Graydon Nicholas is the first Indigenous person to hold the office, the first to be appointed as a provincial court judge, and the first in Atlantic Canada to obtain a law degree.
10 Facts About Graydon Nicholas
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Graydon Nicholas was born into a Maliseet family on the Tobique First Nations Reserve.
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Graydon Nicholas earned a Bachelor of Science degree from St Francis Xavier University and, in 1971, a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of New Brunswick.
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Graydon Nicholas was the first First Nations person in Atlantic Canada to earn a law degree.
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Graydon Nicholas obtained a Master of Social Work degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1974.
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Graydon Nicholas was appointed as a provincial court judge in 1991, but not the first aboriginal to be selected for the position in Atlantic Canada.
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Graydon Nicholas has worked for justice for First Nations and other peoples, particularly in the area of logging rights.
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In September 2009, Graydon Nicholas was appointed as the next Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, on the suggestion of Premier Shawn Graham with support from the opposition.
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Graydon Nicholas was the first Aboriginal named to this position.
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Graydon Nicholas succeeded Hermenegilde Chiasson, the poet and philosopher, on September 30,2009.