QuickSketch: P.E.I. NDP Leader Joe Byrne

CHARLOTTETOWN – A look at Joe Byrne, leader of Prince Edward Island’s New Democratic Party.

Age: 57.

Early years: Born in Sept-Iles, Que. At the age of 10 he canvassed the town for signatures on a petition to declare the beaver as Canada’s official emblem.

Education: Graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island. He is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Career: He was a community development officer in the Dominican Republic for seven years. He was community connections supervisor at the P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada, and has been the director of youth ministry for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlottetown. He became leader of the P.E.I. NDP in a leadership convention on April 7, 2018.

Family: Married to Rosa. They have two children, Daniel and Claire.

Quote: “When we talk about how people eat, when we talk about how people live, when we talk about how people are employed, when we talk about how we nurture hope, how we build connections, how we make it possible to build a better world — this is not politics — this is justice. This is us as the NDP.” – After winning the party leadership.