Angela Simmonds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angela Simmonds
MLA
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly for Preston |
|
| In office August 17, 2021 – April 1, 2023 |
|
| Preceded by | Riding Established |
| Succeeded by | Twila Grosse |
| Executive Director of the Land Titles Initiative | |
| In office March 5, 2021 – August 17, 2021 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 12, 1975 |
| Political party | Nova Scotia Liberal Party |
| Residences | North Preston, Nova Scotia |
| Alma mater | Dalhousie University |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician |
| Website | Nova Scotia Legislature Website: https://nslegislature.ca/members/profiles/angela-simmonds |
Angela Eve Simmonds (born October 12, 1975) is a Canadian politician and lawyer. She was a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, representing the area of Preston. She was part of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. Before becoming a politician, Angela Simmonds was a lawyer and worked to help people with social justice issues. She also led a special project called the Land Titles Initiative. She decided to step down from her role as a politician on April 1, 2023.
Contents
Early Life and School
Angela Simmonds grew up in a community called Cherry Brook, Nova Scotia. She went to Dalhousie Law School and finished her studies there in 2017.
About Angela's Family
Angela lives in North Preston with her husband, Dean. They have three children together. Her husband works as a superintendent with the Halifax Regional Police.
Helping with Land Titles
In 2014, Angela Simmonds wrote an important document called "This Land is Our Land: African Nova Scotian Voices from the Preston Area Speak Up." This document talked about big problems faced by African Nova Scotian communities in the Preston area. These problems included land being taken away, unclear land ownership papers, and a lack of information about owning and passing on land.
Angela wrote that these challenges came from a history of unfairness and racism. She pointed out that while open racism happens less often now, problems still exist within the system. She believed more work was needed to fix these issues.
After writing this document, Angela kept working hard to help people get proper land titles for their unregistered land. Because of her dedication, she was chosen to be the executive director of the Land Titles Initiative on March 5, 2021. This was a special group created to help solve these land issues. However, when she was elected as a politician in August 2021, she had to leave this role.
Angela's Political Work
In 2021, Angela Simmonds was one of four Black Canadians elected to the Nova Scotia legislature. On September 24, 2021, she made history by becoming the first African Nova Scotian Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. This means she helped lead meetings in the government.
Angela is also a member of important groups in the government. She is part of the Law Amendments Committee and the House of Assembly Management Commission. She also works as the Justice Critic for the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. This means she focuses on justice issues for her party.
In October 2021, the government voted to speak out against a staff member who made racist comments about Angela Simmonds online. That staff member was later fired.
Running for Liberal Party Leader
On February 4, 2022, Angela Simmonds announced she would run to become the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. She was the first person to say they wanted the job. Her campaign slogan was "New Energy for Nova Scotians." On July 9, 2022, she ran against Zach Churchill in the leadership election and he won.
Leaving Her Role
Angela Simmonds announced in January 2023 that she would be leaving her job as the politician for Preston. Her resignation became official on April 1, 2023. After she left, a new election was held for the Preston area. The seat was won by Twila Grosse from the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party.
Bills Angela Introduced
Angela Simmonds introduced a new law during her time in the government.
| Assembly | Act Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly 64, Session 1 | Dismantling Racism and Hate Act | October 13, 2021 |
Images for kids
-
Angela Simmonds
-
Simmonds' leadership campaign logo
