He entered local politics and was elected to the school board 1904 and then served on Kingston city council from 1905 until 1908.

In 1919, Nickle moved and had passed through the House a resolution calling for an end to the practice of Canadians being granted knighthoods and peerages.

Nickle returned to provincial politics and won a seat in the Ontario legislature in a 1922 by-election.

Nickle resigned from Cabinet in October 1926 when Premier Ferguson announced his plan to repeal the Ontario Temperance Act and allow liquor sales.

He ran as an Independent on a prohibition platform in the subsequent 1926 provincial election but was defeated in the riding of Kingston and Portsmouth by the Conservative candidate, Thomas Kidd.