List of premiers of Manitoba

The Canadian province of Manitoba was created in 1870.^[1] Manitoba has 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 Manitoba's head of government, and the King of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Manitoba, and then presides over that body.^[2]

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, but the premier may ask for early dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. An election may also happen if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.^[3]

Before 1888, Manitoba had no formal party system; premiers were officially non-partisan and were chosen by elected members of the Legislative Assembly from among themselves.^[4]

Manitoba has had 24 individuals serve as premier since the province was formed, of which six were non-partisan, nine were Progressive Conservatives, four were Liberals, four were New Democrats and one was Progressive. However, during the early years of the province, the leading minister in the legislature was designated provincial secretary and the government was de facto led by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba; it was not until 1874 that responsible government was introduced and the title of "premier" used.^[5] The early provincial secretaries, as the most prominent elected officials in the province, are retroactively counted as premiers in modern sources.

This article only covers the time since the province was created in 1870. Before that, the territory was part of the District of Assiniboia in Rupert's Land, and was loosely controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company.^[6]

Wab Kinew is the incumbent premier, since October 2023.

On 7 December 2023, Louis Riel was granted the honorary title of "First Premier of Manitoba" after the Louis Riel Act received royal assent.^[7]^[8] As it is an honorary title, however, Alfred Boyd remains the official first premier of the province.

Premiers of Manitoba

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Electoral mandates (Assembly)		Riding
Chief Ministers of Manitoba
1	Alfred Boyd (1835–1908)	16 September 1870	14 December 1871	Title created (caretaker government)⁠ 1870 election (1st Leg.)	Non-partisan	MLA for St. Andrews North	^[9]
1	Alfred Boyd (1835–1908)	Officially titled as the Provincial Secretary of Manitoba until January 1871 and Minister of Public Works and Agriculture until December. In practice, Lieutenant Governor Adams Archibald acted as head of the executive branch of government.
2 (1 of 2)	Marc-Amable Girard (1822–1892)	14 December 1871	14 March 1872	Appointment (1st Leg.)	Non-partisan	MLA for St. Boniface East	^[9]
2 (1 of 2)	Marc-Amable Girard (1822–1892)	Officially titled as the Provincial Treasurer during the time he is credited as being chief minister. In practice, Lieutenant Governor Adams Archibald acted as head of the executive branch of government.
3	Henry Joseph Clarke (1833–1889)	14 March 1872	8 July 1874	Appointment (1st Leg.)	Non-partisan	MLA for St. Charles	^[9]
3	Henry Joseph Clarke (1833–1889)	Officially titled as Attorney-General during the time he is credited as being chief minister. In practice, Lieutenant Governor Adams Archibald acted as head of the executive branch of government.
Premiers of Manitoba
— (2 of 2)	Marc-Amable Girard (1822–1892)	8 July 1874	2 December 1874	Appointment (1st Leg.)	Non-partisan	MLA for St. Boniface East	^[9]
4	Robert Atkinson Davis (1841–1903)	3 December 1874	16 October 1878	Appointment (1st Leg.)⁠ 1874 election (2nd Leg.)	Non-partisan	MLA for Winnipeg and St. John (1874) MLA for Winnipeg (1874-1878)	^[9]
5	John Norquay (1841–1889)	16 October 1878	24 December 1887	Appointment (2nd Leg.)⁠ 1878 election (3rd Leg.)⁠ 1879 election (4th Leg.)⁠ 1883 election (5th Leg.)⁠ 1886 election (6th Leg.)	Non-partisan	MLA for St. Andrews South (1878-1879) MLA for St. Andrews (1879-1887)	^[9]
6	David Howard Harrison (1843–1905)	26 December 1887	19 January 1888	Appointment (6th Leg.)	Non-partisan	MLA for Minnedosa West	^[9]
7	Thomas Greenway (1838–1908)	19 January 1888	6 January 1900	Appointment (6th Leg.)⁠ 1888 election (7th Leg.)⁠ 1892 election (8th Leg.)⁠ 1896 election (9th Leg.)	Liberal	MLA for Mountain	^[9]
8	Hugh John Macdonald (1850–1929)	10 January 1900	29 October 1900	1899 election (10th Leg.)	Conservative	MLA for Winnipeg South	^[9]
9	Rodmond Roblin (1853–1937)	29 October 1900	12 May 1915	Appointment (10th Leg.)⁠ 1903 election (11th Leg.)⁠ 1907 election (12th Leg.)⁠ 1910 election (13th Leg.)⁠ 1914 election (14th Leg.)	Conservative	MLA for Woodlands (1900-1903) MLA for Dufferin (1903-1915)	^[9]
10	Tobias Norris (1861–1936)	12 May 1915	8 August 1922	Appointment (14th Leg.)⁠ 1915 election (15th Leg.)⁠ 1920 election (16th Leg.)	Liberal	MLA for Lansdowne	^[9]
11	John Bracken (1883–1969)	8 August 1922	14 January 1943	1922 election (17th Leg.)⁠ 1927 election (18th Leg.)⁠ 1932 election (19th Leg.)⁠ 1936 election (20th Leg.)⁠ 1941 election (21st Leg.)	Progressive	MLA for The Pas	^[9]
12	Stuart Garson (1898–1977)	14 January 1943	13 November 1948	Appointment (21st Leg.)⁠ 1945 election (22nd Leg.)	Liberal–Progressive	MLA for Fairford	^[9]
13	Douglas Lloyd Campbell (1895–1995)	13 November 1948	30 June 1958	Appointment (22nd Leg.)⁠ 1949 election (23rd Leg.)⁠ 1953 election (24th Leg.)	Liberal–Progressive	MLA for Lakeside	^[9]
14	Dufferin Roblin (1917–2010)	30 June 1958	27 November 1967	1958 election (25th Leg.)⁠ 1959 election (26th Leg.)⁠ 1962 election (27th Leg.)⁠ 1966 election (28th Leg.)	Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1954)	MLA for Wolseley	^[9]
15	Walter Weir (1929–1985)	27 November 1967	15 July 1969	Appointment (28th Leg.)	Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1967)	MLA for Minnedosa	^[9]
16	Edward Schreyer (b. 1935)	15 July 1969	24 November 1977	1969 election (29th Leg.)⁠ 1973 election (30th Leg.)	New Democratic (Ldr. 1969)	MLA for Rossmere	^[10]
17	Sterling Lyon (1927–2010)	24 November 1977	30 November 1981	1977 election (31st Leg.)	Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1975)	MLA for Charleswood	^[9]
18	Howard Pawley (1934–2015)	30 November 1981	9 May 1988	1981 election (32nd Leg.)⁠ 1986 election (33rd Leg.)	New Democratic (Ldr. 1979)	MLA for Selkirk	^[10]
19	Gary Filmon (b. 1942)	9 May 1988	5 October 1999	1988 election (34th Leg.)⁠ 1990 election (35th Leg.)⁠ 1995 election (36th Leg.)	Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1983)	MLA for Tuxedo	^[10]
20	Gary Doer (b. 1948)	5 October 1999	19 October 2009	1999 election (37th Leg.)⁠ 2003 election (38th Leg.)⁠ 2007 election (39th Leg.)	New Democratic (Ldr. 1988)	MLA for Concordia	^[10]
21	Greg Selinger (b. 1951)	19 October 2009	3 May 2016	Appointment (39th Leg.)⁠ 2011 election (40th Leg.)	New Democratic (Ldr. 2009, 2015)	MLA for St. Boniface	^[10]
22	Brian Pallister (b. 1954)	3 May 2016	1 September 2021	2016 election (41st Leg.)⁠ 2019 election (42nd Leg.)	Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2012 acclamation)	MLA for Fort Whyte	^[10]
23	Kelvin Goertzen (b. 1969)	1 September 2021	2 November 2021	Appointment (42nd Leg.)	Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2021 interim appointment)	MLA for Steinbach	^[10]
24	Heather Stefanson (b. 1970)	2 November 2021	18 October 2023	Appointment (42nd Leg.)	Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2021)	MLA for Tuxedo	^[10]
25	Wab Kinew (b. 1981)	18 October 2023	incumbent	2023 election (43rd Leg.)	New Democratic (Ldr. 2017)	MLA for Fort Rouge	^[10]

References

General

"Dates of Manitoba General Elections". Elections Manitoba. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
"Provincial Premiers". Elections Manitoba. Retrieved September 6, 2013.

Specific

^ "Entered Confederation: 1870". Library and Archives Canada. May 10, 2001. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
^ "Roles and Responsibilities". Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
^ "Legislative Terminology" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Government of Manitoba. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
^ "Friendly Rivalries: Manitoba Elections Since 1966". CBC. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
^ Davd Burley, "The Emergence of the Premiership, 1870-1874," Manitoba Premiers of the 19th and 20th centuries, Barry Ferguson and Robert Wardhaugh, eds., Great Plains, 2010
^ "Territorial Evolution, 1870". Natural Resources Canada. April 6, 2004. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
^ The Louis Riel Act, S.M. 2023, c. 48
^ Buffie, Nicole (19 February 2024). "Riel Formally Recognized as First Premier". Winnipeg Free Press.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q "Biographies of Deceased Members". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. August 4, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Biographies of Living Members". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. November 4, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2013.

External links

Office of the Premier at the Province of Manitoba

[1] "Entered Confederation: 1870". Library and Archives Canada. May 10, 2001. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.

[2] "Roles and Responsibilities". Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.

[3] "Legislative Terminology" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Government of Manitoba. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2013.

[4] "Friendly Rivalries: Manitoba Elections Since 1966". CBC. Retrieved December 11, 2013.

[5] Davd Burley, "The Emergence of the Premiership, 1870-1874," Manitoba Premiers of the 19th and 20th centuries, Barry Ferguson and Robert Wardhaugh, eds., Great Plains, 2010

[6] "Territorial Evolution, 1870". Natural Resources Canada. April 6, 2004. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2008.

[7] The Louis Riel Act, S.M. 2023, c. 48

[8] Buffie, Nicole (19 February 2024). "Riel Formally Recognized as First Premier". Winnipeg Free Press.

[deceased-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q "Biographies of Deceased Members". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. August 4, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2013.

[living-10] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Biographies of Living Members". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. November 4, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2013.

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v t e Politics of Manitoba
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Premiers of Manitoba

See also

References

External links