Lord, Bernard

ENCAENIA, MAY, 2001
THE HONOURABLE BERNARD LORD
to be Doctor of Laws

It is a tradition at the University of New Brunswick to honour the premier of the province. It is our pleasure today to recognize New Brunswick's thirtieth premier, and to welcome The Honourable Bernard Lord to our campus.

Premier Lord's rise in politics could be compared with the speed of light. He joined the Progressive Conservative Party in 1995. In 1997 he became its leader. In 1998 he won election to the legislature, defying tradition by winning in what was always considered the Liberal stronghold of Moncton East. In the general election of June 1999, he was swept into office, along with 43 other candidates of his party. And in doing so, they set records by winning the largest number of seats ever held by their party, with the youngest premier-elect in the province's history.

This striking electoral achievement was in no small measure due to the leadership skills of Premier Lord. He was born into a bilingual family, and he learned both official languages as "first languages," so to speak. As he grew up in the Moncton area, he was always a leader. He graduated from Mathieu-Martin High School in Moncton, and then entered the Université de Moncton where he served for three terms as president of the student federation. He graduated with a major in economics, and then completed the program in law. He broadened his horizons during these years by traveling extensively in Canada, the United States, and Russia. In 1990, he married Diane Haché from Shippagan, and they settled down in Moncton where they had two children and he established his practice of law. Little did they realize how quickly their lives would change, and how soon he would be propelled into the province's top job. After his electoral sweep in 1999, Time Magazine said he had "a diplomat's pragmatic touch," and named him one of their 25 youthful achievers who would provide leadership in the 21st century.

The premiership of this small province has been a challenge to all who have held the office. Leaders of whatever political stripe have wrestled with the need to create economic opportunities, to expand employment and workers' take-home pay, and to provide services comparable to those found elsewhere in Canada. They have been aided in the task by a patient, relatively undemanding, and largely tolerant and caring population. However they have voted, New Brunswickers have wanted their governments to succeed. Without question, Premier Lord today enjoys the support and best wishes of the vast majority of the people of this province. Upon his success rests the future of us all.

But to paraphrase John F. Kennedy, we may well consider not only what the province can do for us, but what we can do for the province. The University of New Brunswick, chartered more than two hundred years ago to serve the province and its youth, and rechartered in 1860 as the provincial university, is ready to do its share. Our Vice-President Academic, Dr. John McLaughlin, has reminded us only recently that our province and our university can and should strengthen the bands of our common endeavour: to stimulate research that will contribute to economic growth, to expand the educational opportunities of our youth, and to help New Brunswick become a true centre of excellence in those fields in which there is already a strong foundation.

In honouring Premier Lord today the University of New Brunswick offers its hand to him in partnership. We want him to succeed. We want to help him succeed. Working together, the Province and the University can build on New Brunswick's obvious strengths, not only in its resource-based industries, but also in its vibrant and growing knowledge-based sector. Premier Lord, in welcoming you to our circle of graduates, we at UNB acknowledge our shared responsibility to use our minds and talents to make New Brunswick a better place. May our partnership flourish.

From: Honoris Causa - UA Case 70, Box 3