A former Guelph city councillor has been appointed as a justice of the peace in Kitchener.
Gloria Kovach was one of a number of people recently appointed to by the Ministry of the Attorney General. The appointment will begin on Feb. 27.
The role of a justice of the peace is to preside over bail hearings in the province and the majority of criminal remand courts, as well as presiding over other criminal hearings.
Beginning in 1991, Kovach served a total of 24 years on Guelph City Council. She also currently serves as a director for the Guelph Humane Society and for eight years represented city council on the Guelph Police Services Board.
Kovach decided to not run for reelection in Guelph’s Ward 4 in the 2014 municipal election.
In a press release posted on the ministry’s web site, Kovach is also a registered nurse who has worked as a competency evaluation expert and examiner for the Touchstone Institute since 2012.
“In this role, she developed competency assessments and clinical exams for internationally educated nurses,” said the release.
She previously worked as a clinical nursing supervisor at ParaMed and was director of operations, Regional Services at Homewood Health Centre.
Kovach also volunteered with Guelph Community Health Centre's program The SEED to support communities facing food insecurity and is a member of that organization’s capital fundraising campaign.
In 2015, Kovach ran federally as a Conservative Party candidate for Guelph but lost to Liberal Lloyd Longfield.
Once appointed, all justices of the peace must cease other employment and refrain from any political activity. Justices of the peace must retire by age 65, but may continue in office until the age of 75, subject to annual approval.
Applicants are reviewed by the ministry’s Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee.
Qualifications for justice of the peace include at least 10 years of work or volunteer experience. In addition, applicants must have a university degree or a diploma or advanced diploma.
