Premier Pat Binns issued the following statement on the passing of M. Lorne Bonnell:
“Dr. Bonnell's life-long commitment to the people of Prince Edward Island has set a tremendous standard which Islanders can regard favourably for many years to come. As a community physician, MLA, provincial cabinet minister and member of the Senate of Canada, Dr. Bonnell leaves a legacy of public service that will continue to inspire future generations .”
Biographical Information:
After graduating from Prince of Wales College in 1943, Dr. M. Lorne Bonnell attended Dalhousie University where he earned a degree in medicine and master of surgery. Bonnell served the people of Kings County and PEI for more than forty years as a family physician, twenty-one years as a provincial politician and twenty-seven years as a Member of Parliament. As a medical doctor, Bonnell worked long hours under difficult conditions, delivering more than three thousand babies. In 1951, he was elected to the PEI legislature representing the District of 4th Kings. Throughout his political career, he served as minister of a number of departments including health, welfare, tourist development and housing. He resigned from provincial politics in 1971 and was appointed to the Senate of Canada later that year. Toward the end of his term, Bonnell chaired the subcommittee formed to examine and report on the state of post-secondary education in Canada. The group's mandate involved the first parliamentary review of student loans since the programs were established in 1964. Bonnell was also a successful entrepreneur, establishing a number of enterprises including Island Cablevision, the first cable company to operate in the province. There is an endowed award at UPEI in honour of Bonnell who also served as a member of the UPEI Foundation.