MLA, Fundy-the Isles-Saint John West
Andrea Anderson-Mason is Charlotte County born and raised. Her late father was ‘an Anderson from Andersonville’ and her Mum hails from Miramichi. Brought up in rural New Brunswick, she acquired a healthy appreciation for the natural environment.
She is the youngest in a six-plus family. She describes it as six-plus because there was always room for another. Her parents didn’t just believe “love your neighbour as yourself”, they lived it. Whether you were in need of shelter, a welded auto part or an encouraging word, their door was always open and the teapot and chocolate cake never far away. Her parents mirrored the duty to care for others, that is the foundation of her life today.
As a child Andrea says she leaned more toward scholastics than athletics but don’t underestimate her competitive spirit. An avid reader since her youth, she was drawn to stories of the disenfranchised. She cites authors like Elie Wiesel as influential in her formative years.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
Elie Wiesel
It is no surprise that when her Father urged her to find a career “where she could support herself” she chose the practice of law, where she could also help others. She completed both her undergraduate and law degree at the University of New Brunswick.
She describes herself as fearless to take on a challenge, like her UDT/Navy Seal father paired with a compassionate heart like her nurse mother. Being the last of her siblings to remain in the Province, she knew she needed to stay and invest in the Province she loves.
When Andrea announced she was seeking the PC nomination she heard from a lot of her St. Stephen High School classmates saying, “We saw this coming” (A natural leader, she was named ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ in the high school yearbook).
When asked who she has admiration for, Andrea acknowledges her father and grandfather, Margaret Thatcher and Greg Thompson who she is proud to now work with as a colleague.
If there is an aspect of her busy life that could be described as a hobby, Andrea points to her love of cooking. She is a self-proclaimed foodie and secretly dreams of being on MasterChef Canada.
“Food is love made edible. The table is so important. It is where the real conversations happen.”
It is not surprising that she lists ‘The Food Bank’ among her charitable causes.
Her proudest accomplishments are her children, Grant and Andie. She never minds being asked if she has a family. “It gives me a chance to brag” says Andrea. Married to her high-school crush, Andrea and her husband Rick spend their weekends travelling with their speed-skating children. They make time to go camping and have hiked Mt. Katahdin on a couple of occasions.
Andrea and her family are CARMA pet owners of two cats. 18 lb ‘Jim’ and all-black 5 lb. Whitey.
Andrea has travelled across Canada, the U.S. and Caribbean. She is hoping that the family will travel to Europe with the kids before they finish school.
Asked about her sense of humour, Andrea Anderson Mason says, “I am the funniest person I know. My husband Rick is always amused at me laughing at my own jokes.”
Check out her Facebook page here.
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