Mel Norton

Norton was born in Saint John, New Brunswick and started his early life on Grand Manan.[1]

He completed a bachelor of arts degree with a major in political science at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, and then attended law school at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton graduating in 1999.[1]

Norton was admitted to the New Brunswick Bar in 2000 and has practiced law with Lawson Creamer since that time, becoming a partner in 2010. His practice has focused on labour and employment as well as debtor/creditor law and construction litigation. Norton has been involved in the Canadian Bar Association as a past chair of the Young Lawyers Section as well as an executive member of the Labour and Employment Group. He served five years as a legal officer with the Canadian Forces during which time he also sat on the CBA's Lawyers Assistance Program committee.[1]

His community volunteer work has included participation on a committee to establish a ward system in Saint John, the board of the Saint John Theatre Company and the board for the Abby St. Andrews Mixed Income Housing Project.[1]

Norton currently resides in Saint John with his wife Stephanie.[1]

Norton was first elected to public office as Ward 3 councillor during a by-election in December 2010.[2] On May 14, 2012, he was elected as the 66th mayor of Saint John in a landslide victory, earning 75.6 per of the vote and taking every poll in every neighbourhood.[3][4]

On January 14, 2016, Norton announced he would not seek re-election as mayor in the 2016 municipal election.[5]

On May 4, 2016, Norton announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.[6] On October 22, 2016, Norton was defeated on the third ballot of the leadership election by Blaine Higgs.[7]