Rural roots and Lebanese heritage
Zach Churchill was born and raised in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He is a descendant of Lebanese immigrants and the son of a hard-working teacher and entrepreneur. His upbringing instilled in him the core values that guide him to this day.
Studying at Saint Mary’s University, Zach earned a Bachelor of Arts. During his time there, he saw opportunities to speak up for others – doing so on issues of equality, and the need for everyone to be able to access education. Building on his experience as a student leader, Zach joined the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), representing students across Canada.
At the age of 26, Zach saw an opportunity to return to his roots in Yarmouth, and give back to his hometown. He was first elected in a by-election in 2010, and has served as the MLA for Yarmouth since. He has been a community-focused representative, and his dedication to his constituents is demonstrated in having been elected four times with some of the largest margins of victory amongst his colleagues.
Zach currently lives in Yarmouth with his wife Katie, who is an Optometrist and small business owner, and their two young daughters, Cecelia and Eva.
Service to our communities, party, and province
Zach has dedicated his career to public service. He is a longstanding member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party and has held numerous consequential portfolios during his eight years in government. He has served as Minister of Health and Wellness, Education, Municipal Affairs and Emergency Management, Communications, and Natural Resources.
As Minister of Education, Zach introduced Nova Scotia’s historic pre-primary program that transformed the landscape for hardworking families, and hired hundreds of additional teachers, inclusive education specialists and non-teaching staff for students in our classrooms.
Zach was Minister of Health during the Delta wave of COVID-19, and oversaw the implementation of Nova Scotia’s successful vaccine program. He was also responsbile for expanded access to primary care through the first pilot of VirtualCareNS, oversaw the establishment of the Office of Mental Health and Addictions and expanded cancer care options for patients in Nova Scotia.