History The Province of Manitoba was created on 12 May 1870 with the passing of the
Manitoba Act. The next month, on July 15, the Province was officially admitted into
Confederation. On December 30 that year, the first election was held for the
Manitoba's Legislative Assembly. From 1870 to 1874, Manitoba was governed by its first two
Lieutenant Governors (LG),
Adams Archibald and
Alexander Morris. As agents of the LGs,
Alfred Boyd (1870–71) and
Henry James Clark (1872–74), who are often named in various lists as the first Manitoba premiers, never actually held the title of "Premier." Accordingly, there has been debate as to whether the Office of Premier can be considered to have existed before
Marc-Amable Girard's premiership that began in July 1874.
Louis Riel, as the province's first premier. While this private member's bill (bill 206 of the 42nd legislature) was defeated, Wab later passed the bill in 2023 when he became Premier (bill 2 of the 43rd legislature). Until 1888, the administrations of Manitoba were
non-partisan. That year,
Thomas Greenway would become the first partisan and first
Liberal premier of Manitoba, followed by Conservative
Hugh John Macdonald. Moreover, throughout the
province's history, all but one of its governments—Premier
Sterling Lyon (1977–81)—have been elected to second terms. In 2016, long-time conservative politician
Brian Pallister became the 22nd premier of Manitoba, upending 17 years of NDP governance in the province. Pallister's
landslide victory would follow the premiership of NDP
Greg Selinger (2009–16), who ''
Maclean's'' says has been regarded as Canada's "least popular premier." Following his election, according to the
Angus Reid Institute, Pallister was the 2nd-most-popular premier in the country; however, his popularity would steadily decline since (with an
approval rating of 37% two years into his mandate). ==See also==