{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1974)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alaina Lockhart | term_start = October 19, 2015 | term_end = September 11, 2019 | predecessor = Rob Moore | successor = Rob Moore | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|5|26|mf=yes}} | citizenship = Canadian | spouse = Rick Lockhart | party = Liberal Party of Canada | riding = Fundy Royal | children = Lauren Lockhart | website = https://alainalockhart.liberal.ca | alma_mater = University of New Brunswick, Saint-John Campus | committees = Veterans Affairs, Agriculture and Agri-Foods | status = | title = Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business and Tourism (2017–2019) | image = Alaina Lockhart.jpg | awards = Chamber of Commerce Woman Entrepreneur Award }}
'''Alaina Lockhart''' (born May 26, 1974) is a Canadian Liberal politician who represented the riding of Fundy Royal in the House of Commons of Canada from 2015 to 2019. She took on the role of Parliamentary Secretary to Small Business and Tourism,<ref name="Newswire">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/parliamentary-secretary-lockhart-meets-with-local-businesses-to-discuss-how-the-new-federal-tourism-growth-strategy-will-support-economic-growth-in-new-brunswick-819265541.html|title=Parliamentary Secretary Lockhart meets with local businesses to discuss how the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy will support economic growth in New Brunswick|last=Canada|first=Innovation, Science and Economic Development|website=www.newswire.ca|language=en|access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Staff 2017">{{Cite web|url=https://huddle.today/mp-alaina-lockhart-says-tax-proposals-fairness-middle-class/|title=MP Alaina Lockhart Says Tax Proposals Are About Fairness for the Middle Class|last=Staff|first=Huddle|date=October 3, 2017|website=Huddle|language=en-US|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref> as well as Official Languages and La Francophonie.<ref name="Canada 2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2019/05/government-of-canada-invests-66-million-in-fundy-national-park.html|title=Government of Canada Invests $6.6 million in Fundy National Park|last=Canada|first=Parks|date=May 31, 2019|website=gcnws|access-date=October 31, 2019}}</ref> She has served as a member of the Agriculture and Agri-food Standing Committee, and the Veterans Affairs Standing Committee.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://fundyroyal.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/1416/2016/11/HH_Spring2016.pdf|title=Fundy Royal - Spring 2016|date=Spring 2016}}</ref> Lockhart lost her seat in the 2019 Canadian federal election to Rob Moore.
==Early life and education== As a child, Lockhart was a member of the Girl Guides of Canada for eight years, and her daughter has registered with the program as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://girlguidescanblog.ca/2016/10/27/campfire-on-the-hill/|title=Campfire on the Hill|last=Blog|first=Girl Guides of Canada|date=October 27, 2016|website=GirlGuidesCANBlog|language=en-US|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref>
Lockhart graduated from the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, New Brunswick with a bachelor's degree in business administration, majoring in human resource management.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ccbcagm.com/en/alaina-lockhart-2018/|title=Alaina Lockhart {{!}} Canada China Business Council|language=en-US|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref>
== Business career == After graduating from university, Lockhart worked as a manager for a corporate company, up until the birth of her first child.<ref name="Staff 2017"/>
In 2004, she founded her own bridal salon business, Lockhart Weddings and Special Occasions located in Sussex, New Brunswick.<ref name="Staff 2017"/><ref name="Wedding">{{Cite web|url=http://www.lockhartswedding.com/|title=About Lockhart's {{!}} Sussex NB {{!}} Bridal|website=Lockhart's Wedding & Special Occasions|language=en-US|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=https://alainalockhart.liberal.ca/|title=Biography {{!}} Alaina Lockhart {{!}} 2019 Federal Liberal Candidate for Fundy Royal|website=alainalockhart.liberal.ca|language=en-CA|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref><ref name="CBC News">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/alaina-lockhart-rob-moore-fundy-royal-1.3279252|title=Fundy Royal flips for just second time in a century|website=CBC News|access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref> In 2010, Lockhart was presented with the Chamber of Commerce Woman Entrepreneur Award, for her success with her business.<ref name="marketplace">{{Cite web|url=https://marketplace-tt.tj.news/hampton-nb/community/political-organization/alaina-lockhart-member-of-parliament-for-fundy-royal-506-832-4200|title=Alaina Lockhart - Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal in Hampton, NB - 506 832 4200 Community - Political Organization|website=marketplace-tt.tj.news|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref> The business was sold in June 2017 to Sherry McCormick.<ref name="Wedding" />
==Political career== thumb|Fundy Royal Electoral District Her political involvement began with service as a village councilor in Norton from 2004 to 2008.<ref name="marketplace"/> Lockhart was also a Director of the Royal District Planning Commission, prior to her involvement in federal politics.<ref name="Bio"/>
=== 42nd Canadian Government === She was the Liberal Party's nominee in Fundy Royal in the 2015 election. As a small business owner, Lockhart's campaign appealed to working, middle-class individuals.<ref name="CBC News"/> Lockhart is encouraged by "strengthening the middle class to put more money in their pockets to then stimulate the economy".<ref name="CBC News" />
On October 19, 2015, Lockhart defeated Rob Moore and became the MP for her riding.<ref name="CBC News" /> She is only the second non-Conservative to represent Fundy Royal in its century-long history, the first being Paul Zed, who served a single term from 1993 to 1997.<ref name="CBC News" /> Previously holding only one seat in New Brunswick, Lockhart's success was a result of a province-wide wave of liberal support, who held all ten seats for the province following the 2015 election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/federal-election-2015-a-red-tide-in-atlantic-canada/|title=Federal election: A red tide in Atlantic Canada|website=www.macleans.ca|access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref> Lockhart also became the first female MP for the Fundy Royal riding.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-in-atlantic-canadas-small-towns-conservatives-hope-to-turn-back-201/|title=In Atlantic Canada's small towns, Conservatives hope to turn back 2015′s red tide|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref> Whilst making history for her riding, many were critical of her candidacy during the 2015 election. Lockhart elaborated on the sexism faced from reporters in a 2019 interview with Chatelaine (magazine):<blockquote>“I understand how I was a bit of a novelty being the first woman ever elected in Fundy Royal, but I am guessing no one ever asked my predecessors who would care for their children when they went to Ottawa.”<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chatelaine.com/living/politics/female-mp-sexism-canada/|title=Sexism In Politics: Female MPs On Their Experiences {{!}} Chatelaine|website=www.chatelaine.com|access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref></blockquote>In March 2019 on International Women's Day, Lockhart participated in a roundtable hosted by the Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC) in Kelowna, BC.<ref name="Annual report 2017">{{Cite news|url=https://www.womensenterprise.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Final-2017-18-WEC-Annual-Report-web.pdf|title=2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT - The Faces of Women's Entrepreneurship|access-date=August 1, 2018}}</ref> The purpose of the roundtable was to discuss the future of women entrepreneurs.<ref name="Annual report 2017" />
In June 2019, near the end of the 42nd Canadian Parliament, Lockhart addressed the House of Commons in saying that her experience as a member of parliament "has been a true honour and the most challenging work of my life".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lipad.ca/full/2019/06/19/1/|title=Lipad - June 19, 2019 - Browse the Canadian House of Commons|website=www.lipad.ca|access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref>
==== Committees and Roles ==== During her time in parliament, Lockhart was part of many committees and had many roles as a member of parliament. She was a member of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee and a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee from January 2016 to September 2017.<ref name="Roles">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/alaina-lockhart(88357)/roles|title=Roles - Alaina Lockhart - Current and Past - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada|website=www.ourcommons.ca|access-date=October 31, 2019}}</ref> Also, Lockhart was a Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Tourism from September 2017 to August 2018, as well as Parliamentary Secretary of Official Languages and La Francophone from August 2018 to September 2019.<ref name="Roles" />
Lockhart is also a strong advocate for immigration, proposing a private motion M-39 to increase immigration to Canada, specifically to Atlantic Canada.<ref name="Bio" /><ref name="Ourcommons 98">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/house/sitting-98/hansard|title=Debates (Hansard) No. 98 - October 26, 2016 (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada|website=www.ourcommons.ca|language=en|access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref> According to Lockhart, "[w]hen Atlantic Canada does better, all of Canada does better".<ref name="Ourcommons 98" />
=== 43rd Canadian Government === During the campaign, Lockhart was commended by Justin Trudeau as being a hard-working, connected member of her community with a passion for growing business and tourism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/01/24/trudeau-alaina-lockhart-fundy-royal_a_23651731/|title=Trudeau Flies Across Country To Give N.B. Liberal Boost In Battleground Riding|date=January 24, 2019|website=HuffPost Canada|language=en|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref>
Following her defeat in the 2019 Canadian Federal Election, Lockhart took to Twitter to congratulate Rob Moore, and thank the voting district for allowing her the opportunity to serve.<ref name="Lockhart 2019">{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/AlainaLockhart/status/1186613060758396930|title=Congratulations @RobMoore_CPC TY #FundyRoyal for the honour & privilege of representing you. Proud to be the first woman elected in FR & of everything we accomplished together. Gr8ful for all my supporters, my team, volunteers & family who made this amazing experience possiblepic.twitter.com/q5TTu6JlMy|last=Lockhart|first=Alaina|date=October 22, 2019|website=@AlainaLockhart|language=en|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref> Despite the defeat, Lockhart takes great pride in making history as the first woman to represent the region at the federal level.<ref name="Lockhart 2019" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6061829/new-brunswick-polls-close/|title=Conservatives, Greens pick up seats in New Brunswick|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref>
=== Parliamentary Secretary to Small Business and Tourism === Lockhart was Canada's Parliamentary Secretary to Small Business and Tourism<ref name="Newswire"/> from September 2017 to September 2019.<ref name="Roles" /> This is a subject near to Lockhart's heart, as a previous small business owner herself.<ref name="Staff 2017"/> Since becoming MP in 2015, Lockhart has made many contributions to Canada's small business and tourism sector.
In June 2018, Lockhart announced a federal grant of $180,000 to support business growth in rural communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/atlantic-canada-opportunities/news/2018/06/federal-government-supports-expansion-of-commercial-tent-rentals--sales-ltd.html|title=Federal Government Supports Expansion of Commercial Tent Rentals & Sales Ltd|last=Agency|first=Atlantic Canada Opportunities|date=June 29, 2018|website=gcnws|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref>
In May 2019, Lockhart met with tourism companies to discuss growth in the Canadian tourism industry, which includes the Canadian Experiences Fund.<ref name="Newswire" /><ref name="Global News">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5476336/pre-writ-liberal-spending-tours/|title=ANALYSIS: In this pre-writ period, Liberal ministers find a fondness for visits to battleground ridings|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref> The CEF, created in 2019, has given many communities across the country to host events and generate tourism; events, who have been possible due to the $1.7 million federal grant,<ref name="Global News" /> include a Pride festival in Kelowna<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iheartradio.ca/am-1150/news/kelowna-pride-announces-100-000-federal-grant-1.9948782|title=Kelowna Pride Announces $100,000 Federal Grant|last=Média|first=Bell|website=www.iheartradio.ca|language=en-CA|access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref> and an anti-racism conference in Hamilton.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6013165/hamilton-anti-racism-funding/|title=Hamilton to host anti-racism conference, thanks to federal funds|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=October 11, 2019}}</ref> Following the creation of the 2019 Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, Lockhart has expressed her excitement in saying:<blockquote>"I look forward to seeing how it will impact the province by increasing visitors, strengthening our communities and growing the economy."<ref name="Newswire" /></blockquote> thumb|Fundy National Park, which received many upgrades due to Lockhart's work In July 2019, Lockhart participating in the announcement to upgrade the Fundy Trail Parkway. Lockhart says the upgrade are essential to tourism in order to "make sure that people have a greater experience when they come here and not just the drive".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/feds-n-b-both-invest-600k-to-upgrade-fundy-trail-parkway-1.4500613|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709212131/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/feds-n-b-both-invest-600k-to-upgrade-fundy-trail-parkway-1.4500613|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 9, 2019|title=Feds, N.B. both invest $600K to upgrade Fundy Trail Parkway {{!}} CTV News Atlantic|website=atlantic.ctvnews.ca|access-date=October 30, 2019|date=July 9, 2019}}</ref> The federal government invested $6.6 million, announced Lockhart, to upgrade many aspects of Fundy National Park, including supporting the restoration of Atlantic salmon.<ref name="Canada 2019"/>
== Personal life == Lockhart is married to her husband Rick and has a daughter, Lauren.<ref name="Bio" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pictosee.com/p/2153803595783715355_1074253965|title=Alaina Lockhart @lockhartalaina's Instagram Post|website=PictoSee|language=en|access-date=October 31, 2019}}</ref> The family currently lives in the Sussex area.<ref name="Bio" />
Since 2014, Lockhart is an active member of the Rotary Club of Sussex.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sussexrotary.org/Page/our-members|title=Our Members {{!}} Rotary Club of Sussex|website=www.sussexrotary.org|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref>
==Electoral record== {{2019 Canadian federal election/Fundy Royal}} {{2015 Canadian federal election/Fundy Royal}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://alainalockhart.liberal.ca/ Official Website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lockhart, Alaina}} Category:Living people Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from New Brunswick Category:Women members of the House of Commons of Canada Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Canadian businesspeople Category:Women in New Brunswick politics Category:University of New Brunswick alumni Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians Category:1974 births