Today in Canada’s Political History: Bernard Lord elected Premier of NB

It was a big day in New Brunswick history with the election of Bernard Lord and his Tories on June 7, 1999. Theirs’ would be the first PC government since the legendary Richard Hatfield held office in the 1970s and 1980s. Lord, 33 when he was sworn-in, making him one of the youngest First Ministers in Canadian history, earned a substantial majority mandate. Later, in 2003, he and his team were returned to power, with a smaller majority. Premier Lord would remain in office until 2006, when he was defeated by the New Brunswick Liberals.Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist.  He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy.  A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.