Day 4 - 256 -- Loss of a Statesman

I woke abruptly this morning to the news -- a usual way of beginning the day, but this piece of news carried emotion. Yesterday, Canada lost one of its major statesmen, The Hon. Allan J. MacEachen. He was 96. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 1950s for his home riding of Inverness in Cape Breton -- about an hour drive from where I currently live. His political career began under St. Laurent and continued with multiple cabinet portfolios in the governments of Pearson, Trudeau and Turner. His career then continued in the Senate until he retired at 75.

Before moving to Antigonish, I knew of this man. He had been central to the writing and orchestrating of much of the nation's social safety net policies -- stemming from his strong sense of social justice. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone since he was a graduate and former economics faculty member of St. Francis Xavier University, known for its focus on equity -- the very tenets on which it was founded. It soon became clear that people knew him simply as Allan J. I soon followed suit. He had a house across from the University. I saw him yearly at the Allan J. MacEachen Annual Lecture in Politics held on campus -- a series which has included people of all political persuasions such as 4 former prime ministers, 2 former premiers, many senators (sitting and retired), and many politicians and policy analysts from across the country. It is amazing to sit in a room with a major speaker and look around to see many other well known national and regional players. I was told by a cousin when I moved here that the University was well-connected politically. He was certainly correct. <smile>

Also before moving to Nova Scotia, I understood that Allan J. was one of the key people that instituted what just might be the single policy piece that defines Canada -- the Medical Care Act. This legislation ensured medical care for all Canadians. When asked he noted this as his greatest contribution. At the time, he noted that as a nation we could not afford not to implement such legislation due to the potential negative impact on our national economy of poor health. As a health professional working with social determinants of health, these are the words of a nation's hero.

The selection for today is by a group from just north of where Allan J. was born. The lyrics seemed fitting for a farewell. Enjoy!

North Country -- The Rankin Family