Jev Tothill

Jev Tothill
Leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party
In office
1979–1981
Preceded by Gordon Gibson
Succeeded by Shirley McLoughlin
Personal details
Nationality Canadian
Political party Liberal Party of Canada, British Columbia Liberal Party
Residence Duncan, British Columbia
Occupation teacher

Jevington Blair (Jev) Tothill is a former Canadian politician, who was the leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party from 1979 to 1981.

Prior to his political career, Tothill was a high school teacher in the Cowichan Valley region of Vancouver Island who was locally known for creating a local community television service,[1] and was an unsuccessful candidate for the party in the electoral district of Cowichan-Malahat in the 1975 provincial election.

He won the leadership at the party's leadership convention on February 19, 1979.[2] His predecessor, Gordon Gibson, had held the party's only seat in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia at the time of his resignation, leaving the party without legislative representation. Tothill soon announced plans to run as the party's candidate in a pending by-election in North Vancouver-Seymour,[3] although that by-election was cancelled by the issuance of writs for the 1979 election. In that election, the only one under Tothill's leadership, the Liberals ran just five candidates provincewide and were entirely shut out of the legislature for the first time in their history.[4]

Tothill resigned as leader in late 1980, and was succeeded by Shirley McLoughlin at the party's 1981 leadership convention.

References

  1. "Faught fights to bring TV to the masses". Cowichan News Leader Pictorial, October 20, 2012.
  2. "High school teacher heads B.C. Liberals". The Globe and Mail, February 19, 1979.
  3. "Tothill seeks seat for by-election". The Globe and Mail, March 21, 1979.
  4. "Socreds retain power in B.C. in a close race". The Globe and Mail, May 11, 1979.