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
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 Municipal Affairs of British Columbia
In office
August 14, 1986 – November 1, 1989
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Preceded byJack Heinrich
Succeeded byLyall Hanson
Minister of State, Kootenay of British Columbia
In office
October 22, 1987 – July 6, 1988
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Minister of Transportation and Highways of British Columbia
In office
November 1, 1989 – April 2, 1991
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Preceded byNeil Vant
Succeeded byArt Charbonneau
3rd Deputy Premier of British Columbia
In office
August 10, 1990 – April 2, 1991
PremierBill Vander Zalm
Preceded byGrace McCarthy
Succeeded byAnita Hagen
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
Born
Rita Margaret Leichert

(1935-04-22) April 22, 1935 (age 89)
Melville, Saskatchewan
Political partySocial Credit Party (1983-?)
BC Conservative (c. 2009-present)
Spouse
George Johnston
​
(m. 1951)​

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.

The daughter of John Leichert and Annie Chyzzy, she was educated in Vancouver. In 1951, she married George Johnston.[1]

Much of her early life was spent running a trailer park in the city of Surrey, British Columbia.

  1. ^ Normandin, P G (1986). Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1986.