Peter J. Kelly - Career As Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality

Career As Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality

During Kelly's time as Mayor, the region installed a large and long-delayed sewage treatment system known as Halifax Harbour Solutions which came into operation in 2008, broke down and was restored in 2010. The city has an attracted several large profile national events such as the 2011 Canada Winter Games and some international events such as Tall Ships Visits. A popular outcome of the Canada Winter Games was the conversion of the temporary speed skating oval into a permanent facility for speed skating and outdoor public skating. In 2007, Kelly withdrew Halifax's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games over concerns about the rapidly escalating costs of the games. Kelly has overseen a new regional development plan and an urban development plan for Downtown Halifax known as "Halifax By Design". In November 2011, the city approved and began a long-delayed construction of a new central public library. Peter Kelly pushed for an expansion of a community center in the nation's largest African Canadian community of North Preston. He was also the first and only mayor to apologize for the razing of Africville, backing it up was a $5 million dollar reparation plan for the black community, of which the majority was paid by the city.

Kelly has been the longest serving mayor of Halifax, being elected in 2000 then re-elected in 2004 and 2008. On February 22, 2012, Kelly announced he would not be running in the fall 2012 mayoral race, citing personal reasons as the cause.