News Release

Halifax Regional Council Pays Tribute to former Mayor, Premier

(Tuesday, May 13/2003)-- Mayor Peter Kelly, on behalf of Halifax Regional Council, extended condolences this morning to the family of former Dartmouth Mayor and Premier John Savage, who died overnight.

Mayor Kelly said "John Savage and his late wife, Margaret, made a tremendous contribution to their adopted community, giving unselfishly of their time and helping to make things so much better for so many people in their own area, and throughout Nova Scotia.

"Whether it was setting up a medical clinic in a needy community, contributing their time to the library service and taking books to shut-ins, John and Margaret Savage worked as a team and always put more back into their community then they took out.

"John Savage set a new tone for politics in Nova Scotia, crusading against deficit spending and political patronage practices, even at the cost of his own political career. After politics, John Savage continued to give freely of his time and effort, working locally with a number of charitable organizations and internationally, helping to set up a medical hospital in Africa.

"John Savage was the recipient of many distinctions and honours in his lifetime, most recently being named to the Order of Canada over the weekend. Also, HRM was proud recently to work with the Dartmouth Book Awards Committee in establishing the "Margaret and John Savage First Book Award," to be given annually in recognition of an Atlantic Canadian author's first book, either fiction or non-fiction, " Mayor Kelly said.

Flags are flying at half mast at HRM facilities in honour of Dr. Savage.

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Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010