Member of Parliament for Halifax West, Lena Metlege Diab has distinguished herself as a dedicated advocate for cultural diversity and heritage preservation in Canada. With a deep connection to her Lebanese roots, she spearheaded the establishment of Lebanese Heritage Month in the country, officially designating November as a time to celebrate and recognize the profound contributions of Lebanese-Canadians to Canada's multicultural fabric.
Her efforts have not only enriched the appreciation of Canada's diverse cultural heritage but also fostered unity and inclusivity. Lena Metlege Diab's commitment to promoting cultural diversity and heritage preservation has left an indelible mark on the nation's cultural landscape, making her a pivotal figure in the ongoing celebration of multiculturalism in Canada.
Lena Metlege Diab is the daughter of Lebanese immigrants to Canada and the eldest of six children. Born in Nova Scotia, she was raised in Lebanon for 8 years attending École de Nazareth Kfarzeina elementary and returned to Halifax in the face of war at the age of 11.
It was by seeing how hard her parents worked to make Halifax home for her and her siblings that her lifelong commitment to nurturing resilient and supportive families and communities took root.
Ms. Diab was first elected in 2013 to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly representing Halifax Armdale and was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as the first female Attorney General and Minister of Justice, as well as Minister of Immigration. As Minister of Justice and Attorney General, she worked to reach a settlement outside the courtroom in the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children case, created and co-chaired the first-of-its-kind Access to Justice Coordinating Committee to make our justice system more efficient and effective, and helped launch the Court Monitored Drug Treatment Program to offer alternative sentencing to people with dependencies.
In July 2015, the Immigration portfolio became her exclusive cabinet position. Throughout her eight years in the position, she led Nova Scotia to reach record-breaking immigration numbers. Nova Scotia became the first province in Canada to take advantage of Express Entry, launching two Express Entry pilots and two new streams for immigrant entrepreneurs and international students, all while increasing retention rates. Ms. Diab also led the province’s humanitarian initiative to resettle Syrian refugees, working closely with the Government of Canada, settlement service providers, and other key partners.
She was re-elected to the Legislature on May 30, 2017, and was appointed as both Minister of Immigration, and Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie. In 2020, she was additionally appointed as Minister of Labour and Advanced Education, and held all three roles until August 15, 2021, when she secured the federal nomination for Halifax West and was elected as a Member of Parliament on September 20, 2021.
Ms. Diab is passionate about making Nova Scotia more diverse. Under her leadership on the Executive Council of Nova Scotia, the province welcomed more immigrants, strengthened its immigration programs, and built global networks. She worked diligently and tirelessly for the Acadian and Francophone communities of Nova Scotia with a focus and dedication to developing a Nova Scotia Francophone Immigration Action Plan.
In her role as Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, Ms. Diab promoted the Acadian and francophone language, culture, and heritage on the provincial, national, and international stage. She created a Francophone and Acadian advisory committee to provide advice and information directly to her on issues that are important to Nova Scotia’s Acadian and francophone community. In this role, she also worked with the state of Louisiana to advance an agreement to collaborate across multiple sectors, including economic development, education, training, research, tourism, arts, and culture. Additionally, she was a member of the CMFC, a Ministerial intergovernmental organization on the Canadian Francophonie that brings together federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie to address issues and maintain a dialogue favourable to the development of public policies strengthening linguistic duality in Canada.
Since her election at the provincial level in 2013, Ms. Diab has been member of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), an association of the parliaments of Francophone countries. From July 2019 to August 2021, she served as Chargée de mission de la Région Amérique de l’APF, working closely with representatives from several states.
Prior to entering politics, she had a successful legal career for over 20 years. Her passion was providing effective advice to individuals, businesses, not-for-profits, and charities (communicating with clients in 3 languages: Arabic, English, and French). As a practicing lawyer, she was an active member for many years with the Association des Juristes d'expression française de la Nouvelle-Écosse (AJEFNE), an association dedicated to promoting the accessibility of French legal services. She was also instrumental at that time in the development of several Youtube videos on immigration and Family Law.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Saint Mary’s University, and a Masters of Public Administration and a Law degree from Dalhousie University.
Ms. Diab was the first female President of the Canadian-Lebanon Society of Halifax (1993) and served seven terms as President thereafter, accomplishing many important milestones. She has also served on the Residential Tenancies Board.
In her current role as a Member of Parliament, Ms. Diab serves on several parliamentary groups, including as a Vice-Chair of the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group (CEUS).
She also sits on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research and serves as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
In Parliament, she has been a strong voice for her over 100,000 constituents, and successfully led the effort to have November designated as Lebanese Heritage Month at the national level.
She has received numerous honours and accolades, including the designation of King’s Counsel.
Her personal values are rooted in respect for diversity, inclusion, collaboration, and fairness. She is the proud mother of four children and has five grandchildren.
NCCAR is a not-for-profit charitable organization based in Ottawa, dedicated to fostering greater understanding and knowledge among Canadians about the cultural, historical, and socio-economic realities of the people of the Arab world.
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