Frank McKenna is very likely one of the best known Miramichiers today. He is well-known for his remarkable win in the 1987 New Brunswick Provincial election. Many, however, find him interesting for other reasons. It is his hard-work and drive that are interesting to watch. These are what led him from farmboy to present leader of New Brunswick’s government. These will help him in the years to come.
Frank McKenna was born in Apohaqui. This is a small farming town near Sussex, New Brunswick. He was born on January 19, 1948. He was the fourth child of Joseph and Olive McKenna. He had five sisters and two brothers who lived with his family on their farm. The children in the family had jobs to do on the farm. Frank also practiced his sports there. He always wanted to be a great hockey or baseball player. On weekends he helped his grand-parents with their farm work.
It was at a young age that he became interested in politics. His grandmother and father would discuss politics with him. At Sussex High School young Frank became Vice-President of the Student Council. He was also in many sports. He was very good at being a center on his hockey team. He was so good that he was offered a prize sending him to Boston College in Massachusetts.
Instead, he decided to go to Saint Francis Xavier University, better known as St. F.X., in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He chose to go there in order to join their powerful hockey team. Later he had to quit the hockey team because he decided he was not large enough. In his last year at St. F. X. Frank became President of the Student Union. This was not an easy time to be student president. The students wanted power. They protested many issues in and outside of school. A student union president would help students with school politics. Even with all this going on Frank McKenna still had time to study and do well with his grades. He was named outstanding student in his second and third years at St. F. X. In 1970, he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree. He graduated with honors in Political Science and Economics. He was offered scholarships from all across the country.
Later, Frank went to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He studied for a Master’s degree in Political Science. While there he spent a summer working as an aide in the office of Liberal Cabinet Minister, Allan MacEachen. It was then that he decided to become a Liberal. Also during this time he found out that he needed to study Law instead of Political Science to get into politics.
So he didn't finish his degree at Queen’s but went back to New Brunswick. He even turned down a scholarship to go to Australia. This was a Rotary scholarship. He would have been able to get a degree in Political Science there. He did accept a scholarship to go to the University of New Brunswick. It was a Beaverbrook scholarship this time. He went to the University of New Brunswick Law school for his Law degree.
In 1972 while still in Law school, he married Julie Friel. She was a girl he met when he was at St. F. X.
Frank graduated in 1974, second in his class. He and his wife moved to Chatham, New Brunswick. Chatham is a small town on the Miramichi river. It was there he had accepted a job in a Law office. The office, Martin, Lordon and McKenna became well-known throughout New Brunswick. The McKennas have a family of two boys and one girl.
It wasn't until 1977 that Frank McKenna himself became well-known. He became well-known as a Criminal Lawyer after taking the murder case of Yvon Durelle. Yvon Durelle is well-known for his skill at boxing. He was thought to havemurdered a man. He was an unemployed man, Albin Poirier that Yvon was thought to have murdered. This man was said to have told Yvon that he would kill him. Things looked bad for Yvon. He had a reason and many people had said they saw him murder the man. They said they saw him shoot Mr. Poirier four times in a parking lot. This had happened after Yvon and Mr. Poirier had argued. Frank McKenna was able to argue that Yvon acted to protect himself. It was decided that Yvon Durelle was not guilty.