Leaders and Legacies Canadian leaders and leadership stories
The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) presented retired Senator Michael Meighen with the T.B “Happy” Fraser Award, the organization’s highest honour recently at dinner in Toronto held in his honour. The award has been presented annually since 1975 in memory of T.B. “Happy” Fraser to an individual who has made outstanding, long-term contributions to wild Atlantic salmon conservation.
Meighen first joined ASF in 1993 as a Director, and has served as Chairman of ASF (Canada) since 2004. He helped to form the Meighen-Molson Professorship in Atlantic Salmon Research which led to the establishment of the highly regarded Canadian Rivers Institute at the University of New Brunswick, dedicated to aquatic science.
“Michael is a passionate salmon angler, conservationist and philanthropist who has worked tirelessly on behalf of wild Atlantic salmon,” said ASF President Bill Taylor when presenting the award to Meighen. “…We honour him for his great contribution to conserving, restoring and protecting this iconic species.”
In January, 2014, McGill University appointed Meighen as its 19th Chancellor, for a three-year term. Then on December 26, 2014, Governor General David Johnston named Meighen to the Order of Canada. He was named a Member of the Order, for his contributions to public life as a lawyer, politician (he served in the Senate from 1990 to 2012) and philanthropist.
Meighen is the son of lawyer and philanthropist Theodore Meighen and philanthropist Peggy deLancey Robinson, and the grandson of former Prime Minister of Canada Arthur Meighen. He is past chair of the Stratford Festival and current chair of the T. R. Meighen Family Foundation.
The Atlantic Salmon Federation is dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon and the ecosystems on which their well-being and survival depend.