DARTMOUTH EAST
Candidate: Joan Massey, NDP (incumbent)
Age: 50
Family: Married to husband Ed for 28 years with three grown children
Political experience: Twice elected MLA for Dartmouth East (2003 and 2006), elected President of the Bel Ayr Home and School Association and elected to the Dartmouth School Board.
Favourite Hobby: Gardening
No. 1 goal if elected: My goals are to get going with renovations to Prince Andrew High School and to expand the great programs at the East Dartmouth Community Centre. Our kids need quality schools and a fun, safe place where they can spend their evenings. Here in Dartmouth East, I know that families like yours are counting on me to deliver.
Candidate: Andrew Younger, Liberal
Age: 34
Family: Wife, Katia and son, Declan, 2
Political experience/Community involvement: Municipal councillor since 2004 in East Dartmouth, including appointments to many committees including Energy & Underground Services (chair), Harbour East Community Council (chair), Cultural Advisory Committee (past chair), Emergency Measures Committee, East Dartmouth Community Centre Committee. Recent community committees include Brookhouse School Advisory Committee, 2008 Jeux de l'Acadie Organizing Committee, Maritime Fiddle Festival Organizing Committee.
Favourite hobby: Scuba diving
No. 1 goal if elected: I will ensure the needs of our community are heard in the legislature, and just as I did as councillor, I will proactively communicate with residents through town hall meetings, the Internet, and newsletters. I will work to ensure our community and our families prosper, and that Nova Scotia is no longer consistently among the worst economic performers in Canada.
DARTMOUTH EAST
Candidate: Bert Thompson, PC
Age: 68
Family: Wife, Pauline; three children: Carla, Robb and Catherine
Political experience/ Community involvement: Dartmouth City Alderman or 12 years; Dartmouth Chamber of Commerce Executive member; served three terms on the Dartmouth School Board; Past Potentate (2005) of Philae Shriners; served nine years in the Canadian Armed Forces (Air Force, Navy)
Favorite Hobby: Fishing
No. 1 Goal if elected: Acting on a commission to re-address health care service; re-establish a nursing program at the NSCC to help alleviate staff shortages; Juvenile diabetes pump program.
DARTMOUTH NORTH
Candidate: Trevor Zinck, NDP (incumbent)
Age: 38
Family: Trevor currently lives in Dartmouth North with his wife Elizabeth
Political experience/ Community involvement: Elected MLA for Dartmouth North in 2006; Serves as critic for Community Services; Worked and conducted business in Dartmouth North for 12 years; Was Chair of the Dartmouth District Nine Citizens' Association; is former Vice Chair of the Dartmouth North Community Centre; is a member of the Greater Burnside Business Association.
Favourite hobby: Baseball
No. 1 goal if elected: My No. 1 goal if re-elected MLA is to build on a greater sense of community that would include: Badly needed renovations for Dartmouth High in a timely fashion; providing more affordable housing; changing income support policies; the future development for Shannon Park that most benefits residents; providing more options for youth.
Candidate: David Losey, PC
Age: 38
Family: Wife Antoinette; daughter Eliya, 8; and son Nolan, 7.
Political experience/ Community involvement: Student Government throughout university, including being elected as the vice president Finance and Administration in his final year of university. Currently member of the Board of Referees, an administrative tribunal that hears Employment Insurance appeals.
Favourite hobby: Running
No. 1 goal if elected: Accountability and a strong focus on the constituency of Dartmouth North will be of the utmost importance. The MLA should not disappear as soon as the election is over. Returning to annual town hall meetings and door knocking campaigns is an excellent way to ensure that Dartmouth North will be heard in the legislature.
Candidate: Jim Smith, Liberal
Age: 57
Family: Married, dog Mr. Koko, and three grown children
Political experience/Community involvement: First elected to HRM Council in 2000, where I've had the privilege of Chairing the Harbour East Community Council, I have been Caucus Chair of the Union of N.S. Municipalities, Board Director of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, sat on the Board of Police Commissioners, the Energy and Underground Services and the Dangerous and Unsightly Committees. A resident of North Dartmouth for almost 30 years, I am especially proud of my affiliation with the Farrell Benevolent Society and the District 9 Residents Association and presently volunteer on a regular basis with the Stairs Memorial Food Bank
Favourite hobby: Gardening/Dancing
No. 1 goal if elected: I want to bring a new kind of representation to the residents of Dartmouth North. I will bring a positive creative mind set ... working on real solutions, engaging the community, and taking real action to improve the lives of residents. My goal is to represent and be accountable to all Dartmouth North residents.
Watch for candidate profiles for the districts of Cole Harbour, Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage and Dartmouth South-Portland Valley in next week's issue of the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Weekly News.
