Alan Gilmore Buchanan BA

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

, MA

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

, is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 university administrator and former politician from Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

.

A native of the rural farming hamlet of Belfast

Belfast, Prince Edward Island

Belfast is a Canadian village located in southeastern Queens County, Prince Edward Island in the townships of Lot 57 and Lot 58.Situated on the island's south shore along the Northumberland Strait, Belfast is predominantly an agricultural area.-History:...

 in southeastern Queens County

Queens County, Prince Edward Island

Queens County is located in central Prince Edward Island, Canada. The county is geographically divided by the Hillsborough River's estuary, a tidal inlet which almost splits the county and Prince Edward Island...

, Buchanan is a graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island

University of Prince Edward Island

The University of Prince Edward Island is a public liberal arts university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the sole university in the province. Founded in 1969, it traces its roots back to its two earlier predecessor organizations, St. Dunstan's University and Prince of Wales...

 and Queen's University

Queen's University

Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...

. Buchanan served as a MLA

Member of the Legislative Assembly

A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....

 in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island

Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island

The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown....

 during the administrations of Joe Ghiz

Joe Ghiz

Joseph Atallah "Joe" Ghiz was the 27th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1986 to 1993, an educator of law and a justice of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. He was the father of Robert Ghiz, the current Premier of Prince Edward Island...

 and Catherine Callbeck

Catherine Callbeck

Catherine Sophia Callbeck is a Canadian politician and a current member of the Senate of Canada.She was the 28th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 1996, the second female provincial premier in Canadian history, and the first to win a general election Catherine Sophia Callbeck (born July...

, holding several cabinet positions, including Minister of Provincial Affairs and Minister of Health. Buchanan has also held positions as a senior bureaucrat and policy advisor as well as a university lecturer. He was appointed to the Law Commission of Canada from 1999-2003.

Buchanan ran in the 2003 leadership race

Prince Edward Island Liberal leadership election, 2003

The Prince Edward Island Liberal Party leadership election of 2003 was held on April 5, 2003 to elect a new leader of the party. Ron MacKinley had served as interim leader since 2000.-Candidates:*Robert Ghiz, son of former Premier Joe Ghiz...

 for the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party

The Prince Edward Island Liberal Party is a major political party in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. The PEI Liberals are aligned with the federal Liberal Party of Canada. The party is led by Robert Ghiz, a former member of the staff of the Prime Minister's Office under Prime Minister...

 but narrowly lost to Robert Ghiz

Robert Ghiz

Robert Watson Joseph Ghiz, MLA is a Canadian politician who has been the 31st Premier of Prince Edward Island since 2007...

.

Buchanan subsequently worked as an Inter-Government Communication Officer with Island Telecom

Island Telecom

Island Telecom was a telephone service provider in Prince Edward Island.Founded in 1885 as the Prince Edward Island Telephone Company , the company formed a formal alliance with Nova Scotia-based MT&T early on, which resulted in the agreement to share the 902 area code...

 and later Aliant

Aliant

Bell Aliant Inc. is a communications company providing services in various areas throughout eastern Canada, as Bell Aliant throughout Atlantic Canada, and under the NorthernTel, and Télébec brands in rural areas of Ontario and Quebec....

, as well as forming his own consulting and communication company.

In June 2005 he was appointed to the position as Registrar

Registrar (academic)

In education outside the United Kingdom, a registrar or registrary is an official in an academic institution who handles student records. Typically, a registrar processes registration requests, schedules classes and maintains class lists, enforces the rules for entering or leaving classes, and...

at his alma mater, the University of Prince Edward Island.

Buchanan has contributed articles to the journal Canadian Ethnic Studies. He also helped establish the advisory board of the Institute of Island Studies.

The son of Samuel Buchanan and Mae Gilmore, Buchanan married Deborah Ann Watts in 1978.