{{Short description|Canadian educator and politician (1947–2024)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | honorific_suffix = ECNS | image = Bill Estabrooks.jpg | name = Bill Estabrooks | caption = Estabrooks in 2015 | birth_date = {{birth date|1947|7|26}} | birth_place = Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|6|4|1947|7|26}} | death_place = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | constituency_AM = Timberlea-Prospect | assembly = Nova Scotia House of | term_start = March 24, 1998 | term_end = October 8, 2013 | predecessor = Bruce Holland | successor = Iain Rankin | office2 = Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal | term_start2 = June 19, 2009 | term_end2 = May 30, 2012 | predecessor2 = Brooke Taylor | successor2 = Maurice Smith | office3 = Minister of Energy | term_start3 = June 19, 2009 | term_end3 = January 11, 2011 | predecessor3 = Barry Barnet | successor3 = Charlie Parker | party = NDP | occupation = School teacher }}
'''William Irvine Estabrooks''' (July 26, 1947 – June 4, 2024) was a Canadian educator and politician from Nova Scotia.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide|author1=Gale, T.|author2=Group, G.|date=1999|publisher=Gale Group|issn=0315-6168|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q_iIAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=February 20, 2015}}</ref>
A native of Sackville, New Brunswick, Estabrooks attended Mount Allison University from which he graduated in 1969. Estabrooks found employment as a teacher in the communities around Halifax, Nova Scotia, residing in the suburban community of Upper Tantallon. Estabrooks taught at various schools in Halifax including Sir John A. Macdonald High, Sackville High and Brookside Junior High.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nslegislature.ca/members/profiles/bill-estabrooks|title=Bill Estabrooks|date=2017-04-21|work=Nova Scotia Legislature Website|access-date=2018-05-29|language=en}}</ref> He was involved in local chapters of the Lions Club as well as volunteering with local hockey and football teams. He was also a recipient of the Lions International Presidents' Recognition Award and the Medal of Bravery from the Governor General.
In 2015, the Hubley Community Centre was named the ''Estabrooks Community Hall'' in Bill Estabrooks' honour for his years of dedication to the community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1310927-howe-room-estabrooks-humbled-by-community%E2%80%99s-naming-gesture|title=HOWE ROOM: Estabrooks humbled by community's naming gesture|date=2015-09-13|website=The Chronicle Herald|language=en|access-date=2018-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418032736/http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1310927-howe-room-estabrooks-humbled-by-community%E2%80%99s-naming-gesture|archive-date=2018-04-18|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Political career== Estabrooks ran for the nomination of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party in the riding of Timberlea-Prospect in 1998. He was elected in the 1998 Nova Scotia election and was subsequently re-elected in the 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2009 provincial elections.
Estabrooks was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia in June 2009 where he served as Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal and Minister of Energy until his resignation from cabinet in May 2012.<ref name="cabinetresignation">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/first-female-finance-minister-appointed-in-n-s-1.1294295|title=First female finance minister appointed in N.S.|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=May 30, 2012|accessdate=May 10, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Estabrooks|url=http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/people/members/Bill_Estabrooks/|accessdate=November 29, 2010|archive-date=September 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917170520/http://nslegislature.ca/index.php/people/members/Bill_Estabrooks/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Later life and death== On September 10, 2010, Estabrooks announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in November 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/estabrooks-has-parkinson-s-disease-1.933394|title=Estabrooks has Parkinson's disease|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=September 10, 2010|accessdate=May 10, 2018}}</ref> He continued to serve in cabinet until his resignation on May 30, 2012. Estabrooks also announced his decision to not seek re-election in the next provincial election due to his health concerns.<ref name="cabinetresignation"/>
Estabrooks later moved to Edmonton around 2019 to be closer to his family, where he resided in a care home. He died there on June 4, 2024, at age 76.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/former-nova-scotia-mla-bill-estabrooks-dies-at-age-76-1.7226337|title='Call me Bill': Longtime Nova Scotia MLA Bill Estabrooks dies at age 76|publisher=CBC News|date=June 6, 2024|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/popular-nova-scotia-mla-bill-estabrooks-dies-at-age-76-1.6915028|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605215603/https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/popular-nova-scotia-mla-bill-estabrooks-dies-at-age-76-1.6915028|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 5, 2024|title=Popular Nova Scotia MLA Bill Estabrooks dies at age 76|publisher=CTV News|date=June 5, 2024|access-date=June 5, 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Dexter Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Estabrooks, Bill}} Category:1947 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Nova Scotia New Democratic Party MLAs Category:Members of the Executive Council of Nova Scotia Category:People from Sackville, New Brunswick Category:Mount Allison University alumni Category:21st-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Category:Canadian schoolteachers Category:People with Parkinson's disease Category:20th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly