Four people running for vacant Port Hawkesbury town council seat

There should be spirited if short contest for a vacant Port Hawkesbury town council seat for a special election next month.

When nominations closed Tuesday, four people had filed their nomination papers to run for the seat. The candidates are former Port Hawkesbury CAO Maris Freimanis, social worker Blaine Macquarrie, retired mill worker David F. Ryan and local businessperson Michele Tabensky.

The election comes at a time when there are several major projects underway in Port Hawkesbury, including the proposed redevelopment of Reeves Street, the town’s main thoroughfare, and the rehabilitation of Pitt and Nepean streets, two of the town’s main arterial roads.

Advance polls will be held at the Shannon Studio at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre on Dec. 8 and Dec. 11, with the election day poll taking place Dec. 15 at the SAERC gymnasium. The election was made necessary when a former councillor moved outside of town.

Under the province's Municipal Government Act, "a mayor or councillor who ceases to be ordinarily resident in the municipality ceases to be qualified to serve as mayor or as councillor. When a seat on the council becomes vacant, the clerk shall report the facts to the council. The next round of municipal elections in Nova Scotia is to occur in October 2020.