Mayor Farwell has been a resident of Gander since 1967. After graduating from Gander Collegiate, he completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland and holds a Certified Small Business Counsellor designation with the Canadian Institute of Small Business Counsellors. After a period of time working in the private sector, Mayor Farwell spent 27 years of public service with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador where he held progressively responsible positions in regional and economic development. In 2017, he concluded his career following 17 years as Regional Director with the department responsible for the province’s economic development agenda.

First elected to Gander’s Town Council in 1993, Mayor Farwell was subsequently reelected in 1997 and 2001, serving 12 years in various positions of leadership, including 6 years as Deputy Mayor, before stepping aside from municipal politics in 2005 to focus on his professional career and to help raise a young family. In 2017, Mayor Farwell returned to the political arena and was honored to be elected as Gander’s 9th Mayor and, subsequently, re-elected in 2021. Mayor Farwell currently serves as Central Director on the Board of Directors of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, executive member of the Board of Directors of the Central NL Regional Services Board, NL Director on the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Mayors Congress, and as a Community Advisory Committee member for the Gander area of Central Health Regional Health Authority.

In his personal life, Mayor Farwell has been active in his community throughout his life. In competitive sport, he has represented the Town and Province at the regional/national level in multiple sports. An active member of the Avion Players community theatre group for over 35 years, he has won multiple awards at the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama Festival and is currently Treasurer of the Newfoundland and Labrador Drama Society. He is a Past Master of Gander Masonic Lodge and he and his family have been long time volunteers with the Gander and Area SPCA. Mayor Farwell has been married to his wife, Andrea (Yetman), since 1992. They have raised two sons, Matthew and Julien, and share their home with their German Shepherd, Casper