Helen MacDonald (Nova Scotia politician)

Helen MacDonald is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Cape Breton-The Lakes in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia from 1997 to 1999. She won the riding in a by-election on November 4, 1997, following the resignation of Bernie Boudreau, but was defeated by Brian Boudreau in the 1999 general election.

A New Democrat, MacDonald was subsequently chosen leader of the party in 2000, following the resignation of Robert Chisholm. When former premier Russell MacLellan resigned the seat of Cape Breton North in 2001, MacDonald stood as the NDP candidate in the resulting by-election, but lost to Progressive Conservative Cecil Clarke. As a result, MacDonald resigned the leadership of the New Democrats, and was succeeded by Darrell Dexter.