The Barnacle reached out to newly re-elected MLA Susan Corkum-Greek to request an interview about her upcoming term. She returned her answers to the following questions by email.
1. What are the top 3 concerns of your constituents that you heard about while campaigning?
The things I heard on the doorsteps were essentially the same issues that all of the three main parties were talking about; namely, affordability, health care and housing. There was also a lot of talk about change, which I wasn’t sure how to interpret at first. I mean, I was an incumbent running with the incumbent party. But I quickly learned voters saw our government as part of the change they want.
2. How has this region changed since you became an MLA in 2021, and how do you see it changing in the next 4 years?
The biggest change relates to population growth. We’ve been a province that was used to decline, to young people needing to leave to seek out opportunities and that’s changing. We see people from across Canada and many other parts of the world moving to Nova Scotia and although that growth creates its own set of challenges, we’re also seeing extraordinary opportunities.
One of my favourite examples is the wonderful new eatery in New Germany, the Hummingbird Café. The business was started by a hometown gal, Jay Robar, who worked in the restaurant industry in Halifax but always dreamed of opening a business back home. She has been able to do that thanks in part to population growth in that area of Lunenburg County, as well as her own hard work. In doing this, she also restored an historic building, the former Oickle’s Dry Goods store, in the village. It’s just a gorgeous space with tin ceilings and amazing food!
We’re also seeing a lot more diversity in our communities, schools and workplaces, which is amazing! I’ve been particularly blessed to have made many friends amongst the South Shore Malayalee community, many of whom are nurses in our hospitals and long-term care facilities. They are extraordinarily generous people, sharing the cultural traditions of their homeland even as they engage with their newfound community here.
Looking ahead, we want that growth to continue. However, we also need to get on top of it and manage that change so that growth isn’t viewed as a negative and newcomers are embraced for all the wonderful things they bring to our province, not blamed for situations they did not cause.
3. Tell me about a community event you attended in the past year or so and why it made you proud to be MLA of this region.
I really love being out in the community so picking one event is really hard. But if I had to pick, it would probably be the Citizenship Ceremony held at the Lunenburg Academy this past summer. It was a real privilege to meet those who took the oath of citizenship that day – 43 people from 18 different nations! – and to witness this significant moment in their lives. While I am grateful for the lottery of birth that saw me born and raised in this wonderful place, these folks chose Nova Scotia. They’re investing their hopes for the future in our province and our communities, and I consider that a very remarkable and courageous thing.
4. Our region has a blossoming industry as a filming location for North American productions. How do you plan on nurturing this new industry ?
Our government has been a champion for this industry: committing to a new, permanent sound stage, making changes to incent more film production further away from HRM and adding a number of production jobs (from set dressing, props and wardrobe to camera, grip and sound positions) to the list of positions eligible under the More Opportunities for Skilled Trades (MOST) program. That support will definitely continue.
5. How do you plan to communicate with your constituents in the following four years and make sure their concerns are heard?
The same way I have for the past 3 ½ years, which is primarily being visible and available. Ideally, I’d like to meet people before they need me – because you don’t tend to reach out to the MLA on a good day. But if you have a problem or concern and you have seen me around and know I’m approachable, then hopefully you’ll feel comfortable reaching out. There are so many government programs out there designed to assist people. As MLA, my role is to connect people to these opportunities. Or in cases where there isn’t a provincial program, to look further afield – the women in my office team are exceptionally resourceful in this regard! – and to advocate for solutions when we identify a gap.
6. Poverty, in particular childhood poverty, is very high in our province. What do you believe the provincial government will do to address this, and do you have any goals in place for our region regarding this issue?
Addressing systemic issues like poverty — and childhood poverty in particular — require long-term commitments and that’s challenging when we have a four-year election cycle. Still, I think programs like the School Lunch Program will be transformational in addressing some of the inequities faced by children and youth. Certainly, it will ensure all young people in the public system will have access to a nutritious meal every school day, and the program is being offered in such a way that there is no distinction between families who can or cannot pay and therefore no stigma for the children. Moreover, having full bellies is expected to improve learning outcomes, giving all children a leg up.
There is much more that needs to be done to address issues like child poverty, food and housing security. I will continue to work with trusted partners here on the South Shore and across government and our province to find meaningful ways to address these issues.
