A local councillor is floating the idea of a dog park for Queens, and is looking for input from the public.

Milton councillor Jack Fancy is hosting a meeting Wednesday night to start the discussion.

Fancy says he’s heard from several of his constituents interested in a place for their dogs to run free. On the other side, he’s also heard complaints about dogs running free through parks, despite by-laws requiring them to be on a leash.

He says a dog park could solve both of these issues.

The public meeting is to see what interest there might be from the community to form a committee to work on the creation of a dog park.

A dog park in Queens is not a new idea, and had been attempted before, however challenges around locations and costs stalled the attempts. Neighbouring counties have already creating dog parks of their own, and Fancy says they could draw on that experience to make the project a success.

The meeting takes place on Wednesday night starting at 6 pm at the Milton Community Hall.

Award winning country artist Brett Kissel is coming to Queens County, the latest artist to headline at the Queens Place Emera Centre stage.

Just after lunch on Dec. 4, the Region of Queens announced Kissel would perform in Liverpool on April 12, 2019.

Brett Kissel will perform in Queens next April, at the Queens Place Emera Centre. The concert was announced on Dec. 4.

Kissel has won several awards from the Canadian Country Music Association, including male artist of the year, fan’s choice, video of the year, and for five straight years interactive artist of the year. His latest album “We were that song” was released in 2017.

Kissel has performed in Liverpool before, to a sold-out crowd at the Astor Theatre in January of 2017.

Supporting Brett Kissel is Jason Price and Dark Horse, as well as Queens County singer Autumn Rae Carver. Carver has opened for some big shows before, like Terri Clarke and performed with Washboard Union when they stopped by in Liverpool. The young singer says she is excited to take the stage once again, and is eyeing bigger things down the road.

“I’d love to end up in Nashville and try to get in places there to sing,” she says.

Tickets for the show are on sale now at ticketpro.ca or at Queens Place Emera Centre.

A large lineup of sponsors and the supporting acts came out for the announcement. QCCR is one of the sponsors of the concert.

The electoral boundaries of Nova Scotia are once again under review, and among the proposals is a big shake up for Queens.

In 2012, the Queens riding was changed to encompass Shelburne County down to Barrington, and a small piece of Lunenburg County was removed.

With this new review the boundaries commission is considering reinstating the protected ridings of Clair, Preston, Argyle and Richmond. The change would see Shelburne reunited and the Queens riding shifted to include part of Lunenburg County again.

This proposal would see the number of seats in the legislature go from 51 to 55. Other options are still being looked at, from minor boundary changes to several

A final report will be presented to the provincial government

Proposed boundary changes for Queens and Shelburne County

in April 2019.

The full report can be found here.

A Queens County man admitted he set a fire that ripped through downtown Bridgewater in late 2017.

25 year old Adrian Thomas Hunt from Greenfield pleaded guilty in Bridgewater court on Nov. 27. Hunt had initially denied he had any part of the fires, however confessed when presented with several tips and video surveillance that put him in the location at the time of the fire. When asked if anyone prompted him to set the fire he did not respond, and refused to provide an explanation on why he started the fire.

The fire destroyed several businesses on King Street, as well as damaging others around it before being contained by fire crews. There were also several occupied apartment units in the buildings at the time of the fire. All the residents got out with minor injuries, however several pets were lost in the fire.

Hunt will return to court in early January.

The Liverpool Regional High School is looking to do a big upgrade to their track and field abilities.

The school is looking to put in a proper four lane running track around the soccer field so student can train at their school. Vice principal Todd Symes says at present students either use the bus lanes or travel out of the county at their own expense to train.

“The frustrating part was we have to allow to take these athletes to train out of the Region because they have no where to put there starting blocks,” he said. “South Queens Middle School is in a similar situation, where they went to regionals and provincials last year, but had no where to train.”

Symes was in council on Nov. 27, asking for support from the Region of Queens Municipality to provide a quarter of the total cost to plan out a running track. The cost is around $16,000, with half coming from the province and the other quarter coming from the school board. He estimated the total cost to build the track is around $200,000.

The plan is in the early stages but School Health Promoter Sarah Murphy says this track will provide great health benefits to our community while also Providing the students with a great place to train.

Christmas is a busy time along the South Shore with festivals and events, and  finding them is just a click away.

The south shore tourism coop’s annual Christmas crawl website launched earlier this month, mapping out where and when events along the coast will take place.

Donna Hatt, one of the organizers of the Christmas crawl, says the website is aimed at being a one stop promotion of events going on in the South Shore. The goal is to draw people to the area and also give  locals an easy way to find out what is happening close to home.

The website lists nearly 100 events, from Christmas on the Mersey in Liverpool and the Lobster Pot Christmas tree in Barrington to the Father Christmas events in Mahone Bay.

The website can be found at christmascrawl.ca.

The Region of Queens is hosting tours of their facilities all this week, to give the public a look at what goes on behind the scene.

On Monday tours were held at the water treatment facility on Roy Turner Drive, where operator Sherman Roberts explained the process to take water from Town Lake and turn it into clean drinking water.

On Nov. 20 tours of the public works building and sewage treatment facility will take place this afternoon at 138 Hank Snow Drive in Liverpool. Multiple times to take the tours are set up, starting at 1:30 and going at half hour intervals.

On Thursday there will be a tour of Queens Place Emera Centre, including some behind the scenes areas, and on Friday the tour will be at the Landfill and recycling centre.

The stages of water treatment at the facility on Roy Turner Drive.

The protest efforts against the proposed aquaculture farm in Liverpool bay continue to gather momentum.

Brian Muldoon was one of the first people who spoke out against expansion back in October, shortly after it was announced.

He has already voiced his concern on the street corner, at the public meeting, and now municipal council on Nov. 13 along with several others. They were asking for support from the Region of Queens Municipality against the fish farm in the form of a letter to the review board.

His property is close to the fish farm site in Beach Meadows, and based on what he has seen, he is skeptical the county will see any benefit from the expansion.

On Nov. 22 a screening of the documentary Salmon Wars will play at Zion United Church at 7 pm

And on Nov. 26 at noon, a rally is planned in front of government house in Halifax to protest against fish farms and the proposed expansion. Muldoon says the day was chosen as it is the first day of lobster fishing season.

Muldoon also has a Facebook page, Protect Liverpool Bay, to keep updated on the protest efforts.

The Queens County Daycare had a strong message for Region of Queens council on Nov. 14 – leaving the building means the daycare will close.

Operating costs of the municipally owned building were growing too much for the Region of Queens, so in 2017 it was decided to sell the building instead. Tenants were given two years to find a new space.

After looking at buildings all over the county, Donna Dexter, board chair of the daycare says none were able to meet the stringent provincial regulations.

“We have to have 30 square feet of unobstructed play space for each child in the room,” says Dexter. For our licensed capacity we would need a building with 1260 square feet, and that’s just for the classroom space.”

However a new option has come forward. In September the building was put up for sale through a sealed bidding process, which closes on Nov. 16. The bids will then go to municipal council for decision at one of their regular public meetings.

The daycare is putting their own bid in to purchase the building. Dexter added they have partnered with a local developer who has agreed to do repairs to the building along with covering costs that go beyond their budget.

Meanwhile several parents and board members came to council to voice their support for the daycare.

Scott Christian, says the daycare was part of the reason they moved here, child in daycare, spoke in favour of keeping it open.

“I think think there are promising signs of new people moving here,” he says. “I can tell you its a massive impediment and detriment to anyone relocating here if there is no licensed daycare.”

Those comments were echoed by other parents and supporters of the daycare.

Mayor David Dagley of the Region of Queens says they haven’t decided to put the issue of aquaculture expansion on the agenda yet, because they don’t know exactly what is being proposed.

Dagley says although Cooke Aquaculture has expressed interest in expansion, the bay has yet to be surveyed to know what the capacity for expansion is.

“Really site specific information is required for an intelligent conversation and decision of council. We can react to passion, and there is a lot of it in the community, or we can deal with the facts. And I think good government needs to rely on the facts,” he said.

While he acknowledged their were only arguments against the expansion at council that day, he said he has also heard from those who support it as well.

Dagley says before they bring the issue of writing a letter before council, he wants to make sure they have enough information to make a correct decision both for the public and economically.

He added the Liverpool Bay is not a mirror of the Port Mouton Bay, and not all sites are bad for aquaculture.

Opponents of the proposed Cooke Aquaculture salmon farm expansion were out in force at the Region of Queens council meeting on Nov 13, imploring councillors to voice their opposition to the farm.

Cooke is looking to expand in the Liverpool Bay, with the possible of doubling their current capacity of 400,000 fish.

While aquaculture expansion is a provincial decision, the request came for council to write an official letter of opposition on behalf of the citizens of Queens. This letter would then be submitted to the provincial review board.

Fred Giffin was one who spoke that day, and responded to councillors who had previously said they need more information to make a decision. Among other things he suggested the documentary Salmon Wars and Salmon Confidential. He said the heart of the issue was Cooke Aquaculture’s track record and protecting the environment.

“We want to protect those beaches,” says Giffin. “We wanted to protect Summerville and Carters Beach. We want to protect all the beaches and shorelines here.”

He was far from the only one who spoke out against the expansion, but their arguments were clear. With questionable business practices and the threat of other industries being harmed, more salmon farms were not welcome in the Liverpool Bay.

“When we look back on this in 20, 30 40 years, we’ll look back on this as criminal. It’s selling out our future for a couple dollars now,” said Kristen Lewis.

The rolling postal strikes hit Liverpool today, closing the post office for 24 hours.

Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers were on the picket lines starting early on the morning, on the corner of Main and Market streets.

Mike McDonald, speaking on behalf of the Liverpool office, says the biggest issues are over health and safety and no overtime pay for delivery workers.

“We’ve got five times the injury rate of federal employees, and that includes longshoreman,” he says. “ We need to make sure our health and safety are being addressed.”

Canada Post and the union representing the workers have been at the negotiating table for 10 months, but so far have unable to reach a deal. Since Oct. 22, postal workers have gone on rolling strikes, closing locations for 24 hours while union members walk the picket line. At first the strikes were at the larger urban centres, but as the weeks have gone by without a deal, the strikes have spread further around the country.

CUPW has called on a national overtime ban for both of its major bargaining units at Canada Post. While the negotiations are underway postal workers will not work more than an eight-hour day and not more than a 40-hour week.

The federal government has appointed a mediator to help with negotiations.

Liverpool Post Office workers picket on Nov. 8.

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Houston announced new critic responsibilities for PC Caucus members today.

Houston, the MLA for Pictou East, was elected leader at a convention held October 26 and 27.

“I’m proud to lead such a strong team of motivated MLA’s,” Houston said.  “Our role is to hold the Liberals to account and also put forward solutions that will make life easier for people in our province.”

In addition to being the Leader of the Official Opposition, Houston will be the critic for the Premier’s Office, Executive Council, Intergovernmental Affairs and the departments of Business and Immigration.

Local Queens-Shelburne MLA Kim Masland was named the Caucus Whip and is the critic for the Department of Education. She is also a member of the Standing Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Queens Shelburne MLA Kim Masland

Other appointments include:

The Honourable Pat Dunn, MLA for Pictou Centre and Deputy Leader, takes on responsibility for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.  He will also be a member of the Standing Committee on Economic Development.

Northside-Westmount MLA Eddie Orrell, returns to the role of critic for the Department of Labour and Advanced Education and becomes the new Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Sydney River-Mira-Louisbourg MLA, the Honourable Alfie MacLeod becomes the critic for the Department of Community Services, Aboriginal Affairs and Military relations. He will sit as a member of the Veterans’ Affairs committee.

Karla MacFarlane, MLA Pictou West, returns to the position Caucus Chair that she vacated while acting as Interim Leader and takes on the roles of critic for the Department of Health and Wellness and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women.  She will be a member of the new Standing Committee on Health when it is constituted.

Inverness MLA Allan MacMaster is the critic for Finance and Treasury Board as well as the departments of Gaelic Affairs and Energy and Mines. He will sit as a member of the Standing Committee on Assembly Matters.

The Honourable Chris d’Entremont, MLA for Argyle-Barrington and House Leader, is the critic for Internal Services, Communications Nova Scotia, Elections Act and Acadian Affairs. He is also a member of the standing committees on Assembly Matters and Internal Affairs.

Dartmouth East MLA Tim Halman is the new critic for the Attorney General, the Department of Justice and Nova Scotia Lands. Halman will become a member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Cumberland North MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin takes on responsibilities for the Department of Municipal Affairs and the Emergency Management Office.  She will also be a member of the Standing Committee on Economic Development.

John Lohr, the MLA for Kings North, has been tasked with the new role of critic for Addictions and Mental Health Services.  He will also sit on the standing committees for Law Amendments and Private and Local Bills.

Victoria-The Lakes MLA Keith Bain is the Deputy Caucus Whip and the critic for Fisheries and Aquaculture and Labour Relations.  He is also a member of the Standing Committee on Community Services.

Barbara Adams, who represents the constituency of Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage, is the new Deputy Caucus Chair and the critic for the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage and Seniors.  She will be a member of the Standing Committee on Health.

Alana Paon, the MLA for Cape Breton-Richmond, is the new critic for the Department of Agriculture, Youth and Tourism Nova Scotia.  She will continue as a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources.

The MLA for Sackville-Beaver Bank, Brad Johns, is the critic for the departments of Environment and African Nova Scotia Affairs. In addition, Johns will take on the role of Deputy House Leader.  He will remain a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources.

Cumberland South MLA Tory Rushton is the new critic for Lands and Forestry. He will also sit on the standing committees for Law Amendments and Private and Local Bills.

Larry Harrison, MLA for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, is the critic for the Public Service Commission.  He is also a member of the Standing Committee on Community Services.

The past, present and future of the Mersey River watershed is the topic of a workshop coming to Liverpool this weekend.

Mary Rigby, organizer of the workshop, says the session is more like a conversation rather than a presentation. Rigby is a retired surveyor and teacher, and says after doing a similar workshop on the LaHave watershed she learned about the history of the Mersey watershed and found it be a remarkable river with a vast history.

Besides the interactive mapping exercise, Rigby hopes to screen Wapna’kikewaq (Part 1), the 2005 film focused on the artifacts and river when  thewater was drained in order to check the dams related to NS electric power development.

Background information will be presented explaining what the watershed is, but Rigby says the workshop is intended to be as community centred as possible. Part of the workshop will also revolve around an interactive mapping session, where participants can mark important points along the watershed.

Rigby is organizing the workshop as part of Kairos, a national organization on ecological and human rights.

The Mersey River workshop takes play Nov. 10 from 1:30 to 4:30 at Trinity Anglican Church in Liverpool.

Wandering through the Astor Theatre and town hall can now be done in the comfort of your own home, thanks to a 3d virtual tour now on the theatre’s website.

Andrew Bursey, general manager of the Astor Theatre, says it was created as way for people to tour the theatre, for acts to get a sense of the theatre environment and as a way to the preserve history.

Cost wise, Bursey says it was a very affordable and worthwhile option for the theatre and something other businesses and historic properties should consider. The tour was created by Looksie, a company that specializes in creating virtual tours for real estate, with local photographer Chris Green taking the pictures.

The tour is linked to google maps, which will be flagged when patrons using the service look at Liverpool. In the virtual tour, he says visitors can look around in all directions at many different points in the theatre. The points go from the lobby and theatre, all the way to stage view and back stage. In all over 200 points can be traveled to.

And if you look closely you may find an Easter Egg or two along the way.

The Virtual tour can be found on the Astor Theatre’s webpage.

Zombies shuffled and moaned there way through Liverpool on Saturday, but they weren’t out for brains.

The event was a fundraiser for the Queens Universal Play Park group, which is seeking to create a fully accessible park next to Queens Place Emera Centre.

The project incorporates ramps instead of stairs, picture communication and braille boards for the hard of hearing and hard of sight, and will be fully fenced in.  The proposed budget for the park is around $500,000.

For this event, participants raised money on their own, and on Nov. 3 came out dressed in their best zombie gear at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural centre. From their they walked through town to Queens Place Emera Centre, gathering more than a few curious looks from drivers.

Debbie Wambolt, one of the organizers of the event said it was a fun way to raise funds and raise awareness, and hopes to make it an annual event.

The group raised nearly $1,000 from the event. For photos of the event check out our Facebook Page.

Zombies invaded Liverpool on Nov. 3, raising money for the Queens Universal Designed Play Park.

A local comic book artist is hoping to make the jump from online to  printed form with his weekly.

Ryan Chandler has started a go fund me page for his comic Living with Stacy, a slice of life comic about the funny and strange events that happen between him and his wife. Chandler is compiling a book of the first 100 comics, and has a funding goal of $2,000 to get the book printed.

Chandler says the comic started as a fun and therapeutic way to tell the couples story.

Living with Stacy comic creator Ryan Chandler is hoping to turn his comic into a printed form.

The comic had been published weekly in the Queens County Advance when it was still in operation, and Chandler says it had a growing fan base. While the Advance has since shut its doors, Chandler has continued the comic online through its own website.

Chandler is a web and graphic designer by trade, but this is one of the many projects he has on the go, including another webcomic called Rankless.

Cooke Aquaculture had a full room on their hands for their open house on Oct. 30, as they shared their plans for expansion in the Liverpool Bay.

The company is looking to expand their operation in the bay, up to double their current capacity of 400,000 fish.

Joel Richardson, Vice President Public Relations with Cooke Aquaculture, says he was glad to see the turnout so high and get the chance to answer the community’s questions.

Among the more common questions were how soon the expansion would take place, which would be around 2021, and the environmental effects it would have on the bay.

He says the sites have been monitored by DFO and Fisheries and aquaculture since the first cages were put in. Since 2002, he says it shows little impact on the bay.

He also says new techniques to combat sea lice have seen a drastic reduction in the pest

Cook Aquaculture must still complete an environment assessment and continue to gather public input before they make their application to expand the site.

This map shows the area that Cooke Aquaculture is looking over for suitable sites. The large yellow squares are sections that have already been studied.

Dalhousie grad students explain some of the research they have done in the bay.

Employees of Cooke Aquaculture were on hand to discuss their expansion plans, as well as farming techniques they use.

The community members that came out to the Cooke Aquaculture information session on Oct. 30 were either unsure of the aquaculture site’s benefit, or openly opposed the expansion.

One resident of Beach Meadows who is opposed to the expansion is Brian Muldoon. Muldoon was seen on the corner of Bristol Ave and Milton Rd on Oct. 27, protesting the proposed expansion.

Muldoon first noticed the site going through changes in July, when an automatic feeder was installed. The feeder is visible from his vacation property, and caused him to dig deeper into aquaculture in general.

Based on the research he has read, Muldoon says he does not have a positive view on aquaculture. He adds the negative impact on other industries such as the lobster fishery is not worth the benefits.

Muldoon says he will continue to speak against the expansion and organize efforts to put pressure on the province and the company to not allow the expansion to go through.

Beach Meadows resident Brian Muldoon protested the proposed fish farm expansion on Oct. 27. He was also at the open house on Oct. 30 to gather more information.

Halloween is one of the most anticipated nights of the year for kids, which is why they can sometimes forget the importance of safety when choosing their costume and while trick or treating. However, Halloween safety is not limited to little ghouls and goblins.

Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind to make sure everyone has a safe and spooktacular night:

Parents and guardians:
• Know your child’s trick or treating route, who they plan to go with and when they plan to return home. Better yet, share in the Halloween fun by accompanying them!
• Remind children to stay in well-lit areas when trick or treating.
• Make sure your child knows where they can get help if needed while trick or treating: police station, fire station or any other well indicated public place.
Trick or treaters:
    Wear a light-coloured or bright costume, reflective tape or arm bands to make sure motorists can see you. Or accessorize with a flashlight!
    Make sure your costume fits properly to reduce the chances of tripping on it and make sure your vision is not restricted.
    Trick or treat with a parent or guardian, or if you’re old enough to be on your own, stay with a group.
   Always walk on sidewalks. If there are none, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.
   Watch for cars pulling out of driveways and backing up.
• Never enter a house, only accept treats at the front door.
• Wait until you get home to try your treats and get a trusted adult to check them first.
Motorists:
    Slow down and pay attention, especially in residential areas.
• Check mirrors and surrounding area before reversing from driveways and proceed with caution.
• Costumes should not restrict movement, impede vision or interfere with the safe operation of your vehicle.
•  As always, drive only when sober.

Homeowners:
• Many people look forward to transforming their homes into eerie scenes. When decorating, keep sidewalks and pathways free of obstacles to avoid tripping or falling.
• Keep your home and doorway well lit with outdoor lights.
• Make sure that all props hanging, dangling, or draped are steadily secured.
Happy Halloween from the Nova Scotia RCMP!

It was a big year for the provinces’ provincial camping parks.

With the season closed and the numbers tallied, just under 82,500 campsite nights were booked. This is a five per cent increase from 2017 and more than 30 per cent since 2014.

The provincial government said improvements are coming to the park reservation system for next year to make it easier to book campsites.

All provincial parks are now closed for camping but can still be visited for hiking and winter activities.

For now the Region of Queens Municipality is not taking any official stance on a proposed Cooke Aquaculture expansion in Liverpool Bay.

A Previous council wrote a letter of support for citizen efforts to stop aquaculture development in Port Mouton Bay as the evidence showed it was creating too great of an impact on the environment. However Mayor David Dagley says they would need to see science based evidence that any chosen site was unsuitable before taking a position.

Dagley added he has heard little in the way of problems or complaints about the Liverpool Bay site from the community.

Any stance from the municipality would not have any impact on development, as aquaculture falls under provincial jurisdiction.

The Queens Daycare is putting in a bid to take over the Mount Pleasant School.

In 2017 The Region of Queens said the building upkeep would cost too much to taxpayers, and chose to put up the building for sale. Two years notice was given to tenants to move out, including the daycare. But after a long search, the Queens Daycare Association was unable to find a suitable space for their operations. With the building now up for sale, the association is hoping to take over the property.

Donna Dexter, board chair for the Queens Daycare, says to address any issues with the building they have partnered with a local developer.

If successful in their bid, Dexter adds they would look at expanding the facility to cover other needs for the community, such as infant care. Currently they have 31 children in their programming.

The building up for sale at $69,000, however non-profits can propose to pay a lower price.

Nova Scotia is starting a cap and trade program in an effort to lower greenhouse emissions.

The provincial government announced on Oct. 23 businesses that put more than 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gasses into the air have four years to meet targets of 80 to 90 percent cap of current emissions. Those that don’t meet their target would have to purchase excess capacity on an open market and auction or face stiff fines of three times the cost of purchasing in the market.

About 21 businesses are covered under the new system, affecting businesses such as Nova Scotia Power, the gas and oil suppliers and Northern Pulp.

The province predicts an increase of point one nine cents for electricity costs and 1 cent more per litre of gas at the pumps.

Over the next four years, the goal is to reduce the provinces emissions by 650,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Cooke Aquaculture is looking to expand their salmon farming operation in the Liverpool Bay.

Andrew Lively, VP of global marketing with Cooke Aquaculture, gave details on the plan as well as background to Region of Queens Council on Oct. 23.

The company has initial approval to investigate the site’s suitability by the province, however that does not mean they have approval to start the expansion. Cooke Aquaculture must first gather data about the site and consult with the community.

Once all information is gathered the company will then present this to the provincial review board for a decision.

The open house will take place on Oct. 30 at Queens Place Emera Centre, from 4-7 pm.