John Leefe
John Gordon Leefe was a Canadian author, educator and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Queens in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1978 to 1999 as a Progressive Conservative member. He was also mayor of [Region of Queens (Nova Scotia provincial electoral district)|Queens Municipality, Nova Scotia|Region of Queens Municipality] 2000-2012.
Early life and education
He was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, the son of James G. Leefe CD and Helen G. Sancton, and was educated at University of King's College, the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie University. Leefe taught school in Saint John, Halifax and Liverpool, NS where he was Head of the Social Studies Department and later Assistant Director of Curriculum with the Queens District School Board.Political career
First elected in 1978, he served on the province's Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Fisheries from 1983 to 1989, Minister of the Environment from 1989 to 1992 and Minister of Natural Resources from 1992 to 1993. Leefe also served as Government House Leader 1991-1993. While a member of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition he served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee of the Legislature. During his time in the Legislature and municipal government, he was a strong advocate for setting aside lands for preservation and the protection of species-at-risk and played a pivotal role in the creation of Thomas Raddall Provincial Park, Kejimkujik Seaside and nomination of Shelburne River as a Canadian Heritage River. He retired from provincial politics in 1999.He was elected Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 and 2008. For 2010-2012 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities. He has served as President of the Canadian Council Ministers of the Environment, on the National and Provincial Round Tables on the Environment and Economy and in 2011 was appointed to the Nova Scotia Round Table on the Environment and Sustainable Prosperity. In March 2014 he was appointed Transition Co-ordinator by the provincial government to oversee the dissolution of Springhill and its merger into Cumberland Municipality. In October 2015 he was similarly appointed for the dissolution of Parrsboro and its merger with Cumberland. He served on the Board of the Queens Refugee Care Committee 2016-2018. In 2019 he was elected a warden of the Anglican Parish of South Queens,