One of the most significant New Brunswick Premiers of the modern era was born on this date in 1931. He would go on to serve a commanding 17 years – from 1970 to 1987 --in his province’s top political job, holding the premiership until it was finally wrestled from his hands by Frank McKenna and his New Brunswick Liberals.
Nationally, Hatfield is best remembered for his crucial role – where he was joined by Ontario’s Bill Davis – in partnering with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the patriation of the Constitution from the UK in 1981-1982. After his defeat, Hatfield was summoned to the Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and served there until his death in 1991.
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.