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Sharon L. Hartwell is a Canadian politician who has been serving as member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia since 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, she represents the riding of Bulkley Valley-Stikine. She previously served as the mayor of Telkwa from 1995 to 2009.
Between then 2009 British Columbia general election and her 2023 nomination for the 2024 British Columbia general election, she lived in Alberta for eight years.
During her tenure she served as the Small Community Representative for the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) successfully lobbying for a grant process that improved the relationship between the municipalities and the provincial and federal governments.
She was also elected to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) where she participated in the Rural Forum successfully advocating for improvements to the infrastructure formula for rural communities across Canada. She also became the Vice-Chair of Transportation and Infrastructure for FCM where she oversaw airport-related matters. As Vice-Chair she also joined the Rail Safety Committee which addressed rail safety issues across Canadian communities, and the Environment Committee which explored technological solutions.
In addition to her involvement in UBCM and FCM, she has sat on the Northern Health Board for almost eight years, and has served as the chair of the North West Regional Hospital District improving healthcare delivery by initiating the Northern Health Connections Bus program to provide transportation for medical appointments, and oversaw the construction of a new hospital in Masset.
Hartwell also founded Team BC, a program celebrating small and rural communities. This program became a success with 82 participating communities, who had their unique attributes highlighted and celebrated.
Hartwell ran once again in the 2013 British Columbia general election as the BC United candidate for the Bulkley Valley-Stikine riding. She lost to NDP incumbent Doug Donaldson.
In November 2023, Hartwell was nominated as the Conservative Party of BC's candidate for Bulkley Valley-Stikine in the 2024 British Columbia general election. She went on to receive over fifty per cent of the vote, winning a seat in the BC Legislative Assembly, and upsetting NDP incumbent and cabinet minister Nathan Cullen. Hartwell currently sits in the official opposition's shadow cabinet as the Critic for Rural Communities and Rural Development.
In February 2024, Hartwell replied "Yes" to a Twitter post asking if "Democrats cheated and that President Donald Trump won the last election?" Furthermore, she has endorsed Canada's withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the United Nations.
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