Ali Duale elected to the Nova Scotia Legislature

Ali Duale has won the riding of Halifax Armdale for the Nova Scotia Liberals in a tight race against the NDP's Julie Melanson in yesterday’s provincial elections. Duale is the first Muslim MLA elected to the legislature.

“A heartfelt thank you to my family, team, and constituents, for a hard fought election,” said Duale in a twitter post. “I am honoured to be your MLA for Armdale and I’m looking forward to working with all parties in the legislature.”

In 1991, Ali and his wife fled their home in Somalia due to the civil war. After spending seven years in a Kenyan refugee camp, they came to Canada to build a better life for their family.

Since 2004, Ali has worked for the Halifax Regional Fire Department as a firefighter and spent time as the fire department’s Diversity and Community Liaison Officer.

Ali’s inspiring story has been featured at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights as a testament to his hard work and dedication to build a new life for him and his family.

As a former Board Member of the Ummah Masjid & Community Center (UMCC), Ali contributed immensely to the growth and strategic direction of UMCC.

As a father of eight, Ali has been a strong ally for youth and coordinated a free basketball program for immigrant youth at St. Andrew’s Community Centre as well as a swimming program at the Canada Games Centre.

Ali has been involved with a number of community boards, including the Maritime Muslim Academy Board.