Dorothy Shephard

Dorothy Shephard was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the September 27, 2010, provincial election as the MLA for Saint John Lancaster. On October 9, 2012, she was sworn in as Minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities. She was re-elected as the MLA for Saint John Lancaster on September 22, 2014 and served as Opposition Critic for Human Resources and Women’s Equality and later the Opposition Critic for Families and Children.

Ms. Shephard was re-elected on September 24, 2018 and was sworn in on November 9, 2018 as New Brunswick’s Minister of Social Development and Minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation. She was reelected for a fourth term on September 14, 2020 and was sworn in as Minister of Health on September 29, 2020. She was appointed Minister of Social Development on July 15, 2022.

Born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Ms. Shephard graduated from Saint John Vocational School in 1979, majoring in home economics.

She has been a volunteer since her teens, beginning with little league baseball and Scouts Canada. After graduation, she became a member of the IODE, and the Spruce Lake Women’s Institute.

Through her business affiliations, Ms. Shephard has been a member of the Canadian Home Builders Association, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses and the Saint John Board of Trade. She is a past member of Saint John Women Business Owners.

As an MLA, she continues her dedication to many community driven and charitable organizations within the Saint John area.

During her first term, she was a member of several legislative committees that touch on community essentials such as business, policy, and health care. She was a member of the following committees: Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Standing Committee on Estimates (Chair), Standing Committee on Health, Select Committee on Point Lepreau, and Select Committee on Legislative Reform. In addition, she chaired the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick’s Southern Regional Caucus from September, 2010, to August, 2012. In her second term, she also served on the Public Accounts and Economic Policy Legislative Committees.

Prior to becoming involved in politics, she owned and operated Benjamin Moore Colour Center, a retail decorating store, for 17 years.

Ms. Shephard and her husband, Art, have been married for over 40 years and live in Saint John’s lower west side.

Constituency Office

Committee

• Standing Committee on Economic Policy
• Standing Committee on Law Amendments
• Select Committee on Accessibility in New Brunswick
• Select Committee on Public Universities
• Standing Committee on Estimates and Fiscal Policy
• Standing Committee on Public Accounts
• Standing Committee on Procedure, Privileges and Legislative Officers