John Williston "Bud" Bird, PC OC ONB (born March 22, 1932 in Fredericton, New Brunswick) is a Canadian businessman who is a former mayor of the city of Fredericton, a Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, and a Progressive Conservative Party of Canada member of the House of Commons of Canada.

Business career

In 1958, he founded J. W. Bird and Company Limited, suppliers to the construction industry. In 1975, he acquired William Stairs Son & Morrow Ltd. of Halifax, Nova Scotia, becoming Bird Stairs Limited. The business was sold to employees and today he operates Bird Holdings Ltd. And is majority shareholder of Sunpoke Energy Systems Ltd.

Political offices

Bud Bird served as Mayor of Fredericton from 1969 to 1974. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in 1978 and served as in the government of Richard Hatfield as Minister of Natural Resources from November 21, 1978 until he resigned from the Legislature on June 10, 1982.

Bird ran in the November 21, 1988 Federal election, winning a seat in the 34th Canadian Parliament for the Fredericton riding. He was defeated in the 1993 election.

A sport fisherman and conservationist, Bird is Chairman Emeritus of the Miramichi Salmon Association and has been a Director of both the Atlantic Salmon Federation of Canada and Atlantic Salmon Federation of the United States.

In 2001, Bird was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Electoral history

Doreen Fraser was nominated as a Confederation of Regions candidate, but was listed as an Independent because that party did not run enough candidates to be officially recognized.