Who Was Alex Campbell, the Man Behind the Airport?

“Oh, but I’m not dead yet,” Alex Campbell said when he learned that Charlottetown’s airport would be named after him.

He was informed that airports have a special exception, so he replied, “let’s go with it.”

P. E. I.’s only commercial airport was renamed on May 11 to Charlottetown Alexander B. Campbell Airport, honoring the province’s longest-serving premier, who held office from 1966 to 1978.

In an interview with Mitch Cormier on CBC’s This is P. E. I. podcast, Campbell expressed that it was an honor he never expected.

This follows a tradition of airports being named for significant figures in Canadian history, such as Halifax Stanfield International Airport (named for Robert Stanfield, Nova Scotia’s 17th premier) and Greater Moncton Roméo Le Blanc International Airport (named for the former governor general).

Alex Campbell is Prince Edward Island’s longest-serving premier, holding the office from 1966 until 1978. (Alex B. Campbell Collection)

“I’m very happy that naming the Charlottetown airport for Alex Campbell meets that standard,” fellow former P. E. I. premier Wade Mac Lauchlan – who held office from 2015 to 2019 – told This is P. E. I.

“I was there the day of the announcement and it’s very rare to be in a room these days … where there’s such unanimity in response.”

Campbell’s time as premier marked a transformative period for the province; however, he mentioned on This is P. E. I. that his twelve years in charge were never part of his original plan.

Before starting his law practice in Summerside, he recalled having three potential clients on his first day-one of whom asked if he’d consider running for a seat in the next provincial election.

As the son of former P. E. I. premier Thane Campbell – who served from 1936 to 1943 – there was “some expectation” regarding young Campbell’s interest in politics, he said.

“It took a lot of coaxing to get me into the game.”

“I’m not sure that the province and my fellow Islanders were ready for what came,” he noted.

Establishing UPEI

Mac Lauchlan authored Alex B. Campbell: The Prince Edward Island Premier Who Rocked The Cradle, a biography about him. He shared with This is P. E. I. that Campbell’s leadership included “a sustained period of political leadership and policy development.”

Reflecting on his political journey, Campbell stated there existed “the culture of the past and the culture of the future – and I was there right smack in the middle of it.”

“I tried to help bridge those differences,” he added while emphasizing education as one priority during his administration.

In 1969, under Campbell’s government, St. Dunstan’s University merged with Prince of Wales College to form what we now know as University of Prince Edward Island-a move Mac Lauchlan described as one of “the most dramatic exercises in political leadership.”
Premier Wade Mac Lauchlan on the floor of the P. E. I. Legislature. (P. E. I. Legislative Assembly)

“It happened over a very precise timeframe-effectively over a weekend,” he recounted. “There had been plenty buildup leading up to it along with some foot dragging.”

“But this was also a time filled with tremendous growth in post-secondary education backed by lots of federal funding across Canada.”

‘I was so proud of the Island’

Casting his mind back on his tenure as premier, Campbell remarked how much he “loved every moment” and extended gratitude toward those who supported him throughout.

Queen Elizabeth II is escorted by then-premier Alex Campbell during her Royal visit to P. E. I. in 1973.(Alex B. Campbell Collection )

“I was given an opportunity to lead P. E. I.’s government; I felt immense pride for our Island,” he reflected.

“A premier doesn’t work alone; I pay tribute today to all … men and women who worked alongside me through those years.”

A few other facets impacting life on PEI during his administration included equalized property tax systems and introducing medicare services. The end came for his political career in ’78 when he transitioned onto serving at Supreme Court level.

“Working closely with people made everything worthwhile; that’s something I missed once stepping into court roles,” said Campell.

Taking stock while observing present-day PEI troubles him-especially seeing signs at stores or medical facilities asking patrons kindly respect staff members.

I urge my fellow Islanders just be kind toward one another,”he advised.

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