Survey responses from Halifax mayoral and council candidates show strong support for the environment

Kjipuktuk/Halifax – The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) has surveyed council and mayoral candidates running in the 2024 Halifax municipal election, providing candidates the opportunity to pledge their support for some of the most critical environmental and social issues this election. The results of the candidate survey are available on the EAC’s website. The survey results provide insights on whether candidates support action on transit, energy affordability, protection of important greenspaces and more.    

“Haligonians can use the results from this survey to better inform their votes,” says Kortney Dunsby, senior built environment coordinator with the EAC. “We know that the climate and biodiversity crises and environmental justice are on the minds of Haligonians. It’s important that we elect a council and mayor committed to taking action on these issues.” 

The survey asked candidates seven yes/no questions and included the opportunity for open-ended responses. Of the 63 council candidates, 40 completed the survey, with responses from at least one candidate in each of the 16 districts. Thirteen of the 16 mayoral candidates responded.  

“The results of this election will set the tone of Halifax’s local environmental action for the next four years, and the role of municipal leadership is more important than ever,” says Dunsby. “We need our new mayor and council to commit to guiding HRM toward a more affordable, equitable and sustainable future. This means taking action at the municipal level but also fostering strong partnerships with other government bodies and the private sector.” 

The EAC is urging Haligonians to vote in this year’s municipal election. In the 2020 election, just under 40 per cent of HRM’s population voted. The EAC has also created a toolkit for residents to engage with their candidates directly. The toolkit includes summaries on key environmental issues, questions to ask candidates and what to listen for in their responses. 

Key Survey Results 

Out of the 53 respondents, 49 (92 per cent) said they would commit to ensuring Halifax Transit attracts and retains enough staff to implement the Bus Rapid Transit network and ferry routes in the Rapid Transit Strategy. 

Fifty out of the 53 candidates who responded to the survey (94 per cent) said they would commit to the implementation and full funding of the JustFOOD Action Plan, HRM’s first comprehensive, long-range food strategy. 

Read all survey responses here. 

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