List of premiers of British Columbia

John Horgan is the current premier 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]

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.	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Electoral mandates (Assembly)		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^[a] (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^[a] (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^[b] (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		^[c]
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^[d]^[e] (1907–1915)
16	Richard McBride (1870–1917)	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^[f]
18	Harlan Carey Brewster (1870–1918)	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^[g] (1920–1924) MLA for Nelson (1924–1927)
19	John Oliver (1856–1927)	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
21	Simon Fraser Tolmie (1867–1937)	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
22	Thomas Dufferin Pattullo (1873–1956)	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.]
23	John Hart (1879–1957)	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.]
24	Boss Johnson (1890–1964)	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
25	W. A. C. Bennett (1900–1979)	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]
26	Dave Barrett (1930–2018)	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)
27	Bill Bennett (1932–2015)	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	^[h]
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	^[h]
^Min. Led a minority government ^Co. Led a coalition government

Timeline of British Columbia premiers

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	Joseph Martin William John Bowser Mike Harcourt Glen Clark Ujjal Dosanjh Gordon Campbell Christy Clark (2011–2013)
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^[update], 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]

Name	Term	Date of birth
Bill Vander Zalm	1986–1991	(1934-05-29) May 29, 1934 (age 89)
Rita Johnston	1991	(1935-04-22) April 22, 1935 (age 88)
Mike Harcourt	1991–1996	(1943-01-06) January 6, 1943 (age 80)
Glen Clark	1996–1999	(1957-11-22) November 22, 1957 (age 65)
Dan Miller	1999–2000	(1944-12-24) December 24, 1944 (age 78)
Ujjal Dosanjh	2000–2001	(1947-09-09) September 9, 1947 (age 76)
Gordon Campbell	2001–2011	(1948-01-12) January 12, 1948 (age 75)
Christy Clark	2011–2017	(1965-10-29) October 29, 1965 (age 57)

Notes

^ ^a ^b 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.
^ In the 1890 election, Robson also won the seat in the riding of Westminster but turned it down.
^ Immediately lost a confidence vote 28 to 1 upon being appointed but formed a cabinet and governed for another three months anyway.
^ In the 1907 election, McBride also won the seat in the riding of Dewdney but turned it down.
^ In the 1909 election, McBride also won the seat in the riding of Yale but turned it down.
^ In the 1916 election, Brewster also won the seat in the riding of Alberni but turned it down.
^ In the 1920 election, Oliver also won the seat in the riding of Delta but turned it down.
^ ^a ^b 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

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

General

"Premiers of British Columbia, 1871–today". Province of British Columbia. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
"British Columbia". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 8, 2019.

[Walkem-4] 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.

[5] In the 1890 election, Robson also won the seat in the riding of Westminster but turned it down.

[6] Immediately lost a confidence vote 28 to 1 upon being appointed but formed a cabinet and governed for another three months anyway.

[7] In the 1907 election, McBride also won the seat in the riding of Dewdney but turned it down.

[8] In the 1909 election, McBride also won the seat in the riding of Yale but turned it down.

[9] In the 1916 election, Brewster also won the seat in the riding of Alberni but turned it down.

[10] In the 1920 election, Oliver also won the seat in the riding of Delta but turned it down.

[ClarkNonCon-12] 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.

[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.

[office-3] "The Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Legislature – Province of British Columbia". Province of British Columbia. Retrieved November 5, 2008.

[barrett-11] "Former B.C. Premier Dave Barrett dead at 87". CBC.ca. CBC. February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.

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