Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)
A pragmatic premier who reshaped British Columbia's economy and landscape with a controversial blend of tax cuts and major infrastructure projects.
Born 1948 (age 78)·Premier of British Columbia from 2001 to 2011·Birthday: January 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Gordon Campbell's political journey began in the civic arena, where he served as Vancouver's mayor for three terms, steering the city through a period of growth and the 1986 World's Fair. His transition to provincial politics was less smooth, facing initial defeat before leading the BC Liberals to a landslide victory in 2001. As Premier, he governed with a business-oriented zeal, implementing a sharp income tax cut and championing the 2010 Winter Olympics. His tenure was defined by bold, divisive moves: introducing a harmonized sales tax that sparked public fury, and signing treaties with First Nations at an unprecedented pace. Campbell's legacy is a complex tapestry of economic restructuring, strained public trust, and a physical transformation of the province that continues to influence its trajectory.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Gordon was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gordon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Gordon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 34th Premier of British Columbia for a decade, from 2001 to 2011.
- Successfully led the bid and oversaw preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
- Implemented the first modern-day treaties with First Nations in British Columbia's history.
- Served as the 35th Mayor of Vancouver, presiding over the city during Expo 86.
Did You Know?
He worked as a high school teacher before entering politics.
After his premiership, he served as Canada's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
He is an avid sailor and has participated in long-distance ocean races.
He earned a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.
“A strong economy is the foundation for everything else we want to achieve.”
