The fitness room side of Queens Place is a potential site for a new outdoor pool. Photo Ed Halverson
Following several months of deliberation, the Region of Queens looks to be closing in on a design for a new outdoor pool.
At their last meeting, council decided to recommend the project manager and engineer develop concept drawings based on criteria established by the Region’s pool committee.
The Region wants to see plans for a six-lane, 25 metre outdoor pool with a zero-entry access located adjacent to Queens Place Emera Centre.
Consideration is also being given to including heat recovery from the ice plant at Queens Place, installing deck lights to extend swim times and inclusive, male, and female dressing rooms.
The pool committee would also like a therapy hot tub, but some councillors were concerned that could put the project over budget.
Councillor Kevin Muise says he wants to have a better understanding of the costs before moving ahead with any additions.
“I have some problems with it because we have no idea of the price. You know if you’re going to raise the money and put that in separately then I don’t have a problem with it,” said Muise. ”But to just sit here and vote on something to say yes I’m in favor of a hot tub and we have no idea price and what it’s going to cost the taxpayers I have a little problem.”
Councillor David Brown shared Councillor Muise’s concern but said he’d rather learn the price and cut it later if needs be.
“I’m in favour of moving ahead with taking it to the next step because I think it’s a lot easier for us, when we get the numbers, to strike a line through it, to cut something out than it is to decide down the road that we want to add something into the design,” said Brown. “You know, then we will be basing our decisions on the knowledge that we’ve got a certain budget, this is the cost, and do the two match up.”
In the end council decided to go ahead with getting designs and pricing including the hot tub.
Interim CAO Dan McDougall says ideally the project manager and engineer will bring designs forward for council to approve over the winter so construction can begin next spring.
Rumclo Developments Ltd proposed Birchwood Gardens and The Curve communities. Photo from Rumclo Developments Ltd, Region of Queens Agenda package
A new affordable housing development in Liverpool hinges on whether the municipality is ready to extend water and sewer services along Shore Rd.
Rumclo Development Ltd is proposing to build 92 units of affordable housing between Shore Rd and College St in a community they’re calling Birchwood Gardens.
The apartments will be a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms ranging from 650ft2 to 1,000ft2.
Rent is projected to range between $696 and $1,200/month, depending on construction costs.
During their presentation at the most recent Region of Queens Council meeting on June 13, Rumclo officials expressed frustration that they have yet to see a study that will determine if municipal water and sewer can be extended.
Rumclo has requested the service extension for another development they’re proposing further along Shore Rd called “The Point”.
The presentation also included a development called “The Curve” which would sit adjacent to Birchwood Gardens affordable housing project.
The Curve will see 22 two and three bedroom 1,500ft2 townhouses built that would sell between $400,000 and $500,000 and rent at approximately $2,000/month.
They developers argue the new proposed developments can piggyback off the same lines that will service “The Point”.
Rumclo developer Chad Clothier says they’ve already lost this building season and are eager to learn if they will have the water and sewer extensions so they can plan to build in 2024.
“Ask the Region why the study isn’t coming back or what the hold up to the study is and it really makes it hard as a company to feel like we can get this project done if a simple study is taking this long to come back,” said Clothier. “So, we’d really like to get some insight on the study.”
Region of Queens Interim CAO Dan McDougall was sympathetic to the developer’s time pressures but explained determining if the municipality can extend those services is not a simple matter.
“It’s actually far more complex than just extensions,” said McDougall. “Extensions are one element of what we’ll likely receive back from the consultants. They’ll also provide insight on how the system needs to be improved in order to accept volumes, both water and wastewater.”
McDougall says the existing wastewater treatment plant has the capacity to handle the increased number of users but getting the flow to the plant will require significant upgrades to the underground infrastructure.
The CAO says the study is also looking at how providing municipal water to the developments will affect the existing system.
“You can get water to the lands that you’re proposing to develop but what are the implications on the rest of the system?” asked McDougall. “Will it result in negative water pressure in other areas of the municipality where improvements are required in order for the extensions to work for your project, but to work for the rest of the community as well. So, it’s not a simple study.”
McDougall expects the final engineering report to come to staff and council for review in the next few weeks.
It will then be a month or two before it will be presented to council for a decision whether the project will go ahead.
Entrance to Region of Queens council chambers. Photo Ed Halverson
The proponents of a Liverpool development called “The Point” were back before Region of Queens council with a plan to provide over a hundred units of affordable housing.
Rumclo Developments Ltd recently acquired seven acres across Shore Rd from their proposed “Point” development.
Rumclo laid out their plans to build 22 Townhouses in an area they are calling “The Curve” and 92 apartments made up of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units in a community dubbed “Birchwood Gardens”.
The developers want the Region to commit to extending Municipal water and sewer to all their proposed developments in short order.
With Mayor Darlene Norman absent, Deputy Mayor Jack Fancy chaired the most recent meeting.
Fancy says staff are preparing a report outlining what is required to extend municipal services to the developments.
“We should be able to discuss it and have an understand of what the full implications will be for the cost,” said the Deputy Mayor.
The report is expected before council in the coming weeks.
Other highlights from the June 13 council meeting include a $2,475 grant to the Liverpool Ukulele Ceilidh Society from the Region’s Community Investment Fund.
The Region will borrow $780,000 to cover the costs of Liverpool’s Main Street Sewer/Water Project.
Council granted permission to Highway Pentecostal Church to hold church services every Sunday evening in the Liverpool Waterfront Parking lot over July and August.
Public works will receive new four new trucks.
Two ¾ ton heavy duty pickups will come from Mosher Motors at a cost of $152,350 +HST.
The department asked for a budget of up to $40,000 to buy a mid -size truck from David Hatt Auto Sales to be used by the building inspector.
A fourth truck was not included in the 2023-24 capital budget but is needed after a fleet vehicle reached its end of life sooner than expected and needs to be replaced.
Council agreed to fund the purchase of used truck up to $25,000.
Public Works will also be taking ownership of a 2023 Trackless MT7 tractor from Saunders Equipment Ltd, Fredericton NB at a price of $178, 820 + HST. The tractor will be used for snow removal.
In the final piece of business, the new pool came back around for discussion.
After much back-and-forth council decided to go ahead with plans for an outdoor, six-lane, 25-foot-long pool with a zero-entry point after it was determined building an indoor pool is too costly and not feasible at this time.
A wind-breaking fence and hot tank area are also included on the municipality’s wish list.
Council will now wait for the Project Manager and Engineer to come back with conceptual drawings so they can begin pricing out the build.
The next Region of Queens Council meeting will take place at the Greenfield Fire Hall on June 27 at 6pm.
A cybersecurity breach affecting systems across the province has exposed all Region of Queens tax accounts.
The Nova Scotia Government learned that MOVEit, a system used to transfer files across different departments and levels of government was breached between May 30-31.
The breach exposed names, addresses, account numbers, payment amount and balance owing for 17,500 water and tax bill accounts in Queens but does not include credit card or other financial information.
Mayor Darlene Norman says it’s important for residents to be vigilant about potential scams.
“There’s always the risk of whoever or whatever who has breached and has access to this information can use it in such a way that they may phone someone up and say, you know, this is Region of Queens calling,”
Mayor Norman says a common scam is for someone to pose as a representative of the Region of Queens and demand credit card payment over the phone.
Norman says the Region would never ask for payment in that way.
She advises anyone who receives a similar call to notify RCMP and the Region of Queens.
The province has advised that MOVEit was taken offline June 1 for a security update, then taken offline again on June 2 for further investigation. It has been updated and additional monitoring is in place.
The breach involved more than 5,800 folders, each containing multiple files and records.
The process to notify all the affected individuals and send notification letters is expected to take weeks.
Nova Scotia Burn Safe map June 13 23 from NS Burn Safe website
The Nova Scotia Government has lifted the province-wide burn ban and remaining restrictions on travel and activities in the woods as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Burning is still not permitted between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. but may now be allowed after 2 p.m. depending on local conditions.
The province announced the lifting of restrictions shortly after issuing a release stating the Barrington Lake wildfire in Shelburne County is now under control.
The fire grew to a final size of 23,525 hectares (about 235 square kilometres) and is not expected to spread.
The release says, “…firefighters from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR), the Department of National Defence, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the United States are still on the scene doing mop up. Volunteer and municipal firefighters are on call to help.”
It goes on to explain, “Mop up means firefighters start at the perimeter of the fire and advance toward the centre in a grid pattern to systematically extinguish hot spots. Tactics include looking and smelling for smoke, digging up hot spots and dousing them with water. Depending on the size of a fire, mop up can take days or weeks.”
DNNR says helicopters will be flying over wildfires in the next week using infrared technology to help detect hotspots.
The fine for burning illegally remains at $25,000.
Vina Moses stands alongside a statue of country music legend Hank Snow. Photo Ed Halverson
Organizers of the annual Hank Snow Tribute are calling for help.
For the past 30 years the life and legacy of Liverpool’s favourite son has been celebrated through several nights of concerts, music and memories.
But administrator at the Hank Snow Museum Vina Moses says the annual tribute which acts as their major fundraiser may not be enough to keep the doors open.
Moses who also appears on-air here at QCCR says a three-years long pandemic with little opportunity for fundraising has drained the organization’s accounts.
“The financial situation at the Hank Snow Museum is critical,” says Moses. “We are really looking for sponsors, especially for both of our events but mostly for the Tribute. We really need help this year to get through.”
Moses says the museum has kept the doors open and the lights on over the past few years thanks to the support of several large sponsors including the Region of Queens, Sobeys, Belliveau Veinotte accountants and Heritage Canada.
Hank Snow was Canada’s first major country music star. His career took flight when he moved to Nashville in 1949. Over the next five decades he recorded 140 albums and landed 85 singles on the Billboard Country charts including number one hits “I’m Moving On” and “I’ve Been Everywhere”.
Moses is hoping to see others who are passionate about Snow’s music step forward and support their work.
“There are folks who have already helped, and we are now looking for some more major sponsors as well as folks who will maybe sponsor $50.”
Moses says that $50 will place the sponsors name beside an artist on the festival literature.
Headlining the Hank Snow Tribute this year will be Ruth Manning and the Prospectors on Thursday, a collection of Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees is featured on Friday, the Rhinestone Romeos from the valley and Southern Breeze from New Brunswick will co-headline Saturday and Joyce Seamone will lead the finale Sunday.
Country legend Carroll Baker was scheduled to headline the Tribute, but Moses says due to circumstances beyond their control the Hank Snow Society couldn’t fly her in.
Organizers are working to bring Baker back next year.
The Hank Snow Society is planning several other events this summer including weekly Wednesday barbeques featuring local performers at the Hank Snow Museum.
The Hank Snow Tribute will be held at Queens Place in Liverpool the weekend of Aug 17 and tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 14.
Firefighters dowse hotspots in the Shelburne County fire. Photo Communications Nova Scotia
The fire at Barrington Lake in Shelburne is slowly coming under control and efforts are beginning to shift from emergency response to rebuilding a community.
Shelburne County East Emergency Management Office reported Tuesday that the fire is still out of control but is now being held which means it is not moving.
Several measures have been announced to help residents transition back into their homes or to help those whose homes were lost in the fire.
The federal and provincial governments have announced they will each match every dollar donated to the Red Cross so that any dollar donated equals three dollars.
The province of Nova Scotia is providing free well-water testing kits for people returning home and has just announced a one-time grant of $2,500 to registered farmers located in the mandatory evacuation zones in Halifax Regional Municipality and Shelburne County
Life is returning to normal for some students as several schools in the Shelburne and Barrington area are set to reopen Thursday.
Clark’s Harbour Elementary, Evelyn Richardson Memorial School, and the Lockeport Schools will open while Barrington Municipal High School, Forest Ridge Academy, Hillcrest Academy and Shelburne Regional High School will remain closed at least for the rest of this week.
The Shelburne County fire covers 23,411 hectares or 234 square kilometres.
Roughly 130 firefighters from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) and more than 40 volunteer and municipal firefighters are responding.
Restrictions on travel and activities in the woods were lifted across Nova Scotia but remain in Shelburne County and anywhere evacuation orders are in place.
Donations overflow a trailer headed to support people displaced by the Shelburne County wildfires. Photo Amy MacGowan
Queens County is rallying to help fire-stricken Shelburne communities.
Brooklyn resident Amy MacGowan decided to collect donations of food and clothing to drive to the Shelburne Fire Hall on Tuesday.
Just three hours after making a post on Facebook the community stuffed her Chevy Equinox full of supplies and she was on her way.
MacGowan says the scene at the Shelburne Fire Hall was something to behold.
“I went down, I dropped all that stuff off. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.”
Volunteers from the community and aid agencies were standing together to provide comfort to residents who have evacuated and don’t know if they have a home to go back to. MacGowan says a free store was set up in back of the hall, Red Cross workers were helping people register for relief aid and a semi-trailer was filled with water and sport drinks to keep firefighters hydrated on the fire line.
MacGowan decided she would make another supply run on Thursday.
With more notice people volunteered to drive and donations filled 12 vehicles and two trailers creating a Queens Cares Convoy. In addition to the supplies, $5,245 was donated in cash and gift cards.
MacGowan says the pantries in Shelburne are well stocked now and she began looking around to see what else was needed. She learned many of the firefighters are looking for supplies to help them stay on the line.
“They need band aids and foot cream and things like that because their feet are killing them. Their muscles are sore. So, at the end of the day, they just want to wrap up, put some stuff on their feet and go to sleep, get up and go do it again the next day,” said MacGowan. “And Vitamin water they said, was another thing that was on their list. Chocolate milk was another thing that was on their list because they’ve got tons of Gatorade and tons of water and they wanted something else to drink.”
MacGowan says some other items that are in demand include propane, flashlights, batteries, towels and toiletries. She plans to make another run down to Shelburne with more supplies next week.
Until then, donations can be dropped off at the Liverpool Fire Hall, Chamber of Commerce office (in the Work Evolved building), Ingrams Construction or Five Girls Bakery.
A water bomber flies through the smoke of a forest fire in Shelburne County. Photo Communications Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston wants to ensure every bit of available help is coming to fight the largest forest fires in the province’s history.
A letter sent from the Premier’s office to the Prime Minister Wednesday lays out a long list of needs including military personnel and equipment, helicopters, vehicles and temporary housing for firefighters coming from out of province.
An update provided by the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables Thursday morning shows approximately 20,000 hectares are burning across 16, the largest wildfire is in Barrington Lake in Shelburne County at 18,173 hectares.
During Thursday’s briefing, Premier Houston said the list of requests included in the letter is not meant to be exhaustive.
He is asking the federal government to inform Nova Scotia of other supports that could be helpful instead of waiting for a request.
In the letter he states, “You know your resources best and know what can help in a situation like this. Given the seriousness, any other resources at the disposal of the Federal Government that we haven’t mentioned but could help, please send. We ask for your common sense and support. If we have used the wrong terminology in any of our asks, or there are issues with the format of the ask, please be proactive and help us assist struggling Nova Scotians as quickly as possible.”
Houston says he learned lessons from Hurricane Fiona in September of 2022 that he doesn’t want to see repeated in this emergency.
“Once we’d kind of been through the urgency of the crisis, in my discussions with the Prime Minister, he looked me in the eye at one point and said the Nova Scotia didn’t fill out the proper forms and that’s why the support hadn’t come as quickly. I of course disagreed with that assessment but suggested that even if that assessment were true, there’s a time to act and there’s a time to get more fulsome paperwork later, and there was a time to act and it was missed,” said Houston.
“So, with that experience in mind I was not willing to leave any room for a repeat when people’s houses were literally burning. So, we fill out the paperwork and we go through the channels but at the same time it’s my hope that the Prime Minister and members of cabinet, members of parliaments recognize that there’s a time for action and the time for action is right now.”
The Premier’s letter also looks ahead for ways the federal government can support Nova Scotia once the fires are out.
The province is looking for early access to federal disaster relief funding through the Disaster Financial Assistance Agreement, and commitments to match Red Cross donations and rebuild critical infrastructure.
Houston also asks for Ottawa to provide a temporary leave benefit to assist people unable to work because of being displaced or firefighters taking time from their jobs.
The Premier said in a normal year Nova Scotia would face fewer than 100 wildfires. This year there have already been 196 and counting.
He said the increase in number and size of the fires has overwhelmed provincial resources well beyond what they are normally prepared to fight.
While thousands of people have been displaced, Houston says the situation could be much worse if not for the bravery and dedication of everyone involved.
“We’ve never faced wildfires like this before and we have them all at the same time. I think the remarkable thing that people should not lose sight of is zero missing people. Zero reported deaths. Zero serious injury. I mean, that says a lot about the response,” said Houston.
Fire crews are fighting a forecast calling for dry conditions and temperatures in the 30-degree Celsius range Thursday.
A reprieve may be on the way as Environment Canada is calling for showers to begin overnight Friday and rain continuing to fall over the weekend through Tuesday.
A team of Nova Scotia firefighters is expected to return from the Northwest Territories to join the effort this weekend.
The province has already received support from other provinces in the form of water bombers from Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick and firefighting personnel from Prince Edward Island.
Another press briefing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon to provide an update on how the firefighting efforts are proceeding.
A fire official looks at area affected by fire. Photo Communications Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia Government has banned all activity in wooded areas across the province.
Premier Tim Houston announced the measures which include all recreational and commercial activity during an update on Tuesday.
Houston said some commercial exceptions may be issued, but permission must be granted by the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables.
The province has already issued a full burn ban across Nova Scotia until June 25 and Halifax had banned all off-highway vehicles from their trails.
Houston said six illegal fires were reported Monday night and people need to follow the ban, for everyone’s safety.
“Six illegal burns reported just last night is just mind-boggling. So, no burning. For God’s sake, stop burning, stop flicking your cigarette butts out your car window, just stop it. Our resources are stretched incredibly thin right now fighting existing fires,” said Houston.
Manager of Forest Protection with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables Scott Tingley confirmed the fires raging across the province are beyond the department’s capacity.
“These fires are beyond our resource capacity and that’s why we’re prioritizing resources and that’s why they remain out of control. That’s why we continue to ask for help and bring in additional resources,” said Tingley. “This is unfortunately, the nature of emergency response.”
Tingley says the province has already had 195 fires burning 13,000 hectares this year.
There are currently 13 active wildfires, eight of those started Monday and three are out of control.
The forest fires in Tantallon and Shelburne are having an impact on Queens.
As of Tuesday, the fire in neighbouring Shelburne County is still out of control, burning over 10,000 hectares.
Department of Natural Resources and Renewables has dispatched 50 DNRR firefighters and three helicopters to the fire, joined by 40 local volunteer firefighters and two water bombers from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says the municipality will be offering the use of the South Shore Regional Airport to the DNRR helicopters.
Norman says that would save the helicopters from making the almost 400km round trip to Debert where they currently refuel.
A fuel tanker will need to be brought to the site as the fuel used by South Shore Flying Club members isn’t compatible with the water bombing helicopters.
DNRR is already using the airport to support and refuel the smaller fire watch prop planes.
Norman says while Queens has been unaffected by fires so far, she is still concerned.
“Rivers are at end of August levels,” said Norman. “Lakes are low, woods are dry; exceptionally, exceptionally dry, dry terrain.”
Norman says she’s been getting calls from people requesting the Region close all municipal parks as a precaution.
Those are included under the provincial ban and are now off limits.
Norman says she agrees with those measures and asks Queens residents to refrain from taking any chances.
“The least spark. The hot exhaust. There’s so much that can trigger a fire with this dryness. I ask that people who smoke, I don’t believe any cars come with ashtrays in them anymore. So perhaps, just keep a bottle of water with a cap on it in your car to put your cigarette butts in,” said Norman.
Provincial officials are warning the smoke from the fires can seriously affect the air quality in surrounding areas.
Residents are being told to close windows and doors, especially at night when the cooler air and clear skies allow the smoke to travel further.
While not as serious as an out-of-control fire, several businesses and organizations reported losing their internet connection on Monday, affecting point of sale payments, access to online business software and the ability to communicate to clients through e-mail and social media.
The South Shore Regional Centre for Education is also reporting issues with tracking absences through their Powerschool software that could result in a false notification of a student absence.
Installation of a new self-registration system at Queens General Hospital also had to be postponed.
The internet connection appears to have been restored by later in the day.
The province has also established a text line to help people cope with the stress of the fires.
Nova Scotians can text HOPENS to 393939 to receive supportive text messages that are aimed at helping develop healthy personal coping skills and resiliency.
Shelly Panczyk (centre) with representatives from Liverpool Superstore, food bank staff, Queens Mayor Darlene Norman and MLA Kim Masland. Photo Ed Halverson
A new walk-in freezer is helping the Queens County Food Bank provide better service to more people, more efficiently.
Chair of the Queens County Food Bank Shelley Panczyk learned they would be receiving the funding in November of 2022.
The walk-in replaces chest freezers the food bank had been using and Panczyk says the ability to open a door and see where food is at a glance has been extremely helpful to volunteers.
“You’ve got your hamburger here and your hot dogs here and things on top of each other and we were always pulling and taking out and rearranging,” said Panczyk.
For two years before the new unit was installed, Panczyk says Mersey Seafood would store overflow frozen food for the bank.
She welcomes the increased capacity the new freezer provides as over the past three years food bank use has increased dramatically.
“And it’s not just single people. I have people in here that are, two people working. With the way the economy is, and the pricing, that have to come here because there’s no way that they could ever live.”
On average, the Queens County Food Bank provides for 160 families every month serving 450-500 people, 33 percent of those are children.
Panczyk says the support from the Superstore and Sobeys stores in Liverpool is invaluable.
She also appreciates all the generous food donations being dropped off at various locations.
While those are good, Panczyk says one of the best ways to support the food bank is through making a cash donation.
“Money donations are better because I’m always, always looking for sales. That’s part of my work,” said Panczyk. “Every Thursday I have to get the flyers from Superstore and Sobeys and I go through and what’s ever on sale that I use as a staple, I have to order. And we’re ordering cases.”
Panczyk says they can accept cash or cheque at the food bank or thrift store locations, by mail or people can e-transfer the funds.
Donors receive a receipt which can come in handy when looking for deductions at tax time.
Now that the walk-in freezer is installed and running, Panczyk says the Food Bank infrastructure is set for years to come and they can confidently focus on serving their clients.
The 2023 edition of Liverpool’s Privateer Days will have a noticeably family feel compared to previous years.
Visitors will still find an historic encampment, a spooky graveyard tour, and the Kings Orange Rangers performing an historical re-enactment.
The shift began last year when organizers decided to replace the waterfront beer gardens with an all-ages entertainment tent.
The Privateer Days committee didn’t want to compete with local businesses already offering beverage service.
Anyone making their way to the waterfront tent can enjoy local entertainers all weekend, an open mic Friday evening, a magician and face painting for the kids.
Treasurer of the Privateer Days organizing committee Min Thiele says along with the requisite pirates and period costumes, people will still find their favourite parts of the weekend.
The event begins Friday evening with the festival closing part of Main Street.
“We’re going to have live music with the Merchants Market downtown, shutting it down,” said Thiele. “Hopefully coordinating with Dixie Lee to have a French Fry eating contest for the kids, some fire spinners, which is a new addition as well, and then just kind of leading off into the evening.”
Last year Thiele and her husband marched in the parade ahead of being married in the official colonial wedding service.
Organizers tried but couldn’t find another couple to tie the knot in the service this year but may have a couple willing to renew their vows.
The wedding is an example of the melding of history and community in the annual event.
Another is the selection of a Parade Marshall.
Organizers are looking for someone who exemplifies Queens County to lead the floats through town on Saturday June 24.
The list of potential names includes Special Olympians, former doctors, businesspeople, and community activists and continues to grow.
Submissions are being accepted until June 11 and the Marshall will be announced June 12.
The carnival rides were unavailable this year, but Thiele says the inflatables coming in from Halifax Inflatables and Yarmouth Big Bounce will attract attention from young and old alike.
“I would love to get into an inflatable hamster ball in a pool and go one on one with somebody else. There’s going to be a lot of things. I don’t think they’re just going to be for kids.”
Thiele says the event will be bigger than last year and organizers are still looking for volunteers willing to staff the visitor information booth and help tend to the barricades for the parade.
Future site of proposed Co-op housing along Trestle Trail. Photo Ed Halverson
Work has started to bring 26 units of affordable housing to Liverpool.
Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd, an offshoot of the Queens Care Society has been busy making plans over the past year to realize the dream of building some of the first Co-op housing in Nova Scotia in 30 years.
Earl Mielke with Inclusive Homes Consulting is an independent consultant working with the group to help guide them along the way.
At an expected cost of $6 million Mielke says the development effort will require funding from several sources and the cooperation of different levels of governments and other agencies.
“It will take substantial government funding to make this work. Thankfully for us we also have the Region on board and the Region are being very generous with their contributions as well,” said Mielke. “So, it’s a true partnership, municipal, provincial and federal. That is the only way it can work.”
One of the directors on the cooperative board Lorna MacPherson says Queens MLA Kim Masland and the province have offered tremendous support for their effort and the Region of Queens is all in on trying to get the development off the ground.
In November, Region of Queens Council approved selling four adjoining lots between Lawrence and Amherst streets and Trestle Trail and the Queens Street Extension to the Co-op group for one dollar.
The municipality also just approved $203,000 in the 2023-24 budget for the group to complete predevelopment work on the site. That work will include project management and engineering fees, the cost for architectural drawings and a landscape architect as well as initial site clearing, road access excavation and test pits.
MacPherson says the need for more affordable housing is obvious and everyone involved with the Co-op housing development is driven to make it a reality as soon as possible.
“We’ve been working for probably 10 or 11 months,” said MacPherson. “We had to get incorporated as an organization. People have really rolled up their sleeves, and the success that we’ve had to date is just because we’ve had tremendous cooperation.”
The preliminary design calls for the construction of two buildings.
As a co-op, the units would be owned by members who would be empowered to make decisions about the upkeep or improvements of their units through a democratically elected board of directors.
Traditionally in a private home the owner would build equity which they would receive when they eventually sell the house. In the co-op model, members will not build equity in their unit.
Instead that equity will be used to leverage the construction of more units and to pay off the development over a longer mortgage period, between 40 and 50 years, keeping the units affordable.
As one occupant leaves, the next occupant won’t be faced with a massive increase in housing costs.
MacPherson says the co-op will focus on seniors but aims to be inclusive and diverse.
She expects the group will be breaking ground on the new development in early spring of 2024.
MacPherson says the Co-op group will be bringing the design plans to the South Shore Seniors Expo being held at the Liverpool Best Western from 1:00pm – 3:00pm on Thursday May 25 for anyone wishing to get a sneak peek.
Screenshot of May 9 Region of Queens Council meeting
Region of Queens council has never looked or sounded so good.
Last week’s council meeting highlighted the new microphones, speakers and three large video screens that have been installed in council chambers.
Before the new equipment was installed anyone watching council meetings in the room or online struggled to hear what was being said.
Mayor Darlene Norman says since the COVID-19 pandemic residents have expected the ability to follow council proceedings online.
“Finally, we are getting to the point where, whether you are there or whether you are home, you will be able to view the council meetings, easily,” said Norman.
The new system was installed last month by Ivan’s Audio Video at a cost of just shy of $50,000.
Norman says the installation isn’t quite finished as video for the last council meeting was provided by a single smart phone.
A new video camera which will automatically spin to face whoever is speaking has been ordered but didn’t arrive in time for the last meeting.
She expects the complete system to be running before summer.
Region of Queens council meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.
The people behind Liverpool’s Privateer Days are reaching out for public support.
The annual June event routinely attracts thousands of visitors to the Liverpool area as it celebrates the former town’s history with a parade, rides, food, music and more.
The organization usually receives a federal Heritage grant each year to cover most of their costs.
Privateer Days Treasurer Min Theile says due to changes in deadlines during COVID they missed their opportunity to apply this year.
“It’s a big undertaking and typically, when we do get the Heritage grant it’s about $40,000 to put on,” said Theile. “We try to keep it as cost efficient, if cost zero for our participants just to make sure we can bring tourism to Queens County.”
Organizers needed to get creative and began reaching out to local businesses and organizing fundraising events.
Theile says business owners have been generous providing financial support and donations.
Over $1,000 has been raised between a dance held in April and a raffle prize of one of three flights offered by members of the South Shore Flying Club.
Local businesses have been donating items towards an online auction as well, but Theile says that won’t go live until the Liverpool Regional High School Scholarship auction is complete in June.
The Privateers Day organizers are looking for volunteer to assist with the parade and their visitor information booth over the event being held June 23 -25.
Anyone wishing to offer their time can find information on the Privateer Days Facebook page or by e-mailing privateer.vice.chair@gmail.com.
A hearing was held ahead of the council meeting for residents to present their objections to the increase and for the developer to provide their response.
In the end, council decided the developer was following the regulations set out in the municipality’s Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Planning Strategy and denied the resident’s appeal, permitting the construction of the 45 units at the location instead of the initial 36.
The meeting concluded in less than 20 minutes.
The next Region of Queens Council meeting will be held May 23 at 6:00pm in council chambers.
Traffic study by Harbourside Transportation Consultants from Region of Queens variance appeal agenda
A development on Bristol Avenue in Liverpool will be building more units than initially planned.
The numbered company 4206749 Nova Scotia Limited led by Francis Fares had proposed the construction of 36 units in a building located behind 87 Bristol Ave.
The company no wants to build 45 living spaces within the same footprint by decreasing the size of each unit.
Several neighbours spoke against the increase at a variance appeal meeting held before the most recent Region of Queens council meeting on Tuesday.
They raised concerns that more units would mean increased traffic, less available street parking and impacts on the adjoining waterway.
Under the Region of Queens zoning regulations, the area is zoned R3, which allows high density housing.
Greg Zwicker, a planner with Zzap Consulting spoke via Zoom on behalf of the developer.
Zwicker says he hears the residents’ concerns and is willing to discuss how the development plan answers each one.
But regarding this specific appeal, Zwicker says the building meets all the municipality’s height, parking, yard, setbacks and coastal protections requirements and also respects the buffer from the water.
He says the changes they are requesting are in line with the intent of the Region’s development rules.
“That building as you’ve seen as drawn is permitted in the zone under your land use bylaw and your municipal plan,” said Zwicker. “What we’re asking is to put eight more units in that building.”
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says council must follow their own rules in the Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Planning Strategy. And while some neighbours may not be pleased, council had to agree with Zwicker’s interpretation.
“So, the question simply is: have all the requirements been met from the applicant? The height is legal, the footprint is legal, the buffers are legal. The applicant simply wishes to place more smaller units in the size of a building that is legal. That is what council has to consider.”
After some discussion during the council session, councillors voted unanimously to reject the variance appeal, permitting the developer to build the increased number of 45 units.
If the idea of walking through the woods and exploring an area of the province you may have never seen while getting your hands dirty to protect the environment sounds like your idea of fun, then mark Saturday on your calendar.
Hosted by Treasured Wetlands of Nova Scotia, the event is a partnership between the province and Ducks Unlimited Canada.
Conservation Program Specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada Izzy Clarke says the Pleasant River site was nominated by the Mersey Tobiatic Research Institute to help protect species at risk. Not identifying which species is at risk is best practice according to Clarke who says humans are often the biggest threat.
Clarke says that’s not the only reason they chose Pleasant River.
“It also is really special because it has these gigantic red maples,” said Clarke. “Red maples are a very common species you find them all over the place but it’s very uncommon to find ones that are as large and as old as these so it’s quite special.”
The chance to work alongside multiple agencies protecting and conserving wilderness areas also made the site an obvious choice.
“It was also a good opportunity to partner with several different organizations because the Nova Scotia Nature Trust owns part of this land so it’s a great opportunity to highlight different conservation measures that are being applied to our wetlands across the province,” said Clarke.
Anyone wishing to participate is advised to dress accordingly. Clarke suggests wearing long shirts and pants and closed toe shoes. Work gloves, tools such as shovels or pruners, and some tick spray are also good to bring along.
Clarke says after an orientation volunteers will be working to remove glossy buckthorn.
According to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, “glossy buckthorn is a non-native tree that was introduced to Canada from Eurasia approximately 100 years ago. It can grow as tall as seven metres.”
Clarke says as glossy buckthorn grows; it chokes out native plant species.
The Pleasant River invasive plant removal is the first of four such events Treasured Wetlands of Nova Scotia will be hosting this summer.
Clarke says each location has something special to offer and they hope events like these will encourage more people to learn about the diverse areas around the province.
“A lot of these wetlands are kind of like hidden treasures to everybody outside of the immediate community that that they’re in, and that’s definitely part of the intention of this program, is to draw attention to them and invite people out to them and kind of invite people to be curious about these really special and unique ecosystems,” said Clarke.
People wishing to participate in Saturday’s Pleasant River event can join either the 10am-noon or the 1:00pm to 3:00pm sessions.
Registration is not necessary, just show up at the Pleasant River Community Hall.
Region of Queens has called in professional help to determine where to build the new outdoor pool and regional library.
The same Project Manager who is working on the new library project has been hired to assist in siting the pool.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says the project manager will examine the location to determine if the site can accommodate what is being asked before presenting a report to staff and council.
“Council has directed that they want the replacement for Milton Centennial Pool on the lands of Queens Place Emera Centre,” said Norman. “They also indicated they want the library on that site and when they say Queens Place Emera Centre, they strictly mean that lawned area around Queens Place not the rest of the land over there, just that, snugged into that building. So, the project manager will have to determine if both of those buildings will fit.”
The project manager will also need to ensure there are enough setbacks to follow the land use bylaws, there is enough parking, sufficient lighting as well as water access.
Norman says the pool committee has provided a comprehensive list for the design.
“For example, they would like to see a six-lane pool. Will a six-lane pool fit there? That’s up to the project manager to determine. A zero-entry pool, a certain number of locker rooms etc. etc. So then that project manager will take those items that came forward from the pool committee and work with them to create an outdoor pool on the lands of Queens Place Emera Centre, fingers crossed,” said Norman.
Once it’s been determined whether the buildings will fit adjacent to Queens Place, an architect will be hired to design a pool to meet the requirements of the pool committee.
Norman says the project manager has already been working on site for weeks.
Once he has finished his work and made his evaluation a report will be brought to council for their consideration at an upcoming meeting.
A picnic in Kejimkujik. Photo courtesy Parks Canada
If the early bookings are any indication, it’s going to be a busy year at Kejimkujik.
Almost 10,000 campers raced to book their favourite spots at the National Park and Historic Site when the online reservation system opened on March 31, a nine percent increase over last year.
The feat is more remarkable considering Parks Canada rolled out a new online booking system this year, requiring all users to create new accounts.
Visitor Experience Manager at Kejimkujik National Park and Historic Site Sophie Borcoman says Keji is consistently one of the most popular parks in Canada.
“Kejimkujik, every year we have such a loyal fan base of 85 percent repeat visitation who come back year after year, multiple generations,” said Borcoman. “And we’ve for, between Jasper and Banff, as being the most popular site.”
The park, which straddles Queens and Annapolis Counties features a variety of sites for tents trailers and RVs, located near services and washrooms, or in the backcountry, far away from anyone.
The washrooms were completely renovated just two years ago to provide a toilet and sink behind a private door in the washroom facilities and private individual showers, making them more inclusive and eliminating the need for traditional separate male and female facilities.
Borcoman says despite the large number of bookings there are still lots of sites available between the May long weekend and the end of October when the park closes.
In fact, the park is offering a new service that will make it easier to book last minute.
Every Tuesday, staff will post how many sites are available in the coming week on their Facebook page, listing unbooked sites as well as any last-minute cancellations.
Borcoman says staff at Kejimkujik are constantly looking for ways to highlight the attributes of the park and historic site and encourages people to visit their web page for dates and times of several special events taking place including an ultra-marathon and the dark-sky weekend.
Kejimkujik also hosts many interpretive programs honouring the Mi’kmaw, the First People of the area.
Visitors can take a guided petroglyph tour, visit a Mi’kmaw encampment or watch and talk to master-builder Todd Labrador as he builds birchbark canoes.
The Region of Queens has passed a $44 million dollar budget without raising taxes.
The budget includes $27.3 million for operations, $14.4 million for capital projects, $1.7 million to operate Hillsview Acres long term care home and $798,000 for the water utility.
Residential property tax rates for 2023/24 have been set at a base of $1.07 for Districts 1-12 and $1.92 for district 13 per $100 of assessment.
Commercial rates have been set at $2.17 in Districts 1-12 and $3.02 in District 13 per $100 of assessment.
Those rates can vary depending on if a resident or business is in a zone that applies a premium to connect to municipal services or charges an area rate to fund the efforts of community organizations.
In an unusual move, council members voted to take $442,835 from their surplus account to balance the operational budget and avoid raising taxes.
Mayor Darlene Norman is worried that decision may come back to bite them next year.
“This has to be a one-time only thing. That $433,000 represents a four-cent tax rate increase,” said Norman. “Council chose not to do a four-cent tax rate increase and instead we’ve taken that operational money out of surplus. These operational costs do not go away, and they will be here next year.”
Norman is concerned pulling money from reserves to cover the operational costs this year just moves the problem into next year’s budget.
“When you’re not bringing in enough revenue to balance your expenses and you have to cut into side money, then are you really balancing your revenue with your expenses?” said Norman.
On the capital side of the budget, residents have a few big-ticket items to look forward to in 2023/24.
Some projects are ongoing such as the $3 million that has been set aside for the construction of a new library to replace the aging Thomas H Raddall in Liverpool.
The municipality is still trying to iron out a plan for the construction of a new outdoor pool.
Two million has been allocated from the Region to be added to the $3 million private donation to fund the pool’s construction.
A project manager has been hired to see if those two projects can be tied together and built alongside Queens Place Emera Centre.
The Region is also setting aside money for a couple of studies: one will look at extending the water infrastructure around Mt Pleasant for $137,000; another will see the municipality spend $175,000 to explore the possibility of moving the sidewalk to the outside of the bridge in Liverpool.
The budget also made clear the Region’s expenses are on the rise.
Policing costs for RCMP are up $200,000.
Queens also needs to increase the amount being placed in reserve for the eventual closure of the municipal landfill.
The landfill cell currently in use is scheduled to close in 10 years and a new one opened in its place.*
The initial estimate for that effort was originally pegged at $8.5 million but as prices have continued to rise that estimate is now closer to $19 million, three times the original amount.
*An earlier version of this story indicated the landfill was set to close in ten years. Mayor Norman has clarified she meant to indicate the cell was closing, to be replaced by opening another.
A temporary replacement has been found to step in as the Region of Queens looks for a new Chief Administrative Officer.
The former CAO of the Municipality of the District of Chester Dan McDougall will assume the role until a permanent replacement is found for the outgoing CAO of Queens, Chris McNeill.
McNeill gave notice in March that he would be resigning to take up the same position for Annapolis County.
McNeill has been the CAO for Queens since January 9, 2019.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman is excited to land an interim CAO with McDougall’s experience to fill in while the Region continues their search.
“When a CAO is needed, it’s often CAOs who have retired because they can slip in the role and they have a sense of understanding of the Municipal Government Act, etc,” said Norman.
In addition to his time in Chester, MacDougall also served as CAO for Colchester, the CEO of Housing Nova Scotia and was Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs.
The Chief Administrative Officer oversees all employees in the Region and is the only employee a municipal council can directly hire or fire.
At the latest meeting, Region of Queens Council decided the search for a permanent CAO will be conducted by Gerald Walsh Associates.
Interim CAO McDougall will start May 8 and McNeill’s last day is May 12.
After five meetings and hours of deliberation, the Region of Queens approved the 2023/24 budget at the most recent council meeting Tuesday, April 25.
Between the operating and capital budgets, the water utility and Hillsview Acres, the municipality is projecting $44 million in spending.
The budget includes big ticket items like $8 million for the construction of a new library and outdoor pool without raising property taxes.
We’ll have a more detailed breakdown of the budget later this week.
As the meeting continued, council approved the creation of three new public works positions.
The department will be hiring a Civil Engineering Technologist, Operations Coordinator, and a Survey Technician.
Council then awarded nine different community groups between $1,500 and $10,000 each from the Community Investment Fund.
The money will help the various groups including the Hank Snow Society, Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, and this station, QCCR with operational expenses.
The Greenfield Community Park Society were the first-ever recipients of a capital grant from the Community Investment Fund.
The society will receive $32,000 to help offset the $124,000 cost of installing new equipment including: play structures, lighting, a community fireplace and garden behind Greenfield Recreation Centre/Church and the Greenfield School.
Council then agreed to hire Gerald Walsh Associates to conduct the search for a new CAO to replace the outgoing Chris McNeill.
Finally, a request for the construction of a “Little Free Library” was deferred until staff can complete the new policy for placing of memorials in public spaces.
The next Region of Queens Council meeting will be held May 9 at 9:00am in council chambers.
Announcement of Adult Day/Respite Care program at Queens County Home Support. Photo QCCR staff
Two months after it was announced, a program designed to provide desperately needed relief to caregivers has yet to launch.
On Feb 13 an event held by the Queens Home Care Society to celebrate the new Adult Day/Respite Care program was attended by Minister of Seniors and Long Term Care Barbara Adams, Kim Masland, the MLA for Queens/Minister of Public Works, Board Chair of Queens Home for Special Care Society Christopher Clarke and Albert Doucet Chair of Queens General Hospital Foundation.
The program was to begin two weeks later in a newly renovated location at 266 Main Street in Liverpool.
The province invested $500,000 in the program but two months on, the Region of Queens is being blamed for not issuing building permits.
Building owner Jerry Thibault says the trouble started when he began renovating the space in September of 2022.
“As soon as you get your framing up you call for a framing inspection, it’s the first inspection you do. So, I called them, and I said I need a framing inspection before I put my gyprock on and I was told I don’t have a building permit. I said yeah, I got it here in my hand and they said, well bring it up and will take a look. So, I took it up and they said no that’s not a building permit that’s a development permit which allows you to apply for a building permit,” said Thibault.
“So, it was my mistake at the start and I’m free to admit that but the fact that, you know I wasn’t trying to cheat them, I actually called for framing inspection.”
Thibault says the inspector told him to apply for a building permit right away, and he needed to confirm the fire separation requirements, but construction could continue in the meantime.
Thibault says the next time he heard from the inspector was February 10, three days before the planned launch event.
After some back and forth with the building inspector, Thibault agreed to provide the Region with designs guaranteed by an engineer.
He says the designs should be in the inspectors hand this week.
Executive Director of the Queens Home Care Society Annette Hartlen says the Adult Day/Respite Care program is desperately needed.
“[We] wanted to focus on people that don’t currently meet the criteria for the adult day program, the wonderful program that currently runs here in Queens County at the Manor. We definitely didn’t want to duplicate or step on their toes because they’re offering, you know, an awesome program there. So, we decided we would, yes, we’ll offer an adult day program we’ll offer a respite program, but we wanted to focus on high needs clients.”
Hartlen says while they wait to open the doors, the staff have been working on programming and are ready to welcome clients.
She is hopeful the occupancy permit issue can be resolved quickly.
A spokesperson for the Department of Seniors and Long-term care says despite the delay, the province is committed to funding the day program.
The Region of Queens was contacted but declined to provide comment for this story.
Liverpool Regional High School. Photo credit Ed Halverson
The annual Liverpool Regional High School scholarship fundraiser is marking 25 years of providing money for graduates to attend post-secondary school.
What started as a dinner and auction moved online during the pandemic and has been breaking donation records ever since.
Last year, organizers raised over $33,000, smashing through their $22,000 goal.
This year they’re challenging themselves and the community to come up with $35,000.
Fundraising committee member Pierre Losier says organizers considered returning to an in-person format but decided staying online offered benefits that couldn’t be ignored.
“What we found is with the online auction format it provides more than just a one-day event. It provides more opportunities for folks to participate in the auction,” said Losier. “We start in the first of May and go through the month into June until we’ve gone through the different lots of auction. So, it’s a different format but it increases our participation and as a result also increases the funding.”
The committee is composed of parents, teachers and most importantly, students.
“They are broken down in smaller groups with a mentor committee parent and they will go and canvas the community for donations of either items to be sold at auction or some financial donations to the committee,” said Losier.
Items up for auction are displayed as posts and bids can be made in the comments.
Losier says given the generosity of the community they could surpass the set goal of $35,000.
“Our community, year after year, just shows amazing support for this program and we’re confident that will continue on.”
Each year, about a third of the graduating class receive $1,000 awards from the scholarship fund to support their post-secondary schooling.
In the 25 years the auction has been running, over 400 students have received around $500,000 towards their continuing education from the LRHS Foundation.
