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
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 is a Canadian politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the area of Preston in Nova Scotia. She was a member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. Before becoming an MLA, 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 stopped being an MLA on April 1, 2023.

About Angela Simmonds

Angela Simmonds lives in North Preston with her husband, Dean, and their three children. Her husband works as a superintendent for the Halifax Regional Police.

Helping Communities 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 explained how African Nova Scotian communities in the Preston area faced problems with land ownership. These problems included land being taken away, unclear land titles (who officially owns the land), and a lack of information about owning and passing down land.

Angela Simmonds showed that these challenges came from a long history of unfair treatment and racism. She wrote that while obvious racism happens less often today, the problems are still part of the system, and more work is needed to fix them.

After writing "This Land is Our Land," Angela Simmonds continued to work hard to help people get official land titles for land they lived on but didn't officially own. Because of her dedication, she was chosen to be the executive director of the Land Titles Initiative on March 5, 2021. This initiative was part of the Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives. However, when she was elected as an MLA in August 2021, she had to leave this role.

Her Political Journey

Angela Simmonds was one of four Black Canadians elected to the Nova Scotia legislature in 2021. This was a significant moment for diversity in politics.

Becoming Deputy Speaker

On September 24, 2021, Angela Simmonds was chosen as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. This made her the first African Nova Scotian speaker in the history of Nova Scotia. As Deputy Speaker, she helped lead meetings in the House of Assembly. She was also a member of the Law Amendments Committee and the House of Assembly Management Commission.

Angela Simmonds also served as the Justice Critic for the Nova Scotia Liberal Caucus. This means she was the main spokesperson for her party on issues related to justice.

In October 2021, the House of Assembly voted to speak out against a government staff member who made racist comments about Angela Simmonds online. This person was later fired.

Running for Liberal Leader

On February 4, 2022, Angela Simmonds announced that she wanted to become the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party. She was the first person to say they would run for the position after the previous leader stepped down. Her campaign slogan was "New Energy for Nova Scotians." On July 9, 2022, she ran in the leadership election but lost to Zach Churchill.

Simmonds' leadership campaign logo

Stepping Down as MLA

Angela Simmonds announced in January 2023 that she would be stepping down as the MLA for Preston. Her resignation became official on April 1, 2023. After she left, a special election was held for the Preston seat. In this election, Twila Grosse from the Progressive Conservative party won the seat.

Bills Introduced

Angela Simmonds introduced a bill (a proposed law) during her time as an MLA.

Images for kids

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  Simmonds' leadership campaign logo