Merle Nicholds served as the final mayor of Kanata, Ontario

Kanata, Ontario

Situated in the Ottawa Valley, Kanata is located about west-southwest of Downtown Ottawa along Highway 417 at a latitude of 45°18' North and a longitude of 75°55' West, with an area of . Its northern end is just to the west of the Ottawa River....

 from 1991 to 2000.

Her background was in nursing and was employed by the Scarborough Health Department Metropolitan Toronto

Metropolitan Toronto

The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...

 until 1982. In 1990, after moving from Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

 with her lawyer husband and two children, she became the first president of the Kanata Lakes Community Association.

Nicholds defeated Kanata's second mayor, Des Adam

Des Adam

Des Adam served as the second mayor of Kanata, Ontario from 1985 to 1991.Adam served for two terms as mayor until he was defeated by Merle Nicholds in the 12 November 1991 municipal election. He currently remains in the community working as a real estate lawyer, and serving as the deacon at St....

, in the 12 November 1991 municipal election and was re-elected for two more terms. Nicholds retired from politics after completing her third term in office and did not campaign in the 2000 municipal elections. At that point, the Government of Ontario

Government of Ontario

The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....

 ordered the formation of a new City of Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 government which replaced Kanata and all other local governments within the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton

Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton

The Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton was a regional government area and census division in Ontario, Canada which existed from 1969 until 2001...

.