Thank you to everyone who voted in The Coast's Best Of this year! I am humbled and grateful to serve at the MLA of Dartmouth South and leader of the NSNDP. 🧡

Welcome and good luck to all the players competing this week at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship in Cape Breton! Women's hockey is growing and we are thrilled to host the next generation of female hockey players right here in Nova Scotia.

Small local businesses are neighbours and friends, and supporting them keeps our dollars here in our communities. They rely on the holiday season to get them through the leaner months, but there are lots of ways we can support them with our dollars and digitally and get them through the winter!

Happy New Year, Nova Scotia! 🎉 Wishing you a healthy and hopeful 2026.

As Kwanzaa begins, I'm reflecting on the importance of community, culture, and shared responsibility. Wishing everyone celebrating a joyful week!

🎄 Merry Christmas, Nova Scotia! I hope the holidays bring peace, warmth, and moments of connection with the people you love.

Thank you Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation for inviting me to Share the Love with health care workers at the Dartmouth General Hospital this morning after their busiest month ever. Grateful for everything this hospital does to keep us safe and healthy!

Ten years ago this week, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) presented their 94 Calls to Action after hearing from thousands of Indigenous people across the country. Many of these stories were bravely shared after harrowing experiences of trauma in Canada’s Residential Schools.

Tonight on the first night of Hanukkah, Jews in Nova Scotia and around the world come together in mourning for the terrible attack in Australia today. May the light of the menorah bring some solace and hope in these dark days.

We know Nova Scotia has some of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the country. Since last October alone, at least seven women here have lost their lives because of it. It’s heartbreaking, and it’s unacceptable. 🧵

Instead of keeping people safe, the Houston government is picking another fight. This time with Mi’kmaw communities. The Justice Minister announced a “crackdown” on unregulated cannabis dispensaries without Mi’kmaw leadership or the RCMP at the table.

108 years ago, the Halifax Explosion devastated the city. Then, as now, our community responded with care and determination. Today, we honour the lives lost and forever changed, and we remember what it means to stand together when it really matters.

www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/... #NovaScotia #nspoli #energy #Cyberattack @claudiachenderns.bsky.social #DerekMombourquette #TimHouston @novascotiapower.bsky.social

Today I got to take a ride in the ferry wheelhouse on my way home to Dartmouth! The oldest saltwater ferry in North America, it's "the best office view in Halifax," Captain Stuart said. And it sure beats sitting in bridge traffic. Thank you!

After the hard work and advocacy of the community, the Minister of Municipal Affairs has decided not to overturn the bylaw restricting infilling in Dartmouth Cove. We will look at their amendments closely, but at least for now, Dartmouth Cove won't be turned into a dump.

I'm deeply saddened to hear about Colleen Jones' passing. A superstar on and off the ice, a champion curler and talented storyteller, she showed us what it means to represent the best of Nova Scotia—and have a blast while doing it. Thinking of Colleen's family, friends, colleagues, and fans.

Every Nova Scotian deserves a safe, secure, and affordable place to live. On National Housing Day, we call on the Houston government to invest in our province's future by making sure every Nova Scotian can afford their home.

It was amazing to see the streets packed for the Parade of Lights! Thanks to everyone who turned out to make this year's parade such a fun time! 🎄🌟

With the colder season setting in, I'm remembering hot summer days in Truro this summer. Did you make it out to the Nova Scotia Stampede this year? So much excitement and talent in one place. Thanks to the organizers and volunteers who made this incredible event happen. I can't wait for next year!

On World Diabetes Day, we're reminded that everyone should have the care they need to manage this chronic condition. With proper support, those with diabetes can thrive. It's vital to ensure they have access to the primary care they need, something that too many Nova Scotians are still waiting for.

Nurse Practitioners are vital members of the health care system. They provide vital primary care, helping Nova Scotians and their families get care when they need it most. Thank you to all the nurse practitioners working hard across the province!

I was grateful to join our community at the Dartmouth Cenotaph this morning to represent the Province of Nova Scotia in honouring those who have served, and those who continued to serve.

Wela'lin to Dawn McDonald for taking time to show me around the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association's new Resiliency Centre in Millbrook. This beautiful building is rooted in cultural connection and is designed to offer healing and empowerment for Indigenous women and gender-diverse people.

Today, I am taking a moment to consider the truly great legacy of Viola Desmond. She stood up to a racist system to seek justice for herself and her community. Her impact cannot be overstated and the reverberations are still felt today.

A huge congratulations to my friend and Dartmouth musical legend Joel Plaskett on receiving the prestigious Portia White Prize this year. It is great to see his significant contributions to the province's arts community recognized, as a musician, songwriter, producer, and mentor, to name a few.

Congratulations to Kate White and the Yukon NDP on becoming Official Opposition! Women in politics get it done. I can't wait to watch the team get real results for the people of the Yukon.

Happy Halloween, Nova Scotia! I hope everyone can have a happy and safe evening of trick-or-treating! 🦇🎃

Every day, long-term care workers look after our parents and grandparents. They show up with compassion and dedication, providing the care our loved ones need — even while being underpaid and overworked.

It was a pleasure to join my colleague Krista Gallagher for a community conversation in Annapolis Royal last night. We heard about people's love for their town as well as their concerns about protecting the coast, accessing health care, housing, rural transit, and so much more.

It was a pleasure to join Alice House and community to launch the 2025 Night Light Walk at Graham's Grove in Dartmouth.

Yesterday in collaboration with the Atlantic Muslim Resource Centre and Imams Association of NS, my colleague Lina Hamid welcomed community to Province House for the inaugural Muslim Heritage Month recognition.

I'm looking forward to meeting with you in Annapolis Royal next week to hear what matters most to you in your corner of the province. Bring along a friend or family member! Let us know you're coming: nsndp.ca/annapolis-meet-and-greet Tues, Oct 28, 6:30-8:00pm at ARCH&PO, 200 St George St

And Jimmy Rankin brought the house down with the Mull River Shuffle. Only in Cape Breton. Can't wait for the next one!

Congratulations to the HalifaxTides on finishing out your inaugural year! It's awesome to see so much support for the new league across Canada, and NDP caucus members had a great time cheering them on. Looking forward to next year!

Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving! In Nova Scotia there is lots to be grateful for – this is a wonderful province filled with wonderful people. However you're spending the day, I hope it's filled with laughter and love.

Today and every day, let's lift up the voices of girls and women. Every girl should grow up feeling empowered to aim high in life, with the supports and opportunities that will allow her to flourish.

The IWK Foundation released new research this week on the experiences and struggles of thousands of women in getting the health care they need. They found that 70 per cent of women said the current system doesn’t meet their needs.

Thank you to all the hardworking teachers from one end of this province to the other who work tirelessly to educate and care for our kids every day!

Today, we stand with the families and communities to mourn and honour the missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two spirit people taken far too soon.

The stat is stark: 60 per cent of Nova Scotians feel like they'll never get ahead financially. Meanwhile, the Houston government is: Stripping renter protections amid skyrocketing rents. Slashing home heating rebates as power bills rise. Sitting by as Halifax's cost of living outpaces Toronto's.

Islamic History Month is a time to honour the contributions of Muslim Canadians and celebrate the diversity that strengthens our communities. Let's take this month to learn about the cultures and communities that make our province shine!

To everyone observing Yom Kippur tonight at sunset, I wish you strength, reflection, and peace. G'mar Chatimah Tovah.

Treaty Day marks an important opportunity to recommit to the Peace and Friendship Treaties that form the foundation of the nation-to-nation relationship of everyone living in our province.

I was so pleased to join my colleagues at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre for National Truth and Reconciliation Day to gather and learn.

Every Child Matters. Today, especially, we remember the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and never came home from residential school. We acknowledge this terrible legacy and the survivors who carry that trauma.

My thoughts are with Alfie's family and community today.

Advocates make change. Nova Scotians make change. I am proud to stand side-by-side with those fighting for free birth control in our province. Family planning, bodily autonomy, treatment for disease — contraception is front-line health care. That's why we introduced legislation to make it free.

Today on #MedicMonday, we're thinking about the brave paramedics who are on the front lines of our health-care system every day. Thank you for everything you do to keep Nova Scotians safe.

Free birth control is front-line health care. You shouldn’t have to pay thousands of dollars in family pharmacare premiums or have private insurance to afford contraception. Barrier-free access to contraception is a practical and compassionate solution Nova Scotians deserve.

I was proud to welcome the CUPE Long Term Care bargaining team to the Legislature yesterday. In the face of delays by the Houston government, this team has been advocating tirelessly for a new contract for LTC workers who care for our loved ones at their most vulnerable. They deserve a fair deal.