2018 -- H 7579

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LC004693

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

HONORING MR. DAVID NATHAN ALWARD, CONSUL GENERAL OF CANADA TO

NEW ENGLAND, AND WELCOMING HIM TO THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Mattiello, Morgan, Morin, Casey, and Phillips

     Date Introduced: February 13, 2018

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The Honorable David Nathan Alward was born in Beverly, Massachusetts,

the son of Reverend Ford and Jean Alward. His family moved to Atlantic Canada when Mr.

Alward was a youngster, and he graduated from Nackawic Senior High School in New

Brunswick. He went on to attain a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bryan College in

Dayton, Tennessee; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Alward served the Canadian federal government as a civil servant from

1982 to 1996. From 1996 to 1999, he was self-employed as a human resource development and

community development consultant; and

     WHEREAS, In 1999, Mr. Alward was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New

Brunswick as a Progressive Conservative for the riding of Woodstock and re-elected in 2003.

Following the 2003 election, he was chosen to serve in the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture,

Fisheries and Aquaculture. Additionally, On October 18, 2008, Mr. Alward was elected as the

leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, a position he held until 2014. He also served as the

32nd Premier of New Brunswick from 2010 to 2014, where in the first year of his government

property taxes were cut for businesses, farms, rental properties and cottages. Furthermore, Mr.

Alward's administration worked diligently on job creation with a focus on creating more

economic activity in the forestry and construction sectors of the Canadian economy; and

     WHEREAS, In 2015, Mr. Alward was appointed to serve as Consul General of Canada to

New England, serving as Canada's representative in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,

Rhode Island and Vermont. He has defined his mission as one of "promoting and advancing

Canada's political and economic ties in New England, and expanding the trade and investment

relationship between the United States and Canada." Mr. Alward's office also provides consular

assistance to Canadians living or visiting New England; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Alward is also a very active member of his community. He has

volunteered his services and served as an emergency medical technician and laboratory instructor

with St. John Ambulance and as a firefighter with the Meductic Fire Department. He has also

served as a volunteer in recreational activities and student tutoring, and was a member of the

Woodstock Rotary Club in New Brunswick; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Alward and his wife, Rhonda Lynn Stairs, are the parents of two adult

sons, Jonathan and Benjamin. He and his family maintain a small family farm in Riceville, New

Brunswick, where they raise purebred Hereford cattle; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby honors Mr. David Nathan Alward, Consul General of Canada to

New England, and welcomes him to the State of Rhode Island. We look forward to working with

him to further advance and expand the mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship

between Canada and Rhode Island; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable David Nathan Alward, Canada's

Consul General to New England.

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LC004693

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