Christopher Mitchelmore

Christopher Mitchelmore MHA (born October 23, 1985) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the 2011 provincial election.[2] A member of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, he represents the electoral district of St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows.

The Honourable

Christopher Mitchelmore

MHA
Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
In office
September 6, 2019 – August 19, 2020[1]
Succeeded byposition abolished
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation
In office
December 14, 2015 – September 6, 2019
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
for St. Barbe – L'Anse aux Meadows
Assumed office
November 30, 2015
Preceded bydistrict established
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
for The Straits – White Bay North
In office
October 27, 2011 – November 30, 2015
Preceded byMarshall Dean
Succeeded bydistrict abolished
Personal details
Born (1985-10-23) October 23, 1985
St. Anthony, NL
Political partyNew Democrat (2011-2013)
Independent (2013-2014)
Liberal (2014-present)
OccupationSmall Business Development Officer

Background

Mitchelmore is a native of Green Island Cove, a tiny fishing village on the Great Northern Peninsula. At 16 years of age he founded "Flower's Island Museum". He added a Newfoundland-themed miniature golf course, gift shop and summer festival. The business operated until 2005, when Mitchelmore focused on completing his post-secondary education.

After graduating from Canon Richards High School, Flower's Cove in 2003, Mitchelmore went on to complete a Bachelor of Commerce Honours (Co-op) from Memorial University of Newfoundland. His university experience enabled him to work for the Department of Innovation, Trade & Rural Development, Newfoundland & Labrador Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (PUB) and London Offshore Consultants (LOC) Group. He studied, both in the UK and at the University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic. In 2008, he received the James Barnes Award for Academic Excellence.

Mitchelmore was employed with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) and Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Nortip as a Youth Ventures Coordinator and most recently as a Client Services Officer, a role focused on creating and maintaining employment through business services, financing, skill enhancements, technical assistance, counselling and community economic development.

He has been engaged at the local, regional, provincial and national level, serving as the vice-President of the Straits-St. Barbe Chronic Care Corporation; Junior Achievement, Regional Chair; Director and Member of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network; co-Chair of Emerging Leaders; and Director with Nordic Economic Development Corporation.

Politics

Mitchelmore was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the 2011 provincial election for the district of The Straits – White Bay North representing the NDP.[3]

On October 29, 2013 Mitchelmore left the NDP caucus after himself and all other NDP caucus members signed a letter calling on Lorraine Michael to hold a leadership election and Michael only agreed to a leadership review. On January 27, 2014 Mitchelmore resigned his NDP membership and sat as an Independent MHA with no formal connections to any political party.[4]

On February 4, 2014 Mitchelmore and St. John's North MHA Dale Kirby joined the Liberal Party of NL.[5]

Mitchelmore served as a member on the Public Accounts Committee until February 2014.

On May 9, 2014, Jerome Ward, a long-time Liberal and Special Assistant to Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte Liberal MP Gerry Byrne, announced that he would be seeking the nomination for The Straits-White Bay North.[6] Mitchelmore won the nomination with 73 percent of the popular vote taking 1,127 votes and Ward receiving 423.[7]

Mitchelmore was re-elected in the 2015 provincial election in the redistributed district of St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows as a Liberal candidate and was subsequently appointed to cabinet.[8][9] He served as Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation from 2015 to 2019.[10][11]

Mitchelmore was re-elected in the 2019 provincial election defeating PC candidate and Roddickton mayor Shelia Fitzgerald.[12] On September 6, 2019, he was appointed Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour following a cabinet shuffle.[13]

On December 5, 2019 the House of Assembly voted to reprimand Mitchelmore for his hiring of Carla Foote, daughter of Judy Foote, at The Rooms despite her lack of qualifications and her political connections to the Liberals. The House of Assembly ordered that Mitchelmore apologize to the Board of Directors of The Rooms and to the House of Assembly and also be suspended two-week without pay.[14]

On August 19, 2020 Mitchelmore announced that he is not seeking re-election and was concurrently dropped from cabinet.[15]

Electoral history
2019 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Liberal Christopher Mitchelmore 3,474 60.80
     Progressive Conservative Sheila Fitzgerald 2036 36.20
UnaffiliatedFord Mitchelmore1703.00
2015 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Liberal Christopher Mitchelmore 4,359 89.32 +53.1
     NDP Genevieve Brouillette 117 2.40 -25.5
Progressive ConservativeFord Mitchelmore4048.28-27.56
Straits-White Bay North Liberal Nomination, 2014
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Liberal Christopher Mitchelmore 1,127 72.71
     Liberal Jerome Ward 423 27.29
2011 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     NDP Christopher Mitchelmore 1,537 36.74 +28.81
     Liberal Marshall Dean 1,327 31.71 -15.87
Progressive ConservativeSelma Pike1,32031.55-12.92

References
  1. Bird, Lindsay (Aug 19, 2020). "New N.L. premier, new finance minister: Andrew Furey takes office and shuffles cabinet". CBC News. Retrieved Nov 21, 2020.
  2. "NDP Leader Lorraine Michael re-elected". CBC News, October 11, 2011.
  3. "NDP Leader Lorraine Michael re-elected". CBC News, October 11, 2011.
  4. "Dale Kirby, Christopher Mitchelmore cut NDP ties". CBC News. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  5. "Dale Kirby and Christopher Mitchelmore join Liberals". CBC News. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  6. "I made a commitment to do this". Northern Pen Newspaper. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  7. "Mitchelmore holds". Northern Pen Newspaper. Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
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