Rachel Notley
She broke a 44-year political dynasty to become Alberta's first NDP premier, reshaping the province's political landscape.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Premier of Alberta from 2015 to 2019·Birthday: April 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rachel Notley's political journey is a story of deep roots and dramatic change. The daughter of a former Alberta NDP leader, she cut her teeth as a labour lawyer before entering the legislature in 2008. Her rise to power in 2015 was a political earthquake, ending over four decades of Progressive Conservative rule and making her the province's first NDP premier. Her single term was defined by a sharp pivot on climate policy, including a carbon tax and a cap on oil sands emissions, which drew both fierce opposition and national praise. Though her government was defeated in 2019, Notley's tenure proved that Alberta's political centre of gravity could shift, and she led the official opposition for nearly a decade, cementing her party as a lasting force.
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.
Rachel was born in 1964, 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 Rachel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Rachel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
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
1969Started school
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
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Alberta NDP to a historic majority government victory in 2015, ending 44 years of Progressive Conservative rule.
- Implemented Alberta's first broad-based carbon tax and a legislated cap on oil sands emissions as part of the Climate Leadership Plan.
- Served as Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta from 2019 to 2024, establishing the NDP as the primary rival to the governing UCP.
Did You Know?
She worked as a waitress at the Chateau Lake Louise while studying for her bar admission exams.
Her father, Grant Notley, was the leader of the Alberta NDP from 1968 until his death in a plane crash in 1984.
She is a trained ballet dancer and considered pursuing dance professionally before law.
““We will not be defined by the boom and bust of the past. We will build a more diversified, more resilient economy.””
