Nova Scotia Municipal Election 2024

USPA NEWS - Municipal elections are held every 4 years on the third Saturday in October. The next municipal election in Nova Scotia will take place on October 19th.
Mayors, councillors and provincial school board members are elected and will serve 4-year terms.

Jess West, is one of the 4 candidates running for Council in District 4 of the West Hants Municipality. As with all candidates running for various positions throughout the province in the 2024 Municipal Election, Jess West has many important issues that she would like to address, but more importantly she is committed to be a voice for the people in her community. Jess was kind enough to take a few minutes to speak with USPA 24 News and here are some of the highlights of our conversation.

Jess West grew up in a very rural community on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, but now lives in the Village of St. Croix, where she has resided for the last 12 years with her husband and 3 children. The entire family is active in the community in some capacity. Her husband is employed at Michelin, her oldest son is employed at Ski Martock, youngest son is an avid snow boarder and her daughter is an active competitive cheerleader. Jess who is a devoted mother, wife, and student, devotes much of her free time to serving in the community striving to make it a better place for everyone. Jess, does many hours of volunteer work with youth within the community who are affected by addiction and poverty. Jess also organized the first West Hants Pride Parade back in 2021 and 2022. She identified the need from working with youth in the area who were just waiting to be old enough to move away as they felt they were not being accepted because of gender identity. West felt that by organizing the Pride Parades it would show that everyone could be accepted within the community. West was not involved organizing the most recent Pride Parade, but did attend with much compassion and enthusiasm.

Jess also organized a drop in centre for youth in West Hants, and secured funding for that along with funding for transportation so that youth living in rural areas could still be able to attend. Jess also sat on the Student Advisory Council(SAC) at Avon View High-School for 2 years ,which was the maximum time she could serve, and in that time saw changes to the lunch program and additional resources made available for those who needed them. She also sat on the Student Advisory Council at Horton High-School. West is also an advocate for the rights of senior citizens in her community.

Jess and her husband are very avid outdoor enthusiasts and in their spare time you will find them doing many outdoor activities including camping with their family.

In her final remarks , Jess said, "If I could say one thing to the residents in my community it would be to get out and vote. She continued to say, "Whether voting for her or one of the other 3 candidates, it is important for residents to get out and have their say." One thing is for certain, whether Jess West is the successful candidate and wins the position or if it is one of the other candidates, she will maintain an active role in her community and still will be a force to be reckoned with.