Mayor
Halifax Regional Municipality
A lifelong resident of Bedford, Mayor Peter Kelly is a graduate of Sackville High School and of the I. W. Akerley Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, where he earned a diploma in hospitality management. He continued his education at St. Mary's University receiving a Master of Business Administration degree in 1997. He has held administrative and managerial positions in private industry and government since 1980.
Mayor Kelly began a career in public service in 1985, when elected Councillor for the Town of Bedford. In 1991 he was elected Mayor of the Town of Bedford, and in 1995 was elected to Halifax Regional Council representing District 21–Bedford. On October 21, 2000, he was elected Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality. He has been active in community service for many years, serving on various non-profit groups and organizations, as well as municipal government Boards, Commissions and Committees.
Mayor Kelly founded the Atlantic Mayors’ Congress in 2001 and has been its Chairperson since its inception. The AMC provides a forum for the larger Atlantic Region municipalities to explore common purposes and partnerships. The group has also established a dialogue with the federal government through the participation of federal cabinet ministers. In May of 2005 the Atlantic Mayor’s Congress organized the Atlantic Immigration Conference. Three hundred stakeholders met at Pier 21 in Halifax to create an action agenda that would lead to increased immigration to the region and to retention of immigrants who come.
Mayor Kelly is an active participant in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Big City Mayors’ Caucus and is involved with several of the Caucus’s working groups, including Transit, Revenue Sharing and Immigration. As Co-Chair the BCMC Working Group on Public Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness, he led the development of the Emergency Response Management Model for Canadian Municipalities (Draft), a comprehensive manual that assists municipalities in creating or revising emergency preparedness and response plans to a national standard. Public safety is a paramount concern for Mayor Kelly, and in 2006 he established the Mayor’s Roundtable on Violence to address violent crime in HRM.
In 1992, Mayor Kelly received the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada in recognition of his significant contribution to compatriots, to community and to Canada. In 1999 he received the Bronze Scroll of Recognition from the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities and the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Metro Food Bank. In 2002, he was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his enduring commitment to the community.
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In December 2003, Mayor Kelly received the Telecom Pioneers Partner Excellence Award for his commitment to building healthy communities. He is the Honourary Chair for Halifax Region On Board, the one-of-a-kind fundraising program based on the popular "Monopoly" style real estate game. All proceeds go to Bryony House. Mayor Kelly is an enthusiastic supporter of the Raising the Roof fundraising campaign against homelessness. His sales of toques have contributed significantly to the campaign. In addition to his direct work toward building literacy through programs in the public schools and libraries, he also participates in the “Raise a Reader” fundraising program for family literacy. As honourary chair for the International Day for the Disabled, for the Adsum House Fund Raising Campaign and for the Metro Food Bank, he is an enthusiastic and energetic participant always striving to ensure the success of these ventures.
Mayor Kelly and his wife, Nancy, have two sons, Craig and Blake.
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