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1963-2022 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
3.6 m of textual records ; approximately 2 hours of audiovisual recordings ; approximately 220 MB of digital records.
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Name of creator
Biographical history
Derek Burney was born in 1939 in Fort William, Canada, and graduated from Queen’s University with a BA and MA in Political Science. He was a Canadian diplomat and served in federal public service (1963-1993). Burney was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Burney’s first posting was in Japan. Returning to Ottawa from Japan, he served as senior departmental assistant to the Secretary of State for External Affairs. He served as an Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea (1978-1980). Returning to Ottawa from South Korea, he served as Assistant Undersecretary for Trade and Economic Policy. He served as Ambassador to the United States (1989-1993). Burney played an integral role during the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (1989) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (signed 1992). Burney was Canada’s first Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (1987-1989).
Post Burney’s public service career, he worked for Bell Canada (1993-1999), deviated for a short period to federal government service for Stephen Harper’s team (2006), and then served as Chancellor of Lakehead University (2013-2017). As Chancellor of Lakehead University, Burney was an extreme fundraiser, which supported student scholarships and University economy. Burney, and his wife, Joan Burney, donate funds to Lakehead University to enrich new research. Their donations created the The Derek and Joan Burney Postdoctoral Fellowship.
- Government of Canada. Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/united_states-etats_unis/fta-ale/background-contexte.aspx?lang=eng
- Government of Canada. North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/n-23.8/FullText.html
- Wikidata. Derek Burney. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5261862
- Lakehead University. Derek Burney fonds. https://archives.lakeheadu.ca/index.php/derek-burney-fonds
- Lakehead University. Derek and Joan Burney's Lakehead Legacy. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/alumni/giving/donors/donor-stories-archive/node/6425
Custodial history
Records were physically transferred from the Burney family in Ottawa to the appraiser and then to Lakehead University Archives in October 2023. Deed of gift was signed December 2023.
These records were previously held at, and descriptive work performed by, Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa.
Scope and content
Derek Burney was a Canadian diplomat, who served as Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea (1978-1980) and Ambassador to the United States (1989-1993), and was instrumental in negotiations of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Burney was born in Fort William in 1939, and received a BA and MA from Queen’s University in Kingston. He served in the federal public service from 1963 to 1993: including diplomatic work, ambassadorial postings, and as Canada’s first Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister (1987-1989), working with Brian Mulroney.
After retirement from public service, Burney worked for Bell Canada, 1993-1999, and sat on the boards of several other corporations. He returned to federal government work leading Stephen Harper’s transition team in 2006.
Burney served as Chancellor of Lakehead University from 2013 to 2017. He also received an Honourary Doctor of Laws from Lakehead in 1990, as well as honourary degrees from Queen's, Carleton, and Wilfrid Laurier Universities.
Most of the records in this fonds relate to Burney’s career with the Department of External Affairs. There is also a small amount of material relating to work in private business, and other writings and memorabilia.
Notes area
Physical condition
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Arrangement
Arrangement is by subject in roughly date order. Arrangement may be original, or may have been conducted by Library and Archives Canada.
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English
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Associated materials
Records related to the diplomatic service, ambassadorships, and free trade negotiations can also be found at Library and Archives Canada.
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Name access points
- Burney, Derek (Subject)
- Mulroney, Brian (Subject)
- Harper, Stephen (Subject)