Teenage councillor plans to highlight youth issues

A newly-elected Dieppe city councillor is promising to give a voice to young people in New Brunswicks fastest growing city.

While Dieppe votersreturneda former mayor to office, who had left politics for seven years,they also elected a 19-year-old who had to drop out of Grade 12 so he could campaign for office.

Jordan Nowlan was elected as a councillor-at-large in Mondays election, earning more than 5,000 votes.

Nowlan said he campaigned in the municipal election on providing a voice for young people in Dieppe.

"I had Grade 9 and Grade 10 students talking to their parents [saying], You guyshave gotto vote for Jordan Nowlan, it's very important we've got to get a voice for youth," he said.

The 19-year-old councillor said its important for him to raise issues that are important to younger voters.

But he said he will not be a single-issue candidate.

Nowlan said he's also interested in promoting issues that appeal to older voters, such as more visible police patrols.

First election win

Nowlan has long been interested in politics.

He's volunteered for years on municipal, provincial and federal campaigns for other candidates.

And hes even tried to get elected a few times himself, but never successfully.

"I did run for school elections many, many times, basically every year since second or third gradenever was elected but that never stopped me. And look at me now," he said.

Nowlan said he's looking forward to the first city council meeting.

But in the meantime, he has to finish Grade 12. He dropped of school in order to spend the last eight weeks trying to get elected.