Nova Scotia's youngest political candidates say they are up for the challenge
Young candidates running in Nova Scotia’s provincial election say they’re up for the challenge as voters head to the polls August 17.
Progressive Conservative candidate Scott Ellis spent Thursday morning mapping out his door-knocking route for the day.
“You have the chance to make a difference in people’s lives,” he says. “Whether you get elected or not, you get to hear people’s stories, people are willing to share their stories and that’s really a privilege for me to be able to run in the area.”
Ellis is running in the riding of Halifax Needham. He says the main focus of his election campaign is mental health, a cause close to his heart.
“It’s the universal mental health care plan of the PC party,” Ellis explains. “I’m a survivor of anorexia and eating disorder that came on all of a sudden, with no warning.”
In the riding of Argyle, voters will find Liberal candidate Nick d’Entremont on the ballot August 17.
“I’ve been pretty involved, always involved in politics,” he says. “The main reason I threw my name in is I want to help people. It’s in my blood. I come from a family of volunteers and teachers.”
At 19-years-old, d’Entremont says he’s focused on healthcare, more support for seniors, and tourism.
“We need to make sure that our tourism industry gets back on track after the pandemic because we knew it took a hard hit,” he says. “We need to get this ferry back up and running so that we can have an economic rebound and the ferry will help do that in our region.”
Lauren Skabar, 24, has been a card-carrying NDP since she was a teenager. Skabar put her name forward as a candidate for Cumberland North.
“I just graduated from Dalhousie, I got my masters, and I figured there’s no time like the present,” she says. “There’s an election, and I’m able and I’m really excited about it.”
Skabar says she’s passionate about healthcare and rent control.
“You often don’t think about it in small towns, like Amherst, or Pugwash, or Wallace, and the folks there need rent control just as bad as we need rent control in the city.”
The youngest MLA to ever be elected in Nova Scotia is Mat Whynott.
He won the riding of Hammonds Plains Upper Sackville at 23-years-old in 2009.
“I got involved in politics because of people,” he says. “I got involved because I saw there were things that were wrong and I wanted to be part of the solution on how to fix them.”
The former MLA lost in 2013, but continued a career in politics. These days he works for the federal New Democrats.
He’s thrilled to see young people running in this year’s provincial election.
“One of the things that grounded me when I got involved in politics is I would go knock on doors once a week, in between elections,” Whynott explains. “Because often times, you get into that bubble of the legislature or government, and I think it’s really important to stay connected with the people that you represent.”
Words of wisdom from a former MLA to young candidates, with all eyes on the August 17 election.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.