Edward Barron Chandler

Edward Barron Chandler spent much of the time at the Quebec Confederation conference in 1864 arguing with Sir John A. Macdonald over what Chandler thought was threatened loss of provincial rights. Others continue the same dispute, even today.

Chandler was born in Amherst, N.S. on Aug. 22, 1800 and received his early education there. As a young man he moved to New Brunswick to study law. Four years after being called to the New Brunswick bar in 1823 he entered politics and was elected to the New Brunswick House of Assembly representing Westmoreland. He stayed in the assembly until 1836, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council. There he stayed until 1878. He was one of the earliest proponents of a railroad linking British colonies in North America and eventually saw his hopes realized in the form of the International Railway.

In 1868, Chandler became commissioner of the railroad, but not before the job had been rejected by his fellow Father of Confederation, Dr. (later Sir) Charles Tupper. Chandler, who had been present at all three Confederation conferences in Charlottetown, Quebec and London, had also rejected a seat in the Canadian Senate in 1867. He kept his railroad job until 1878 when he followed Sir Leonard Tilley as lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, a post he kept until his death in Fredericton, Feb 6, 1880.