Aitken, Sir William Maxwell (Lord Beaverbrook) National Historic Person
Miramichi, New Brunswick
Lord Beaverbrook
(© Canada. Dept. of National Defence | Ministère de la Défense nationale /Library and Archives Canada | Bibliothèque et Archives Canada)
Address :
518 King George Highway, Miramichi, New Brunswick
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2014-09-30
Life Date:
1879 to 1964
Other Name(s):
-
Aitken, Sir William Maxwell (Lord Beaverbrook) 1879-1964
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2013-12(P); 2013-12A(P)
Importance:
In the early 20th century, Aitken established himself as a leading but controversial Canadian financier.
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: 518 King George Highway, Miramichi, New Brunswick
This prominent 20th-century figure was an important, controversial financier in Canada and an outspoken owner of a newspaper empire in Great Britain. During the First World War, he had considerable impact on how the Canadian effort was perceived and helped shape its remembrance through the legacy of the war art program. As Britain’s Minister of Aircraft Production during the Second World War, he drove the manufacture of Spitfire planes, which were key to winning the Battle of Britain. Generous to his home province, he was the leading benefactor of the University of New Brunswick and the founder of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.