30 Facts About Allister Surette

Allister Wilbert Surette was born on September 21,1961 and is a Canadian politician who has served as a senator from Nova Scotia since December 2024.

Allister Surette was the President and Vice-Chancellor of Universite Sainte-Anne from 2011 to 2024 and previously represented the electoral district of Argyle in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 1998 as a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.

Allister Surette graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Education from Saint Mary's University in 1984.

Allister Surette entered provincial politics in the 1993 election, defeating Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Neil LeBlanc in the Argyle riding.

Allister Surette served as Deputy Government House Leader prior to serving as the Special Policy Advisor on Acadian and Francophone governance for the public school system, in the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Human Resources, Minister in charge of the Youth Secretariat and the Office of Acadian Affairs, and Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs.

In 2003, Allister Surette became vice-president of Development and Partnerships of Universite Sainte-Anne.

In December 2003, Allister Surette was appointed facilitator by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to lead discussions between herring fishers from Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and their respective provincial governments to seek solutions to the conflict in the herring fishery in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence.

In March 2006, Allister Surette was appointed by the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to facilitate an independent process to resolve a dispute between fishers from Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands regarding lobster fishing on MacLeod's Ledge.

In November 2010, Allister Surette was named president and Vice-Chancellor of Universite Sainte-Anne.

Allister Surette took office as president on July 1,2011.

In October 2019, Allister Surette was appointed Chair of the Association of Atlantic Universities, an advocacy organization working on behalf of the region's 16 universities.

Allister Surette ended his mandate as President and Vice-Chancellor of Sainte-Anne prematurely, on 30 June 2024.

Allister Surette's resignation was publicly announced on 20 November 2023.

From 1999 to 2003, Allister Surette was a member of the Board of Trustees of du Reseau des cegeps et colleges francophones du Canada, serving as chair from September 2000 to November 2002.

In December 1999, Allister Surette was elected chairman of the executive committee for the 2004 Acadian World Congress.

Allister Surette had previously served as President of the organizing committee and then served as chairman of the board of directors.

In November 2000, Allister Surette was appointed to a provincial advisory committee created help meet the needs of the Acadian community.

From 2007 to 2018, Allister Surette served as a member of the board of directors for Assumption Life.

In May 2011, Allister Surette was appointed as a member of the board of trustees for the Voluntary Sector Professional Capacity Trust, a trust to support developing human resource policies, business planning and assessing the needs of an organization.

In July 2012, Allister Surette was one of three members appointed to serve on an expert panel reviewing the Regional Development Authority model.

In February 2014, Allister Surette was appointed to the inaugural Board of Directors of the Western Regional Enterprise Network.

In May 2014, Allister Surette was appointed transition co-ordinator to oversee the dissolution of the town of Bridgetown into the Municipality of the County of Annapolis.

In December 2018, Allister Surette was appointed to the inaugural Board of Directors of Research Nova Scotia.

In December 2019, Allister Surette was appointed chair of the organizing committee for the 2024 Acadian World Congress.

In October 2020, Allister Surette was named the Federal Special Representative, a neutral third-party whose responsibility was to communicate with and rebuild trust between commercial and Indigenous fishers in Southwestern Nova Scotia.

In March 2021, Allister Surette released his Final Report as Federal Special Representative.

In 2004, Allister Surette was awarded the Prix du Pere Leger Comeau.

In October 2008, Allister Surette was awarded the Order of La Pleiade which recognizes parliamentarians and community leaders for outstanding work in advancing francophone causes.

In 2010, Allister Surette was made an honorary member of the Executive Council by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.

In October 2019, Allister Surette was one of seven people named to the Order of the Francophones of America which recognizes commitment to the French language and culture in the Americas.