Shirley McLoughlin

Shirley Eleanor McLoughlin (June 25, 1930 – July 20, 2018) was a Canadian politician, who was the leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party from 1981 to 1983. She was the first woman ever to lead a political party in the province.

Life and career
Shirley Eleanor McLoughlin was born on June 25, 1930. Prior to assuming the leadership, McLoughlin worked as a teacher, and served as the party's president. She ran as the Liberal Party of Canada's candidate in Comox—Powell River in the 1980 federal election, losing to Ray Skelly. She was elected leader of the BC Liberals at their leadership convention on May 25, 1981, over lawyer Tom Finkelstein and farmer Roland Bouwman.

McLoughlin took over the leadership at a time when the party was in unprecedented crisis; under her predecessor Jev Tothill, the party had run just five candidates provincewide in the 1979 election, and had failed to win a single seat in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for the first time in its history. She led the party to a modest resurgence, running 52 candidates in the 1983 provincial election and increasing the party's popular vote total by over 600 per cent compared to 1979, but again failed to win a seat. She was defeated in her own dual-member district of Vancouver Centre by New Democrats Emery Barnes and Gary Lauk.

McLoughlin announced her resignation as party leader in August 1983. She was succeeded by Art Lee at the party's 1984 leadership convention.

McLoughlin later served two terms on the municipal council of Comox.

McLoughlin died on July 20, 2018, at the age of 88.