Charles Van Horne
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Joseph Charles Van Horne (January 3, 1921 - August 27, 2003), also known as J.C. or Charlie, was a politician in New Brunswick, Canada, and the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick between 1966 and 1967.
A hotel owner in the Campbellton area, Van Horne ran for the federal Progressive Conservatives in the riding of Restigouche-Madawaska in a 1955 by-election following the death of Liberal Member of Parliament Joseph Boucher. Van Horne won the election, breaking a 22-year Liberal hold on the riding.
While in Parliament, Van Horne successfully lobbied the federal and provincial governments to build a bridge between Campbellton and Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec. The bridge opened in 1962 and is currently named for him. Van Horne left Parliament in 1961 amidst a personal financial scandal.
In 1966, after the resignation of Cy Sherwood, Van Horne successfully ran for leader of the provincial PC Party. His campaign against Liberal Premier Louis Robichaud in the 1967 provincial election is considered one of the most flamboyant and extravagant in New Brunswick history. Traversing the province in a Cadillac, wearing a cowboy hat, and with Don Messer providing entertainment at each stop, Van Horne frequently attacked Robichaud's mixed Acadian and First Nations heritage, saying "these half-breeds shouldn't drink liquor". Critics also accused Van Horne of being too vague on his promises. Robichaud was re-elected, and Van Horne resigned as leader.
Van Horne continued as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, serving as Minister of Tourism in the Cabinet of Richard Hatfield between 1970 and 1972, before he left politics in 1974.
[edit] Sources
- Journal of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, December 9, 2003
- "Ethnicity and Accommodation in the New Brunswick party system" by William Cross and Ian Stewart. Journal of Canadian Studies, Winter 2002.
- Louis J. Robichaud: A Not So Quiet Revolution by Michel Cormier, translated by Johnathan Kaplansky. Faye Editions, 2004.
- The Right Fight: Bernard Lord and the Conservative Dilemma by Jacques Poitras. Goose Lane Editions, 2004.
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| Preceded by Cy Sherwood |
Leader of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party 1966-1967 |
Succeeded by Richard Hatfield |
| Preceded by Joseph Boucher |
Member of Parliament for Restigouche-Madawaska 1955-1961 |
Succeeded by Edgar Fournier |
