Our landmark campaign to protect Twice the Wild is led by a high-profile cabinet, whose members have committed to making the Nova Scotia Nature Trust their charity of choice with their own generous donations as well as their volunteer service to the fundraising effort. In addition to their bios below, you can also read more about them in this announcement.

Peter Porteous

Cabinet Chair

Peter is Vice President of Business Development for Steele Auto Group. He previously served as Director of Marketing – Canada for Kraft Foods and President of Stanfield’s Ltd, a 163 year old...

Peter is Vice President of Business Development for Steele Auto Group. He previously served as Director of Marketing – Canada for Kraft Foods and President of Stanfield’s Ltd, a 163 year old iconic clothing manufacturer.

In 2015, Peter relocated to Halifax from Woodstock, New Brunswick, where he was one of the founding Directors of the Meduxnekeag Valley Nature Preserve.

In addition to chairing the Campaign Cabinet, he serves on the Nature Trust’s Board of Directors. Peter’s happy place is outdoors and you can often find him, or not, walking and exploring in the woods.

Paul Comeau

Paul retired as a partner of Grant Thornton in Yarmouth, having been a CPA in public practice for 40 years and one of the only Acadian partners in Nova Scotia.

He currently serves on the board...

Paul retired as a partner of Grant Thornton in Yarmouth, having been a CPA in public practice for 40 years and one of the only Acadian partners in Nova Scotia.

He currently serves on the board of the Nova Scotia Health Authority and has previously been a councillor of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia, President of the Yarmouth YMCA, President of the Rotary Club of Yarmouth, President of the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation and Director with Canada Post Corporation, among others.

He has 3 children and 4 grandchildren and enjoys hunting, fishing and camping – especially in Kejimkujik National Park (both Jeremy’s Bay campground and out back camping). He loves tramping and hiking in the woods, as well as the ocean.

Henry Demone

Henry Demone is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of High Liner Foods.  He currently serves as Chairman of Eosense, Inc., Governor of Acadia University, and Director of both Saputo Inc. and Emera,...

Henry Demone is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of High Liner Foods.  He currently serves as Chairman of Eosense, Inc., Governor of Acadia University, and Director of both Saputo Inc. and Emera, Inc.

As an industry leader, he has held leadership positions in many volunteer organizations over the course of his career, including the Young Presidents’ Organization, the National Fisheries institute in Washington DC, the Groundfish Forum, and the Fisheries Council of Canada. Along with 19 others, he was also appointed to the Blue Ribbon panel of the Global Partnership for the Oceans, a World Bank initiative.

He has received numerous awards including: Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser in the Maritime Provinces (2008); Partner in Conservation, World Wildlife Fund Canada (2014); and Nova Scotia Male Sailor of the Year (2015).

John S. Hunkin CM

John is former Chair and CEO of CIBC. He retired in 2005.

He has been an active volunteer and philanthropist for the past 35 years with his areas of focus being health care, education and the...

John is former Chair and CEO of CIBC. He retired in 2005.

He has been an active volunteer and philanthropist for the past 35 years with his areas of focus being health care, education and the less fortunate.

He was a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Award in 2002; received an LLD(Hon.) from York University in 2004 and in 2009 received the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

In 2019 John received the Order of Canada “For his active governance and philanthropic commitment to education, health and mental health.”

He feels privileged to live on Mahone Bay, one of the great bays in North America, where every day brings amazing sunrises and constant views of the water and the islands.

Ella McQuinn

Ella McQuinn is a business coach and management consultant working with organizations focused on purpose driven strategies. She works with owners and senior leaders in a variety of sectors committed...

Ella McQuinn is a business coach and management consultant working with organizations focused on purpose driven strategies. She works with owners and senior leaders in a variety of sectors committed to change and making a difference in their roles. She sits on a number of non-profit boards focused on leadership, sustainable community development and coastal conservation.

Ella grew up in Nova Scotia in a sailing family, enjoying our coastline from an early age. She currently lives and works in St. Margaret’s Bay and continues to be active on and around our shores sailing, kayaking, hiking and watching sunsets.

She has played an active role in protecting and stewarding islands in Nova Scotia and is excited about the opportunity to double the amount of protected lands in the next few years.

Bill Morris

Bill Morris retired from Accenture in 2019. He served for 12 years as the CEO of Accenture Canada and prior to that had a number of global and North American leadership roles.

In 2017 he received...

Bill Morris retired from Accenture in 2019. He served for 12 years as the CEO of Accenture Canada and prior to that had a number of global and North American leadership roles.

In 2017 he received the WXN Vanguard Leadership Award in Inclusion and Diversity in recognition of his innovative work creating a gender parity workforce at Accenture.

Bill is Vice-Chair of Jack.org, Canada leading charity for youth mental health. He has served on the Campaign Cabinet for the United Way of Greater Toronto and has served on the Boards of the Toronto Symphony and the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. He was also Vice-Chair of the Energy Policy Institute of Canada, whose mission was to balance the development of the country’s natural resources with environmental and indigenous priorities. He is currently developing the Canadian market for nature-based solutions for climate change.

Douglas Reid

Doug is a Partner with KPMG, a firm he joined in 1982 following graduation from Dalhousie University. In addition to Doug’s client responsibilities he has long been an active volunteer in the community...

Doug is a Partner with KPMG, a firm he joined in 1982 following graduation from Dalhousie University. In addition to Doug’s client responsibilities he has long been an active volunteer in the community serving as Chair of Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management’s Advisory Board to the Dean, Co-chair of Halifax Grammar School’s Building on Excellence Capital Campaign, Past Chair of a number of organizations including the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Nova Scotia, the QEII Health Sciences Foundation, Symphony Nova Scotia and the Dalhousie University Alumni Association.

He is an avid golfer and far prefers to be outdoors than indoors.

Maureen Reid

Maureen Reid is the President and Founder of BoardWorks Consulting Inc. and has more than 25 years’ experience as an advisor to governing boards in the private, public and non-profit sectors.  

Prior...

Maureen Reid is the President and Founder of BoardWorks Consulting Inc. and has more than 25 years’ experience as an advisor to governing boards in the private, public and non-profit sectors.  

Prior to establishing BoardWorks in 2001, Maureen spent the bulk of her career as a partner in the Labour and Employment Law Group of a major Halifax law firm.  She has also held senior leadership positions in a learning technology start-up and more recently with The Shaw Group Limited, a land development and manufacturing company.

Maureen is an Honourary Director of the Neptune Theatre Foundation and the IWK Health Centre Foundation. Maureen currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Halifax Grammar School  and has also served in volunteer leadership roles with Halifax Partnership, Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award Foundation, Halifax Chamber of Commerce, and the Canadian Association for the Practical Study of Law in Education (CAPSLE), among others.

In 2016, Maureen was honoured with a Doctor of Civil Law, honoris causa, from Saint Mary’s University for her professional and volunteer contributions to a wide range of organizations in the Atlantic region. 

Maureen is bilingual (English and French).

Lara Ryan

Lara has held various leadership roles during a 30-year career in the not-for-profit sector. She is a consultant specializing in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. For years she has...

Lara has held various leadership roles during a 30-year career in the not-for-profit sector. She is a consultant specializing in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. For years she has encouraged clients to support organizations like the Nature Trust instead of providing speaker or corporate gifts. An original “hippy kid”, Lara grew up with a deeply embedded appreciation for nature and sustainability. She lives in beautiful Fergusons Cove with her husband, musician Brett Ryan, their three (almost) grown children nearby and spends as much time walking in the woods as possible.

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