Meet Laura

A photo of Laura White, Councillor for HRM District 7 - Halifax South Downtown

Laura White, Councillor
District 7 - Halifax South Downtown

Kjipuktuk/Halifax is my home.

I’m Laura White, and I’m honoured to represent District 7 on HRM Council.

I am deeply committed to our city, driven to make it an even better place to live. My experience includes serving on volunteer decision-making councils, regulatory bodies, public schools, and a daycare. I bring this background, along with my professional work in Applied Research and Innovation at NSCC, to council decision-making.

Problem-solving in the service of the public has been a consistent focus of my career and community involvement. I am dedicated to addressing the pressing issues we face, such as the housing crisis, the climate emergency, rising infrastructure costs, and inequality. I am particularly passionate about creating vibrant and accessible public spaces, ensuring safe and reliable mobility for everyone, and championing environmental and financial sustainability.

I will continue the essential work of promoting inclusion, diversity, and anti-racism, while honouring Indigenous peoples and fostering gender equity. My core values—integrity, fairness, respectful dialogue, and transparent communication—guide my decisions, as I believe these are the principles needed to build a stronger, more inclusive community.

I remain focused on actions we can take locally to create meaningful, positive change and improve the daily lives of all residents.

A little about me . . .

I grew up in Dartmouth, Beaverbank, Stavanger (Norway), and Truro. As an engineering student, I studied and worked in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Halifax. Living away and later travelling abroad have been great privileges and learning opportunities.

Ten years ago, my partner Cam and I moved our family of five home to Halifax after developing our engineering careers and becoming parents in Toronto. My interest in municipal government began within a few years of settling here.

Laura seated in front of a backdrop depicting a green circle around a photo of Earth under a heading Climate Reality Project
A photo of the exterior of the Halifax Central Library

Getting involved in our community

Do you remember the winter of 2015?! I’ll never forget it. 

I was the primary caregiver to our three children, ages six and under. The sidewalks were caked in ice, the Central library opened (!!!), and I discovered that our residential street was also a thoroughfare for drivers.

I began communicating with my local councillor about these issues. I was also getting to know our community through socializing and volunteering at LeMarchant St. Thomas school, the Midwifery Regulatory Council of Nova Scotia and Engineers Nova Scotia.

In 2018, I attended a three-day Climate Reality Leadership Corp training session. It was there that I recall saying out loud (safely out of the country, to a perfect stranger) that I may run for a position in my local government.