Journalist and politican Pat Carney of Saturna Island, British Colunbia, stands with Governor General David Johnston after she was invested into the Order of Canada as member during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Friday, September 16, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
VANCOUVER – Pat Carney, who pioneered roles for women in Canadian politics and journalism, has died at the age of 88.
Her niece, Jill Carney, confirmed in a statement that the former MP and senator passed away last night.
Carney was the first female Conservative member of Parliament elected in B.C. and the first female Conservative appointed from the province to the Senate.
Her website says she began her journalism career in the 1960s and was the first female business columnist writing for daily newspapers, including the Vancouver Sun and Vancouver Province.
It says Carney was also the first woman in every government portfolio she held, serving as the minister of energy, minister of international trade and president of the Treasury Board in Brian Mulroney’s cabinet.
She was a mother of two and lived on Saturna Island, one of B.C.’s Gulf Islands.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2023.
