Yukon Progressive Conservative Party

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Yukon Progressive Conservative Party
Parti progressiste-conservateur du Yukon
Founded 1978 (1978)
Dissolved 1991 (1991)
Ideology Conservatism
Colours Blue
Politics of Yukon
Political parties

The Yukon Progressive Conservative Party (in French: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Yukon) was a conservative political party in Yukon, Canada. It is now known as the Yukon Party.


The Yukon Progressive Conservative Party was founded in April 1978. Long time Yukon legislator Hilda Watson was elected the party's first leader defeating Yukon MP Erik Nielsen by one vote.[1] Watson had been a member of the territorial Legislative Council since 1970, and became the first woman in Canadian history to lead a political party into a general election. However, she was unable to win a seat in the 1978 election, and consequently resigned. Chris Pearson became leader of the party as well as the government.

The Progressive Conservatives were defeated in the 1985 election by the Yukon New Democratic Party (NDP) led by Tony Penikett. With Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative federal government's increasing unpopularity, the Yukon Progressive Conservatives decided to sever their relations with the federal Conservatives, and renamed themselves the "Yukon Party" prior to the 1992 election.

Election results[edit]

Year Yukon Progressive Conservative Party Leader No. Seats  % Popular Vote Results
1978 Chris Pearson
(led by Hilda Watson during the election)
11 37.1% Majority Government
1982 Chris Pearson 10 46.9% Majority Government
1985 Willard Phelps 6 46.9% Official Opposition
1989 Willard Phelps 7 43.9% Official Opposition



See also[edit]