Commission to seek input on representation for Acadians, African Nova Scotians

The change sets elections in the province for the third Tuesday in July, every four years, meaning the next provincial election will be held on July 15, 2025.

HALIFAX -- The first African Nova Scotian woman elected to the provincial legislature says she's skeptical a commission will come up with anything substantive on electoral representation for Acadians and African Nova Scotians.

The independent Commission on Effective Electoral Representation of Acadian and African Nova Scotians, struck just prior to last spring's election, will hold its first public session at Shelburne's Black Loyalist Heritage Centre next Monday.

"I've been around a long time and I'm kind of tired of all of it now because nothing really changes," Yvonne Atwell said in an interview.

"I really can't see anything substantive coming from this. I'm hoping I'm wrong, but I don't know."

The commission's work comes after a Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling released in January found a 2012 boundary redrawing that eliminated three Acadian ridings violated the voter rights section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The advisory opinion sought by the province on constitutional grounds came after the Acadian Federation of Nova Scotia took court action after the 2012 boundary change eliminated the protected districts of Clare, Argyle and Richmond.

That same redrawing also eliminated the Halifax-area riding of Preston, whose black population was merged with neighbouring districts.

The NDP government was aiming to ensure relatively equal representation among all the province's ridings.

Atwell, who represented Preston as an NDP member from 1998 to 1999, spoke out at the time, saying the NDP government's move was taking yet another thing away from the black community.

Atwell said many people came forward to voice their opinion when the boundaries were being redrawn in 2012.

"But it didn't matter, government just did what it wanted anyway," she said.

Still, Atwell said there won't be change this time around unless people attend the commission's hearings and put forward ideas.

She said she has been a long-time advocate for some kind of representation that reflects the fact the black community extends beyond metro Halifax.

"If you want representation down at the legislature you have to think about the entire province and who is left out," Atwell said. "Let's hope that enough people can scream loud enough, maybe that's what will happen."

Thirteen sessions will be held across the province over the next four weeks, with the commission expected to file its report to the government by Nov. 1.

The commission, struck by the Liberal government just prior to the spring election, is chaired by Doug Keefe, an independent consultant and former deputy minister of justice. Sharon Davis-Murdoch the co-president of the Health Association of African Canadians, and Kenneth Deveau, a vice-president at Universite Sainte-Anne, are also members.

The report's recommendations are to inform the next Electoral Boundaries Commission, which is expected to be established by the province early in the new year.

When it was announced at the end of April, the commission was greeted with disappointment by the Acadian Federation of Nova Scotia.

But a news release issued the day after the Liberals were returned to power with a majority expressed optimism that perhaps some progress could be made.

"The Acadian Federation is very optimistic about working with the new government in order to advance the issues facing the Acadian community in the province, including the electoral map file," it said.

No one from the federation was available for comment on Monday.