Bob Nault
A pragmatic northern Ontario politician who navigated the complexities of Indigenous affairs and resource economics during decades in Ottawa.
Born 1955 (age 71)·Canadian politician·Birthday: November 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob Nault's political career is deeply rooted in the vast, resource-rich, and Indigenous-populated terrain of the Kenora riding in northwestern Ontario. First elected in 1988, his tenure in the House of Commons was defined by the specific challenges of his constituency: remote First Nations communities, a volatile forestry sector, and the intricate politics of land claims. As Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development under Jean Chrétien, he was a central, and sometimes controversial, figure in drafting legislation like the First Nations Governance Act, which aimed to reform band governance. After a break from politics, he returned in 2015, advocating for infrastructure development and economic reconciliation. Nault's legacy is that of a workhorse MP, less concerned with national spotlight than with the gritty, ongoing negotiation between federal policy and the realities of Canada's north.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Canada's Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development from 1999 to 2003.
- Was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kenora (formerly Kenora—Rainy River) for a total of over two decades across two separate periods.
- Played a key role in the early 2000s federal policy development regarding First Nations governance and land claims.
Did You Know?
Before entering federal politics, he was a licensed pilot and worked in the aviation industry.
Nault is a former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development.
His riding of Kenora is one of the largest geographically in Ontario, covering over 300,000 square kilometers.
“The North isn't a policy file; it's people, lakes, and a thousand miles of road.”
