The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, on Aug. 18, announced the renaming of the Greater Moncton International Airport to the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport. The new name proclaimed today is effective immediately.
The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc was the 25th Governor General of Canada from 1995-1999 and both the first Acadian, and Atlantic Canadian to hold this office. During his mandate, he shared with Canadians causes that were important to him, bringing more attention to voluntarism, the teaching of Canadian history, Aboriginal peoples, and peacekeeping and the military. Born in Memramcook, New Brunswick, Mr. LeBlanc spent nine years as a teacher and developed strong beliefs about the important role that educators play in our society.
In 1960, Mr. LeBlanc turned to journalism, working as a correspondent for Radio-Canada which led him to serve as Press Secretary to Prime Ministers Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Mr. LeBlanc was elected to the House of Commons in 1972, representing the riding of Westmorland-Kent (New Brunswick) and was a cabinet minister from 1974 to 1979 and 1980 to 1984. Mr. LeBlanc became a Senator in 1984 and was appointed Speaker of the Senate in 1993.
