Father of Confederation William Steeves was born on this date, in 1814, at Hillsborough, New Brunswick.  Steeves went on to become a highly successful businessman (including in N.B.'s emerging lumber industry) before entering colonial politics.Between 1846 until 1865 Steeves held a variety of important portfolios in various cabinets. Along the way he became a firm supporter of Confederation and attended both the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences that did so much to craft what would become the Dominion of Canada.  In 1867 he was appointed to the Senate and served there with distinction until his death in 1873.Besides working to bring New Brunswick into Confederation, Steeves is also known for his championing of the cause of mental health reform and the better treatment of the mentally ill confined to institutions. You can read more about his life and career at his entry at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.[caption id="attachment_619325" align="alignleft" width="200"] William Steeves[/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.