Sharon Carstairs

Sharon Carstairs, PC (born April 26, 1942) is a Canadian politician and former Senator.

Early life

Carstairs was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of former Nova Scotia Premier and federal Senator Harold Connolly and his wife Vivian. She was educated at Dalhousie University, Smith College, Georgetown University, and the University of Calgary.

Alberta politics

She later moved to Western Canada, and was an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Calgary-Elbow in the 1975 Alberta provincial election. She served as President of the Alberta Liberal Party between 1975 and 1977, and was on the national executive of the Liberal Party of Canada in the same period.

Manitoba Liberal leader

Carstairs became leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party in 1984, at a time when the party held no seats in the legislature. She was defeated in a 1984 by-election in Fort Garry, but was elected for River Heights in the 1986 provincial election, defeating incumbent Tory Warren Steen. For the next two years, she was the only Liberal in the legislature.