Horgan to form a government on the strength of a confidence and supply agreement between the NDP and the Green Party. Horgan led a minority government for the remainder of the 41st Parliament until the 2020 election, when the NDP attained a majority.

References
  1. "History and Heritage of British Columbia". BritishColumbia.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
  2. "British Columbia – Canadian Confederation". Library and Archives Canada. August 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
  3. "The Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Legislature – Province of British Columbia". Province of British Columbia. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
  4. "Former B.C. Premier Dave Barrett dead at 87". CBC.ca. CBC. February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.

General

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