Ann MacLean looks out her window at the water of Cape Breton Island’s North Bay, and thinks back to the 30 years she spent living in New Glasgow and her time as a municipal politician.
When she entered politics, she hadn’t planned to become the town’s longest-serving mayor. In fact, she had no aspirations for the mayor’s chair at all, intending to serve only one term as councillor.
But MacLean says when that first term expired, she found the projects she was involved with weren’t finished, so she offered once again in hopes of being able to complete some of that work. From there, she progressed to run for the mayor’s seat.
“Six months before I offered for mayor, if you had told me I was going to be mayor, I would have thought that was a funny suggestion,” she said.
However, when the position became available, she was encouraged to run and saw it as a way to accomplish more things for the town.
“I won that election and then continued from there. It was a real privilege,” she said. “I was there for 23 years in total – something I only planned to do for three.”
MacLean is a firm believer in giving back to the community. That’s how she got her start in politics – through her involvement volunteering with her children’s schools and as a founding board member of the Tearmann Society. “The key is to do your part in whatever way you can do that, with whatever skills you have,” she said.
MacLean was the town’s first and only female mayor, and she served in the position for 17 years. During that time she checked off many items on her municipal to-do list, and says the accomplishments she’s most proud of include a state-of-the-art water treatment plant and redeveloping the waterfront. With the East River being healthier due to the water treatment facility, trails were developed along it, and the dilapidated wharf was replaced with a new marina.
“Business came as a result, and we continued to develop a sense of community,” she said. “Those are some of major achievements I’m happy we were able to accomplish.”
Along with being a member of New Glasgow’s town council, MacLean also at different times served as the president of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, the Nova Scotia Police Boards Association and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Being president of FCM led to one of her greatest achievements in politics, as she was the person who signed the deal with the federal government that would see a portion of the federal gas tax transferred to municipal governments.
“That brought billions of dollars to municipalities for infrastructure,” she said. “For the first time in history, Canadian municipalities got a portion of the gas tax.”
This involved finding consensus amongst municipalities across the country. The FCM board of directors has 75 members representing 1,500 municipalities of all sizes, from large cities such as Toronto and Montreal to smaller communities in Newfoundland of 500 or fewer residents.
She said the ability to have one voice from “sea to sea to sea” helped finalize the deal. “That was a very important turning point for local government in the country and I was privileged to be there at that time.”
She’s quick to point out that what was achieved during her political career was the result of the efforts of many people working together, including council members, citizens and the business community.
MacLean left public life in 2008. Like another Pictou County politician who recently announced his retirement, she wanted to spend more time with her family. “I became a grandmother and decided it was time to retire. I thought that was my most important role then.”
At the time she had one grandchild, and now she has four – who live in Halifax, Toronto and Edmonton – and she travels a lot to spend time with them.
Along with this, she plays golf and has served on several committees for the province. She also chaired the Pictou County United Way’s Leaders of the Way Campaign in 2013, and sat on a round table for Nova Scotia’s aquaculture regulations review. She was recently named to the Halifax International Airport Authority board of directors.
As a former president, she’s also still active with the Federation of Canadian of Municipalities, which honoured her in 2009. The Ann MacLean Award for Outstanding Service by a Woman in Municipal Politics is given annually to retired women municipal politicians who have shown exemplary service to their community and constituents and to mentoring women who want to run for elected office. The award recognizes her role in leading FCM´s campaign to increase the number of women in municipal politics across Canada.
“One of the things I did take on as president was to try to increase the number of women in elected office.”
She continues to mentor women in politics and also conducts campaign schools for the UNSM to encourage women to offer for public office, where she talks about the responsibilities and what’s involved.
She said there’s no education or training equal to that provided by being in public office
“in terms of how to analyze problems and how to try to find solutions and how to improve service to the public.”
While serving as mayor, MacLean was also vice president of community health for the Pictou County Health Authority, retiring from health care in 2004 when she became the FCM president.
After retiring as mayor, she and husband Russell MacLellan – a former MP and former Nova Scotia premier – spent time between her house in New Glasgow and his home in Cape Breton, but after a while this became onerous.
“We had two houses and we weren’t living in either one. It was too difficult.”
So she made the tough decision to sell her home on Terrace Street, moving full time to Ingonish in 2012. But, she still visits Pictou County regularly, and remembers her time here with fondness.
“It’s been a rewarding time. I enjoyed every day of working in the town and with other municipalities. I’m watching with interest this MOU. I wish them so much success to have Pictou County the best it can be.”
Where Are They Now? is a regular feature that seeks out former newsmakers from Pictou County. If you have an idea for the column, please contact Carol Dunn at carol.dunn@ngnews.ca.
