Mr. Dave Barrett was one of the chief architects of British Columbia as we know it today. Some of the great institutions that make our province unique – PharmaCare, the Agricultural Land Reserve and ICBC, for example – exist thanks to his leadership. He created Canada’s first guaranteed income program for seniors, in addition to a provincewide ambulance service, question period in the Legislature, Hansard and full-time Members of the Legislature.

Mr. Barrett accomplished all of this in just three years as Premier, from 1972 to 1975.

Born in Vancouver in 1930, Mr. Barrett was a child of the Great Depression, growing up in a politically active, working class family. It was not long before he was challenging the system and proposing a better way.

Mr. Barrett’s legacy to future generations is the equal to that of Premiers who served for decades. First elected to the B.C. Legislature while still in his twenties, he was British Columbia’s first New Democrat Premier – at the age of 41 – and also served as a Member of Parliament in Ottawa.

Courageous, fearless, funny, dynamic and inspirational, Mr. Barrett believed that government has a moral obligation to care for our most vulnerable and ensure equality. His exceptional ability as a public speaker, his quick wit and his plain-spoken style enabled him to forge a strong connection with British Columbians.