Meet Bill MacDonald
"The key to our success as a community is proven leadership and experience. We must draw on all our resources and work together as we move through our economic recovery from the pandemic and into a prosperous and sustainable future for us all."
When you meet Bill MacDonald you realize that working in community and public service for your entire life can lead in many directions. For him, that path led to the privilege of serving as Mayor of the historic Town of Annapolis Royal – considered the cradle of our nation for its pivotal role in the early origins of the country.
During his term as mayor, he focused on preservation, innovation, and promotion as pathways to growth and economic development of our town and surrounding communities – which led to numerous initiatives and projects benefiting the town and its residents. Bill’s focus is now – as we move forward and build a future of long-term prosperity amidst the economic and social challenges of the global pandemic – is on inclusion, sustainability, and resiliency.
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia – a designated a National Historic District – is situated on the un-ceded territory and former gathering place of the Mi’kmaq. An incorporated municipality of 500+ residents, Annapolis Royal is also the community of interest for 10,000 people living in the surrounding County of Annapolis. The town’s waterfront is increasingly impacted by sea-level rise and storm surges fed by the Bay of Fundy’s highest tides in the world – putting the town, neighbouring communities, and their irreplaceable historic sites at risk from catastrophic flooding due to climate change.
Leading such a unique and irreplaceable community exposed a serious need to address the economic, ecological, and social sustainability of our entire region – subjects Bill continues to work on.
Bill MacDonald was recruited to be a part of the Forensic Document Review Team (FDRT) for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) – while serving as Mayor – due in part to his specialized expertise and oversight role in a number of high profile cases during decades of work as an investigator and investigative analyst in both British Columbia and Nova Scotia.
His role as lead investigator with the FDRT involved some of the most important and difficult work Bill has ever done. He contributed findings and recommendations to inform the MMIWG Commissioners’ Final Report, Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which includes 231 individual calls for justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, and all Canadians.
Investigation is a theme throughout Bill’s career.
Before becoming a consultant, Bill’s professional background included civil, criminal, and corporate investigations and regulatory enforcement over a period of three decades. During that time he exposed profiteering by elected officials, government appointees, and public servants; and uncovered a clandestine firearms business that resulted in the seizure of more than 6 tons of semi-automatic firearms.
While performing civilian oversight of the police and reviewing police professional standards investigations, files included police-involved deaths, corrupt practice, excessive force, improper off-duty conduct and conduct constituting an offence. Most notably, it included high profile neglect of duty files such as the disappearance of dozens of women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and their murder by serial killer Robert Pickton; and the death-in-custody of a New Brunswick man, Frank Paul, that culminated in a public inquiry ten years after Mr. Paul’s death. The Davis Commission of Inquiry report Alone and Cold, acknowledged in its conclusions:
If you have questions about Bill’s background or about how you might work together – or would like his input on a project or community issue – get in touch with Bill.
Bill is currently serving as Nova Scotia’s Police Complaints Commissioner.