As always at “Art’s History,” we make note of the maiden addresses in the House of all 23 of our Prime Ministers. And today, it is Sir John Abbott’s turn. A past Mayor of Montreal, Abbott would go on to become our nation’s third Prime Minister – and the first native-born Canadian to hold the office – upon the death of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1891. To read Sir John Abbott’s maiden address click here.
As a bonus for today, we can also celebrate important anniversaries in the lives and careers of two other Prime Ministers:
Signed print of portrait of Rt. Hon. Paul Martin./caption
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.
- It was on this date in 1944 that Prime Minister King made history, becoming our first PM to address the storied UK Parliament. (Prime Minister Stephen Harper would follow King to that same podium decades later). Here is some video of Mr. King’s address that historic day. You know you are having a good day as a Canadian PM when none other than Winston Churchill introduces you ahead of your speech!
- And, it was on this date in 2016 that Prime Minister Paul Martin’s official portrait was unveiled on Parliament Hill. So happy anniversary to all three of these Prime Ministers!
Signed print of portrait of Rt. Hon. Paul Martin./caption
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.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.