Speech

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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Prime Minister renames Halifax airport the Robert L. Standfield International Airport

February 9, 2007
Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Good afternoon.

Thank you Peter for that kind introduction.

It’s a great pleasure for me to be here today to honour a great man who served his province and his country so proudly and so well.

The number of dignitaries at today’s ceremony is a testament to the importance of Robert Stanfield’s career and legacy.

I’m honoured to be joined by:

the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Mayann Francis;

the province’s Premier Rodney MacDonald;

the Chair of the Airport Authority Board, Mr. Frank Matheson;

and of course, members of the Stanfield family.

Thanks to all of these people - and to all of you - for making the time to be here today.

This afternoon, we are paying tribute to someone who won the admiration of people throughout his native province, and, indeed, right across our great country.

Robert Stanfield was a man of quiet dignity, a gentleman in every sense of the word.

He inspired people, not with grand schemes or fiery rhetoric, but with his practical ideas and fundamental decency.

He connected best with people up close, in one on one situations, where they could fully appreciate the sincerity and the strength of his convictions.

Bob Stanfield decided at a relatively young age to devote his life to public service.

After the Second World War, he entered the public arena with the expressed mission of restoring competitiveness to Nova Scotia politics.

He won the leadership of the conservative party of Nova Scotia at a time when it had been frozen out of power for decades and held no seats in the provincial legislature.

Under Mr. Stanfield’s leadership, his party was transformed into a powerful force for positive change in the province, and it reached out to all Nova Scotians.

Becoming premier in 1956, he oversaw important reforms to municipal government, health care, and education.

Including public-financing of post-secondary institutions during his eleven years in office. He could have then retired, with a secure place in the history books of Nova Scotia, but Premier Stanfield felt compelled to contribute at the national level too.

To that end, he entered federal politics in 1967, serving for nine years as the leader of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition.

And although he never made it to 24 Sussex – despite coming very close, “Honest Bob” nevertheless left an indelible mark on Canadian politics.

In addition to setting the standard for dignity and civility in Parliament, he made tremendous contributions to national unity.

For example, Robert Stanfield recognized long ago that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada.

In honour of all he did for his province and his country, it gives me great pleasure to announce today that the Halifax International Airport will henceforth be known as the Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport.

The renaming is a fitting tribute to a great Nova Scotian and a great Canadian, a man who will always be recognized as one of this province’s finest leaders and, as we all know, the best Prime Minister Canada never had.

It’s also fitting that today’s tribute comes at a time of burgeoning growth and expansion at this airport.

The newly refurbished terminal building, the major improvements to passenger access, better parking facilities, and plans for a new airport hotel are all signs that the Robert Stanfield International Airport has a tremendous future as an Atlantic air travel hub, and a critical part of Canada’s national transportation infrastructure.

3.4 million air travellers passed through the airport last year, setting a new record which is projected to be broken again in 2007.

I congratulate the airport authority for their success and their careful stewardship of this vital national asset.

Thanks to their efforts, the Robert Stanfield International Airport will continue to serve as an essential gateway to Nova Scotia, Canada, and the world and a great tribute to the great man for whom it is named.

Thank you.

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The Prime Minister’s Office - Communications
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