Area’s connection to new Governor General

HALIFAX — Nova Scotians will be heading back to the polls for a provincial election in August.

Premier Iain Rankin met with Lt.-Gov. Arthur J. LeBlanc on July 17 to ask he dissolve the legislature and call the general election to be held on Aug. 17.

By law, the campaign must be a minimum of 30 days.

Here’s a look at the candidates who have either registered or announced their intentions to run in the general election.

PICTOU EAST PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE

Tim Houston (incumbent) was first elected to the legislature in 2013 with 48.08 per cent of the vote in his riding. He was re-elected on May 30, 2017, with 73.88 per cent of the vote. He went on to win the PC leadership in 2018. Houston and his wife Carol have been married for 25 years and they have two children, Paget and Zachary. He is a chartered professional accountant.

LIBERAL

Joe MacDonald is a lifelong resident of Pictou East and currently lives in Kenzieville with his wife Laura. After graduating from East Pictou Rural High School, he worked at his family-owned small business which he now co-owns with his brother. In 1987, Joe joined the Barney’s River Volunteer Fire Department and has served as chief for the past 24 years. He led the campaign to have the Trans-Canada, Highway 104 twinned between Sutherland’s River and Antigonish.

NDP

Joy Polley is a queer, nonbinary person living in Fraser's Mountain. They have a long history of giving back to the community and were the recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award. They are

an active volunteer in many groups, particularly those concerned with public health and human rights and equity including: Heart and Stroke Foundation, MADD Pictou County, People First of Nova Scotia, Mental Health Roundtable, Pivot, Global Pride, and Pictou County Rainbow Community.

PICTOU CENTRE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE

Pat Dunn (incumbent) was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as MLA for Pictou Centre in 2006 and was re-elected in 2013 and 2017.

He has served as minister of Health Promotion and Protection, minister of Volunteerism.

He is a former teacher, principal and school administrator. He and his wife Patsy have six adult children.

LIBERAL

Jim McKenna recently retired from Nova Scotia Community College – Pictou Campus after 30 years as an instructor, counsellor and manager of student services. He and his wife Wanda live in New Glasgow. They have two adult children.

Jim has a long history of service in Pictou Centre. Currently, he serves on the boards of the Pictou County Fuel Fund, the Pictou Academy Educational Fund, and Pictou County Safe Harbour.

NDP

Vernon Theriault was a miner at the Westray mine in Plymouth, when disaster struck, killing 26 co-workers. He helped in the rescue effort in the aftermath of the 1992 disaster and went on to lobby for a worker-safety law in Ottawa. He later published a book with his cousin about Westray.

PICTOU WEST PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE

Karla MacFarlane (incumbent) was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as MLA for Pictou West in 2013 and was re-elected in 2017. She is currently the Progressive Conservative Caucus chair. She is a community volunteer. She is also a member of the House of Assembly Management Commission. She served as interim party leader from January to October 2018. She has two children, Chloe and Jack.

LIBERAL

Mary Wooldridge-Elliot is the municipal councillor for District 4 of the Municipality of Pictou County. After graduating from West Pictou District High School, she continued her education with a diploma in Motor Vehicle Repair and holds a Class 1 licence which has allowed her to drive a tractor-trailer during her downtime. She spent 20 years working in retail and has been a bus driver for Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education for 19 years.

NDP

Rick Parker was raised in West River. His parents owned and operated West River Greenhouses for nearly five decades. He studied Finance and Computing Science at Saint Mary’s University, with his career taking him to Toronto and back again. He volunteers with CHAD Transit and the Pictou/ North Colchester Federation of Agriculture. He lives with his soulmate Terri and their pandemic fur babies, Supe(rman) and Flash.