A 27-year-old Liverpool man has died after an ATV crash on Old Port Mouton Road in Liverpool on Thursday afternoon.
When Queens District RCMP and other first responders arrived at the scene at about 1 p.m., they found an overturned ATV in the ditch. The driver of the ATV was found dead beside the vehicle.
RCMP said a part of Old Port Mouton Road would be closed for a few hours. A collision reconstruction specialist was on the scene and police continue to investigate.
Region of Queens councillors want a long-term fix to garbage pileups in Queens County cottage country.
District 6 Coun. David Brown says it’s a huge problem. He asked staff for recommendations on how to resolve it.
He said the 40 so-called “grey box” sites on private roads throughout the county consume half of the region’s garbage collection budget. Brown said the problem is more pronounced this time of year because the region picks up the garbage once a week, compared to three times a week in summer.
“Our population has outgrown the garbage box system,” he said.
“We’ve Band-Aided the system together and done a great job. But we’re victims of our own success by having a very popular area that people want to come to. We have a lot of people coming with garbage.
“It’s not completely a region problem, it’s a people problem. … There are people that are just too lazy to put the garbage in the boxes.”
Brown said some people truck in waste from other places when they arrive at their properties for the weekend.
He said the municipality doesn’t have the staff resources to police these areas. And while they’ve posted cameras, the problem persists.
“We need staff to look at this and come back with possible solutions for a long-term fix for this,” he told councillors.
Garbage piled up at one of the ‘grey box’ sites in Queens County. (Submitted)
Mayor Darlene Norman said the Molega Lake and Labelle areas have had the region’s highest housing growth of both full-time and seasonal residents.
And those properties represent a large chunk of tax revenue for the municipality. But they tend to be on private roads, so garbage collection is only at designated places on public roads.
“It is a huge problem. And people in Labelle and Molega area, some people are paying $10,000 property tax out there for no services. It is an issue that has to be dealt with.”
She acknowledges it may cost the municipality more, but she said cottage owners and homeowners in those areas deserve better.
Employees at Queens Place Emera Centre work on Tuesday to get the ice ready for skaters. (Rick Conrad photo)
By RICK CONRAD
The arena at Queens Place Emera Centre is set to reopen on Friday.
The Region of Queens made the announcement late Tuesday evening.
The region announced on Dec. 29 that it had to cancel all on-ice activities immediately, until a new condenser could be installed.
The municipality had already planned to replace the ice-making equipment early in January, but it was forced to close the rink earlier than expected.
“Actually, ahead of the scheduled time when we thought it would be replaced,” Mayor Darlene Norman said Tuesday.
Cimco Refrigeration finished installing the new equipment on Jan. 5. Queens Place staff have been working since then to get the ice surface ready.
The new $255,000 unit is stainless steel. Norman said they expect it to last longer than the original unit, which had been operating since Queens Place opened in December 2011.
“So it should operate for many, many, many more years than the one we had to replace.”
The old condenser unit sits outside Queens Place Emera Centre on Tuesday. (Rick Conrad photo)
The rink’s regular users, such as Queens County Blades and the Queens County Minor Hockey Association, had to search for ice time elsewhere while the arena was shut down.
The region notified groups of the planned shutdown in late November.
While they said they were disappointed they couldn’t use their home rink, they adapted by using ice in other communities.
Melissa Robinson, an executive member with Queens County Blades, said she’s happy that the rink is open again.
“I think it’s great that we’re able to kind of get back in the swing of things, hopefully this Sunday,” she said Wednesday. “Originally, we weren’t supposed to have ice on Sunday, so it’s good that we’re back.”
Darlene Norman, mayor of Region of Queens. Photo Credit: Darlene Norman
By Rick Conrad
Voters in the Region of Queens may be able to cast a ballot online in October’s municipal election.
Mayor Darlene Norman says she’s confident the region will be able to introduce electronic voting as an option this year.
Councillors asked CAO Cody Joudry at their first meeting of 2024 to prepare a report on the feasibility and costs of introducing electronic voting to Queens, while keeping the traditional paper ballot.
“I expect the cost to come back much more than pure paper voting, but it may not,” Norman said in an interview after the meeting.
“But a combination (of voting options) would be good. … Younger people say that it’s the thing that we need, but it would be interesting to do it.”
Twenty of 49 Nova Scotia municipalities offered an electronic voting option in 2020. Elections Nova Scotia used electronic ballots in the July byelection in Preston. And it plans to allow e-voting in the 2025 provincial election.
District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton said it’s time that Queens offers an electronic option in addition to the traditional ballot, to make it easier for people to make their choice.
“I think it’s important for us to move forward with this.”
District 6 Coun. David Brown said it would also help encourage people in more rural areas of the municipality to vote.
“With our widespread rural areas, it’s hard for people to get out to the polling station. Having the electronic option will get more people involved.”
The Kiwanis Club of Liverpool is closer to taking over the canteen at Queens Place Emera Centre.
The region would lease the facility to the club for one year rent-free. The club would be responsible for ensuring food safety and insurance compliance. Kiwanis volunteers would operate it along with members of the Queens County Blades and the Queens County Minor Hockey Association.
The three organizations would share proceeds from concessions sales.
Because of the Christmas holidays, staff couldn’t have a final agreement ready for councillors to review at their Tuesday meeting. They voted to wait until they see the contract before giving their final approval.
David Schofield, president of the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool, said Tuesday that his group is excited about running the canteen.
“I think it’s a good opportunity not just for the Kiwanis Club but also for the figure skating club and Queens County minor hockey who we’ve asked for their support as well, because we don’t have enough volunteers in our organization to do it. … A lot of people have made comments about not having a canteen available (at Queens Place), so I think it’s win-win-win-win.”
Steve Burns, manager of events, promotions and sponsorships, told councillors that it would likely take a couple of weeks after the contract is signed to get all the necessary permits in place for the Kiwanis club to take over.
District 6 Coun. David Brown asked staff for recommendations to address the problem.
He said the 40 so-called “grey box” sites on private roads throughout the county consume half of the region’s garbage collection budget.
“These are places that have large tax revenues for us that we don’t provide a lot of services for,” Brown said. “And nobody wants to see a mountain of garbage every time they drive into beautiful, pristine wilderness.”
Mayor Darlene Norman says it is a “huge problem”.
“And people in the Labelle and Molega area, some people are paying $10,000 property tax out there for no services. It is an issue that has to be dealt with.”
Councillors asked staff to prepare an inventory on burnt out streetlights in the region, and press Nova Scotia Power to fix them more quickly.
District 1 Coun. Kevin Muise said many residents have complained that several streetlights haven’t been working in some areas for up to three months. He’s concerned about safety for motorists and pedestrians.
There are six streetlights out on Shore Road in Mersey Point alone, council heard. Many are out for longer than the 60-day service guarantee.
Nova Scotia Power is supposed to maintain the lights, but the region pays for them, even when they don’t work, Norman said.
“We are paying for a tremendous amount of street lights which are burnt out.”
Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson
By Rick Conrad
The Queens Place Emera Centre canteen contract and electronic voting are among the topics on the Region of Queens council agenda on Tuesday.
Staff are recommending that the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool be awarded a one-year contract to operate concessions at Queens Place. Councillors had previously agreed that the Kiwanis Club would be a good fit to operate the canteen, rent free, for one year.
Under the proposal, the club would be responsible for ensuring food safety and insurance compliance. Volunteers from the club, Queens County Blades and the Queens County Minor Hockey Association would operate it.
The three organizations would share proceeds from concessions sales. The groups have joined together to operate the canteen at some previous events.
The Kiwanis Club also told council that it would step aside if another operator came forward during their one-year term.
When Queens Place opened in December 2011, the region operated the canteen. Since 2016, however, either private businesses or community groups have run it.
Electronic voting may not be possible for the 2024 municipal elections, according to a report from Cody Joudry, Region of Queens chief administrative officer.
Twenty of Nova Scotia’s 49 municipalities offered online voting in the 2020 elections by contracting with a private company, he says. If the region wants to follow suit, it is probably too late to join with those other municipalities. It would have to issue a tender on its own and find a service provider, he said.
The possibility of e-voting in Queens came up at a previous council meeting. And Joudry is recommending that council ask for a staff report on the feasibility and cost to implement it in time for the October 2024 election.
Staff is recommending that council approve two requests to name private roads. Terry Whynot of Kent Fields Estates and the Quarterdeck Resort made both applications.
The first is to name a private road off Cobbs Ridge Road in Liverpool Lingley Lane. The other application is to call a new road off Willow Lane in Summerville Centre Audrelyn Lane.
Councillors will hear a presentation on Pemsik Conservation Mosaic. It is a proposed conservation area that would connect the Tobeatic Wilderness Area to the lands and waters around Port Mouton, Port Joli and Port l’Hebert, as well as Broad and Sable rivers.
The Pemsik project partners want to protect the cultural and natural values critical to the livelihoods of Mi’kmaq and rural communities throughout southwest Nova Scotia.
The council meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the council chamber at 249 White Point Rd., Liverpool.
A 66-year-old Chester Grant man is in hospital after his logging truck rolled and hit a power pole in Buckfield, Queens County, on Sunday morning, RCMP said Monday.
Queens District RCMP, firefighters and EHS responded to a single-vehicle crash at 10:52 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 210 and Labelle Road. The tractor trailer was travelling westbound on Highway 210 and suffered extensive damage.
The intersection was closed for several hours and residents were without power as Nova Scotia Power crews replaced the damaged pole. Power has been restored to the area and the road is reopened.
The driver, who was the only person in the truck, had to be extracted from the truck. He was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to hospital. RCMP said in a news release Monday that his injuries are not life-threatening.
Groups who use the arena at Queens Place Emera Centre are juggling their January schedules as the region replaces a vital piece of ice-making equipment.
The Region of Queens, which operates Queens Place, announced on Dec. 29 that it had to cancel all on-ice activities immediately, until a new condenser could be installed.
The municipality had already planned to replace the condenser early in January, but it was forced to close the rink earlier than expected.
At a September council meeting, councillors approved the purchase of a new $255,000 condenser. Staff told councillors that the refrigeration equipment began to malfunction in late summer or early September.
Cimco Refrigeration was hired to repair a minor ammonia leak, but found several more problems. Only the arena is affected by the shutdown, though the indoor walking track is closed until Saturday.
The region hasn’t given a timeline for when the rink will reopen. But it said it will post notices online when the work is completed and the ice is reinstalled.
In a release late Friday afternoon, the region said work began on Jan. 2 and the new equipment has been installed.
“The refrigeration plant has resumed operation and staff are currently working towards reinstating the arena ice which will take several days,” the release said. No one from the municipality was available to comment.
Melissa Robinson is an executive member with the Queens County Blades. The group has almost 40 skaters who have had to look for ice time elsewhere with the closure. The club also holds a Learn to Skate program for youth.
Their members would typically use the Queens Place ice surface twice a week, four hours on Wednesdays and four and a half hours on Sundays.
They’ve been able to use other rinks in Shelburne and Bridgewater, Robinson said. And some of their members have gone as far as St. Margarets Bay.
“We definitely have lost ice time, because as an example the senior skaters would skate for two hours on a Sunday,” Robinson said.
“Typically they only skate an hour and a half at other clubs. … Our higher level skaters are on the ice three to four to five days a week. So they’ll do two days at Queens Place and then they’ll scatter out to the other rinks with the other clubs.”
She said the club had to cancel a scheduled Skate Canada assessment day at Queens Place.
“So there’s been a little bit of disruption, definitely.”
Robinson says the club’s skaters have adapted.
“We’re just moving along accordingly. It’s unfortunate they can’t skate at Queens Place, but they can adapt at another rink and that’s just what we’ll have to do in the meantime and move along.”
Both Robinson and Terrena Parnell, president of the Queens County Minor Hockey Association, said they were notified in advance of the planned closure.
Parnell said by email that while the timing isn’t ideal, “Queens County Minor Hockey understands equipment can fail at any time and needs to be replaced.”
The association has 87 players, in addition to 29 members who are board members, coaches, managers or bench staff.
“The hope is that with weather co-operating and no unforeseen issues with the installation of the new condenser,” Parnell said, “QPEC will be up and running quickly and we will have lost less ice time than was scheduled with the original replacement dates.”
Parnell said that teams are playing away games in the meantime “and preparing for the reopening of QPEC to bring practices and home games back to the arena.”
The Nova Scotia government is contributing more than $20,000 to physical activity projects in Queens County.
Queens MLA Kim Masland announced the $23,435 in funding for various initiatives in the Region of Queens.
“The support for the Region of Queens Municipality is a great opportunity to encourage more active lifestyles across our community,” Masland said Thursday in a news release.
“It’s encouraging to see such diverse initiatives being implemented, promoting health and wellness for all.”
The money comes from the Active Communities Fund, part of the Nova Scotia government’s strategy to boost physical activity in the province.
It will be up to the municipality to decide which programs receive the funding.
Queens County residents who haven’t received their latest COVID booster or influenza vaccine will get another shot at it on Tuesday.
Nova Scotia Health is organizing a COVID-19 and influenza immunization clinic at Queens Place Emera Centre on Jan. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The public health mobile unit will be offering the following vaccines: COVID-19 Moderna XBB.1.5, the influenza vaccine for people from 6 months to 64 years old and the high-dose influenza shot for those 65 and over.
Officials are encouraging people to book their appointments ahead of time, though some limited drop-ins may be available.
COVID-19 rapid test kits will also be available.
According to Nova Scotia’s online vaccine booking page, the next available appointments in the Liverpool area after Tuesday are on Jan. 16.
Public Health officials have urged Nova Scotians to make sure they are up to date on their vaccinations, as COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses are still hospitalizing people across the country.
The Nova Scotia minimum wage is increasing to $15.20 an hour on April 1. (Robert Owen-Wahl via Pixabay)
By Rick Conrad
Nova Scotia’s minimum wage will be going up by 20 cents an hour to $15.20 on April 1.
Jill Balser, Nova Scotia’s minister of labour, skills and immigration, announced the raise in a news release on Wednesday.
Nova Scotia’s minimum wage review committee established a formula which would adjust the minimum wage by the national consumer price index, plus one percentage point, from the rate set the previous April.
This year, that means an increase of 4.7 per cent over last April’s rate, which was $14.50 an hour.
“This year has been very difficult for many Nova Scotians – business owners and workers alike,” Balser said in the release.
“I am grateful to the minimum wage review committee for putting forward the perspective of both employers and employees so we can ensure a balanced approach to increasing the minimum wage.”
Even with the adjustment, the basic rate is still below what some researchers say is a living wage.
In a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, released in September, the living wage is defined as the hourly rate that a household with two full-time workers and two children (ages 2 and 7) requires to meet its basic needs.
The group includes government transfers such as the Canada Child Benefit and deductions, as well as employment income to arrive at a living wage.
For the southern region of Nova Scotia, which includes Queens County, the living wage was calculated at $25.05 an hour.
The group has called on the Nova Scotia government to increase the minimum wage to $20 an hour.
According to the province, about 26,200 Nova Scotians or six per cent of workers, worked for minimum wage from April 2022 to March 2023. They worked primarily in retail, food and accommodation.
Jerri Southcott is the new executive director of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. (Submitted photo)
By Rick Conrad
The Astor Theatre in Liverpool has hired a new executive director.
Jerri Southcott takes over the full-time position on Feb. 5, the theatre’s board of directors announced Tuesday
Southcott is no stranger to the Astor. As the founder of South Shore Summer Theatre, she brought two productions to Liverpool — Jesus Christ Superstar in 2022 and Pippin in 2023.
She says she’s excited about her new role.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting some of the patrons and working with the board of directors and the staff. I really do have a passion for the arts and for this building and the theatre itself. … I’m very excited.”
Southcott has experience on stage, and behind the scenes. She is a professional actor, with voice-over work in commercials, documentaries and animated series.
She has a family background in theatre. Her parents ran a renowned music theatre program for young people in North Bay, Ont. She says that program is still going strong after more than 40 years.
She has also worked in various communications roles with the federal government, along with stints in journalism with CBC.
It’s been four years since the Astor has had a full-time executive director. Jean Robinson has been filling the role on an interim basis for almost three years, since September 2020, and plans to help with the transition.
The theatre began its most recent search for a permanent executive director in March 2023, when Robinson announced she was stepping back from the temporary role for health reasons.
In May 2023, the Astor announced that its successful candidate would not be taking on the role after all.
Another search resulted in the hiring of Lesli Chandler, who began the job in July but resigned in September for personal reasons.
Robinson returned to her role as interim director in the meantime, helping with the search for someone to fill the job permanently.
John Simmonds, the chairman of the Astor board, says Robinson played a vital role in the past few years in keeping the Astor afloat.
“She kept our doors open,” Simmonds said. “The good news is that through all this, the staff pulled together extraordinarily well. And Jean, as a part-timer, was putting in a full-time load. If it needed to be done, she would be here doing it.”
He says the board is excited about what Southcott will bring to the job, especially with what promises to be a packed 2024 season, starting with the Winds of Change production of the musical Follies in February.
“She will bring that leadership component which she has had before,” he said.
“She has done an awful lot on the artistic side. She’s run programs, she’s an actor, she’s done all of the things that we do in the theatre, plus she has had a strong administrative component in her various businesses that she’s run. So we think that will stand her in good stead to hit the ground running in February.”
Simmonds added that one of the things that most impressed the board was Southcott’s background in communications, which he hopes will help boost the Astor’s considerable promotional efforts.
Southcott and her husband moved to Mahone Bay three years ago. She said she plans to commute to Liverpool for now, but that she and her family may consider moving closer as she gets comfortable in the job.
“I do see the benefits of living in the community and working in a position like this one,” she says.
“And I also feel like the South Shore as a whole, it’s a great opportunity for me to introduce the Astor to people in this area who maybe haven’t really experienced the theatre.”
As she takes over from Jean Robinson, Southcott says she has “big shoes to fill”, but that she’s up for the challenge.
“I feel confident that it will be a wonderful experience thanks to the support from the board and from the outgoing executive director.”
Mill Village Fire Department is hoping to get the Region of Queens on board to help them buy a new fire truck.
The $711,810 R Series Top Control 4-door truck is already in Bridgewater and the seller is holding it for Mill Village until April 1. The department is asking the Region to contribute $275,000 in loan payments over 10 years.
The Region’s policy is to assist the five fire departments in the county with vehicle purchases according to a set schedule. That schedule has expired and under a proposed schedule, Mill Village would be in line to receive the $275,000 they’re asking in the 24-25 budget year.
Mayor Darlene Norman says the municipality is willing to help once the fire chiefs decide on a new schedule.
“I like to be optimistic that for whatever reason, the fire chiefs will sit down, look each other in the eye and figure this out. Because that is what they do according to this policy. Five fire chiefs agreeing on a truck purchase schedule,” said Norman. “Otherwise, council is going to have to step in, change this policy, because fire departments need their fire trucks.”
Norman is also concerned that if the purchase isn’t made soon, rising interest rates could increase the price of the truck by $30-40,000 over the term of the loan.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson
Region of Queens council will once again delay a decision on the location of a new library.
Municipal staff had recommended building at the Liverpool business development centre but after a flood of e-mail correspondence and public comments at the last meeting councillors decided to discuss the matter further. They have requested staff look into the feasibility of temporarily relocating the library at the business centre until a new permanent home can be found.
In the recommendations portion of the meeting council determined three properties were considered dangerous and unsightly and directed staff to take action.
Councillors also approved a staff request to apply for over $10 million from the provincial municipal capital growth program. The program supports municipalities’ efforts to address infrastructure needs.
Region of Queens would like to use the funding to support the Mount Pleasant service extension project which has three distinct components: transmission main upgrades, water lift station upgrades, and extending services to the growth area around Mount Pleasant. The current estimated costs of the project are in the neighborhood of $21.5 million.
Council then approved spending $750 as their contribution to co-host the New Year’s Day levee alongside Mersey branch 38 of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Council then moved into discussions, the first two items involved road names, the first being Lingley Lane and the second Audrelyn Lane. No other streets in the region currently have those names so they will be assigned to those streets at an upcoming meeting.
A discussion whether to support Mill Village fire department’s request to purchase a new truck for $620,000 will come back to council once the chiefs of the Regions’ five fire departments have an opportunity to discuss long term planning for replacement of their engines. The municipality contributes 25 percent of the cost to the fire service whenever a new truck is purchased.
Next municipal staff asked council to clarify the intent of the travel expense policy. Staff are looking to clarify the language and will bring the policy back for Council’s consideration at a future meeting.
The last item on the agenda was a request from the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool to take over operation of the concession stand at Queens Place.
Under the proposal, the club will be responsible for ensuring compliance with food safety certificates and insurance as well as obtaining a food operating permit, while operations will be handled by volunteers from the Queens County Blades and Queens County minor hockey association. Councillors were supportive of the idea as it would provide an opportunity for all three local organizations to raise money.
Regional staff will work out details with the Kiwanis organization and bring the item back before council at a future meeting.
Council only meets one time in December due to the holidays. The next council meeting will be January 9th at 9:00am in council chambers.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Municipal Water customers in Queens will see compensation for a boil water advisory that lasted almost nine weeks.
The Region of Queens applied to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) and was approved to provide a one-time 70 percent rate reduction to be applied to the current water bill.
Municipal water customers had to boil their water after lightning struck the water treatment plant, damaging essential equipment on Aug 7.
In their decision, the UARB says the boil-water advisory was reasonable and beyond the control of the water utility. The decision stated they saw no other way to ensure the safety of the drinking water.
Mayor Darlene Norman says she is pleased with the review board’s decision.
“We were given what we asked and also noted that we did what was expected to ensure consumers safety,” said Norman.
Region of Queens estimates the approved one-time rate reduction will cost the utility $56,000 which will come from an unused water reserve fund initially intended to provide sediment removal.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
A new library could come in at a third the cost of previous designs if Region of Queens Council decides to build it in the Liverpool Business Development Centre.
Projections from staff indicate refurbishing the building to accommodate relocation of the Thomas H Raddall library would cost in the neighbourhood of $1.15 million.
Home to Belliveau Veinotte accounting and Global Empire Call Centre, the building is commonly known as the call centre.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says the municipality is under pressure to find a new home for the regional library as the lease at its current location in the Rossignol Centre is up at the end of 2024.
“Library users will recognize the fact that our present library location is on really weak legs,” said Norman. “There are difficulties with the building sometimes with power and heat. The building’s been for sale now for, I would say a year. The price has been reduced and Council is getting very nervous that unexpectedly, we may be without a library site.”
The Region of Queens has wrestled with where to build a new library since it decided to allocate approximately $3 million from an unexpected budget surplus to its construction in spring of 2022.
The library site selection committee twice recommended an area by the sledding hill at Queens Place for the relocation. Council declined the first time but decided to accept the committee’s recommendation when it came around a second time.
But council scuttled the plan once more when it came to light that close to a million dollars was needed to connect the sledding hill library site to the existing road and infrastructure.
The proposed site at the Liverpool Business Development Centre meets most of the criteria established by the library site selection committee.
It has 6,000 square feet of available space, parking for 24 vehicles, outdoor lighting, outdoor space for programming, isn’t in a known flood zone and is already owned by the municipality.
However, the nearest sidewalk is 350 metres away and the site is currently not accessible by public transit, although the staff report mentions Queens County Transit could potentially extend service to the location.
Norman says the Centre has a lot of positives to offer but people may struggle to get to the site. She is concerned if the library is not centrally located, the Region could be creating a problem that will hound residents for years to come.
“We need to realize that if we spend a million, or a million and a half, or a million and three quarters, or whatever it takes, there’s no such thing as renovating, spending that much money and just making a temporary library,” said Norman.
“It will have program rooms, it will have its own washrooms, it will have [a] staff room, it will have its own entrance. When all of those things are put in there, I would say that is where the library is going to stay for decades.”
Council heard the presentation from staff and will decide at a future meeting whether they will go forward with the Call Centre location for the new library.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Residents of North Queens will soon have a new long-term care home to call their own.
Kim Masland, Minister of Public Works and MLA for Queens, on behalf of Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams, made the announcement Tuesday November 28.
People living in and around Caledonia, will have access to a new, modern long-term care facility with the replacement of the North Queens Nursing Home.
The new North Queens Nursing Home is expected to replace the existing home when it opens in 2032.
The new facility will provide care for close to 50 seniors with single rooms, each with its own private washroom.
In a statement Masland says eventually everyone needs some help and the new home will be a resource for families when they need it.
“At some point, almost of us will have a loved one in need of long-term care,” said Minister Masland. “We are planning today to ensure that the appropriate facilities are in place so that everyone we care about can have a safe and welcoming place to receive the care they need, when they need it.”
The North Queens Nursing Home replacement is part of the recent addition of 2,200 rooms to the Province’s long-term care infrastructure plan.The provincial government is promising more announcements about locations of new and replacement rooms are coming in the next few weeks.
Those announcements can’t come too soon. As of Nov 15, there were just over 1,700 people waiting at home for placement in long-term care.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Alex J Walling, founder of QCCR and long-time broadcaster has passed away.
The mainstay of the Maritime airwaves began his career in Quebec City in 1965 before moving to Halifax in 1972 to work at CHNS radio.
One of the early highlights of his career was covering the 1972 Summit Series.
Walling worked on the mic, in front of the camera and behind the scenes in radio and television over the next four decades covering sports at every level.
In 1988 he founded the Atlantic Media Institute in Halifax to train the next generation of broadcasters. He sold the company in 2000 to retire.
By 2008 Walling had had enough of retirement and founded this station, Queens County Community Radio (QCCR). He sold the station to the CJQC Radio Society in 2012 and they continue to operate is to this day.
QCCR General Manager Brian Godfrey says Walling left a legacy in Liverpool.
“He made quite a big legacy here with getting people connected. You know, people listening, to have something here in Liverpool, to the community radio station,” said Godfrey. “He was doing just the monthly ones, but at least people had a chance to listen to something local, a local radio station and he brought that here.”
Godfrey said even after Walling sold the station he would still drop in or call from time to time to see how it was going.
Walling was married to Kathleen Davis of Brooklyn who died in 2014.
Walling passed away in Halifax over the weekend. He was 77.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
A program supporting seniors over the holidays has met its goal weeks ahead of its deadline.
Queens Santa’s for Seniors connects people with seniors to provide them with gift cards during this festive season.
Anyone can nominate a senior and seniors can nominate themselves to be put on the list. Organizer Kendra Shot then connects those on her list with people who have signed up to donate.
Shot launched this year’s program at the start of November and it didn’t take long to have 290 seniors signed up. On Nov 22 she announced every senior had been adopted.
Shot decided to set an early deadline to adopt a senior this year after getting down to the wire in 2022.
“We went to the week before Christmas,” said Shot. “It was like five days before Christmas before I got everybody adopted. So, this year we got everybody adopted fast.”
Shot is extending her deadline and is accepting more seniors through the first week of December. She says she need to cut it off then to ensure the cards can be delivered before Christmas.
Shot says seniors shouldn’t be shy about asking to be included.
“They’re more than welcome to nominate themselves as well. I don’t need a complete stranger to nominate you, if you want a little extra anything, just, please, shoot me a message,” said Shot.
People can still contact Shot through the Santa’s for Seniors Facebook page or by phone 902-646-0265. We’ve provided that information on our web page.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Thomas H. Raddall Library. Photo credit Ed Halverson
Municipal staff have suggested building the new library close to the Region of Queens administrative office.
In a release issued, Thursday Nov 16, staff say the Liverpool Business Development Center, on Harley Umphrey Drive, “offers an ideal space, including ample parking, access to green spaces, and more room for programming.”
Another benefit of the proposed relocation is that the Liverpool Business Development Center is owned by the Region of Queens.
The library’s lease in their current location at the Rossignol Centre in Liverpool is set to expire at the end of 2024.
Municipalities are responsible for providing space to locate regional libraries in Nova Scotia. Finding a new site to relocate the library has proved contentious for Region of Queens Council.
In the 2022/23 budget, Council voted to use part of a $3 million surplus from the federal and provincial governments to build a new library. A committee was struck shortly after to recommend a site. Their unanimous choice was that it should be located at Queens Place.
Council initially rejected that option in June of 2022 and asked the committee to come back with another recommendation. Councillors raised concerns at the time that the location would be too remote for people coming from the Liverpool area.
In January 2023, the committee again determined the Queens Place site was best and this time Council approved their recommendation and agreed to build the new library on the Queens Place location.
However, in March, Council rescinded that approval in a recorded 5-3 vote after learning the estimated cost of extending the driveway to the proposed site would be $950,000.
If Council agrees to move the library to the Liverpool Business Development Center, it will join existing tenants Belliveau Veinotte Accountants and Global Empire Call Centre.
In July of this year, Council awarded a $2,031,273 tender to Sea Coast HVAC for the installation of a new HVAC system at the Liverpool Business Development Center.
A draft design concept for the new library will be presented to Council for its consideration. If they agree to move the library to the Liverpool Business Development Center more design work will be required before renovations begin.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Scott Christian announces candidacy for Region of Queens Mayor. Photo: Scott Christian for Mayor of RQM Facebook page
Scott Christian is first to announce his intention to run for Mayor of Queens in the 2024 municipal election.
The former Chair of the Queens Daycare Association made the announcement in a video released on social media Friday.
During the two and a half minute long video Christian raised concerns about the high levels of poverty, lack of affordable and seniors housing, and under-realized economic development in Queens.
He calls for the municipality to work with the province, grassroots and non-profit organizations, as well as local businesses to address those concerns.
Christian says he intends to change the culture around the council table.
“But the reality is that the current mayor and council have held us back because they’ve failed to work together as a team, and they have no plan in place for the future,” says Christian. “So, what I propose is this, that in our next council defines and commits to a common vision for the future of Queen County, develops a plan to get us there, and supports our administration to follow through on that plan. We make thoughtful, affordable, strategic investments in our community.”
Christian spent several years as the Chair of the Queens Daycare Association before it was recently placed under the care of the YMCA.
He is a business consultant and launched the Work Evolved co-working space in Liverpool.
Christian says Queens has many attributes and much to be proud of including the Universally Designed Play Park and the new long-term care home under construction around Queens Place.
In his video, Christian says Queens Place is still reeling from the loss of their junior hockey team and the canteen has been unable to find a way to stay open. He also criticizes council for not moving fast enough to get a new swimming pool in South Queens.
“There’s clear desire for change within the Region of Queens Municipality and I would be honoured to lead that change,” says Christian. “We can and will do better together.”
At this point neither Mayor Darlene Norman nor Deputy Mayor Jack Fancy have publicly announced if they will run for the position.
There is still plenty of time for candidates to announce as the next municipal election is scheduled for October 2024.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Residents are petitioning council to lower the speed limit along Liverpool’s Main St between Court St and Fort Point Park. Photo Google Maps
Some residents of Main Street in Liverpool are calling on the municipality to lower the speed limit on one end.
At Tuesday’s council meeting two petitions were received asking to reduce the speed limit on Main Street from 50 km/h to 40 km/h between Court Street and the Fort Point Park.
Well over 100 residents and businesses signed the petitions raising concerns about safety for both drivers and pedestrians as the reason to reduce the speed.
Mayor Darlene Norman says because the Region of Queens own the road in the former Town of Liverpool, they have the authority to lower the speed limits. But before that can happen, a traffic study would need to be undertaken to determine if reducing the speed limit will make the area safer.
“We’ve directed staff to look at the costs involved,” said Norman. “Because one of the criteria for this would be you have to have a traffic study done by an outside agency that can show that because of traffic calming devices that you’ve installed and other things, that a large percentile of the people that travel will obey that reduced speed limit.”
Staff will look into the cost of a traffic study as well as what other traffic calming measures may be effective in that situation.
That information will be presented in a report to council at an upcoming meeting.
To hear the interview with Mayor Norman regarding reducing the speed limit on Liverpool’s Main Street click play below.
Entrance to Region of Queens council chambers. Photo Ed Halverson
Tuesday’s Region of Queens Council meeting began with a couple of petitions to address speeding on Main Street in Liverpool.
Council moved the item to discussions and decided to have staff look into the costs and process of lowering the speed limit from 50km/h to 40 km/h at the far end of Main Street ending at Fort Point Rd.
Moving to the recommendations portion of the agenda, staff recommended reappointing three members of the Planning advisory committee to their current positions. Members can serve either a one- or two-year term. The intention of the policy is to stagger the appointments, so the entire committee isn’t replaced at one time.
Next council heard a recommendation to waive tipping fees for a property that has fallen into disrepair since the previous owner died in 2001. Her beneficiaries have agreed to cover the cost of demolition but as they are on a limited budget they are asking the municipality to forgive the tipping fees. Council will vote on the recommendation to waive the $700 charge at their next meeting.
A request to enter into a development agreement to expand what is currently two short- term rental units in Summerville into seven units was denied as council and staff felt the number of structures would be too much for a parcel of land which is only 26,5000 square feet in size.
Council appointed two new representatives to the new Police Advisory Board. North Queens will be represented by Donald Kimball and South Queens will be served by Elaina Gaetan.
The Diversity and Inclusion Action Team also added a new member as council approved Tammy Conway-Denning. She brings over twenty years’ experience working with vulnerable and diverse populations to the position.
The long-discussed new outdoor pool was next on the agenda. Council was presented with a site plan based on the criteria they had previously established including a six-lane competitive pool, seating for spectators, a thermal pool and a zero-entry side. The cost to fulfil the wish list comes in at $8.22 million.
Council directed staff to proceed with the next steps of developing an estimated operating budget including expenses and revenue; a financial plan including possible funding models and grant opportunities for the current capital cost deficit; construction procurement options; and to obtain further Project Management services.
The last recommendation was to provide the Hunts Point Community Hall Association with $6,139 from the Community Investment Fund to install a new roof.
In the discussion portion of the meeting Council received a report to improve the heating system at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, home of the Astor Theatre. Theatre personnel have applied for federal funding to offset the cost of installing a new HVAC system.
Council then directed municipal staff to work alongside theatre group to determine what work will be performed and how it is to be funded.
The next Region of Queens Council meeting will be held November 28 at 6:00pm in Council Chambers.
To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.
Scotiabank on Main Street in Liverpool. Photo Google Maps
Scotiabank customers in Liverpool will have to travel up the road 1/2 an hour to do their banking.
A notice posted in the Liverpool branch announced it would be closing its prominent location at the corner of Main and Market streets and moving all accounts to Bridgewater as of April 11th, 2024.
The bank did not provide a reason for the change or provide any indication if the employees would be retained or moved to another location.
The decision has spurred a great deal of conversation in the community and online with many current customers discussing the possibility of moving their accounts to another bank.
Once Scotiabank pulls up stakes, Royal Bank and Bank of Montreal will be the last of the big five Canadian banks to maintain a presence in Liverpool. Loblaws’ Presidents Choice banking will also continue to service Liverpool customers.
To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.
Organizers says a volunteer program to help seniors over the holidays is more important this year than ever before.
Kendra Shot has run the Queens Santa’s for Seniors program for the past four years.
When she started, donors would select an anonymous senior from a list on the Queens Santa’s for Seniors Facebook page and buy gifts for them from their wish list. A team of 30 volunteers would gather the gift parcels and distribute them to over 400 seniors across Queens County.
Last year Shot decided the work had become too much to handle between trying to receive, store and delivery the items and shifted away from gifts to gift cards. She says the move didn’t sit well with some people, but it was the right thing to do.
“I’ve had senior say, yeah you know this is a good idea because I can go get what I need because sometimes they’ll say they wanted lotion or sweatpants or something and they got the wrong sizes, or they got the wrong colour so this way they can go purchase what they need,” said Shot.
Seniors can select gift cards from any retail store in the area with most choosing stores that offer pharmacy or food options. Shot says the choices they make show seniors are being particularly hard hit by the rise of inflation.
“Their pensions aren’t going up to reflect the cost of food, the cost of heating fuel. I mean, I don’t want to get into the political matter of it all, but I have some that are like, I don’t know I’m either going to pay for my oil or this will help me get a little groceries because I have to get oil this month and I’m not going to have much left over for food,” said Shot.
Over 300 seniors received cards last year and Shot is hopeful now that everyone has adjusted to the move from gifts to gift cards even more will be handed out this year.
She only opened the 2023 edition a week ago and already 252 seniors are on her list and half of those have already been selected. Shot would like to see businesses and workplaces band together to participate, that way, the financial load is spread across a larger number of people.
To nominate or select a senior for the Santa’s for Seniors program Shot says people can visit the Facebook page or call her directly at 902 -646-0265.
To hear the complete interview with Kendra Shot click play below.
(L-R)Christopher Clarke, Kim Masland, Darlene Norman and Andrew MacVicar at the groundbreaking for the new Queens long term care facility. Photo Ed Halverson
Years of wrangling to get financing and another two years of planning culminated in a groundbreaking ceremony Monday at the site of the new Queens long-term care home.
Public Works Minister and MLA for Queens Kim Masland and Mayor Darlene Norman joined Queens Manor Executive Director Andrew MacVicar and Board Chair Christopher Clarke at the podium to announce the first physical steps to building the new facility across the parking lot from Queens Place.
In her remarks, Masland said providing a new long-term care home is the reason she got into politics.
“I know Christopher, when he came to me we started talking about this in 2017 when I was elected and I said if I ever make government I’ll make you one promise and it’s the only promise I’m going to make anyone and that is I will deliver the funds for a new long-term care facility in Queens, and here we are.”
Once completed, the new care home will replace the county’s two existing facilities, the privately run Queens Manor and the Region of Queens’ Hillsview Acres.
Norman says the municipal facility has served its purpose for decades and with the new care home, residents have a lot to look forward to.
“It’s been part of the Region for so long, there will be many that will miss it. But to know that the residents are moving into a new facility surrounded by people and children and playgrounds and skate parks and life, it’s a wonderful thing.”
Combined, the aging facilities can currently accommodate 90 residents while the new home will increase that capacity by 22 bringing the total number of available beds in Queens up to 112.
MacVicar says the building is designed with the most modern best practices in mind and was the result of much consultation between residents, staff and professional architects.
“We were very keen to include the people who will use the facility on a day-to-day basis, hands on. So, we included people who work in laundry, people who work in the kitchen, our CCAs our nurses, our environmental staff, our residents, family input, all the way up to board input, and just overall community input. There are a lot of hands and a lot of minds that were involved in the creation of the plan.”
Construction of the new Queens long term care home gets underway. Photo Ed Halverson
Clarke says he’s worked since 2013 to get a new long-term care facility for Queens and is delighted the province stepped up to secure financing.
“It’s a little under $100 million. Nova Scotia Housing is financing the project for the Queens Manor board. We will own the facility. It will be mortgaged, I suspect, over 40 years so we repay Nova Scotia Housing to pay down that mortgage.”
The new, as yet unnamed long-term care home is scheduled to open in 2026.
To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.
