Romeo Leblanc: A great Canadian

A long-time Liberal, a stellar (and our first Acadian) Governor General, and above all, a great Canadian, Romeo Leblanc was a good man, and he will be missed.

I know my thoughts, and the thoughts of many, are with his son Dominic and their family today.

Romeo LeBlanc, Canada's first Acadian governor general, dies

By THE CANADIAN PRESS – 42 minutes ago

OTTAWA — Romeo LeBlanc, the first Acadian to be appointed governor general of Canada and a central figure in the Liberal party for more than two decades, has died after a lengthy illness.

Born in the tiny farming community of Memramcook in southeastern New Brunswick, LeBlanc worked as a teacher and then as a journalist before moving to the political arena.

He became an important player in the federal Liberal party, serving as press secretary to former Liberal prime ministers Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, before being elected as a New Brunswick MP in 1972. As federal fisheries minister in the Trudeau cabinet, he was called the "fishermen's minister." He was also instrumental in establishing Canada's 200-mile offshore economic zone and helped shape the International Law of the Sea.

LeBlanc became a Senator in 1984, was appointed Speaker of the Senate in 1993 and became governor general in 1995.

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