Barry Morishita

Barry Morishita is a Japanese-Canadian politician currently serving as the leader of the Alberta Party from 2021 after Stephen Mandel's electoral defeat in the 2019 Alberta general election.[1][2] He previously served on the city council of Brooks in 1998 and became the city's mayor in 2016.[3]

Barry Morishita
Leader of the Alberta Party
Assumed office
September 1, 2021
Preceded byJacquie Fenske (interim)
Mayor of Brooks
In office
2016–2021
Preceded byMartin Shields
Succeeded byJohn Petrie
President of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association
In office
2017–2021
Succeeded byAngela Duncan (interim)
Brooks City Councilor
In office
1998-2003 – 2010-2015
Personal details
Born1966 (55 years old)
Brooks, Alberta
Political partyAlberta Party
Spouse(s)Jeanne Morishita
Children2, including Marissa Wardrop teacher and City of Brooks councillor and Katelyn Morishita actor
Alma materRosemary High School

Background

Morishita's father, born in 1945 in Tashme Internment Camp, moved to Brooks in the end of World War Two where Barry would eventually be born.[4]

He graduated Rosemary High School in 1983.[4]

In 1986, he married his wife Jeanne Morishita.

Before his entry into politics he owned and operated an auto part store along with some business partners.[4]

Political career

Morishita was first elected in Brooks city council in 1998 at the age of thirty.[3] He was elected Mayor of Brooks in 2016 [5] and president of Alberta Municipalities in 2017.[6] In September 2021, he stepped down from both roles to become leader of the Alberta Party after the resignation of former party leader Stephen Mandel.[7]

References
  1. "We Have a New Leader". Alberta Party. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  2. "Barry Morishita steps down as AM president to run for Alberta Party leader". edmontonjournal. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  3. "Making the Alberta Party relevant is Barry Morishita's new job – daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics". Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  4. "Morishita always wanted to serve his community, now province | Alberta | prairiepost.com". web.archive.org. 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  5. "Brooks voters choose new mayor in byelection". calgaryherald. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  6. https://www.auma.ca/sites/default/files/Events/Convention2019/2019_board_elections_with_bios.pdf
  7. "Former Brooks mayor Barry Morishita new leader of Alberta Party | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
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