Five people, including Darrell Dexter, have been appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia. (Office of the Lieutenant Governor)
Queens County’s Darrell Dexter is among five Nova Scotians given the highest honour in the province.
Dexter has been appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia.
He led the NDP to a historic provincial election win in 2009, forming Nova Scotia’s first New Democrat government.
As premier, he led a government that tried to tackle the province’s debt and deficit, improve protections for private-sector trade union members, raise the minimum wage and lobbied successfully for the Churchill Falls hydroelectric project and a multi-billion-dollar federal shipbuilding contract for Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding.
His government also bought the assets of the closed Bowater Mersey paper mill in Brooklyn in 2012. It was a deal that helped secure pension benefits for former Bowater workers.
Dexter served as a Dartmouth city councillor from 1994 to 1996. He was an NDP MLA for the Dartmouth area from 1998 to 2013.
A former lawyer, he is a graduate of Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College. He grew up in Milton. Since his resignation as NDP leader in 2013, after the party was defeated in that year’s election, he has worked as a political commentator and a lobbyist for the cannabis industry.
He and his family have moved back to Queens County.
Other recipients of the 2025 Order of Nova Scotia are:
John George (Jack) Flemming, Halifax – a philanthropist and entrepreneur recognized for his contributions to local charities
Rankin MacSween, Ironville, Cape Breton Regional Municipality – a business and community leader and from 1995 to 2021, president and CEO of New Dawn Enterprises, the oldest community development corporation in Canada
Joel Plaskett, Dartmouth – a celebrated singer, songwriter, producer and philanthropist
Carolyn G. Thomas, East Preston – an educator and human rights and community advocate; recognized for her contributions to education, government and community development.
A ceremony will be held at Government House in Halifax in the spring. Lt.-Gov. Mike Savage will present the new members with their awards.
Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday in Nova Scotia’s provincial election. (Rick Conrad)
UPDATED NOV. 26, 10:10 a.m.
Election Day is Tuesday in Nova Scotia, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
But many Nova Scotians have already voted, though early numbers are down from the 2021 election.
According to Elections Nova Scotia, 160,698 people have voted in early, advance and community polls at returning offices around the province. That also includes write-in ballots.
In the 2021 provincial election, 176,793 votes were cast early. But in 2017, that number was 118,623.
As of Sunday, there were 788,427 registered voters in Nova Scotia.
According to Elections Nova Scotia, 1,950 of 9,270 eligible voters have cast ballots in early voting in Queens.
Election officials did not mail out individual voter information cards this year because of concerns about the impending Canada Post strike.
Naomi Shelton is the spokesperson for Elections Nova Scotia.
She said voter cards would have been mailed out beginning Nov. 14. Postal workers hit the picket lines on Nov. 15.
“So we wanted to make sure we had one clear path, one clear message for voters,” Shelton said in an interview. “So instead we put together a voter awareness campaign. So that is a multimedia campaign that has radio ads, a variety of traditional print mediums as well as social ads.”
Three people are running in the riding of Queens. Incumbent PC MLA Kim Masland is trying to win her third election in a row. She’s being challenged by Liberal Cathy De Rome and New Democrat Brian Skabar.
If you’re not sure where to vote in your community, you can use the Where Do I Vote tool on the Elections Nova Scotia homepage or call 1-800-565-1504. Or you can vote at the Queens returning office in the post office building on Market Street.
Liberal Cathy De Rome, PC incumbent Kim Masland and New Democrat Brian Skabar are running in Queens in the Nova Scotia election. (Rick Conrad, Nova Scotia NDP)
The two people hoping to unseat popular MLA Kim Masland in Queens admit it’s an uphill battle, but they say they’ve been hearing good things from voters.
Cathy De Rome is running for the Liberals and Brian Skabar is trying to take the seat back for the NDP in Tuesday’s provincial election.
Masland is trying for a repeat in a riding she captured in 2021 for the Progressive Conservatives with 70 per cent of the vote. Before that, the riding was Queens-Shelburne, which Masland won in 2017 with almost 44 per cent of the vote.
Election Day is Tues., Nov. 26. But Queens County residents can vote early at the returning office on Market Street in Liverpool or at the North Queens Fire Hall in Caledonia.
When the election was called on Oct. 27, the Tories had 34 seats, the Liberals had 14, the NDP had 6 and there was one independent.
De Rome lives in Beach Meadows and is a retired elementary school teacher. She’s also the president of the Queens Liberal association. Skabar is originally from Amherst, but now lives near Caledonia. He is a retired social worker and a former NDP MLA for Cumberland North.
De Rome and Skabar say that they know it’s going to be tough to defeat Masland. But they say it’s important to run.
“Our democracy is only as strong as the people who participate in it,” De Rome said in a recent interview. “And I want people to become involved and find out what the issues are and how they can work at participating and hopefully making things better.
“Kim is very popular and she has been doing it a long time. But just maybe it’s time for a change.”
Skabar says he’s knocked on 40 to 50 doors a day during the campaign. And even though he’s new to the area, he says he’s been getting positive feedback.
“To my surprise, only having been here for two years, either people in Queens County are really, really kind, 0r I might have half a chance,” he said in an interview.
“Three out of five doors that I knock one are supportive of New Democrats. Our incumbent here is quite popular individually but I don’t think people are really crazy about Tim Houston.”
Masland could not be reached for an interview. But in a video posted on her Facebook page, she said she’s knocked on more than 5,000 doors in the campaign.
She also posted that the Houston government has hired more doctors, helped build more affordable housing, and made record investments in road and bridge infrastructure.
De Rome says that while many voters say they’re not happy with the state of health care, housing and affordability, they haven’t asked her much about she or the Liberals plan to address it.
“People will complain. When the other day I said to a man, ‘Do you have any questions?’ He said no. And so I said, ‘Are you happy with things?’ ‘Not really’. So it just didn’t quite make sense.”
De Rome points to the Liberal plan to build more homes using the co-operative housing model, open more collaborative care clinics around the province, and to forgive part of certain health-care workers’ student loans for up to five years.
“We are getting more doctors, it seems, but people are still having long waits in emergency. … To sit in emergency for nine-plus hours to have a prescription renewed is ridiculous.”
The NDP had been a force in the traditionally Conservative riding of Queens from 2006 to 2013. Sterling Belliveau hung on to the seat for the party in 2013 when it was changed to Queens-Shelburne.
But the NDP haven’t had much of a presence since Belliveau retired before the 2017 election.
Skabar says he’s hearing from voters who are upset about Premier Tim Houston’s early election call. He says voters have told him they like some parts of the PC plan. But they wonder why the party needed an election to do that.
Skabar adds that Masland has done a good job getting roadwork done in Queens County.
“I only just met Kim last week at the community dinner here in Caledonia. And really, what’s not to like? Actually, she’s a good member. But the government that she represents is not doing a good job for Nova Scotia.”
The Liberals’ De Rome says that no matter which party people support, she hopes they get out and vote.
“I would consider it an honour if they chose to elect me. I’ve never thought of doing this, but I am enjoying it. People have been very receptive when I’ve talked to them. … I hope people take the chance to get out and vote. It’s important. Go out and vote, put your X in the spot where you think would do the most good.”
You can vote early at the returning office in your area until 8 p.m. on Friday or until 6 p.m. on Saturday and Monday.
If you don’t know where your Election Day voting location is, you can use the Where do I Vote tool on the Elections Nova Scotia website at electionsnovascotia.ca or call 1-800-565-1504. Polls will be open on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Nova Scotia Legislature. Photo courtesy Communications Nova Scotia
The leader of Nova Scotia’s NDP is warning recently introduced government legislation eliminating several independent agencies is putting too much power in the hands of government departments.
Premier Tim Houston’s PC government announced several pieces of legislation last week that would bring the housing authorities, municipal finance corporation, gaming and Perennia under direct control of the provincial government.
The premier argued that if he is to be accountable for the work of these departments his government should have a direct hand in managing the day-to-day operations.
Leader of the NDP Claudia Chender says that interpretation is too broad.
“Well, it will ultimately make him directly accountable for what goes on, of course, because he is the Premier and Nova Scotians will have a referendum in 2025 on whether he remains the Premier. But in the meantime,” said Chender, “the government should be accountable to the people. And by making these changes it is no longer nearly as accountable as it once was.”
A series of government news releases outlines the new pieces of legislation, saying they will increase accountability and create a new Crown corporation responsible for public housing in Nova Scotia; reduce duplication of roles, improve efficiency and bring Nova Scotia in line with other Atlantic provinces by having the staff who conduct and manage gaming part of government and make Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. a Crown corporation so it can work more closely with the government, increase public awareness of its services, and be more transparent.
Chender says the PC government has established a troubling pattern of centralizing power around them, starting with the firing of the Nova Scotia Health board, shortly after taking office.
“Made it accountable to a CEO who reported up to the premier. Now we’re seeing that repeated with multiple formally independent agencies and crown [corporations] right across government. I think we lose a level of accountability; I think we lose the benefit of expertise and I think it fundamentally politicizes basic services from housing to finance to a number of other operations of the government,” said Chender.
Following the recent firing of several high-profile CEOs from their positions in crown agencies and corporations, Chender is concerned about the morale of public sector employees.
“I would say that most people who interact with government would agree that there is what I think would best be described as a chill in the public service. People are afraid of making a misstep and losing their job or being reprimanded and my assumption is that that will only intensify.”
Chender says it is arguable that reform was required in some cases but in many, government is doing exactly the opposite of what reviews have indicated is needed.
As an example, Chender says the Affordable Housing Commission recommended establishing an independent, arms-length body to oversee affordable housing and instead Nova Scotians are getting another department of government.
“The rationale for that is that you can make good policy driven decisions that are not subject to political whims. What we’ve seen from Premier Houston’s time in government is that nothing in government is immune to political whims from hiring his friends to firing well-respected civil servants,” said Chender. “Everything seems to go through the Premier’s office, and this will just solidify that pattern.”
Should the legislation pass during this sitting of the house, as expected, the Housing Act and Housing Nova Scotia Act will be repealed and replaced with the Housing Services and Supply Act effective December 1.
Mary Dahr election signs just outside Liverpool. Photo Ed Halverson
One of the people running to represent Queens in the provincial election says not allowing election lawn signs on municipal property puts some candidates at a disadvantage.
NDP Candidate Mary Dahr says the Region of Queens has removed the signs she placed on municipal sites.
Dahr approached the Region to ask if they would relax their rules.
“They were defending their rules and they police it very good but that’s as far as they would go,” said Dahr. “Just defending their rules, they were not budging on it.”
Dahr is concerned the policy could exclude people from being involved in the electoral process.
“Anybody who’s a minority, it’s a barrier, it’s not inclusive at all. I’m hoping that they will change their rules on that,” said Dahr.
Lawn signs for Queens candidates line both sides of Bristol Ave in Liverpool. Photo Ed Halverson
According to Elections Nova Scotia, each municipality can determine whether or not lawn signs will be permitted on municipal property.
Mayor Darlene Norman says the Region of Queens has a long-standing policy of not allowing campaign signs on their lands.
“We strongly believe that people in Queens County do not want to see election signs posted on public property. They do not want to see them in parks, they don’t want to see them around cenotaphs, they don’t want to see them at beaches, they don’t want to see them at Queens Place,” said Norman.
NDP leader Gary Burrill, who was campaigning with Dahr in Liverpool on Monday takes the sign controversy in stride
“I don’t think there’s ever been a provincial election in Nova Scotia where there weren’t sign questions and lots of them,” said Burrill. “That goes with the territory.”
NDP leader Gary Burrill and candidate for Queens Mary Dahr in Liverpool August 2. Photo Ed Halverson
The leader of the Nova Scotia NDP Gary Burrill was in Queens Monday bringing a promise of affordable housing.
Burrill says the issue comes up repeatedly as local candidate Mary Dahr meets people on their doorstep.
“They hear over and over and over from people about the real serious problem of the availability of a place to live, about the numbers of people that are living in out buildings and are living in tents on the South Shore because of this unavailability,” said Burrill.
Dahr says rental options are particularly dire.
“I went to somebody’s house the other night, they were paying $800 and it was such a bad place,” said Dahr. “They have to hold on to that because there’s nothing else.”
Burrill says if NDP wins the election ensuring all Nova Scotians can access housing will be a core priority.
“We are committed to institute permanent rent control within a month of being sworn in as government, if we are able to form government in the election,” said Burrill.
The NDP leader says his is the only one of the three major parties who are on board with rent controls.
“Our view is, that a majority of Canadians, today, live in jurisdictions where they have protection from sudden, dramatic, unsubstantiated rent increases and people of Nova Scotia should have it too.”
Burrill suggests tying annual rent increases to the Consumer Price Index.
The PCs and Liberals argue the only way to provide more affordable housing is to increase the amount of available units and should be done, for the most part, by private sector developers.
Burrill agrees more housing stock needs to open up and there is a role for government in that process.
He says the Liberals have largely abdicated their responsibility to provide social housing by open fewer than 200 new units over eight years in power.
“We are committed, in the NDP, to doing much better than that,” said Burrill. “To getting the government back into the housing business in the way that it used to be, particularly with the opening up of options in co-op housing, various kinds of non-profit housing, social housing.”
Burrill also sees the need to provide stricter regulations on short-term housing rentals, like AirBnb, to ensure more of those units will be available to people wanting to live full-time in their communities.
NDP candidate for Queens Mary Dahr, Photo contributed by Mary Dahr
The last of the three major Nova Scotian parties have announced their candidate for the riding of Queens.
The NDP have chosen Mary Dahr to carry their banner in the next provincial election.
Dahr has been involved with the NDP for over 20 years and feels the priority the party places on social issues will resonate with voters.
“I’m hoping what I’m saying is going to touch people’s hearts and they’re going to vote for me,” said Dahr.
Born in Queens, Dahr’s family moved to Alberta when she was a child.
After retiring from a career as a medical lab technician she moved back to the region six years ago and currently works at White Point Beach and Resort.
Dahr was inspired to put her name forward after learning of the desperate child poverty rates in Nova Scotia and in particular, Queens.
“I know that when they announced child poverty in Nova Scotia, it seemed to me that nobody blinked,” said Dahr. “There was no, oh, we have to do better. I didn’t hear that at all.”
This isn’t the first time Dahr has stood for the NDP provincially. She twice ran in Alberta and narrowly missed winning a seat when Rachel Notley led the party to power in 2015.
Dahr says with a platform that includes a $15/hr minimum wage, free tuition, increased social assistance rates and a commitment to find solutions for affordable housing, the Nova Scotia NDP under leader Gary Burrill are working to make the lives of everyday Nova Scotians better.
“It’s an honest and fair government that is looking out for the people of Nova Scotia, not just caring about the people who don’t really need to be cared about, because they have all the money that they need,” said Dahr. “We need to care about everybody in Nova Scotia and not leave anybody behind.”
Dahr joins Liberal candidate Susan MacLeod and PC Candidate and current MLA for Queens –Shelburne Kim Masland in trying to win the re-established riding of Queens.
It’s up to Premier Iain Rankin to decide when the writ will drop.
Rankin has until May to make the call but given the large and frequent number of funding announcements coming out of government the past few weeks, speculation is high the election could be called soon.
