Biographies

First woman elected to the Legislative Assembly (1918) and first woman in the British Empire to be appointed a cabinet minister – without portfolio (1921)

First woman in the Commonwealth to be elected Speaker (1950) and first B.C. woman appointed to serve in the Senate of Canada (1953)

First woman in Canada to be appointed a cabinet minister with portfolio (1952)

First B.C. woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons (1965); elected provincially to the Legislative Assembly (1941)

First black woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada (1972)

First woman to serve as Acting President of the Executive Council (1972)

First woman in Canada to serve as Deputy Premier (1975)

First woman in Canada to serve as Premier (1991)

First Indo-Canadian woman elected to the Legislative Assembly (1991) and first member to give birth while in office (1992)

Longest serving woman in the Legislative Assembly (1991 - 2020)

First woman to serve as Prime Minister of Canada (1993); elected provincially to the Legislative Assembly (1986)

With Jenny Wai Ching Kwan (elected same day), first Chinese-Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly (1996)

With Ida Chong (elected same day), first Chinese-Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly (1996) and first Chinese-Canadian cabinet minister (1998)

First woman to serve as Leader of the Official Opposition, first woman of Métis descent elected to the Legislative Assembly (2005) and first woman of Métis descent to serve in Cabinet (2017)

First person of Filipino heritage elected to the Legislative Assembly (2009)

First woman who uses a wheelchair elected to the Legislative Assembly (2009) and the first woman who uses a wheelchair to serve in Cabinet (2010)

First Japanese-Canadian elected to Legislative Assembly (2009)

First woman to serve as Attorney General (2011)

First Korean-Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly (2013)

First woman re-elected to the Legislative Assembly as an Independent member (2013)

First woman elected as Premier (2013) and re-elected as Premier (2017)

First First Nations woman elected to the Legislative Assembly (2016) and first First Nations woman to serve in Cabinet (2017)