Ed Kinley

Born in 1932 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Kinley graduated with a medical degree from Dalhousie University in 1956.[2] He married Sara Jane Hawk.[2] In 1963, Kinley joined the Dalhousie Surgery Department, where he practiced until 1998.[3] Considered to be a pioneer in the cardiovascular surgery field, Kinley performed the first adult open heart surgery and coronary bypass in Nova Scotia.[4] Kinley started the cardiac surgery program at the IWK Children's Hospital and adult cardiac surgery at the Victoria General Hospital.[5] He also established the first cardiac intensive care unit in Atlantic Canada,[5] and implanted the first pacemaker in Atlantic Canada live on CBC Television.[4]

Kinley entered provincial politics in 1997, running as the Liberal candidate in a byelection for the Halifax Citadel riding.[6] On November 4, 1997, he defeated NDP candidate Peter Delefes by 165 votes to win the byelection.[7][8] In the 1998 election, initial results had Kinley losing to Delefes by 125 votes.[9] However, there was some confusion over the calculation of poll results and Delefes' margin of victory was reduced to 40 when official results were announced.[10] A judicial recount was held on April 14, and Delefes was officially declared elected by 37 votes.[11][12]

Kinley ran again in the 1999 election,[13] but finished third as Progressive Conservative Jane Purves won the seat, defeating Delefes by 434 votes.[14] In April 2000, Kinley was elected president of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.[15]

Following his political career, Kinley continued to assist during major surgeries, while performing some smaller surgeries until his retirement at age 76.[16] In 2013, Kinley was a recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia.[3][5]

Kinley died on January 19, 2015.[4]