Eileen O'Connell (politician)

Infobox_Politician
name = Eileen O'Connell
small

caption =
birth_date =
birth_place = Antigonish, Nova Scotia
residence =
office = MLA for Halifax Fairview
term_start = 1996
term_end =
predecessor = Alexa McDonough
successor = Graham Steele
party = NDP
religion =
occupation = teacher

Eileen O'Connell (1947-September 27, 2000) was a Canadian politician who served as a New Democratic Party member of the Nova Scotia Legislature for the constituency of Halifax Fairview from 1996 until her death in 2000.

Eileen was born in 1947 and grew up in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

She was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, and attended both Dalhousie and St. Mary's Universities, where she earned a degree in Education.

Eileen taught at Halifax West High School for 14 years, and then at Cornwallis Junior High School. She was a founding member of the Association for Media Literacy, a board member of the Planned Parenthood Metro Clinic, and a chair of the Halifax Association for Community Living's Flowers of Hope Campaign.

Political Life

Eileen held various positions with the New Democratic Party before becoming an MLA. She first ran in 1984 and 1988 elections in the constituency of Halifax Citadel but was unsuccessful.

After the electoral boundaries changed, Eileen ran in the 1996 by-election in Halifax Fairview where she was elected with 65.24%Elections Nova Scotia, [http://electionsnovascotia.ns.ca/results/byElections/By%20Election%201996.pdf Complete Results and Statistics of Provincial By-Elections 1930 - 2007, Complete Poll By Poll Results (June 4, 1996)] . Retrieved on October 30, 2007] of the vote. She was re-elected in 1998 (53.8%Elections Nova Scotia, [http://electionsnovascotia.ns.ca/results/98Results/Dist30.pdf Complete Results and Statistics of Provincial General Elections 1933 - 2006, Complete Poll By Poll Results - Halifax Fairview (March 24, 1998)] . Retrieved on October 30, 2007] ) and 1999 (46.23%Elections Nova Scotia, [http://electionsnovascotia.ns.ca/results/99Results/99HLFXFA.pdf Complete Results and Statistics of Provincial General Elections 1933 - 2006, Complete Poll By Poll Results - Halifax Fairview (July 27, 1999)] . Retrieved on October 30, 2007] ). While MLA, Eileen served as Education Critic, Environment Critic, Natural Resources Critic and Forestry Critic for the NDP caucus. She also served on the Human Resources Subcomittee, Standing Committee on Resources, Public Accounts Committee, the Standing Committee on Veteran's Affairs, and the Select Committee on National Unity. Much of her work on these committees is still evident in the Nova Scotia Legislature's Hansard.

At the Nova Scotia NDP Leadership convention in July 2000, Eileen was a member of Helen MacDonald's team, and helped her win the leadership of the Nova Scotia NDP.

After the 1998 election Eileen was diagnosed with breast cancer. She continued to serve as MLA until her death on September 27, 2000.

A memorial bursary in Eileen's name is awarded to a Halifax West High School student and to a J. L. Ilsley High School student each year.

References

External links

* [http://www.navnet.net/~fairview/ Eileen O'Connell Memorial Website]
* [http://www.grahamsteele.ca/gs_const_eocb.html Eileen O'Connell Memorial Bursary]