POLITICS

A special election has been called in Annapolis County for Dec. 14 to fill the District 1 council seat left vacant when incumbent Marilyn Wilkins was declared disqualified for missing too many consecutive council sessions.

Under both the Municipal Government Act and the Municipal Elections Act, council has the ability to disqualify a councillor from holding office.

District 1 is comprised of the communities of Wilmot, Hidden Valley Subdivision, Whispering Pines Subdivision, Shady Rest Subdivision, Brookside Drive Subdivision, Melvern Square, Win Baker Subdivision, Vault Road, Dodge Road, Stronach Mountain Road, and A & D Trailer Park.

Prospective candidates were able to file nomination papers on nomination day, Nov. 19, and under new legislation in the seven business days preceding nomination day.

Wilkins has been an Annapolis County councillor since 1991 and has served as deputy warden.

Wilkins is known for her involvement in community heritage and in 2007 received the Heritage Canada Foundation 2007 Achievement Award for her dedication and contribution to heritage advocacy and volunteerism.

Wilkins has served as chairwoman of the Annapolis County Heritage Advisory Committee, helped in the creation of a heritage inventory, was involved in the creation of a new municipal coat of arms, and co-chaired the committee leading up to activities celebrating the county’s 400th anniversary in 2005.

As a councillor, Wilkins was highly regarded by both her peers and her constituents and was sought out for her knowledge. She served as a member of the Nova Scotia Voluntary Planning Heritage Strategy Task Force, an initiative commissioned by the government of Nova Scotia and the Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage. She was brought in to consult, research, and make policy recommendations on a provincial heritage strategy.

Wilkins was acclaimed as District 1 councillor in the 2016 municipal elections.