By Kendall Worth
On Monday, August 17th, 2026, I had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with Dartmouth North MLA Susan Leblanc. With the Nova Scotia Legislature preparing to return on September 8th, 2026, I believe this interview could not have come at a better time. As both a community journalist and an advocate, I believe the weeks leading up to a new sitting of the Legislature are an important time to talk about what people in our communities are experiencing and what our elected representatives need to bring with them to Province House.
It is also important to recognize that getting a sit-down meeting with an MLA is not always easy. MLAs have very busy schedules involving their work in their constituencies, responsibilities at Province House, meetings, community events, and their personal lives. That is why I appreciated having this opportunity to sit down with Susan and have a conversation about some of the issues I regularly report on and advocate around through Journalism for What Matters.
As with my previous interviews with MLAs, my goal is to continue informing my readers about issues affecting Dartmouth North and all Nova Scotians, particularly poverty, housing, mental health, and Employment Support and Income Assistance.
You can also see my previous interviews with MLAs here:
https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Nova%20Scotia%20NDP
The questions below are the questions I asked Susan Leblanc during our recent interview. In bold following each question is how Susan answered that question during our interview.
Question 1
Q - When we originally planned this interview last winter, we had to cancel because the Legislature was called back into session. Looking back on the Winter/Spring sitting, what stands out to you? Were there any accomplishments, challenges, or disappointments that you would like to share with my readers?
A – Of course, that was the Budget Session, and there were some big cuts to organizations. Some of those cuts were reversed. There were large cuts to arts organizations, where some people lost their jobs. These cuts affected arts in both the community and schools.
It was also a very disappointing session because there were a lot of protests happening during the session. These protests became less and less welcome as the session went on. During the interview, Susan commented on the singing in the Public Gallery. Some people were banned from the upcoming sitting of the Legislature when it goes back in on September 8th.
Dartmouth North is home to a lot of artists. Even though there are not a lot of arts organizations located directly in Dartmouth North, these cuts do affect the artists themselves who are Dartmouth North residents. These specific Dartmouth North residents either have less access or, in some cases, no access to these programs.
The schools in Dartmouth North are also affected. At least one school in Dartmouth North has used this program, and Susan has personal knowledge of this school. They can no longer use the program because of the cuts.
Question 2
Q- The last time I interviewed you for my blog was in 2022:
https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2022/03/interview-with-dartmouth-north-mla.html
Since then, what changes have you seen in Dartmouth North? For example, have you noticed changes in poverty levels, new community programs or organizations, or have there been important learning experiences that have shaped your work as the MLA for Dartmouth North?
A – Since 2022, there are more shelters and homeless encampments. There is the Green Road encampment, there is a pallet shelter encampment in Burnside, and there is the pallet shelter at Saint Paul's Church on Windmill Road. This tells Susan that there is not enough affordable housing.
Susan acknowledges that there are lots of buildings going up every day, but they cannot necessarily be accessed by those in need. There is still a massive need for public housing and rent-geared-to-income housing.
One positive thing that has happened is that the new Community Health Centre opened within the past two years. That opened because a group of Dartmouth North residents worked for over 10 years and advocated to bring new health services to the community. People in Dartmouth North are finally getting attached to primary care.
Question 3
Q - Affordable housing continues to become more difficult to find throughout Halifax Regional Municipality. How would you describe the current availability of affordable housing in Dartmouth North? There was a time when Dartmouth North was known for having some of the lowest rents in the Halifax-Dartmouth area. Do you believe that has changed, and if so, what factors are contributing to that change?
A – Definitely changed! When vacancy rates became so low, rents began to skyrocket. Very few of the new buildings are affordable for most people. Therefore, people are being forced to make decisions between paying rent, buying food, or purchasing medications. People's incomes are just not keeping up with the prices for housing.
Question 4
Q - As discussed in this blog post:
https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2026/01/turns-out-2026-starts-off-with-another.html
the current standard Income Assistance rate is $1,022 per month, and many recipients receive even less depending on their circumstances.
Another issue I have been writing about is the long-term impact that years of inadequate income support can have on a person's mental health:
https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-rise-of-introverts-in-halifax-and.html
Through your work as an MLA, what have you observed about the relationship between poverty, Income Assistance, and mental health? I understand that many Income Assistance recipients live in Dartmouth North. Do you believe Income Assistance rates need to be significantly higher than they are today? Have you observed how prolonged financial hardship can contribute to social isolation, anxiety, or what some people describe as becoming "forced introverts"?
This blog post also discusses that issue in more detail:
https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2025/04/inflation-introverts-and-isolation-many.html
A – Yes, Susan has observed the relationship between prolonged financial hardship, mental health, and social isolation. When you live on that low level of income, it is just about survival. Therefore, Susan does agree that Income Assistance needs to increase significantly so that people who need to be on Income Assistance can have a better quality of life. More organizations also need to be funded.
In Dartmouth North, The North Grove is a really good example of what is needed. During this part of our conversation, Susan also brought up an idea I had a number of years ago. For the idea Susan was referring to during our sit-down interview, see here:
https://nsadvocate.org/2017/01/04/kendall-worth-social-isolation-needs-our-attention-247/
I also wrote more about a proposal for this idea in this article:
If you go back to this article:
https://nsadvocate.org/2018/11/26/kendall-worth-my-meeting-with-dartmouth-north-mla-susan-leblanc/
which was posted in the Nova Scotia Advocate on November 26th, 2018, you will find that I talked to Susan about this idea when the article I just lined was published as well.
Also, what came up in my recent interview with Susan was a discussion about how she wants to show support for my Social Prescribing ideas, which I talk about on my BLOG. Susan is open to hearing more about these ideas in the future.
Question 5
Q - My blog is not only about advocating for higher Income Assistance rates. It also advocates for improvements to Employment Support and Income Assistance policies more broadly.
Based on your experience as an MLA, what policy changes within the Employment Support and Income Assistance program do you believe would make the greatest difference in improving the lives of recipients?
A – Well, there are a couple of things we have talked about before. #1 – People should be allowed to keep more of what they earn. #2 – People should be allowed to keep their EI.
Question 6
Q - Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers that we have not already discussed?
A – Susan believes and agreed that we discussed everything we wanted to cover.
My Call to Action as the Legislature Returns
As I bring this interview to a close, I want to thank Susan Leblanc for taking the time to sit down with me and have this conversation. However, I also want to end with a call to action—not only for Susan, but for MLAs across Nova Scotia as they prepare to return to Province House on September 8th.
The issues discussed during this interview are not simply topics for conversation. They affect the everyday lives of real people. When Income Assistance is so low that someone's life becomes about basic survival, when people have to choose between rent, food, and medication, when a lack of affordable housing contributes to homelessness and encampments, and when prolonged poverty contributes to social isolation and poor mental health, these are issues that need attention inside the Legislature.
Susan, if you are reading this BLOG post, I hope that the issues we discussed during our sit-down interview—and the possible solutions—will continue to be part of the work you bring forward when the Legislature resumes. I especially hope there will be opportunities to raise the need for significantly higher Income Assistance rates, better Employment Support and Income Assistance policies, more genuinely affordable and rent-geared-to-income housing, proper funding for community organizations, and greater recognition of the connection between poverty, mental health, and social isolation.
I also appreciate your openness to hearing more about my Social Prescribing ideas in the future. Addressing social isolation requires more than simply telling people to get out of the house or meet more people. We need to look at the financial, social, accessibility, and community barriers that prevent people from developing healthy social connections in the first place. Social Prescribing and stronger community supports deserve to be part of that conversation.
September 8th should therefore be more than simply another date when the doors of Province House reopen. It should be an opportunity for MLAs to bring the experiences of the people they represent into the Legislature and ask what concrete changes can improve their lives.
That is why interviews like this matter to my work as both a community journalist and an advocate. They provide an opportunity to put these issues directly before elected representatives—but the next important step is making sure those conversations do not end when the interview ends.
The issues have been raised. The solutions are being discussed. Now they need to be brought to the floor of the Nova Scotia Legislature.
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