1 David Laird Quotes

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"David Laird", Queen's Privy Council for Canada/PC born in New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island into a Presbyterian family noted for its civic activism. His father Alexander had been a long time Reformer and Liberal MLA. David became a Liberal MLA for Belfast. He also established and edited the Patriot.

After initially opposing confederation, he led in the talks by which Prince Edward Island became a province of Canada. He became a Liberal member of the Canadian parliament in the government of Alexander Mackenzie. He served as Minister of the Interior and guided the passage of the Indian Act into Canadian law. He was the first resident List of lieutenant governors of the Northwest Territories/Lieutenant Governor of Northwest Territories, Canada. He was the fifth Lieutenant Governor in charge of the territory. He negotiated several aboriginal treaties. Even though David Laird adopted the paternalistic views of his time in working with aboriginals, colleagues noted his consistent hard work, reliability and honesty in his dealings as a federal official. The aboriginals respected him as a man "who did not speak with a forked tongue."