Meet Iain

Iain was first elected to the Nova Scotia Legislature for Timberlea-Prospect in 2013, re-elected in the 2017 and 2021 elections and has proudly served the residents of the area as an MLA, and former cabinet minister and premier.

Iain grew up in Timberlea. He obtained a business degree from Mount Saint Vincent University while helping manage the family business at the Beechville Irving. He worked as an operations manager in Ottawa, before returning home in 2011. He launched Premiere Self Storage, as an operating partner in Dartmouth before entering public service.

During his first term, he served as caucus chair and joined cabinet in 2017 as Minister of Environment and a member of Treasury and Policy Board. He was shuffled to Minister of Lands and Forestry in 2018 and was the 29th premier of Nova Scotia in 2021.

As a climate advocate and leader, Iain is passionate about fighting the climate crisis. In his role as minister and premier he focused on the nexus between the economy, equity and the environment. Some of the accomplishments he achieved serving in these roles include,

• Announced $10 per day childcare
• Launched the largest renewable energy tender in provinces history (350MW)
• Created the office of mental health and addictions, and the office of equity and anti-racism initiatives
• Expanded computer science programs at four universities to prepare for the digital economy
• Launched public consultations to define a costal protection zone in Nova Scotia
• Introduced cap and trade, funding a green fund which provides for efficiency upgrades and incentives for electric vehicles
• Protection of over 100 wilderness areas, nature reserves and provincial parks
• Announced Nova Scotia’s first provincial trail strategy
• Approved process for the clean-up of historic mining sites and Harrietsfield former C&D site
• Signed the first ever Mi’kmaq Forest Initiative
• Created a dedicated crown prosecutor for the department of environment

Iain is most proud of the achievements he has brought to Timberlea—Prospect such as an outpatient centre in Bayers Lake, rebuilding the BLT community centre, capital improvements in local schools, active transportation lanes along Prospect Road, and preserving vast protected areas including heritage land in Beechville.

Iain and his wife Mary are proud parents to their daughter, Freya and delighted to live and raise their family in Timberlea—Prospect.