A former N.S. cabinet minister and municipal warden has died

Former Nova Scotia Liberal cabinet minister and municipal warden, Lloyd Hines, has died.

Hines’s death was confirmed Tuesday by a statement from the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, where he was long-time councillor and municipal warden before entering provincial politics.

“Lloyd was deeply respected, and it is with heartfelt grief and a sense of great loss that we mourn the passing of Lloyd as our leader, colleague, and friend,” Guysborough warden Vernon Pitts said in a statement.

“On behalf of council and staff of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, we offer our deepest condolences to Lloyd’s wife Patricia and his children Shannon, Sarah, Victoria, and Regan as well as his grandchildren, family and friends.”

Hines was first elected to Guysborough’s council in 1988, and became the municipality’s warden in 1997. He held the role until 2013, when he was first elected as a Liberal member of legislature representing Guysborough - Tracadie.

In 2015 Hines was appointed to cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources, and in 2017 — after re-election — he was moved to Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

During his time in politics Hines was scrutinized for his role in overseeing the CAT ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine, and for his spending habits while a municipal warden.

In the general 2021 election, Hines lost his seat to Progressive Conservative Greg Morrow.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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