22 Facts About Bernard Lord

Bernard Lord served as the 30th premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006.

Bernard Lord was born in Roberval, Quebec, the youngest of four children of Marie-Emilie, a former teacher, and Ralph Frank Bernard Lord, a pilot.

Bernard Lord's father was anglophone and his mother was francophone, and he was raised in a bilingual household in Moncton, New Brunswick, where he spent the rest of his early life.

Bernard Lord married his wife Diane in 1990; they have two children.

One of his brothers, Roger Bernard Lord, is an internationally acclaimed concert pianist.

In 1997, Bernard Lord was elected leader of the PC Party of New Brunswick and then became the MLA for the district of Moncton East in a 1998 by-election.

Much of Bernard Lord's success came from the countless months he spent meeting party members across New Brunswick, and in part because he was flawlessly bilingual and able to draw a strong concentration of support in the Moncton area, one of four cities in which members could vote.

Bernard Lord defeated Norman Betts, who was the perceived frontrunner, as well as Margaret-Ann Blaney, who, with Betts, would go on to serve in Bernard Lord's cabinet and Cleveland Allaby.

At just 33 years of age, Bernard Lord became one of the youngest Premiers in Canadian history.

In 2002, Bernard Lord delivered what the media and others hailed as an electrifying speech at the national Progressive Conservative Party of Canada convention in Edmonton, Alberta, which started speculation that he might run for a job in federal politics, specifically, replacing Joe Clark as federal PC leader.

Bernard Lord was again courted for federal politics in late 2003, when the PC Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance merged into the Conservative Party of Canada.

In 2004, Bernard Lord's government came under fire over a variety of unpopular stances, most notably changes to health care.

The Liberals, under leader Shawn Graham, led in public opinion polls as of the summer of 2004 and maintained that lead; however, Bernard Lord remained the most favoured Leader to be Premier of New Brunswick for a time.

Bernard Lord decided that instead of a by-election deciding the fate of his government, he would let the people choose.

Some observers saw Bernard Lord's election call as a bold move considering his popularity numbers had only recently started to surpass the Liberal Leader.

On December 13,2006, Bernard Lord announced that he was resigning as PC leader, further he said he would resign his legislative seat in Moncton East on January 31,2007.

Bernard Lord reviewed Canada's Official Language Laws, and he made suggestions where improvements can be made.

In December 2007, Bernard Lord was named as the president of the 2009 CHL Memorial Cup selection-committee.

In October 2008, it was announced that Bernard Lord would be appointed as president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, a lobbyist group that represents cellular, messaging, mobile radio, fixed wireless and mobile satellite carriers, as well as companies that develop and produce products and services for the industry.

Bernard Lord was named in 2013 to the board of Ontario's public utility provider, Ontario Power Generation, and he was appointed as board chair in March 2014 by the government of Kathleen Wynne.

Bernard Lord was tasked with cutting expenses after an auditor's report that came out late in the term of his predecessor, Jake Epp, criticized the agency for cost overruns and excessive executive wages and bonuses.

On June 15,2016, Bernard Lord was named as the Chief Executive Officer of Medavie Blue Cross effective September 1,2016.