Nova Scotia Liberal Angela Simmonds resigns less than two years after being elected

HALIFAX — Liberal Angela Simmonds is resigning her seat in the Nova Scotia legislature effective April 1, less than two years after being elected. 

Simmonds, who was elected to represent Preston in the August 2021 general election, was the first Black woman named deputy Speaker in Nova Scotia.

“For me, this decision is necessary to stretch out the legacy of changemakers, lifting up new voices while also preserving my own,” Simmonds said in a party statement released Wednesday. 

Simmonds, a lawyer and the former executive director of a province-led initiative to help African Nova Scotians get clear title to their land, said she will spend the next few months with her family and community while working out what comes next. 

She said she will continue to support initiatives tied to anti-racism, equity and diversity.

Last year, Simmonds ran for the leadership of the Opposition Liberals and in July was defeated by Zach Churchill.

Churchill said in a statement he has immense respect for Simmonds and that she has been a valued member of the Liberal caucus. 

“I know she will do great things in her future to better her community and all of Nova Scotia,” Churchill said.

In October 2021, Simmonds was informed by Premier Tim Houston that a staffer in the Justice Department made racist comments toward her on social media. The staffer was fired and Houston did not share the employee's name or what they had said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2023.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press