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Robert LaFrance
the victoria star

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Speak Up

PERTH-ANDOVER - The students of Middle School got a surprise last Friday afternoon when New Brunswick's newly appointed Lieutenant-Governor Graydon Nicholas arrived for a visit and an inspirational talk with the students who gathered in the gym. He had had a scheduled appearance at 7 p.m. in Edmundston and decided to visit PAMS as well as Mah-Sos School on the way.

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Robert LaFrance/the victoria star

Lt.-Gov. Graydon Nicholas paid a surprise visit to Perth-Andover Middle School Friday afternoon and was a big hit with the youngsters, who weren’t shy about asking him questions about his life and career. Here PAMS student Ocean Adair asks about being a judge.

"It is my privilege to welcome the Honourable Graydon Nicholas to our school," said Jessica Sappier-Dube, school intervention worker. She outlined some facts about his career - his growing up in Tobique, the degree in sscience from St. Francis Xavier University, his bachelor of law degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1971, his law career, and more than 18 years as a Provincial Court judge.

"I started school in my own community in grade one," he began, "and I tell people now that I liked grade one so much that I decided to take it a second year."

He said that he had a problem with learning English because he hadn't spoken it before.

He went on to outline his distinguished career since then. He attended Perth High School and graduated from that school in 1964.

"The big challenge at the time was getting out of school," he told the students who were paying close attention. "I remember my mother saying, 'Graydon, what do you want to do? Do you want to go to university or do you want to pick potatoes?' So I decided to go to university in Nova Scotia. I studied math and science and graduated in 1968. I wanted to teach at Southern Victoria High School at the time, but that didn't work out, so I ended up going to law school.

"After I graduated from UNB Law School in 1971 I moved to Grand Falls where I practised law with Ted Duffie." He said he went on to study social work and received a degree in that field in 1974. He worked in Manitoba until, at his brother's suggestion, he returned to New Brunswick in the 1970s. His several careers continued until 1971 when he was named a judge, and that continued until Sept. 10 when he received a phone call from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who offered him the job of lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, the Queen's representative here.

One of the few stipulations for his taking the position was that he was asked to promise he would not take another job once his 5-year term was up.

"I said I would not take another job when I am 58 years old," Nicholas, now 53, asserted. "I said there'll be no problem there. I don't want to work any more after that."

The lieutenant-governor said that in his first month on the job he has done a lot of travelling.

"I try to visit schools, senior citizens' homes, besides all the other things I have to do." He said when he was in schools he often had some advice for the students.

"Number one is go to school," he said. "When I was your age, our community at the time was kind of isolated and then when we students were bused downtown, it was a totally new experience for me, to go to school with other people who were not from my community. It was a big change for me, but I enjoyed it. How many students are in your school? When I graduated from Perth High in 1964, there were 11 of us. If it wasn't for me, there wouldn't have been a top 10," he joked.

He went on to relate some anecdotes about his career as a judge, such as his first court day, which was in Perth-Andover. While he was waiting to go up to the courtroom, a man also waiting spoke to him and said he had to face the court that day on a minor charge and he said: "I wonder which joker is going to come and sit as a judge".

Mr. Nicholas finished his talk with questions from the students, but first he had some advice for them.

"If you're struggling with your studies, just work hard," he said. "You're looking at a guy who had to work very hard, because marks didn't come easy for me. I had to work hard, but I had to deal with a lot of other things and that's the most difficult thing to do as a young person. Sometimes you have to say no to your friends and do your homework. Sometimes you have to stay home and get your assignment done and sometimes you have to stay after school and get extra help.

"Try to volunteer," he continued. "If you have a friend who's struggling with his school work and you're good in that subject you should help that other person. When you do that, you learn that much more yourself and you learn about helping others."