Gordon Fairweather

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Gordon Lee Fairweather, OC, ONB, (born March 27, 1923) is a lawyer and retired Canadian politician.

He was born in Rothesay, New Brunswick, the son of J.H.A.L. Fairweather and Agnes C. Mackee. Fairweather was educated at Rothesay Collegiate, the University of New Brunswick and went on to study law at Osgoode Hall. He served as lieutenant commander in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War II. In 1946, he married Nancy Elizabeth Broughall. He was called to the bar in 1949 and entered the practice of law in Saint John. In 1958, he was named Queen's Counsel.

From 1952 to 1962, he represented King's County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and from 1958 to 1960 he was the Attorney General.

In 1962, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative candidate for the New Brunswick riding of Royal. He was re-elected in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1972, and 1974.

From 1977 to 1987, he was appointed the first chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. From 1989 to 1992, he was chairman of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for notable services to his country". [1] In 2005, he was awarded the Order of New Brunswick.

His cousin Elsie Wayne was also a member of the House of Commons and served as acting leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party during 1998.