Brian Peckford
A pugnacious Newfoundland premier who fiercely championed provincial control over offshore oil, shaping the economic destiny of his island home.
Born 1942 (age 84)·Canadian politician·Birthday: August 27·The Silent Generation
Biography
Brian Peckford governed Newfoundland with the combative spirit of someone fighting for its very survival. Elected premier in 1979, he presided over a transformative and tumultuous decade defined by the dawn of the offshore oil industry. Peckford's political identity was built on a doctrine of resource ownership, leading protracted and bitter negotiations with the federal government to secure provincial rights over the oil-rich Hibernia and Terra Nova fields. His "Let's Get Newfoundland Moving" slogan captured an ambition for self-reliance, though his tenure was also marked by economic strain, confrontational labour disputes, and the tragic Ocean Ranger disaster. A staunch Progressive Conservative, his style was direct, often polarizing, but undeniably focused on what he saw as Newfoundland's rightful place in Confederation. After leaving politics, he remained a vocal commentator, his legacy inextricably linked to the oil wealth that began flowing after his time in office.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Brian was born in 1942, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1942
#1 Movie
Bambi
Best Picture
Mrs. Miniver
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1942Born
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1947Started school
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1955Became a teenager
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
1958Could drive
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1960Could vote
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
1963Turned 21
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1972Turned 30
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 40
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 50
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 60
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 70
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 80
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 84 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He served as the third Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador for a decade, from 1979 to 1989.
- Peckford was a principal architect of the Atlantic Accord (1985), which gave Newfoundland control over offshore oil resources and revenues.
- He established the province's first Department of Forestry and Agriculture, emphasizing resource development.
- Under his leadership, the Hibernia offshore oil project received significant provincial backing, setting the stage for future development.
Did You Know?
Before politics, he was a high school teacher in Baie Verte, Newfoundland.
Peckford is an avid outdoorsman and has written books on environmentalism and Newfoundland's wilderness.
He was a vocal opponent of the Meech Lake Accord, arguing it did not protect Newfoundland's interests.
After politics, he owned and operated a blueberry farm in British Columbia for a time.
“The management of the fishery is the management of Newfoundland and Labrador.”
