Progressive Conservative Leaders – Our Progress

Progressive Conservative Leaders

1857 to Present

Full leadership record and historical notes.

Timothy Jerome Houston

2018 – Present

Premier August 31, 2021 – Present

Party Leader October 27, 2018 – Present

MLA October 8, 2013 – Present

Born April 10, 1970

Notes: Selected at Party Convention.

Karla Michelle MacFarlane

2018 – 2018

Party Leader (interim) Jan 23, 2018 – Oct 27, 2018

MLA Oct 8, 2013 – April 05, 2024

Born April 29, 1969 at Pictou, NS

Notes: Selected by the Caucus.

Rodney Joseph MacDonald

2006 – 2009

Premier Feb 24, 2006 – June 9 2009

Party Leader Feb 11, 2006 – June 24, 2009

Born Jan 2, 1972 at Inverness, NS

Notes: Selected by a Party convention.

John Frederick Hamm

1995 – 2006

Premier July 27, 1999 – Feb 24, 2006

Party Leader Oct 28, 1995 – Feb 11, 2006

Born April 8, 1938 at New Glasgow, NS

Notes: Selected by a Party convention.

Terence Richard Boyd Donahoe

1993 – 1995

Party Leader (interim) June 11, 1993 – Oct 28, 1995

Born Oct 30, 1944 Died Nov 29, 2005

Notes: Selected by the Caucus.

Donald William Cameron

1991 – 1993

Premier Feb 26, 1991 – June 11, 1993

Party Leader Feb 26, 1991 – June 11, 1993

Born May 20, 1946 at New Glasgow, NS

Notes: Selected by a Party convention.

Roger Stuart Bacon

1990 – 1991

Premier Sept 12, 1990 – Feb 26, 1991

Born June 29, 1926 at Upper Nappan, NS

Notes: Selected by the Cabinet.

John MacLennan Buchanan

1971 – 1990

Premier Oct 5, 1978 – Sept 12, 1990

Party Leader March 6, 1971 – Sept 12, 1990

Born 1931 Died 2019

Notes: Selected by a Party convention.

George Isaac Smith

1967 – 1971

Premier Sept 13, 1967 – Oct 28, 1970

Born 1909 Died 1982

Notes: Selected by Cabinet.

Robert Lorne Stanfield

1948 – 1967

Premier Nov 20, 1956 – Sept 13, 1967

Party Leader 1948 – 1967

Born 1914 Died 2003

Notes: Selected by a Party convention. Transformed the party.

Leonard William Fraser

1940 – 1946

Party Leader 1940 – 1946

Born 1902 Died 1957

Notes: Selected by a Party convention.

Fred Murray Blois

1940 – 1945

House Leader 1940; 1941 – 1945

Born 1893 Died 1984

Notes: Selected by the Caucus.

Percy Chapman Black

1938 – 1939

House Leader 1938 – 1939

Born 1878 Died 1961

Notes: Selected by the Caucus.

Gordon Sidney Harrington

1930 – 1937

Premier Aug 11, 1930 – Sept 5, 1933

Born 1883 Died 1943

Notes: Invited to be Premier by the Lieutenant Governor on the advice of Rhodes.

Edgar Nelson Rhodes

1925 – 1930

Premier July 16, 1925 – Aug 11, 1930

Born 1877 Died 1942

Notes: Selected by a meeting of the Party executive and Party candidates.

Howard William Corning

1921 – 1924

House Leader 1921 – 1924

Born 1879 Died 1924

Notes: Selected by the consent of the other two Conservative Assemblymen.

William Lorimer Hall

1917 – 1925

Party Leader 1922 – 1925

Born 1876 Died 1958

Notes: Selected by the Caucus in 1917. Selected by a Party convention in 1922.

John McKay Baillie

1909 – 1911

House Leader 1909 – 1911

Born 1847 Died 1913

Notes: Selected by the Caucus.

Charles Elliott Tanner

1902 – 1916

Party Leader 1912 – 1916

Born 1857 Died 1946

Notes: Assumed position in 1902 due to ability. Selected in 1912 by Caucus.

Charles Smith Wilcox

1898 – 1909

House Leader 1898-1901; 1909

Born 1852 Died 1909

Notes: Accepted in 1898 by Conservatives and in 1909 by Caucus.

John Fitzwilliam Stairs

1897 – 1904

Party Leader 1897 – 1904

Born 1848 Died 1904

Notes: Selected by the annual meeting of the Party Association. Did not officially resign.

Charles Hazlett Cahan

1890 – 1894

Born 1861 Died 1944

Notes: Selected by caucus. Leader of the Opposition.

Dr. William McKay

1887 – 1897

Born 1847 Died 1915

Notes: Resigned in 1897. Never received complete recognition as Conservative Leader.

Adam Carr Bell

1882 – 1887

Born 1847 Died 1912

Notes: Assumed leadership in 1882 as leading ex-Cabinet Minister.

Sir John Sparrow David Thompson

1882 – 1882

Premier 1882 – 1882

Born 1844 Died 1894

Notes: On Holmes’ resignation he became Premier. Fully recognized as Conservative Leader.

Simon Hugh Holmes

1875 – 1882

Premier 1878 – 1882

Born 1831 Died 1919

Notes: Holmes assumed the leadership of the opposition in 1875. Became Premier in 1878.

Hiram Blanchard

1867 – 1874

Premier 1867 – 1867

Born 1820 Died 1874

Notes: The first Premier of the province post-Confederation.

Sir Charles Tupper

1864 – 1867

Premier 1864 – 1867

Born 1821 Died 1915

Notes: Fully recognized as Conservative Leader. A Father of Confederation.

James William Johnston

1843 – 1864

Premier 1857-60, 1863-64

Born 1792 Died 1873

Notes: Fully recognized as Conservative Leader.

PC Party History of Equity and Inclusion

Diverse Communities Committee History

For more than 60 years the PC Party of Nova Scotia has been a champion of Human Rights. It is history that we should know, honour and share proudly.

Tim Houston

2021 – 2024

2021 – The Hon. Brian Wong became the first MLA of Asian descent.
2021 – Created a provincial government holiday on National Truth and Reconciliation Day, September 30.
2021 – The Hon. Kim Masland appointed as the first Female Government House Leader.
2021 – Established the All-Party Committee on Anti-Racism and Equity.
2022 – Passed the Dismantling Hate and Racism Act.
2022 – Recognized Mi’kmaw as Nova Scotia’s first language.
2022 – Opened three new regional offices of African Nova Scotian Affairs in Digby, New Glasgow and Preston.
2023 – The Hon. Twila Grosse appointed as the first female African Nova Scotian Cabinet Minister.
2023 – The Hon. Barbara Adams appointed as the first female Minister for Military Relations.
2023 – The Hon. Karla MacFarlane appointed as the first female Speaker of the Nova Scotia Legislature.
2024 – The Hon. Leah Martin became the first Mi’kmaq MLA and Cabinet Minister.
2024 – Adegoke Fadare of Clayton Park West became the first Nigerian-born MLA.

Rodney MacDonald

2007

2007 – The Mi’kmaq – Nova Scotia – Canada Framework Agreement was created to work “to resolve Mi’kmaq rights issues through negotiation in a spirit of reconciliation.”

John Hamm

2001 – 2004

2001 – Common law couples, both same-sex and opposite-sex are able to adopt children.
2003 – Office of African Nova Scotian Affairs is opened, the first of its kind in Canada.
2004 – Same sex marriage is legalized, making Nova Scotia only the 9th jurisdiction in the world to do so.

Donald Cameron

1991

1991 – The Nova Scotia Human Rights Act undergoes major revisions adding: aboriginal origin, marital and family status, age, political affiliation, pregnancy and sexual orientation.

John Buchanan

1981 – 1989

1981 – December 10 is declared Human Rights Day in Nova Scotia.
1985 – Maxine Cochrane (Lunenburg Centre) became the first female Cabinet Minister in Nova Scotia, serving as Minister of Transportation.
1987 – Corrine Sparks was appointed the first African Canadian judge in Nova Scotia and the first female African Canadian judge in the country.
1989 – Marie Dechman (Lunenburg West) was elected the first female Deputy Speaker. She also served as Community Services Minister and Minister of Housing and Consumer Affairs.
1989 – The Nova Scotia Pay Equity Act is enacted.
1989 – The Blind Persons’ Act is passed.

Robert Stanfield

1959 – 1967

1959 – The Fair Accommodations Act makes it illegal for hotels, restaurants and other businesses to discriminate based on race, colour or nationality.
1960 – Indigenous Nova Scotians were granted the right to vote in province elections.
1963 – The Nova Scotia Human Rights Act was passed.
1964 – Gerald Doucet (Richmond) was appointed the Provincial Secretary and Minister of Education, becoming the first Acadian Cabinet Minister in the province.
1967 – The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission was established to work towards ending discrimination on racial, religious and ethnic grounds.