View source for Katrine Conroy

{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1957)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Katrine Conroy.jpg
| honorific-prefix = 
| name = Katrine Conroy
| honorific-suffix = 
| caption =
| birth_date   = {{Birth based on age as of date|46|2004|10|5}}<ref>Wife of former MLA seeking nomination: [Final Edition]
Skye, Kate. Trail Times; Trail, B.C. [Trail, B.C]05 Oct 2004: 1 / Front.</ref>
| birth_name   = Katrine Thor-Larsen<ref name="EdConroyObit"/>
| birth_place  = [[Powell River, British Columbia]]<ref>Conroy name back on the ballot: Katrine Conroy -- wife of former West Kootenay-Boundary MLA Ed Conroy -- will get nod for NDP: [Final Edition]
Skye, Kate. Nelson Daily News [Nelson, B.C] 09 Feb 2005: 3.</ref>
| residence    = [[West Kootenay-Boundary|Pass Creek, British Columbia]], Canada
| office       = Minister of Finance of [[British Columbia]]
| term_start   = December 7, 2022
| term_end     = November 18, 2024
| premier      = [[David Eby]]
| predecessor  = [[Selina Robinson]]
| successor    = [[Brenda Bailey]]
| office1      = Minister of Forests of [[British Columbia]]
| term_start1  = November 26, 2020
| term_end1    = December 7, 2022
| premier1     = [[John Horgan]]<br>[[David Eby]]
| predecessor1 = [[Doug Donaldson]]
| successor1   = [[Bruce Ralston]]
| office2      = Minister of Children and Family Development of [[British Columbia]]
| term_start2  = July 18, 2017
| term_end2    = November 26, 2020
| premier2     = [[John Horgan]]
| predecessor2 = [[Stephanie Cadieux]]
| successor2   = [[Mitzi Dean]]
| assembly3    = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM3 = [[Kootenay West (provincial electoral district)|Kootenay West]]<br /><small>[[West Kootenay-Boundary]] (2005-2009)</small>
| term_start3 = May 17, 2005
| term_end3 = September 21, 2024
| predecessor3 = [[Sandy Santori]]
| successor3 = 
| party = [[British Columbia New Democratic Party|New Democrat]]  
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Ed Conroy (politician)|Ed Conroy]]|1981|2020|end=died}}
| children  = 4
| occupation = rancher
}}

'''Katrine Conroy'''  (''{{nee}}'' '''Thor-Larsen'''; born 1957) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] politician who was elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]] in the [[2005 British Columbia general election|2005 provincial election]] and served until 2024. She represented the electoral district of [[Kootenay West (provincial electoral district)|Kootenay West]] as a member of the [[British Columbia New Democratic Party]] (BC NDP). She served in the cabinet of [[British Columbia]] from 2017 until 2024, most recently  as Minister of Finance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Katrine Conroy named B.C.'s Finance Minister, 8 new members of David Eby's cabinet {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9330737/b-c-premier-david-eby-set-to-swear-in-new-cabinet-on-wednesday-morning/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Background==
Conroy was born to Ben and Ingeborg Thor-Larsen, who were Danish immigrants to Canada.<ref name="Selkirk">{{cite web |title=An Intimate Knowledge of the Power of Post-Secondary |url=https://selkirk.ca/news/intimate-knowledge-power-post-secondary |publisher=[[Selkirk College]] |access-date=19 November 2020 |language=en |date=25 June 2018}}</ref> The family settled in the [[West Kootenay]] in 1962, with Katrine graduating from [[Castlegar, British Columbia|Castlegar]]'s [[Stanley Humphries Secondary School]] in 1975, before finding work as a power engineer at the local pulp mill.<ref name="Selkirk"/><ref name="TT190414">{{Cite web|title=The ECE who became a B.C. minister|url=https://www.trailtimes.ca/news/the-ece-who-became-a-b-c-minister/|access-date=2023-01-27|publisher=Trail Times|date=2019-04-14|language=en}}</ref> She completed the early childhood education program at [[Selkirk College]], then worked at local daycares before eventually becoming executive director of the Kootenay Columbia Childcare Society.<ref name="Selkirk"/><ref name="TT190414"/> In 1997 she returned to Selkirk College as a part-time instructor.<ref name="Selkirk"/><ref name="BCLeg42">{{cite web |title=MLA: Hon. Katrine Conroy |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members/42nd-Parliament/Conroy-Katrine |website=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |access-date=2023-01-27}}</ref>

She was married to [[Ed Conroy (politician)|Ed Conroy]], a former [[Member of the Legislative Assembly]] (MLA) for the district of [[Rossland-Trail]], from March 1981 until his death on June 26, 2020, at the age of 73.<ref name="EdConroyObit">{{cite web |title=OBIT: Honour local icon Ed Conroy by registering as an organ donour |url=http://castlegarsource.com/news/obit-honour-local-icon-ed-conroy-registering-organ-donour |website=The Castlegar Source |access-date=19 November 2020 |language=en |date=6 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ed Conroy, former B.C. cabinet minister, dies at 73|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7118333/ed-conroy-death/|access-date=2020-07-29|website=Global News|language=en}}</ref> She has 4 children.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honourable Katrine Conroy |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/children-and-family-development/biography |website=news.gov.bc.ca |access-date=19 November 2020}}</ref>

==Political career==
Conroy ran as the NDP candidate for the riding of [[West Kootenay-Boundary]] in the [[2005 British Columbia general election|2005 provincial election]], winning the seat by 7,138 votes.<ref name="CBC2013">{{Cite web|title=Kootenay West|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kootenay-west-1.1344908|access-date=2023-01-27|website=CBC News|date=2013-04-29|language=en}}</ref> She was subsequently named [[Whip (politics)|caucus whip]] for the NDP in June 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BC NDP Appoint Critics|url=https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/10250/BC-NDP-Appoint-Critics|access-date=2023-01-27|website=Castanet|date=2005-06-22|language=en}}</ref> In the [[2009 British Columbia general election|2009 election]] she ran in the riding of [[Kootenay West (provincial electoral district)|Kootenay West]], winning by a margin of 8,054 votes;<ref name="CBC2013"/> she was re-elected in that riding in the [[2013 British Columbia general election|2013]], [[2017 British Columbia general election|2017]] and [[2020 British Columbia general election|2020]] elections. While the NDP was in opposition, Conroy served as critic in several portfolios, including Seniors, Interior Economic Development, and Labour.<ref name="BCLeg42"/>

Following NDP leader [[Carole James]]'s dismissal of MLA [[Bob Simpson (British Columbia politician)|Bob Simpson]] from party caucus, Conroy resigned from her position as opposition caucus whip on November 19, 2010.<ref name="cbc_resign">{{cite news|title=B.C. NDP caucus whip Katrina Conroy resigns|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-ndp-caucus-whip-katrine-conroy-resigns-1.945291|work=CBC.ca|access-date=1 June 2018|date=19 November 2010}}</ref><ref name="whipwinnipeg">{{cite news|title=Another blow to NDP leader, as caucus whip announces she's quitting her post|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/another-blow-to-ndp-leader-as-caucus-whip-announces-shes-quitting-her-post-109276969.html|access-date=19 November 2010|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=19 November 2010}}</ref>

With the NDP coming to power as a minority government following the 2017 election, Conroy was appointed Minister of Children and Family Development under [[Premier of British Columbia|Premier]] [[John Horgan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-07-18 |title=B.C.'s new NDP government sworn into office |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-s-new-ndp-government-sworn-into-office-1.4211129 |access-date=2022-12-15 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |first1=Richard |last1=Zussman |first2=Justin |last2=McElroy |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |date=2017-07-18 |title=Premier John Horgan announces new cabinet to build a better B.C. |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017PREM0061-001322 |access-date=2022-12-15 |publisher=Office of the Premier of British Columbia |language=en}}</ref> Following her re-election in [[2020 British Columbia general election|2020]], she was appointed Minister of Forests in the [[Horgan ministry]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-cabinet-announcement-1.5816947 |title=New faces join B.C.'s new cabinet, while stalwarts stay on in key roles |publisher=[[CBC News]] |first1=Bethany |last1=Lindsay |date=2020-11-26 |accessdate=2022-04-24 }}</ref> On December 7, 2022 she was appointed Minister of Finance by Premier [[David Eby]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=B.C. Premier David Eby unveils new cabinet with Niki Sharma, Katrine Conroy and Ravi Kahlon in top posts |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/politics/bc-premier-david-eby-new-cabinet |access-date=2022-12-07 |newspaper=[[Vancouver Sun]] |language=en-CA}}</ref> On May 10, 2024, she announced she would not be seeking reelection to the Legislature.

==Electoral record==
{{British Columbia provincial election, 2020/Kootenay West}}
{{British Columbia provincial election, 2017/Kootenay West}}
{{British Columbia provincial election, 2013/Kootenay West}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Katrine Conroy}}
* [http://www.leg.bc.ca/MLA/38thParl/conroy.htm Katrine Conroy]

{{s-start}}
{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=David_Eby}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1preceded = [[Selina Robinson]]
| post1         = Minister of Finance
| post1years    = December 7, 2022 – 
| post1note     = 
| post1followed = Incumbent
}}
{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=John_Horgan}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1preceded = [[Doug Donaldson]]
| post1         = Minister of Forests
| post1years    = November 26, 2020 – December 7, 2022
| post1note     = 
| post1followed = [[Bruce Ralston]]
| post2preceded = [[Stephanie Cadieux]]
| post2         = Minister of Children and Family Development
| post2years    = July 18, 2017 – November 26, 2020
| post2note     = 
| post2followed = [[Mitzi Dean]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Eby ministry}}
{{Horgan Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conroy, Katrine}}
[[Category:British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs]]
[[Category:Canadian ranchers]]
[[Category:Female finance ministers]]
[[Category:Women government ministers of Canada]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:Women MLAs in British Columbia]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:Spouses of Canadian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]]