Angela Simmonds

She lives in North Preston with her husband, Dean, who is a superintendent with the Halifax Regional Police, and they have three children.[https://www.dal.ca/faculty/law/news-events/news/2017/05/23/2017_convocation_profile__angela_simmonds.html 2017 Convocation profile: Angela Simmonds] Dalhousie University

In 2014, Simmonds authored a document named: "This Land is Our Land: African Nova Scotian Voices from the Preston Area Speak Up". This document talked about how the African Nova Scotian communities in the Preston areas continue to face ongoing concerns regarding the expropriation of land, clarity of land titles and education regarding land ownership and inheritance. The challenges that Simmonds wrote about highlighted that the challenges in these communities stem from a history fraught with racism, oppression and inequity. In the document Simmonds referenced that today, fewer instances of overt racism occur and the problems are more systemic, however more work needs to be done.{{cite web |last=Simmonds |first=Angela |date=August 19, 2014 |title=This Land is Our Land: African Nova Scotian Voices from the Preston Area Speak Up |url=https://nsbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/This-land-is-our-land.pdf |access-date=March 26, 2022}}

Following the publication of: "This Land is Our Land: African Nova Scotian Voices from the Preston Area Speak Up", Simmonds continued her advocacy for land titles to be granted to those residing on unregistered land. Owing to her commitment on resolving the issue, Simmonds was named executive director of the Land Titles Initiative on March 5, 2021, by the Equity and Anti-Racism Initiatives.{{Cite web|last=Iain|first=Rankin|date=March 5, 2021|title=Lawyer and community leader Angela Simmonds has been named Executive Director of the Land Titles Initiative to lead this important work.|url=https://twitter.com/IainTRankin/status/1367869466764279810|website=twitter}} Due to Simmonds' election in August, 2021, she had to step aside from the role as she was now the MLA for Preston.{{Cite web|title=Land Title Claims: The Struggle Continues|url=https://www.easternshorecooperator.ca/land_title_claims_the_struggle_continues|access-date=2022-02-14|website=The Eastern Shore Cooperator|language=en}}

Simmonds was one of four Black Canadians elected to the Nova Scotia legislature in 2021. On September 24, 2021, Simmonds was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, which makes Simmonds the first African Nova Scotian speaker in the province's history.{{Cite web |title=Liberal MLA Angela Simmonds chosen first Black deputy Speaker |url=https://twitter.com/cbcns/status/1441471990934777858|access-date=February 12, 2022 |website=Twitter|language=en}} Simmonds is a member of the Law Amendments Committee. She is also a member of the House of Assembly Management Commission.{{Cite web|last=david|date=2021-08-19|title=Angela Simmonds|url=https://nslegislature.ca/members/profiles/angela-simmonds|access-date=February 12, 2022 |website=Nova Scotia Legislature|language=en}}

Simmonds is the Justice Critic within the Nova Scotia Liberal Caucus{{Cite web|date=September 7, 2021 |title=Our Liberal MLA Critic Roles|url=https://liberal.ns.ca/critic-roles/|access-date=February 12, 2022 |website=Nova Scotia's Liberals|language=en-US}}

On October 29, 2021, the House of Assembly voted to condemn a Justice Ministry staff member who was later fired after making racist comments against Simmonds on social media.{{Cite web|url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/racism-is-alive-and-well-mla-simmonds-says-after-staffer-fired-for-racist-message-about-her-100651822/|title = 'Racism is alive and well,' MLA Simmonds says after staffer fired for racist message about her | Saltwire | last1=Campbell | first1=Francis }}

On February 4, 2022, Simmonds launched her campaign for leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party following Iain Rankin's announcement that he would be stepping down. She was the first person to declare their candidacy for Leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/liberal-party-leadership-angela-simmonds-1.6339271|title=MLA Angela Simmonds launches N.S. Liberal leadership bid|publisher=CBC News|date=February 4, 2022|access-date=August 26, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/nova-scotia-liberal-member-angela-simmonds-first-to-declare-for-party-leadership-1.5768238|title=Nova Scotia Liberal member Angela Simmonds first to declare for party leadership|publisher=CTV News|date=February 4, 2022|access-date=August 26, 2024}}{{Citation|title=I'm In.| date=4 February 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoI6MTi0OE|language=en|access-date=2022-02-08}} Simmonds' leadership campaign slogan was "New Energy for Nova Scotians". On July 9, 2022, she lost the leadership election to Zach Churchill.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/liberal-party-zach-churchill-angela-simmonds-politics-1.6515997|title=Zach Churchill elected new leader of Nova Scotia Liberal Party|publisher=CBC News|date=July 9, 2022|access-date=August 26, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/nova-scotia-liberals-to-elect-new-leader-to-replace-ex-premier-rankin-1.5981146|title=Nova Scotia Liberals elect new leader Zach Churchill to replace ex-premier Iain Rankin|publisher=CTV News|date=July 9, 2022|access-date=August 26, 2024}}

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Simmonds announced her resignation as MLA for Preston in January 2023.{{Cite web |last=reporter |first=Matthew Byard, Local Journalism Initiative |date=2023-01-25 |title=Angela Simmonds resigns as Preston MLA, deputy Speaker |url=http://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/government/province-house/angela-simmonds-resigns-as-preston-mla-deputy-speaker/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Halifax Examiner |language=en-CA}} Her resignation became effective on April 1, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Francis |title=Preston MLA Angela Simmonds lauded on her last day at Province House {{!}} SaltWire |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/preston-mla-angela-simmonds-lauded-on-her-last-day-at-province-house-100839922/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=www.saltwire.com |language=en}} In the 2023 Preston provincial by-election, the seat was taken by Progressive Conservative Twila Grosse with the Liberal candidate being pushed into third place.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-09 |title=Tories' Twila Grosse wins provincial byelection in Nova Scotia riding of Preston |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/voters-select-five-byelection-candidates-080000954.html |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-CA}}

{{Canadian election result/top|NS|2021|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec|NS|Liberal|Angela Simmonds|2,226|43.38|-5.66}}

{{CANelec|NS|PC|Archy Beals|1,472|28.69|+6.00}}

{{CANelec|NS|NDP|Colter C.C. Simmonds|1,433|27.93|+4.36}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|5,131|99.21}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|41|0.79|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|5,172|46.78|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|11,055}}

{{CANelec/nothold|NS|Liberal|-5.83}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Nova Scotia{{cite web |title=Provincial General Election 2021-08-17- Official Results |url=https://results.electionsns.ca/ |publisher=Elections Nova Scotia |access-date=October 7, 2021}}}}

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Category:Living people

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