Order of Moncton - George Rideout

George Rideout has lived a life of service to his community. 

His list of accomplishments on their own is impressive: nine years as a Moncton city councillor, five years as mayor, and nine years as a Member of Parliament. But it is the context in which he served that makes his time in office truly stand out. 

When Rideout became mayor of Moncton in 1983, he inherited a city that was dilapidated, discouraged, and in economic decline. A key feature of Downtown Moncton was the boarded-up storefronts. Eaton’s had already closed and rumours of the CN shops closing were growing louder. Moncton’s reputation was in tatters nationally.

Rideout made it clear from the first moment of his mandate that economic development would be his priority. He negotiated a multimillion-dollar investment from the federal and provincial governments to revitalize Main Street, recruited Moncton Industrial Development to lead the charge on economic development, and hired a communications firm to rehabilitate the city’s image and position it as a great place to do business.

Midway through his term, when the CN shop closure was announced, Rideout was well on his way to putting the pieces in place for what would become known as The Moncton Miracle – the city’s rebound from the devastating loss of an employer that had largely defined its Hub City status.

As the architect of The Moncton Miracle, Rideout orchestrated an economic turnaround and change in attitude that transformed the city and which endures to this day. The city’s continued economic success can be directly traced to his leadership through one of the community’s most challenging periods and the city, the southeast region, and the province as a whole, owe much to his vision. 

Rideout was appointed a judge of the Court of King’s Bench of New Brunswick in 1998 and continued to serve the community in that capacity until his retirement.