Rita Johnston

Rita Margaret Johnston
29th Premier of British Columbia
In office
April 2, 1991 – November 5, 1991
MonarchElizabeth II
Lieutenant GovernorDavid Lam
Preceded byBill Vander Zalm
Succeeded byMike Harcourt
3rd Deputy Premier of British Columbia
In office
August 10, 1990 – April 2, 1991
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Preceded byGrace McCarthy (1986)
Succeeded byAnita Hagen
Leader of the
British Columbia Social Credit Party
In office
April 2, 1991 – March 7, 1992
Preceded byBill Vander Zalm
Succeeded byJack Weisgerber
Minister of Transportation and Highways of British Columbia
In office
November 1, 1989 – April 15, 1991
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Preceded byNeil Vant
Succeeded byLyall Hanson
Minister of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture of British Columbia
In office
July 6, 1988 – November 1, 1989
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Preceded byHerself (Municipal Affairs)
William Earl Reid (Tourism, Recreation and Culture)
Succeeded byLyall Hanson
Minister of State, Kootenay of British Columbia
In office
October 22, 1987 – July 6, 1988
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Minister of Municipal Affairs of British Columbia
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Transit (1986)
In office
August 14, 1986 – July 6, 1988
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Preceded byJack Heinrich
Succeeded byHerself (Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture)
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Surrey-Newton
Surrey (1983-1986)
In office
May 5, 1983 – October 17, 1991
Serving with William Earl Reid
(1983-1986)
Preceded byBill Vander Zalm
Ernest Hall
Succeeded byPenny Priddy
Personal details
BornRita Margaret Leichert
(1935-04-22) April 22, 1935[1]
Melville, Saskatchewan
PartySocial Credit Party (1983-?)
BC Conservative (c. 2009-present)
Spouse
George Johnston
​
(m. 1951)​
Signature

Rita Margaret Johnston (born April 22, 1935; née Leichert) is a Canadian politician in British Columbia. Johnston became the first female premier in Canadian history when she succeeded Bill Vander Zalm in 1991 to become the 29th premier of British Columbia, serving for seven months. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1983 to 1991, and served in the Vander Zalm ministry as part of the British Columbia Social Credit Party (Socred) caucus, including as deputy premier from 1990 to 1991.

Early life and career

She was born in Melville, Saskatchewan[1] to John Leichert and Annie Chyzzy, then moved to Vancouver where she received her education. She married George Johnston in 1951,[2] and the couple ran a trailer park in Surrey, British Columbia.[3] She first entered politics as a Surrey municipal councillor, serving from 1970 to 1975,[1] and was elected to council again in 1978 and 1982.[3]

Provincial politics

She ran in the 1983 provincial election as part of the Social Credit Party, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia to represent the dual-member riding of Surrey alongside William Earl Reid.[3][4]: 345  With Bill Bennett departing as Socred leader in 1986, Johnston announced she would support Bill Vander Zalm in the leadership race;[5] she had previously served under Vander Zalm when she was a councillor and he was the mayor of Surrey.[1] After Vander Zalm took over as premier that August, Johnston was named to his cabinet as minister of municipal affairs and transit.[1][5][6]

She was re-elected in October 1986 in the newly created riding of Surrey-Newton,[3][4]: 355  and her cabinet post was simplified to minister of municipal affairs; she additionally served as minister of state for the Kootenay Region beginning in October 1987.[6] In a July 1988 cabinet shuffle, her portfolio was modified to municipal affairs, recreation and culture, while the role of minister of state for Kootenay was abolished.[6] She was re-assigned as minister of transportation and highways in November 1989, and was named deputy premier in August 1990.[6]

Premier

Main article: Johnston ministry

When Vander Zalm resigned on April 2, 1991, caucus selected her as interim leader over attorney general Russell Fraser by a vote of 21–17.[7] She was appointed premier the same day, making her Canada's first female first minister.[3][8] At the Social Credit party convention in July 1991, she was formally elected leader of the Socreds in an upset, narrowly defeating the frontrunner Grace McCarthy.[1][9][10]

Johnston had little time to implement any new programs since she faced a statutory general election later that year.[10] She waited as long as she could, finally calling an election for October. However, her long association with the scandal-plagued Vander Zalm hampered her chances of winning in her own right.[1][10] Her party was also bitterly divided from the leadership contest, and she had little time to repair the breach before the writs were dropped.

The Socreds were heavily defeated by New Democratic Party (NDP), led by Mike Harcourt. Moreover, many moderate Socreds switched their support to the previously moribund BC Liberals. The Socreds lost more than half of their popular vote from 1986 and were cut down to seven seats, falling to third place in the Legislative Assembly behind the NDP and Liberals; Johnston lost her own seat to the NDP's Penny Priddy by over 10 points.[11] Harcourt later said that he preferred facing Johnston rather than McCarthy, believing McCarthy would have been a tougher opponent in a general election.

Johnston resigned as leader of the Social Credit Party on January 11, 1992,[12] and was replaced by McCarthy. After her defeat, Johnston retired from politics and has had a low public profile. She returned to public life in 2009 as an advisor for the Conservative Party of British Columbia.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Rita Johnston". The Canadian Encyclopedia. March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  2. ^ Normandin, P G (1986). Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1986.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Rita Johnston". 100 Years of Women and the Vote. Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871-1986" (PDF). Elections BC. pp. 345, 355. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Farquharson, Duart (August 15, 1986). "Vander Zalm rewards backers with cabinet posts". The Gazette. Montreal. Southam News. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d "Vander Zalm Cabinet: 33rd-34th Parliament 1986–1991" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  7. ^ Palmer, Vaughn (December 3, 2013). "Vaughn Palmer: Roadmap on how to fire a political leader runs through Victoria". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  8. ^ Baldrey, Keith; Hunter, Justine; Hogben, David; Jeff, Lee (April 3, 1991). "Vander Zalm loyalist first woman premier". Vancouver Sun. pp. A1–A2.
  9. ^ "It's Rita". The Province. July 21, 1991. pp. A1.
  10. ^ a b c Summerville, Tracy (2019). "Rita Johnston and Christy Clark as BC Premiers". Doing Politics Differently?: Women Premiers in Canada's Provinces and Territories. UBC Press. pp. 207–210. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  11. ^ Diakiw, Kevin (March 15, 2011). "Penny Priddy honoured for public work". Peace Arch News. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  12. ^ 莊士頓宣佈辭去社信黨領袖之職 [Johnston announces resignation as Socred leader] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. January 13, 1992. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  13. ^ "B.C. Conservative Party capitalizes on HST anger". CBC News. September 16, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
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