TOWN OF MAHONE BAY COUNCIL

Mahone Bay Town Council consists of 7 members. A Mayor and six councillors (one of whom serves as Deputy Mayor). All members of Council are elected at large and represent the entire community, there are no polling districts.
Elections take place every four years unless a vacancy occurs, in which case a special election must be held.

Appointments: Finance, Planning Advisory, Police Advisory, Policy & Strategy, Lunenburg County Seniors' Safety, Municipal Joint Services Board, REMO Planning, AREA

Mayor Suzanne Lohnes-Croft
Having spent most of her life in Mahone Bay, Suzanne Lohnes-Croft is honoured to be Mayor of the Town she was raised in. After attending Mount Saint Vincent University and working briefly in HRM, she and her husband returned to Mahone Bay so that their three sons could grow up here, in the town they love.
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Suzanne has an extensive volunteer portfolio in the town and surrounding communities.  She has served in many capacities,  from planting  tress, grass and flowers with her family on Canada day, coaching sports and chairing the Town’s Sustainability Committee, to singing in choirs and serving on the boards such as the Mahone Bay Centre, Three Churches Foundation and Bonny Lea Farm. In 2010 she received the Provincial Volunteer Award for the Town of Mahone Bay. In 2013 she was nominated as a candidate for the position of Member of the Nova Scotia Legislature and served in that position until 2021. Suzanne received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medallion on October 1, 2022. Suzanne was elected Councillor, in a Special Election in November 2022 and elected Mayor in October of 2024. 

[email protected]

Deputy Mayor Joseph Feeney

Joseph Maxwell Feeney has been a resident of Mahone Bay since 1978 and has been a Town Councillor since 2016. He has long been interested in municipal affairs and is a keen observer of critical issues affecting the community, while watching his father serve as Mayor of the Town for six terms.

He was educated at Mount Allison and Dalhousie Universities and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. For the past sixteen years, he has worked with Bell Canada and its predecessor companies (Aliant, MT&T) finance departments and is currently the Senior Manager of Bell Canada’s Business Decision Support team that has responsibility to complete financial analysis on corporate investments and strategies. Previous to his time at Bell, he worked for the Provincial Government’s Department of Economic Development and the Nova Scotia Business Development Corporation.
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Joe and his wife Mary Ann have two daughters.

Appointments: Audit​, Finance, Cemetery Advisory, Policy & Strategy, Municipal Joint Services Board, AREA

[email protected]

Councillor Penny Carver

Born in Montreal, Penny raised her family in Ottawa, and worked as a teacher, educational consultant, and social worker. After many summers in Nova Scotia, Penny moved to Lunenburg County in 1995, settling in Mahone Bay in 2004. She has served on several community boards and one provincial board. She is a founding member of Mahone Bay’s “Talking Trees” and was co-lead of Mahone Bay’s award-winning 2024 Communities in Bloom project. Penny has two daughters and five grandchildren living in Halifax and Toronto.
 
Re-elected to a fourth Council term in 2024, Penny has served on many internal committees.  External appointments have included the South Shore Housing Action Coalition, Lunenburg County Seniors’ Safety Board, Municipal Joint Services Board, and the Lunenburg County Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Appointments: Asset Management, Climate & Environment Advisory, Heritage Advisory, Policy & Strategy, Joint Accessibility, South Shore Housing Action Coalition, Mahone Bay Tourism Chamber of Commerce, Anti-Racism & Anti-Discrimination Advisory, REMO Planning

penny.carver@townofmahonebay.ca

Councillor Kevin Boon

Kevin Boon was elected to Mahone Bay Town Council in a special election in February 2026.

He brings a background in business development, innovation, and community engagement, having worked with government, not-for-profits, startup businesses, entrepreneurs, and small-to- medium-sized businesses across Canada and internationally. His experience includes supporting companies and organizations in areas such as technology, manufacturing, ocean industries, and economic development.

Originally from Ontario, Kevin moved to Mahone Bay five years ago and quickly became involved in community life. He values small-town living where community is a priority and is passionate about building connections, supporting local initiatives, and helping small communities adapt and thrive in a changing world. Kevin is also actively involved in local arts and culture and hosts the Open Mic events throughout the South Shore, helping create welcoming spaces for musicians, storytelling, and community connection. He is a member of the Shantymen of Mahone Bay and enjoys writing, music, and conversations about innovation, wellbeing, and community development.

Appointments: Cemetery, Climate and Environment Advisory, Policy and Strategy, Region 6

[email protected]

Councillor Bryan Palfreyman

Bryan was born in England, he attended Law School in London and then joined Barclays International. Having developed some wanderlust at the age of 21 he accepted a job offer from a major Canadian bank and relocated to Canada. His 40 year career was in head office Treasury, Economics and Law departments primarily involved in international trading and risk management, regulatory compliance and financial sector policy. During this period he passed the Investment Dealers exams and became a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers.

He has been President of a youth theatre company, Peoples Warden of a large church, President of a service club and Vice Chair of the Mahone Bay Centre. Presently he is Vice Chair of the Mahone Islands Conservation Association and has been a public member of the town’s Heritage Advisory and Planning Advisory Committees. He and his wife Anne feel fortunate to live in our friendly and charming town. 

​Appointments: ​Asset Management, Finance, Oakland Watershed, Planning Advisory, Policy & Strategy, Municipal Joint Services, 

[email protected]
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Councillor Katherine McCarron

Katherine has lived on the South Shore for sixteen years - nine years in Mahone Bay, and is proud to be living here. The vision and values expressed through the wind farm, solar garden, EV plugs, living shoreline, care for our trails and trees, and the festivals that create an environment of joy and community reflect her values and vision of a safe, caring and inclusive community. 

During her time in Mahone Bay, she has served as a community member on several committees of council. She has also volunteered for many community organizations and events. 
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Katherine has owned several small businesses. She has also managed and volunteered with non-profits working with homelessness and poverty, and incarcerated populations. She retired as Executive Director of Harbour House. 
She is mother to three wonderful children, and one granddaughter, living in Ontario and Georgia. ​

 
Appointments: Asset Management, Cemetery, Heritage Advisory, Police Advisory, Policy and Strategy, Joint Accessibility, Municipal Joint Services, South Shore Housing Action Coalition

katherine.mccarron@townofmahonebay.ca

 Councillor Kelly Wilson

Kelly is a long time resident of Mahone Bay who, during the course of more than twenty years, has been an active volunteer in many community organizations and has had a previous role in municipal government as a councillor from 2012 to 2016 and 2020-2024.

A former operations executive in the food and beverage business Kelly has had the privilege of working in every province in Canada, except PEI, as well as assignments in southern Africa, Asia, and Australia. Kelly and his wife and partner of more than forty years share their home on the banks of the Mush-a-Mush River.
 
Appointments: Audit, Oakland Watershed, Planning Advisory, Policy & Strategy, Region 6, REMO Planning, AREA

[email protected]