Home East Hants Historic first: First Indigenous representative elected to MEH in Shubenacadie

Historic first: First Indigenous representative elected to MEH in Shubenacadie

October 18, 2020

ELMSDALE: In what is thought to be a historic-first, the new council at the Municipality of East Hants will see its first Indigenous councillor.

Ian Knockwood defeated four other challengers to win the District 4 (Shubenacadie) council seat, which was wide-open after previous councillor Pam MacInnis announced months back, she was not re-offering.

Knockwood took 326 votes, with Carl MacPhee his closest competitor who finished with 182 votes. Paul Preiss had 84; Kim Williams had 82; and Marianne Stewart had 51 votes.

A former councillor has found himself back in after residents in Elmsdale-Belnan elected Norval Mitchell over incumbent Stephen King.

Mitchell won by 102 votes (420-318).

In District 7 Lantz-Milford, John A. MacDonald was the choice of 379 electors beating Walter Tingley by 30 votes. Tingley had 349 votes.

In what had to be the closest municipal district in N.S., Wayne Greene was re-elected in Walton-Noel-Kennetcook. He won by the slim margin of four votes over challenger Angela Sanford 373 to 369.

Ron Fortune was third with six votes.

Here is a look at the rest of the East Hants council election results:

Overall voter turnout was: 41.6%

Districts	Votes Cast	% Voted
District 1	867	39.2%
District 2	739	40.5%
District 4	727	38.2%
District 5	734	48.4%
District 6	748	54.4%
District 7	1,028	49.5%
District 8	513	32.4%
District 10	713	42.8%
District 11	525	30.8%