Don Downe

The Honourable
Don Downe
MLA for Lunenburg West
In office
May 25, 1993 – February 18, 2003
Preceded byMarie Dechman
Succeeded byCarolyn Bolivar-Getson
Minister of Finance
In office
April 8, 1998 – August 16, 1999
Preceded byBill Gillis
Succeeded byNeil LeBlanc
Personal details
Born1951
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Political partyLiberal
ResidenceWileville, Nova Scotia

Donald Richard Downe (born 1951) is a farmer and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Lunenburg West in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1993 to 2003 as a Liberal member.[1]

Early life

Downe was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. He was a poultry farm owner and was president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture.

Political career

Provincial politics

In 1992, he ran for the leadership of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party,[2] losing on the second ballot to John Savage.[3][4]

In the 1993 election, Downe defeated Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Marie Dechman by almost 3,400 votes in Lunenburg West.[5][6] On June 11, 1993, Downe was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Natural Resources.[7] In March 1996, Downe was moved to Minister of Business and Consumer Services,[8][9] but was shuffled again in June 1996, when he was named Minister of Transportation and Public Works.[10] When Russell MacLellan was sworn-in as premier in July 1997, Downe remained as Minister of Transportation and Public Works.[11][12]

Downe was re-elected in the 1998 election.[13][14] On April 8, 1998, he was named Minister of Finance, Minister of Environment, Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, and Deputy Premier.[15][16] In December 1998, the Environment portfolio was transferred to Michel Samson.[17] The Liberals lost government in the 1999 election, but Downe was re-elected by almost 1,000 votes in his riding.[18] Considered a possible leadership candidate following MacLellan's resignation as leader, Downe declined to enter the race.[4] On November 21, 2002, Downe announced that he would be not be running in the next provincial election,[19][20] and officially resigned as MLA on February 18, 2003.[21][22]

Municipal politics

In 2008, Downe returned to politics and was elected the first mayor of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg.[23][24] He was re-elected in 2012.[25] Downe did not for re-election in the 2016 municipal election.[26]

References

  1. ^ "Electoral History for Lunenburg West" (PDF). Nova Scotia Legislative Library. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
  2. ^ "Liberal race gets second entry". Toronto Star. April 9, 1992.
  3. ^ "Liberals call up new leader". The Globe and Mail. June 22, 1992.
  4. ^ a b "Liberals search for leader". CBC News. May 23, 2001. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
  5. ^ "Returns of General Election for the House of Assembly 1993" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. 1993. p. 126. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  6. ^ "Liberal sweep claims cabinet ministers". The Chronicle Herald. May 26, 1993. Archived from the original on August 30, 2000. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  7. ^ "Historic Liberal cabinet sworn in". The Chronicle Herald. June 12, 1993. Archived from the original on August 30, 2000. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  8. ^ "Premier announces cabinet realignment". Government of Nova Scotia. March 22, 1996. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  9. ^ "Downe climbs cabinet ladder as new department boss". The Chronicle Herald. March 23, 1996.
  10. ^ "Premier shuffles cabinet". Government of Nova Scotia. June 27, 1996. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  11. ^ "Premier MacLellan, new cabinet sworn in". Government of Nova Scotia. July 18, 1997. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  12. ^ "MacLellan makeover". The Chronicle Herald. July 19, 1997. Archived from the original on February 4, 1998. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  13. ^ "Election Returns, 1998 (Lunenburg West)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  14. ^ "Grit veterans swept away by 'orange tide'". The Chronicle Herald. March 25, 1998. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  15. ^ "A cabinet with four legs". The Chronicle Herald. April 9, 1998. Archived from the original on January 23, 2005. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  16. ^ "Who's who in the new crew". The Chronicle Herald. April 9, 1998. Archived from the original on January 23, 2005. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  17. ^ "Premier MacLellan shuffles cabinet". Government of Nova Scotia. December 11, 1998. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  18. ^ "Election Returns, 1999 (Lunenburg West)" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  19. ^ "Downe and out in Lunenburg West". SouthShoreNow. November 27, 2002. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  20. ^ "Downe stepping down". November 22, 2002. Archived from the original on March 22, 2003. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  21. ^ "Don Downe resigns seat". SouthShoreNow. February 18, 2003. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  22. ^ "MLA Downe officially out of N.S. politics". February 19, 2003. Archived from the original on July 7, 2003. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  23. ^ "Former cabinet minister Don Downe chosen as county's first mayor". SouthshoreNow News. October 21, 2008. Archived from the original on November 24, 2011. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  24. ^ "Mayors elected around Nova Scotia". CBC News. October 19, 2008. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  25. ^ "Don Downe returned as mayor of Municipality of Lunenburg". SouthShoreNow. October 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  26. ^ "Downe steps away from politics as Lunenburg district races shape up". The Chronicle Herald. September 16, 2016. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-27.