Sharon Carstairs

Sharon Carstairs, PC (born April 26, 1942) is a Canadian politician and Senator. Carstairs was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Vivian and Harold Connolly, and was educated at Dalhousie University, Smith College, Georgetown University, and the University of Calgary. 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 Alb... more

Sharon Carstairs, PC (born April 26, 1942) is a Canadian politician and Senator. Carstairs was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Vivian and Harold Connolly, and was educated at Dalhousie University, Smith College, Georgetown University, and the University of Calgary. 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. 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. Carstairs led the Liberal Party to a dramatic resurgence in the 1988... less