Rita Johnston

Rita Johnston is a politician and Canada's first woman premier. Born in Melville, Saskatchewan, she was educated in Vancouver, married in 1951, and with her husband operated a mobile home park in Surrey, British Columbia. In 1970, Johnston was elected to Surrey City Council, serving until 1983, when she was elected to the British Columbia Legislative Assembly. She was re-elected to represent the new riding of Surrey-Newton in 1986 and served in various cabinet positions under Social Credit Premier Bill Vander Zalm, who appointed her Deputy Premier in 1990. When Vander Zalm stepped down the following year, Johnston was made interim Premier, the first woman to hold such a position. Her role became official when she was elected leader by the B.C. Social Credit party in July, 1991. She served as Premier until October of that year, when she was defeated in a general election. She resigned as B.C. Social Credit leader in 1992.

“I have down-to-earth values, you know. Bread-and-butter concerns.”