John MacLennan Buchanan (April 22, 1931 – October 3, 2019) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 20th premier of Nova Scotia from 1978 to 1990 and as a member of the Senate of Canada from 1990 to 2006.
Early life and education
John Buchanan was born on April 22, 1931 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, the son of Flora Isabel Campbell and Murdoch William Buchanan. He attended secondary school at Sydney Academy, and became employed in the steel mill in Sydney following his graduation. He graduated from Mount Allison University in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Certificate in Engineering. He was re-elected to the House in the 1974 Nova Scotia general election, but the Liberals narrowly formed a minority government.
Premier of Nova Scotia
Buchanan was elected as Premier of Nova Scotia in 1978. He was re-elected in 1981, 1984 and 1988, becoming the third Premier in Nova Scotia to be elected to four consecutive terms (following George Henry Murray and Robert Stanfield), and the fourth longest serving premier in the history of the province. On April 17, 1982, Buchanan was made a member of Her Majesty's Privy Council. His biggest majority came in the 1984 election, when he led his party to victory, capturing 42 of the 52 seats in the legislature.
The Buchanan government had a focus on the development of energy and natural resources, and successfully established the first tidal power plant in North America at the Annapolis Tidal Station in 1984.
Buchanan resigned as Premier when he was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Brian Mulroney on September 12, 1990. He was succeeded by Roger Bacon as interim Premier. Buchanan's resignation was mired by scandal; in June 1990, the former deputy minister of government services Michael Zareski alleged before a legislature committee that the Buchanan government was engaging in cronyism, awarding government contracts to friends in exchange for payment.
Personal life
He married Mavis Forsyth in September 1954, and they had five children. Buchanan died on October 3, 2019, at the age of 88.