Christopher Mitchelmore

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{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Christopher Mitchelmore

| honorific-suffix = MHA

| image = Christopher Mitchelmore Near His Home in Green Island Cove - July 2018.jpg

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|10|23}}

| birth_place = St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador

| residence =

| office1 = Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

| term_start1 = September 6, 2019

| term_end1 = August 19, 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/andrew-furey-premier-1.5691667|title=New N.L. premier, new finance minister: Andrew Furey takes office and shuffles cabinet|publisher=CBC News|date=Aug 19, 2020|first=Lindsay|last=Bird|access-date=Nov 21, 2020 }}

| successor1 = position abolished

| office2 = Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation

| term_start2 = December 14, 2015

| term_end2 = September 6, 2019

| office3 = Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
for St. Barbe – L'Anse aux Meadows

| term_start3 = November 30, 2015

| term_end3 = January 15, 2021

| predecessor3 = district established

| successor3 = Krista Howell

| office4 = Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
for The Straits – White Bay North

| term_start4 = October 27, 2011

| term_end4 = November 30, 2015

| predecessor4 = Marshall Dean

| successor4 = district abolished

| party = New Democrat (2011-2013)
Independent (2013-2014)
Liberal (2014-present)

| website =

| religion =

| occupation = Small Business Development Officer

}}

Christopher Mitchelmore MHA (born October 23, 1985) is a Canadian politician, who represented St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from the 2011 provincial election[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-celebrates-historic-gains-1.1117282 "NDP Leader Lorraine Michael re-elected"]. CBC News, October 11, 2011. until the 2021 provincial election.

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 New Democratic Party (NDP).{{cite news|title=Plenty of new faces heading to Confederation Building|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/plenty-of-new-faces-heading-to-confederation-building-1.997878|accessdate=26 May 2018|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=12 October 2011}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/dale-kirby-christopher-mitchelmore-cut-ndp-ties-1.2512614|title=Dale Kirby, Christopher Mitchelmore cut NDP ties|access-date=February 2, 2014|publisher=CBC News}}

On February 4, 2014 Mitchelmore and St. John's North MHA Dale Kirby joined the Liberal Party of NL.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/dale-kirby-and-christopher-mitchelmore-join-liberals-1.2522282|title=Dale Kirby and Christopher Mitchelmore join Liberals|access-date=February 4, 2014|publisher=CBC News}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.northernpen.ca/News/Local/2014-05-09/article-3718305/%26ldquo%3BI-made-a-commitment-to-do-this%26rdquo%3B/1|title=I made a commitment to do this|access-date=May 9, 2014|publisher=Northern Pen Newspaper|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714204826/http://www.northernpen.ca/News/Local/2014-05-09/article-3718305/%26ldquo%3BI-made-a-commitment-to-do-this%26rdquo%3B/1|archive-date=2014-07-14}} Mitchelmore won the nomination with 73 percent of the popular vote taking 1,127 votes and Ward receiving 423.{{cite web|url=http://www.northernpen.ca/News/Local/2014-06-10/article-3757872/Mitchelmore-holds/1|title=Mitchelmore holds|access-date=June 10, 2014|publisher=Northern Pen Newspaper|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140830202914/http://www.northernpen.ca/News/Local/2014-06-10/article-3757872/Mitchelmore-holds/1|archive-date=August 30, 2014|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/cabinet-swearing-in-live-stream-1.3363654|title=Dwight Ball, new Liberal cabinet sworn in at Government House|publisher=CBC News|date=14 December 2015|accessdate=9 June 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/carla-foote-documents-chris-mitchelmore-1.4932023|title=Carla Foote hiring forms leave 'Rationale for Staffing' section blank|date=Dec 4, 2018|first=Ryan|last=Cooke |publisher=CBC News|accessdate=May 15, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/chris-mitchelmore-arts-nl-funding-rick-mercer-petrina-bromley-1.5094333|title=Mitchelmore noncommittal on increasing artist funding|date=Apr 11, 2019 |first=|last=|publisher=CBC News|accessdate=May 15, 2021}} He served as Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation from 2015 to 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mitchelmore-video-miss-1.4990783|title=Mitchelmore's tourism ad intro unnecessary, awkward says specialist|first=Sarah|last=Smellie|date=Jan 24, 2019 |publisher=CBC News|accessdate=May 15, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/tourism-minister-visited-every-town-newfoundland-labrador-1.5230906|title=Been there, done that: Tourism minister visits every town in N.L.|date=Jul 31, 2019|first=|last= |publisher=CBC News|accessdate=May 15, 2021}}

Mitchelmore was re-elected in the 2019 provincial election defeating PC candidate and Roddickton-Bide Arm mayor Sheila Fitzgerald.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/sheila-fitzgerald-mitchelmore-1.5125493|title=Chris Mitchelmore up against 'spit, fire and vinegar' in high-energy Northern Peninsula race |date=May 7, 2019 |first=Terry|last=Roberts |publisher=CBC News|accessdate=May 15, 2021}}{{cite news |title=Sheila Fitzgerald, who quit to run for PCs, gets government job back|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/sheila-fitzgerald-job-1.5159672|access-date=19 August 2020 |publisher=CBC News |date=3 June 2019}} On September 6, 2019, he was appointed Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour following a cabinet shuffle.{{cite web|url=https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/news/local/update-unexpected-provincial-cabinet-shuffle-government-house-in-st-johns-349211/|title=UPDATE: Unexpected provincial cabinet shuffle at Government House in St. John's|date=Sep 6, 2019|publisher=The Telegram|website=saltwire.ca|first=Kenn|last=Oliver|accessdate=May 15, 2021}} 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, to the House of Assembly, and also be suspended two-week without pay.{{cite news |title=Mitchelmore investigated for Carla Foote hiring, whistleblower report finds wrongdoing|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/carla-foote-chris-mitchelmore-report-citizens-rep-1.5379879|access-date=19 August 2020 |publisher=CBC News |date=2 December 2019}}{{cite news |title=Controversial hire Carla Foote resigns from The Rooms|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/carla-foote-resigns-rooms-1.5454636|access-date=19 August 2020 |publisher=CBC News |date=6 February 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mitchelmore-report-what-next-crosbie-coffin-1.5386642|title=All you need to know about the Mitchelmore-Foote fiasco, from beginning to end|date=December 8, 2019|last=Cooke|first=Ryan|work=CBC News|via=CBC Newfoundland and Labrador|access-date=January 22, 2020|archive-date=January 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121205003/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mitchelmore-report-what-next-crosbie-coffin-1.5386642|url-status=live}}

On August 19, 2020, Mitchelmore announced that he is not seeking re-election and was concurrently dropped from cabinet.{{cite web|url=https://www.saltwire.com/halifax/news/canada/newfoundland-and-labradors-new-premier-doesnt-clear-the-deck-but-he-certainly-shuffled-it-486989/|title=Newfoundland and Labrador's new premier doesn't clear the deck, but he certainly shuffled it|date=Aug 19, 2020|publisher=The Chronicle Herald|website=saltwire.ca|first=|last=|accessdate=May 15, 2021}}{{cite news |title=Andrew Furey takes office as 14th premier of N.L., names cabinet |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/andrew-furey-premier-1.5691667 |access-date=19 August 2020 |publisher=CBC News |date=19 August 2020}}

Mitchelmore was succeeded as MHA by Liberal candidate Krista Howell on March 25, 2021.{{cite news |title=Here are all the MHAs elected in the Newfoundland and Labrador election |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-election-list-of-winners-1.5965873 |publisher=CBC News |date=March 27, 2021}}