‘I’ll miss it terribly’: Long-time councillor Gloria McCluskey won’t run for re-election

One of them most familiar faces on Halifax Regional Council is calling it a career.

Long-time municipal politician Gloria McCluskey has decided not to re-offer in the next election.

McCluskey has been in municipal politics for nearly 23 years. She was a councillor and mayor in the the former city of Dartmouth, but took eight and a half years off from politics after amalgamation.

She then won her seat as an HRM councillor, representing Dartmouth Centre.

“I’ll miss it terribly,” she said Tuesday.

“There’s never a day in those 23 years that I said, ‘Why am I here? What am I doing this for?’ because I always enjoyed it.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "There's never a day in those 23 years that I said, 'Why am I here? What am I doing this for?' because I always enjoyed it."

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At the age of 84, McCluskey says she just knew it was time to take a step back.

“I’m not a young chick any longer. Another four years, I just wonder if I would stay well and strong enough to do the job and if not, it might force a by-election which would cost taxpayers a bunch of money,” she said.

As for what the future holds, McCluskey says she doesn’t have any plans yet but knows she’s the kind of person who needs a challenge in her life. When asked if she was looking forward to relaxing, she replied, “I don’t need relaxation.”

“Election day and the day after, when there are no phone calls and no e-mails, I don’t know what I’ll do,” she said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Election day and the day after, when there are no phone calls and no e-mails, I don't know what I'll do," she said.