Juliana Barnard resigns from Truro town council

TRURO, N.S. — Ward 3 councillor Juliana Barnard has officially resigned from her position.

Barnard announced in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon that due to recent changes in her life, she would be moving away from Truro and would be unable to continue as a councillor.

“I would like to express my appreciation for the residents of Truro and, in particular, of Ward 3, who have engaged with me, brought forward questions and ideas, and participated in the community in countless ways,” said Barnard in the post.

Barnard was elected to council in 2020, beating out incumbent Danny Joseph. Originally moving to Truro from Montreal in 2003, she worked with the le Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial (CSAP) to develop a province-wide program that promoted inclusion, diversity, and community.

As a volunteer, she was a member and Vice-President of the Downtown Truro Partnership, the School Advisory Council of École Acadienne de Truro, and a founding member of the Living Earth Council.

Before her time in Truro, Barnard had graduated from Stanford University in 1982. She has worked with various community organizations across North America.

As a councillor, Barnard sat on several committees, including the Active Transportation Committee, the African Nova Scotian Community Strategy Committee (co-chair), and the Diversity Advisory Committee (chair).

“I couldn’t have asked for a better councillor for Ward 3 than Juliana,” said Cathy Hinton, fellow Ward 3 councillor. “She was just wonderful.”

Hinton said that during Fiona, Barnard was “so concerned” for affected residents – strengthening her bond with the community and with Hinton.

“We’re not only a great team, but we became very, very dear friends.”

Barnard’s resignation is effective Aug. 11. A special election will be held for the open council position. The Town of Truro will provide an update on this election in the coming weeks.