Photo contributed by Privateer Days Commission

Liverpool’s unofficial kick off to summer is back.

Privateer Days returns Friday after COVID restrictions cancelled the event for the past two years.

People can look forward to the return of many regular features such as the Privateer Day parade and historic encampment on Saturday, guided historic walking tours as well as activities and music all weekend at Privateer Park.

Many of the Privateer Days board members are new this year having only been elected to their positions at their annual general meeting in February.

That gave the group just four months to plan an event that would normally take all year.

Board chair Ashley Whynot says the mix of new and returning board members has been vital to getting Privateer Days up and running.

“This was all new. I’m used to planning birthday parties and very, very small events, so this is way out of my comfort zone,” said Whynot.

Despite having to quickly learn what permitting, licensing and insurance was needed to host an event the scale of Privateer Days, Whynot says the planning wasn’t that stressful.

“This isn’t a brand-new event so we always have previous years that we can look back on and be like, okay, what worked and what didn’t, look at the lineup, keep the traditional aspects like the parade and the rum run and the wedding. Those always had specific start times, so we kept those in mind,” said Whynot. “All the new things we kind of just filled in the blanks as we went.”

One of the big changes this year is the focus on providing a family friendly environment.

The beer tent was done away with in favour of organizing a pub crawl and encouraging people to visit the local drinking establishments.

Attendees will see family focused entertainment such as circus performers, a kid’s fishing derby, and a teddy bear picnic.

Whynot says the board is not only looking for new ideas but is always happy to see new people get involved with Privateer Days.

“We are looking to bring back as much tradition as possible, like the wedding for instance, and we’re looking to keep traditions going like the rum run and the parade. But we are looking to modernize it as well. There’s a lot of virtual reality things going on for the children and interactive things. We are always looking for new board members and fresh minds, fresh ideas, and lots of volunteers for that weekend in general.”

Kids can kick off the 2022 edition of Privateer Days at the Thomas Raddall Library Friday morning with pirate themed stories and crafts.

Adults can join the fun Friday night at one of several musical performances at the Legion, Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill and Hell Bay Brewing Company.

Events get underway at Privateer Park beginning at 9:00am Saturday.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Thomas H Raddall Library. Photo Ed Halverson

Regional council has rejected the idea of building a library at Queens Place.

The library steering committee put forward their unanimous recommendation to build the new library at the recreation hub at the last council meeting.

The committee had a list of eight publicly and privately owned sites to choose from and determined the Queens Place location to be the best based on their criteria.

They were looking for a centrally located site with access to sidewalks that offered space to build a 6,000 square foot library and 24 parking spaces, easy emergency access, good exterior lighting, outdoor space, and no known flooding.

District 3 councillor Maddie Charlton is concerned moving the library to Queens Place will make it inaccessible for low-income families in the downtown core.

“The poverty in our community is a huge concern and the low-income housing is not on that side of town. I spoke with one teacher who said that many of her low-income parents, during COVID, walked to the library so they could access internet for their children with their school work,” said Charlton. “There’s no transportation for the preschool age or the daycare age and just to put into perspective, there’s about to be, once the expansion happens at the Queens Daycare, 100 children at Queens Daycare. Think of the exposure they could have to the library if they could access it.”

Councillor for District 1 Kevin Muise agreed.

“People that walk there now are not going to walk across that bridge. They going to have to get cars and drive there. Low-income families who are in my district, they’re not going to walk across that bridge and go [to the library]. The other council, we was [sic] always arguing about putting stuff on that side of the bridge. Why don’t we have stuff on this side of the bridge. I just feel the library should stay on this side of the bridge,” said Muise.

Mayor Darlene Norman responded that everyone in the community finds access to the two major grocery stores located around the corner from the library.

The mayor expressed concern that perhaps council wasn’t fully considering all the services a library offers.

“I would think that our goal is to expand library use in Queens,” said Norman. “Library is a much larger service than books. It’s education programming, safety programming, it’s government, a way to reach different levels of government.”

Further complicating the discussion is the idea of combining the construction of the new library with a new pool, an idea put forward by the Queens Community Aquatic Society.

District 6 Councillor David Brown says plans to develop a library were already in motion before that idea was put forward and the two resources aren’t compatible.

“If council had wanted the two projects together, the terms of reference, I think, would’ve reflected that. We got terms of reference for a library and that’s what the committee has looked at,” said Brown. “The committee has also looked at the possibility of combining with the swimming pool. There’s nothing against that idea. The problem that we’ve got is the majority of the land that we have won’t support the two projects together. The area we selected as a committee is not big enough for the pool and a library together.”

In a five to three decision, council voted down the proposed Queens Place location for a new library.

Mayor Norman says a special meeting will be called in July for council to refine the parameters of a new library before sending it back to the library steering committee to come up with a second recommendation.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Hospital hustle committee members Gary Levy, Linda MacKinnon, Jennifer Hutchins Conrad, and Karen McGee. Photo contributed by Linda MacKinnon

There will be no hustle for Queens General Hospital this year.

The annual hospital hustle event coordinated by members of the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary has been put off until 2023.

Auxiliary president Linda MacKinnon says several reason factored into their decision to call off the 2022 edition.

“COVID, we’re just not sure what’s going on with that or what will be in September. We also need a new chairperson. We don’t currently have one to do it,” said MacKinnon. “Really it needs a little more planning than to start in June or July so we felt it would be better to postpone it.”

The hospital hustle traditionally raises between $20,000 and $30,000 which is turned over to the auxiliary to buy equipment for the hospital.

Like many fundraisers, the hustle went online in 2021 bringing in over $20,000 to buy an EKG machine.

The hospital received that equipment earlier this year and it was immediately put into service.

MacKinnon says auxiliary members were glad to be able to hold the hustle online but don’t feel they could go that route again this year.

“Most of our ladies are, we’re older and we’re not as savvy with the online as our younger folks are.”

She also heard concerns from some of their older supporters they weren’t aware the hustle was even happening because they don’t participate on social media and aren’t comfortable moving money online.

MacKinnon says with COVID restrictions lifting the hospital auxiliary is aiming to reopen the gift shop at Queens General in September.

They are looking to attract new members to help raise money for the hospital.

When it comes to the hustle, people can invest as much or as little time as they’d like, but every bit helps.

“There’s a lot of different types of things. You could be involved one day, you could be involved maybe a week or so just before and after or you could be involved in the actually planning, five or six months ahead,” said MacKinnon.

Anyone wishing to join can contact the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary directly.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Tim Houston addresses reporters following cabinet meeting June 16 2022. Photo: screen grab from Zoom

Nova Scotia’s premier says timelines to address healthcare are coming soon.

The PC government released their Action for Health plan in April which identified core issues and offered six broad solutions for the provincial healthcare system.

Opposition members have been critical of the plan for not providing timelines to go along with the solutions.

Following a cabinet meeting Thursday, Tim Houston told reporters they’re still working on it.

“We did commit to add some dates and some benchmarks and that work is ongoing,” said Houston. “I think the commitment was Nova Scotians would start to see that heading into early summer, which we’re at now and I suspect that those things are coming soon.”

Tim Houston campaigned and won the August 2021 provincial election on a promise to fix healthcare.

His government inherited a system with tens of thousands of Nova Scotians on a family doctor waitlist, ambulances lined up and waiting hours to offload patients at hospitals, emergency rooms closed for staffing shortages, long backlogs of people waiting for surgeries and a laundry of other issues.

Houston admits there is a lot of work to do but some of the changes are already having a positive impact.

“There’s lots of anecdotal stories about how difficult things are in the healthcare system. There’s also lots of anecdotal stories about how things are improving. I’ve certainly heard from paramedics who will tell me, at the end of a day I was able to do this many more calls because I didn’t have to do these transfers,” said Houston. “Now they’ll be saying, I was able to do this many more calls because I was able to offload my patient. So, there’s a lot of positive anecdotal stories as well.”

The premier was referring to the new direct to triage policy that came into effect June 1 allowing paramedics to leave low risk patients in the care of waiting room staff instead of staying with them until they are seen by a doctor.

The PCs also made permanent a pilot project launched under the previous government which created a fleet of vehicles dedicated to patient transfers.

Houston says those are a couple of examples of changes that are improving healthcare for Nova Scotians and there are more to come.

“I would say to Nova Scotians that they should know, number one, that this is our number one focus as a government,” said Houston. “They should see that commitment from the amount of changes we’ve made which have come from healthcare workers. They should see that commitment in the plan that’s been put forward before them and look, they’ll start to see that in their communities, and some of that is happening already.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Photo contributed Emma Goulden

Students at North Queens Community School will enjoy a safe grad adventure after fundraising efforts exceeded expectations.

Parents of North Queens grads have been working for two months to raise $9,000. A recent online auction raised close to $4,300 pushing them past their goal for a total just shy of $11,000.

One of the parent organizers Marie Gernon says it was a lot of work but worth it to give students a memorable final night together.

“It’s important that they go have fun and then they just [can say] I graduated, I’m done, you know?” said Gernon.

After COVID restrictions were lifted, the South Shore Regional Centre for Education informed schools they could make their own determination around what graduation celebrations to hold.

North Queens is moving forward with a pre-pandemic schedule of events including prom for grades 7-12 on June 27 and a full, in-person graduation ceremony in the gym on June 29.

Gernon is pleased the students will be ending their time together as a group.

“A lot of the kids have grown up together so it’s nice for them all to have that camaraderie and just see it through and support each other,” said Gernon.

Following the graduation ceremony, the students will board a bus to Halifax to start their safe grad night at Putting Edge and Get Air. Then it’s off to Bridgewater to spend time at HB Studios sports centre before swimming at the Best Western Pool. Once back in Caledonia, they will sit down for breakfast together at the Hollow Log restaurant before heading home.

Gernon calls the way the community rallied to support the graduates a blessing.

Going forward, she hopes parents continue to take an active role in planning graduation activities, not only to take the burden off teachers but to also be part of the celebration.

“You’ve raised them up to this point,” said Gernon. “It’s the parent’s celebration as well. So, it would be nice to see the parents get involved in it again.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Liverpool Regional High School. Photo credit Ed Halverson

Parents and the community have come forward to give graduates of Liverpool Regional High School a proper send off.

Heather Stevens, one of the organizers behind the LRHS Scholarship Fundraiser Auction says once she and other parents became aware there would not be a prom they leapt into action.

“It’s been absolutely amazing. This prom, I may have organized it, but the community is basically putting it on,” said Stevens.

A call out on social media saw parents and volunteers step up and give their time, the Milton Hall donated their space for the night, the Queens florist, now called the Atlantic Grow Shop, will provide plants, the Decoration Depot in Hebbville donated trellises and lattice backdrops, even the DJ is offering a night of free music.

Stevens says the students will start the evening with a sit-down, full turkey dinner.

“Because they’re not having a traditional graduation this year, they’re going to have their valedictorian speech while they’re eating. They’re going to have a couple of speeches and stuff and then they’ll have the music once they’re done eating.”

The prom will take place at the Milton Hall on June 24.

As COVID restrictions began lifting, the South Shore Regional Centre for Education told schools to decide for themselves what graduation activities they would provide students at the end of the year.

LRHS will be honoring students with individual in-person ceremonies where each graduate will be assigned a time for close family members to watch them cross the stage and receive their diploma.

Following that, Stevens and her team have coordinated with Queens Place Emera Centre to host a drive-by graduation on June 29.

“And all the students will be in their caps and gowns. They all would have graduated by then,” said Stevens. “We will line them up in chairs and we’ll have music playing and then all of the family and supporters, they decorate their cars and drive by and honk. The kids love it.”

Stevens says after that all 67 graduates will board a bus and head back to school to attend the safe grad being organized by the teachers.

She says after taking on the work to organize events for students during COVID, the community now has a better understanding of the amount of time and effort it takes to host prom and graduation events.

She’s hopeful if the school once again decides to take on the job of organizing graduation events next year community members will continue to offer their time and support.

“Instead of the teachers trying to take it all on themselves, have more individuals volunteer and help with it.,” said Stevens. “But as long as something gets done for the kids, I think that’s the most important thing.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Photo Ed Halverson

Following a two-year wait, the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame will finally be inducting the class of 2020.

Started in 1997, the hall is home to almost 80 prominent Nova Scotians including Carroll Baker, Rita MacNeil, George Canyon, Anne Murray, Hank Snow and Wilf Carter.

The 2020 inductees were selected just as the pandemic hit.

Hall president Roger Bleasdale says it was difficult being one of two people who knew the names of the inductees and had to keep them secret.

“Especially when I would see some of these people because we would be doing concerts [and] they might be a guest, I was at their shows or whatever, and couldn’t say anything to them,” said Bleasdale.

Three of the four inductees: Annapolis Valley singer/songwriter Ruth Manning; Cape Breton singer/songwriter Evelyn MacRae; and singer Alan Butler of Coldbrook will attend a ceremony and perform at the Bridgewater Baptist Church in September.

Well-known Halifax area singer, Ruby Daley will be inducted posthumously.

A person can be nominated for the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame in several categories including singer, songwriter, musician or builder.

Nominees must have been in the music business for 10 years and be well-known through performances or airplay and have significant achievements in the field of country music.

The induction ceremony and concert has been held for the past several years in a Truro hotel.

The event attracted an audience of 300 and would normally include a banquet, an after party and Bleasdale says many people would make a weekend of it.

Out of continued concern about COVID, organizers decide to cut down on the socializing and moved the event to Bridgewater where the facility will allow them to focus on making the ceremony and concert the best it could be.

“Beautiful, padded seats and chairs. State of the art sound system and lighting and seats 600 people. So, we’re going there this year and see how this works out,” said Bleasdale.

The 2022 event marks the 24^th ceremony for the organization.

Bleasdale says they are making plans for the 25^th anniversary where they may increase the number of nominees to make up for the lost years.

Ticket information for the September 17 induction ceremony and concert at the Bridgewater Baptist Church is available at the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame website.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Nova Scotia Electoral Boundaries Commission members listen to citizen feedback at a public meeting in Bridgewater June 9 2022. Photo Ed Halverson

Residents delivered a message loud and clear, keep Shelburne in the South Shore.

The federal electoral boundaries commission held a hearing in Bridgewater Tuesday night to discuss how riding lines will be redrawn across the province.

The commission’s mandate is to try to distribute Nova Scotia’s population equally amongst the 11 seats.

To accommodate population growth in Halifax, the commission proposed extending the South Shore-St. Margaret’s riding further into Halifax to include areas up to Sambro and moving Shelburne into the newly named Acadian Shores riding along with Yarmouth and Digby.

All the just over a dozen people who addressed the boundaries commission said Shelburne must remain part of the South Shore.

The current Member of Parliament for South Shore St. Margaret’s Rick Perkins was first to speak.

Perkins talked at length about the historical and cultural ties between Shelburne and the rest of the South Shore.

“When you take one and slice a chunk out of it, sort of like cutting the heart out of your community. I think that’s why you saw the passion here tonight saying, I know you’ve got this problem up there in Halifax but don’t take it out on us,” said Perkins.

MP Rick Perkins addresses electoral boundary commission members. Photo Ed Halverson

Almost everyone who spoke at the hearing discussed the importance of keeping communities of interest together; communities that share not just history and culture but also industries and attitudes.

Perkins says that’s why he proposes keeping Shelburne in the South Shore riding as it has been for 50 years and moving areas such as Timberlea and Hubley into a city riding.

Perkins says that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to serve his constituents in those areas.

“I’m happy to represent anyone that’s living in whatever riding I’m lucky enough to represent,” said Perkins. “The challenge is balancing those issues that you have to do because the perspectives of urban people and suburban people in a large city like Halifax versus small communities like ours, they do have different perspectives. You try to balance them but it’s difficult.”

Elections Canada reassess riding boundaries across the country every 10 years to ensure Canadians receive equal and fair representation.

Based on the 2021 census results each riding in Nova Scotia should represent 88,000 people.

Under special circumstances, that number can be adjusted up or down by 25 percent so an electoral district can have no fewer than 66,000 and no more than 110,000 people.

Commission chair Justice Cindy Bourgeois says they’ve received the message that their proposal is focused too much on numbers and doesn’t reflect the reality of the communities on the ground.

“So, the commission is going to go back. We’re going to listen to the information that we’ve received about here and at other meetings across the province and see whether we can come up with a revised plan for the boundaries that not only respect the numbers that we have to, in terms of the equivalency of voters in each riding, but also take into consideration other nuances that maybe we didn’t appreciate as much until we heard from people who live in the various communities,” said Bourgeois. “And that’s what the process is supposed to do.”

Nova Scotians can register to speak at a province-wide virtual public hearing to be held June 27.

Anyone who wishes can provide feedback to the commission until June 28.

The commission will then have until the end of the year to finalize their proposed electoral boundary changes.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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North Queens Community School graduating class of 2022. Photo South Shore Regional Centre for Education

Communities across Queens and Lunenburg counties are working to give the 2022 North Queens Community School grads a safe send off.

A group of parent volunteers has been hosting several fundraisers over the past weeks to provide students with a safe grad.

They launched an online auction at the beginning of the month posting items donated by businesses and residents alike.

Over 60 parcels are up for grabs, ranging from collectables and clothing to gift certificates for services.

Marie Gernon, the parent spearheading the latest effort, is confident given the support so far, the group will reach their $9,000 goal.

“For me, that’s one of the highlights is just seeing the community come together and supporting,” said Gernon. “It doesn’t matter if it’s my community or Bridgewater or Liverpool, everybody’s coming together.”

The money is being used to support safe-grad, a drug and alcohol free, all-night outing for the graduates.

The students decided after receiving their diplomas they wanted to head into Halifax and spend the night at the Putting Edge, Playdome and Get Air.

Money raised will cover those fees plus the cost of a bus and driver to bring the grads back and forth to the city before they return to the school for an early morning breakfast together.

Gernon says because of COVID it’s been two years since there’s been a safe grad and it’s important to acknowledge the difficult situation the students have come through.

“Let the kids know that hey, you guys have done an amazing job and this is, as parents and community, this is our way of saying good job, here’s something that you guys want to do,” said Gernon.

Auction items can be viewed by joining the Grad 2022 Online Auction Facebook page.

Bids can be placed in the comments below the item and bidding closes June 12 at 3:00pm.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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A medium-density bloom of blue-green algae. Photo Department of Environment and Climate Change

As Nova Scotians prepare to head to the lake this summer the province is launching an educational campaign warning people to be on the lookout for blue-green algae.

The naturally occurring cyanobacteria can flourish in nutrient-rich fresh water such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams, especially during hot, dry conditions.

The algae can cause people to feel ill with symptoms of headaches, fever, itchiness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.

While the cyanobacteria is uncomfortable for humans it can be fatal to animals.

Children tend to be at a greater risk of exposure because of their smaller size and the likelihood they would spend more time in the water.

Anyone encountering blue-green algae should look for different water sources for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry and watering vegetables as contaminated water isn’t safe even if it’s boiled, filtered or treated.

Identifying algae can be tricky as it can appear several different ways.

Algae blooms can look like fine grass clippings in the water, spilled paint, pea soup or sometimes like a thick scum on the surface.

Algae mats can be found in shallow areas of lakes and rivers and on the shoreline and look like clumps of vegetation, appearing either black, brown or dark green in the water and may appear grey on the shoreline.

The province has launched a website to provide Nova Scotians with information on how to spot blue-green algae and report an outbreak.

Queens county has not had a confirmed case of blue-green algae since 2020.

Three outbreaks have already been announced in Halifax and Lunenburg counties this year and with forecasters predicting a hot, dry summer, they could be the first of many to come.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens council approved spending a million dollars on equipment and adopted the land use bylaw at their last meeting.

The big news out of the May 24 council meeting was the adoption of the Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Planning Strategy.

Several other items were adopted including setting a policy for council to hold meetings in communities throughout Queens instead of being tied to council chambers.

Council also waived a policy to permit the sale and consumption of alcohol on region property.

The waiver will be in place from June until the end of the year to allow Liverpool Farmers Market vendors in Centennial Park to sell alcohol and provide samples to customers.

Some equipment will be upgraded as the region will be spending $688,000 to rebuild a compactor at the regional waste facility.

Public Works will also be receiving a Komatsu excavator worth $356,500.

The purchase was already in the budget and will be paid out of the equipment reserve.

The tidy sum being spent on landfill is worth it says Mayor Darlene Norman.

“It’s what happens when you own a landfill. People have to understand that landfills make us revenue and if it were not for the landfill we would be looking at a higher tax rate.”

Council closed their meeting with a discussion generated from a staff report outlining ways to pay for approximately $2 million in needed heating and ventilation repairs at the Liverpool Business Development Centre.

“That went back to the drawing board to come back again at our next meeting,” said Norman. “The numbers are large and it was suggested that there could be other options available. So council was interested in hearing of these other options.”

Council regularly meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and the next session is scheduled for June 14.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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South Shore Drive-in screen. Photo credit: Catherine Croft

A popular way to spend a night out in Queens is over – at least for now.

The group behind the South Shore Drive-In announced they would not be operating this year because members are stretched too thin by work and other time commitments.

The South Shore Drive-In was embraced by the community as a fun, family-focused event that was nostalgic for older patrons who remember seeing movies from their cars years ago and exciting for younger audiences who experienced the drive-in for the first time.

Because family groups could stay isolated within the bubble of their own vehicle it was also one of the few places large numbers of people could gather during the height of the COVID pandemic.

The South Shore Drive-in operated as a pop-up event in locations across Queens but eventually found a home on the grounds of the Hanks Snow Museum in Liverpool.

The community rallied to provide labour and materials to erect a permanent screen on the site.

Because of that kind of support, the drive-in may enjoy new life.

The Hank Snow Society wants to make use of the existing infrastructure and begin showing movies again.

Vina Moses, administrator at the Hank Snow Museum expects staffing the event won’t be a problem.

“We have tons of volunteers. One of the things that Hank Snow has is a wonderful, dedicated group of volunteers,” said Moses.

She says they’re looking for a projector and have already begun the process of getting permits to operate the Drive-In.

Moses says the fire marshal indicated a third exit is needed but that could be easily made by removing a couple of large boulders.

The site has seen several recent upgrades including improved access to washrooms and a new concessions building where patrons can enjoy anything from popcorn and candy bars to hot dogs.

Moses says a drive-in is a wonderful way to bring families and the community together.

“It was so exciting when we had the drive-in here because families were here, people were here from all over. You could see people talking to one another,” said Moses. “The fellowship was nice.”

Moses says if they can line up the permits and source a projector the Hank Snow Museum could be opening the drive-in starting weekends in July.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Queens County Daycare. Photo Ed Halverson

Queens County Daycare in Liverpool will more than double the number of available childcare spaces over the next year.

The funding is coming as part of the $29 million being invested in childcare across Nova Scotia by the federal government under the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement that will see the creation of 1,500 new childcare spaces across the province by the end of the year.

Chair of the Queens County Daycare Association Scott Christian says the $2 million they receive will bring big changes including the construction of a new wing, renovating the existing building, and hiring new staff.

Once that work is complete the facility can add 49 new spaces on top of the existing 42 (which excludes the eight infant care spaces).

Christian says he has seen a huge shift in attitude from the provincial government around early childhood learning over the last number of years.

“I’m excited that the province is recognizing that it’s their responsibility,” said Christian. “That the education and development of children doesn’t become the province’s responsibility when they’re five-years-old and enter primary, that it’s earlier than that. They want to be part of the solution and so do we.”

Christian says the funding will bring changes to their home in the former Mount Pleasant School that will make it more suitable to care for pre-school aged children.

He says accessible washrooms and a kitchen are at the top of the list of improvements coming to the daycare.

Managing the timeline is key as the plan is to complete construction on the new 3,500 square foot annex so the children can be relocated before renovations begin on the existing building.

“The whole juggling act is that there can be no disruption of services.”

Christian recognizes from coming up with a design to obtaining permits to hiring a contractor, there’s a lot to do in a very short amount of time.

Still, he is optimistic construction will begin in the fall and a fresh group of young people will be joining Queens County Daycare when the work is done.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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A fire broke out as crews were demolishing part of TMP plant at the former Bowater site. Photo Valerie Wamboldt

Monday’s fire at the former Bowater plant was quickly brought under control by fire services from across Queens County.

Fire crews responded to page at 4:56pm Monday on the old mill property and arrived to find a fire at the former TMP plant.

Liverpool Fire Department spokesperson John Long says the plant was being demolished and it appears that work may have been the ignition source.

“They were using some cutting devices which may have caused the fire.”

Long says all Queens fire departments were on the scene except for Mill Village who stood by at Port Medway.

He says the fire was contained quickly and did not spread to any other buildings on the site.

Long says it took approximately three hours for the 50 fire personnel to knock down the blaze.

“There were no unique challenges just a lot of stairs to get to the top.”

Long says crews planned to return Tuesday to ensure the fire was completely extinguished.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Liverpool Regional High School. Photo credit Ed Halverson

An online fundraiser for graduates at Liverpool Regional High School collected 50 percent more than organizers had hoped.

The LRHS Scholarship fundraiser volunteers received $33,627 in donations, blowing through the goal of $22,000 set for the class of 2022.

Scholarship fundraising committee chairperson Heather Stevens says although the annual fundraiser has been held online since the pandemic hit in 2020, they really seemed to find their stride this year.

Stevens says she and the seven parent volunteers worked together to mentor the 44 participating students.

“They were in charge of delivering letters to businesses or craftspeople or whoever they may know that may have items to donate to the auction. So it was all up to the kids to go out, introduce themselves, explain what they were there for and receive donations,” said Stevens.

Students collected 221 items that were then divided over a series of 12 online mini auctions to raise $22,742.

Stevens says organizers tried to incorporate some of the fun aspects of the annual live auction fundraiser into the online effort.

‘The one thing that the kids missed is, the kids that are on the auction would go that night and they would dress up and they would sort of be the Vanna Whites for the night and they would display the items,” said Stevens. “How we did it this year is we took photos of the grads with their items and would say a little blurb. For example, my son, this is Noah Stevens, he’s holding this donation from so and so and he’ll be going off to Dalhousie next year. We wanted the people to see where the money was going.”

In addition to the online auction the community stepped up to donate $5,925 in cash.

A challenge for LRHS alumni to donate and vote on which LRHS school they felt was better, the old one or the new one, raised $905 (the old school won).

And a pair of diamond earrings worth $1,150 donated by Reynolds Pharmasave and Pirates Cove was raffled off to raise another $4,055.

The money raised will now be turned over to the Liverpool Regional High School Scholarship Foundation.

A committee will review how many eligible students have applied for scholarships and determine how much each student will receive.

Even though the last of her three children is graduating this year, Stevens says she will likely stay on to help with the fundraiser again next year.

She says her team built on the success of last year’s volunteers and she hopes to see the legacy continue.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Roswal Met tower measuring wind speeds at the proposed wind farm site in Milton. Photo Roswal Development

If all goes to plan, residents of Queens may have a greener alternative to buying electricity.

Roswall Development Inc is proposing to build a wind farm along the Mersey River on former Bowater lands.

Managing Director of Roswall Developments Daniel Roscoe says the fact the 20,000-acre parcel has been commercially harvested over the last 100 years means an easier start up for the company as the land is already mostly cleared and a road network is in place.

“In addition, what also interests us is not only the size and distance from everything, because it is quite far away from houses and so forth, but there is a significant transmission infrastructure from an electrical perspective in Milton,” said Roscoe. “There’s an electrical substation in Milton that used to feed the mill.”

Roscoe says they plan to begin with eight turbines generating 36 megawatts of power and gradually add more until they are producing 150 megawatts from a total of 33 turbines.

Connecting that infrastructure to the Nova Scotia Power electrical grid will be key in getting energy from the wind farm into people’s homes.

Roscoe says the company is unique in Nova Scotia as it is the only wind farm that won’t be selling energy back to Nova Scotia Power.

Roswall is the first in the province to be awarded a license to sell power directly to consumers under the Renewable to Retail program introduced by the provincial government in 2015.

Before working out an arrangement with Nova Scotia Power to connect to their grid the company still needs to pass an environmental assessment, secure a lease from the province to use the crown lands and sign a development agreement with the Region of Queens.

The plan is to have all the permits in place by the end of 2022 so they can begin selling power by the end of 2023.

Roscoe says to meet international obligations, Nova Scotia needs to shut down 1,000 megawatts of coal generated power over the next eight years.

Not only does Nova Scotia need to find a green alternative to replace that power he says, demands on the electrical system are only going to rise as people move to heat and cool their homes with heat pumps and transition to driving electric cars.

“A third thing, which I think could be the most interesting for Queens County and the South Shore is that new businesses need clean energy to be successful in the international market,” said Roscoe. “If you want to make green hydrogen or biofuel or sell anything into Europe, you need a carbon footprint and you need that carbon footprint to be low.”

Roswall held a public information meeting Thursday and Roscoe says they plan to host another later this summer once they have completed their environmental assessment.

More information on the project can be found at the company website merseywind.ca.

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Photo Ed Halverson

A controversial new land use bylaw will go ahead with some minor changes.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Region of Queens council voted to send the bylaw to the province for final approval, the last step before it is enacted into law.

The bylaw review has been a hot topic in Queens as it brought to light livestock restrictions that have been in place since 2009.

Homesteaders have been raising concerns on social media and during public meetings about the number of livestock permitted on a property, how those animals must be contained, and permitting required to build structures including greenhouses.

Mayor Darlene Norman says council heard the concerns and made some changes to allow raising livestock in Milton and granting some discretion to permit building within 50 feet of the water on a coastline.

While the changes may not satisfy everyone, Norman says it’s important for people to realize the bylaw has been adapted several times since it was adopted and can be changed again if necessary.

“Council were aware and I believe almost every councillor spoke about the fact that these were living documents. Changes can be made however it was recognized that regardless of what one does, everyone is not going to be pleased,” said Norman. “However, council did feel that these documents were the best way to move forward the Region of Queens.”

The bylaw will go into effect once the province signs off on the changes.

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Zion United Church. Photo Ed Halverson

Liverpool’s Zion United Church is back on the market.

A deal that had been in place to sell to Stephanie Sereda fell through when closing conditions couldn’t be met.

Chair of the church’s closure working group Ray Baker explains.

“It was on the very last possible day, the last few hours and they had to withdraw their offer in that their financial conditions failed them,” said Baker. “Up until then they’d indicated that that wasn’t a problem but apparently it turned out to be, so that was unfortunate.”

Sereda says she and her husband did everything they could to make it work.

But after doing due diligence they discovered renovations and operational costs for the church greatly exceeded initial projections.

Baker says they’ve already had a couple of offers since the for sale sign was placed on the lawn but haven’t yet sealed a deal.

The congregation were excited about Sereda’s plans to convert the church into a cultural centre and year-round maker’s market.

Baker says they would love to find another buyer who would put the building to public use.

“If the community came up with a plan where it was going to become some type of a community centre, a library or something, we’d probably be interested in doing a deal to keep the old church as a viable option within the community. But that hasn’t happened yet but we’ve got our fingers crossed,” said Baker.

One of the obstacles to selling was the cemetery located behind Zion United Church.

But Baker says a society has been established that will use the perpetual care fund and ongoing maintenance fees to keep up not just the cemetery adjacent to the church but two other cemeteries in Liverpool for which the United Church is responsible.

Baker says the church is in a good location, has a great working kitchen and is structurally sound thanks to the recently installed roof.

He’s optimistic a new buyer will emerge soon and the Zion United Church will continue to serve the people of Liverpool.

“We have hope that over the coming months, if not weeks we get another offer that meets that end.”

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Lawn signs welcome the lifting of mask mandates in school. Photo Ed Halverson

Reaction is mixed as students won’t be required to wear masks in school for the first time when they return to class after the Victoria Day long weekend.

Masks have been mandatory in most indoor public places across Nova Scotia since July 31, 2020.

When the restrictions are lifted May 24 the province will be the last in Canada to remove mask mandates in schools.

When announcing the policy change Friday, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Becky Druhan said masks will continue to be recommended and anyone who chooses to wear a mask will be supported.

In a release, Druhan said, “Masks helped schools mitigate the impact of COVID-19’s sixth wave. But as warmer weather approaches in June and classes can spend more time outdoors, and with Nova Scotia’s health data and school attendance data improving, now is the time to make masks optional in schools.”

In response to the announcement Doctors Nova Scotia tweeted out, “While the school mask mandate is being lifted beginning May 24, masks are still recommended in indoor spaces.”

Minister Druhan echoed the sentiment.

In her statement Druhan said, “We strongly encourage students and staff to continue to wear masks, and we will continue to support staff and students as well as continue to supply masks and hand sanitizer.”

In an interview with CBC, the chief of paediatrics at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Dr. Andrew Lynk warned that his facility is already stretched to its limits.

Lynk went on to say paediatricians across the province had hoped masking in schools would remain in place until the end of the school year on June 30 to prevent a rise in the number of children coming to hospital with COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

The weekly COVID update released by the province May 19 shows the number of new cases and hospitalizations continues to decline.

However, 24 people died as a result of COVID for the seven-day period ending May 16; 22 were aged 70 or older and nine lived in long-term care homes.

In an email to the school community Regional Executive Director of South Shore Regional Centre for Education Paul Ash said students, staff and visitors are encouraged to continue following core public health measures, including vaccinations, staying home if feeling unwell, following the COVID-19 daily checklist, and washing and sanitizing hands frequently.

Ash says while masks are no longer required, schools will continue to make them available to anyone who wishes.

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Glen Parlee demonstrates his company’s new line of Versatile Integrated Packs. Photo Ed Halverson

A Brooklyn based manufacturer is hoping to conquer Canada and beyond with a new product line and a fresh approach to their business.

Parlee Manufacturing launched their Versatile Integrated Packs (VIP) as a customizable, off-the-shelf solution that can be tailored for any situation.

Glen Parlee, president of Parlee Manufacturing says the product was born from the close relationships with first responder agencies in Nova Scotia.

“Actually seeing how the product is used and talking to the people on the frontlines, not a purchasing agent but the person on the front lines that’s using it and asking the question, what would make your job easier? What would work better for your particular application? That’s the information that we need to make a product that’s always up-to-date and ready to go,” said Parlee.

Members from EHS Lifeflight and the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables were on hand at the product launch to demonstrate how the modular system has been adapted to their particular uses.

Even before the pandemic hit in 2020, Parlee Manufacturing was looking for ways to better connect to the customers.

With the help of Nova Scotia Business Inc and Digital Nova Scotia the company has rebranded and refreshed their websites and will be selling the new products direct to customers, online.

Parlee says by cutting out the middleman they can not only reduce costs and stay competitive against offshore producers but give the customer what they want.

“Maybe the set up that they see online, one of our sample ones that maybe a local organization is using doesn’t fit with their needs,” said Parlee. “We can help them decide, okay, if we change some of these, with these accessories, this might work for you. Then we can customize a pack without making a custom pack.”

Parlee and his wife Kathi started selling adventure products in 1985 and rebranded the business to Parlee Manufacturing in 2003.

With a full-time workforce of nine people, they still produce everything in their shop in Brooklyn, just outside Liverpool.

Parlee says when dealing with a larger order the family business can bring in up to 15 people.

Despite issues in other sector, he doesn’t see his company having an issue finding labour.

“Our average employee is not the average employee,” said Parlee. “Most of our seamstresses are folks that, their kids have gone back to school or they may be folks that have kids in school, so we’re very flexible.”

Parlee says their products are already in use across Nova Scotia and with the new product, new business model and new online presence, the goal is to have Parlee products in the hands of first responders across Canada in short order.

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Public hearing on Queens proposed land use bylaw. Photo Ed Halverson

At a third and final public hearing in Liverpool Queens residents were vocal that a proposed new land use bylaw shouldn’t change the face of rural Queens.

The crowd gathered at the Liverpool Fire Hall took the opportunity to tell Region of Queens council some of the new regulations introduced in the bylaw would interfere with their ability to produce and raise food for their families and community.

Ria Neish is raising 40 chickens and three pigs on 300 acres of land in South Brookfield.

Neish doesn’t feel it’s reasonable to ask someone like herself who is not running a commercial farming operation to apply for permits to be allowed to supply food for themselves.

“Food is deplete in the grocery stores. The animals are treated deplorably in the grocery stores. That is why we live where we live. To raise animals well. To let them live full, happy, fulfilled life, living all their instincts out,” said Neish. “That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing and the fact that I would have to ask permission for that I do object to that.”

Frank Babin of Moose Harbour is concerned enforcing regulations on rural communities will change the culture in Queens.

He wants the region to allow people to continue to live as they have for hundreds of years.

“Especially the kids, ‘cause that’s who I’m thinking of. They used to go by and say hey look at that horse, look at that cow,” said Babin. “I don’t want to see that taken away ‘cause we are a rural community.”

Mayor Darlene Norman says some of the permitting requirements are there to ensure the region is aware of what kinds of activities are taking place on a piece of land.

“A development agreement is just in place to note that in addition to residential, there’s also household livestock as part of that main use, is how it was explained to me,” said Norman.

After reflecting on the discussion, the mayor is concerned that people feel the region is trying to force urban values on rural areas when in fact they’re designed to keep urban uses out of those rural areas.

“These documents actually protect rural interests like livestock farming, like household livestock, like forestry uses. It zones these wharves and says these are fishing marine areas,” said Norman. “So, I sometimes wonder if people have misinterpreted the value of them. Because the majority of our lands are rural, and they allow rural uses.”

Now that the second public hearing sessions are complete, the proposed bylaw will go back to council for consideration at their next meeting May 24.

Council will review the public input and determine whether to make any adjustments before voting on the bylaw.

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Washrooms under construction at Queens County Fairgrounds. Photo Carolyn Tufts

Aged washrooms* at the Queens County Fair Grounds in Caledonia are getting a facelift.

Construction has already started on the new building which will be larger, safer, and completely accessible.

Secretary/Manager of the Queens County Fairgrounds Doreen Holdright says the repairs are long overdue.

“They were basically condemned about 15 years ago and I don’t remember when they were actually built,” said Holdright.

The estimated $102,300 total cost of the project is being covered by a pair of contributions.

The Queens County fairgrounds received $77,073 in ACOA funding through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) in February 2022.

At their most recent council meeting, the Region of Queens approved a grant of $25,575 from their Community Investment Fund.

Mayor Darlene Norman says council was pleased to cover the balance and support the hard-working people of Caledonia who keep the fairgrounds going.

Norman says a conversation with a student highlighted the need to improve upon the previous building.

“One of the kids, I was at the high school the other day said, Mrs. Norman, are the walls going to go all the way to the roof? ‘Cause, you know, the guys could always stand up and look over. And I said, oh yes, the walls are going to the roof. So, it’s great. It’s a great improvement,” said Norman.

Holdright expects construction on the new washrooms will be complete ahead of the May 21 Spring Horse Pull.

She says now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, 2022 will see a full roster of events at the fairgrounds, culminating in the annual Queens County Fair Sep 20 through 24.

* A previous version of this story mis-identified the pavilion instead of the washrooms as the building under construction. Work on the pavilion was completed last fall. 

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A DNNR helicopter is unloaded in a field near the South Horseshoe Lake fire. Photo Communications Nova Scotia

Crews battling the forest fire near South Horseshoe Lake in Yarmouth appear to be getting it under control.

A statement from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables released Thursday evening indicates the fire is 60 percent contained.

What started as a 25 hectare fire when firefighting teams arrived on-site Monday grew to over 3,100 hectares by Wednesday.

DNRR expressed concerns Thursday afternoon about the potential for the fire to spread due to dry conditions.

But just hours later, DNRR officials announced firefighting crews made up of two helicopters, one water bomber and 40 DNRR personnel were able to keep the fire from spreading past 3,100 hectares.

Officials have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

As a result of the ongoing dry conditions the entire province is under burning restrictions.

Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens counties currently have a full burn ban in place.

DNRR firefighters will continue efforts to extinguish the fire on Friday.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Water bomber dropping its load on part of a wildfire near South Horseshoe Lake, Yarmouth County, Photo: Communications Nova Scotia

Provincial officials say the forest fire in Yarmouth County tripled in size and is burning out of control.

A statement from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables says the fire grew from 1,000 to 3,100 hectares on Tuesday, spreading from South Horseshoe Lake west, in the direction of Rushy Lake.

Distance between South Horseshoe Lake and Rushy Lake. Photo Google Maps

Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton says, “Conditions are still adverse, so the fire may continue to spread. However, at this time, we do not see it reaching communities and the province’s response is being managed by highly trained professionals and fire crew members who are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to keep us safe in case of emergency.”

Since Monday, the contingent fighting the wildfire has grown to include 40 provincial fire crew members, two helicopters and a water bomber sent from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Officials says Tuesday’s wind and low humidity are driving the spread of the fire.

Air quality alerts have been issued for Yarmouth and residents are asked to keep windows closed.

Conditions continue to stay very dry across the province, and a burn ban remains in place for Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.

DNRR will provide regular updates on the Yarmouth forest fire on their Twitter feed today.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Yarmouth forest fire seen from DNRR helicopter. Photo Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables

A water bomber from Newfoundland and Labrador has joined Nova Scotia’s ground and air crews to fight an out-of-control wildfire near Horseshoe Lake, Yarmouth County.

Ground crews pulled back as the CL-415 bomber dropped water until dark Tuesday night.

The fire has grown quickly with Department of Natural Resources and Renewables estimates increasing from 50 hectares Tuesday morning to over 1,000 hectares that night.

The water bomber joins two helicopters and 12 provincial fire crew members from Shelburne and Yarmouth counties who have been fighting the wildfire since Monday.

DNRR officials say winds and low humidity are factors in the spread of the fire.

Yarmouth area residents are encouraged to keep their windows closed as smoke from the growing fire has prompted air quality alerts.

Conditions are very dry across the province, and a burn ban is in place for Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.

Nova Scotians should check burn restrictions online or call the toll-free phone line at 1-855-564-2876 (BURN) before starting a fire.

DNRR will be providing regular updates on the Yarmouth forest fire on their Twitter feed.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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