Work at Carters Beach may interrupt early summer sun plans

Aerial view of Carters Beach

Carters Beach. Photo from Nova Scotia Provincial Parks Facebook page

The Nova Scotia government has begun work to turn Carters Beach into a provincial park. That means visitors to the popular Queens County destination will likely have more places to park this summer.

But they may have to seek out other beaches nearby depending on the progress of the project.

The province announced in November that it would designate Carters Beach a provincial park. The designation also includes several islands just off shore. Carters Beach Provincial Park will cover about 97 hectares and include the Spectacle Islands, Jackies Island and others.

The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables is spending about $2 million on the project, which includes two new paved parking lots, garbage facilities, signage and accessible outhouses. 

It also includes a trail from the new parking lot down to the beach. That trail will be about 500 metres long and is planned to have a gentle slope and made of compacted crusher dust to make it easier to navigate. 

Sandra Fraser, a parks promotion officer with the department, said Wednesday that the department hopes to have the parking lots finished by July. But the overall project end date is June 2025.

“Work is underway now to build a new parking lot off the Central Port Mouton Road and that parking lot is going to have roughly 75 parking spaces, including some accessible parking space. 

“On the Carters Beach Road, the existing parking lot there is getting some improvements so the parking there will be a bit better defined. So there will be roughly 18 spots down there including some accessible spots.”

Work has begun on Carters Beach Provincial Park. A new parking lot on Central Port Mouton Road will hold up to 75 cars. And another parking lot on Carters Beach Road will hold 18 cars. (Rick Conrad)

Fraser said work is on hold right now because of spring weight restrictions, but it will soon resume.

“We’re trying to get as much done as possible before the peak of the summer. But since the timeline is still 2025, there could be some work going on.

“Definitely want to be much ahead of that. The goal is to get the parking lot done before July this year. But it may take longer to add some of the extra parts, the toilets and just finishing those pieces.”

Fraser said that beachgoers this summer should keep an eye on the department’s parks website and its social media channels before packing for the beach.

She said there are still other great beaches in the area for people to enjoy, such as Summerville Beach or Thomas Raddall Provincial Park.

“There’s so many beautiful beaches in Queens County. So lots of place to go.”

Area residents have been frustrated over the years as Carters Beach became a hugely popular destination. The small parking area at the end of Carters Beach Road was barely big enough for a few cars. So visitors lined both sides of the narrow road, regularly blocking people’s access to their driveways and making it difficult to get in and out of the area.

Residents also complained about garbage and human waste being left on the beach and among the sensitive dunes.

Fraser said the department held an information session with the community in November 2022.

When the work is finished, Fraser says the department hopes it will address residents’ concerns.

 “I think this added infrastructure will support people enjoying the beach without leaving as much impact.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Nova Scotia to index income assistance rates

Community Services Minister Brendan Maguire at his swearing-in ceremony in February with Lt.-Gov. Arthur LeBlanc and Premier Tim Houston. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The Nova Scotia government will index social assistance payments after all.

The province announced Wednesday that it would index all income assistance payments annually based on the consumer price index. In 2024-25, rates will be indexed by 2.5 per cent.

The Progressive Conservative government was criticized earlier in March after it unveiled its budget, with no provision for indexing income assistance.

Community Services Minister Brendan Maguire pushed for indexing the rates when he was a Liberal opposition member. But he told reporters in early March that it wasn’t on the table right now.

On Wednesday, though, Maguire said it’s “another action being taken by government to help vulnerable Nova Scotians find success.”

The change will be implemented on July 1, with retroactive payments to April 1. Almost 24,000 Nova Scotians were collecting assistance as of Feb. 1. Indexing will cost about $7 million in 2024/25.

Queens looks at livestreaming council meetings

A screengrab from the Region of Queens YouTube channel.

The Region of Queens is considering livestreaming its council meetings. 

Councillors are expected to vote on a motion at their April 9 meeting for simultaneous YouTube and Facebook broadcasts.

All public meetings in council chambers are currently recorded and uploaded to the region’s YouTube channel the day after the meeting.

In February 2023, councillors asked about the possibility of livestreaming their meetings once a new audio-video system was installed. That new system was installed last April.

Councillors meet four times in other communities around the municipality. In a report to council on Tuesday evening, communications co-ordinator Heather Cooke and IT manager Steve Whynacht said offsite livestreaming would be difficult without new equipment, since the setup at council chambers is not portable.

Cook and Whynacht said that they contacted other Nova Scotia municipalities to find out if they livestream meetings. They said that 17 of those contacted said they livestream meetings in some form.

Streaming on YouTube and Facebook is free, so showing meetings live would not cost any more. But if council decides to livestream offsite meetings as well, the region would have to invest in more equipment.

Councillors voted to consider their options at their April 9 meeting.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Liverpool to get South Shore’s only all-weather outdoor track

The soccer field at Liverpool Regional High School will be getting a makeover this year, with artificial turf and a new all-weather track. (Rick Conrad)

South Shore track and field athletes will be getting a year-round, all-weather track at Liverpool Regional High School.

The Queens County Track Society has decided to upgrade its original plan. Instead of an eight-lane gravel track, the school will now be getting a rubberized four- to six-lane surface.

It’s part of a $3-million upgrade to the school’s outdoor facilities, which also includes a new artificial turf soccer field.

Kristopher Snarby is president of the Queens County Track Society. He said Liverpool will have the only rubberized track and turf soccer field on the South Shore.

“That means it’ll be able to be used year-round. You don’t have to worry about thawing and bad weather and it’s a lot more accessible for people. So it’s definitely a nice change to the original plan.”

He said the change will add between $250,000 and $300,000 to the cost of the project. The original price tag was pegged at $2.75 million, with funding from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

RELATED: Liverpool high school to get new track and artificial turf soccer field

Snarby said the group decided the extra cost was worth it to have a year-round facility.

“One of the challenges with gravel, is that when you have the type of weather that we have, it means there’s a lot of upkeep to keep the track surface safe for people to train on. With the rubberized synthetic version, it’s going to be an attraction for athletes all over the South Shore to train on who are doing running events in track and field.”

The 400-metre track will now have four lanes, with an additional two on the straightaways for 100-metre and 110-metre hurdles races.

There are rubberized tracks at Acadia University in Wolfville, King’s-Edgehill School in Windsor, one in Clare and some in Halifax. The closest track to Queens County is a gravel facility at Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater.

Snarby says he’s confident the group can find the money to cover the extra expense.

“We’ve been really fortunate with the funding from the different levels of government. It is a bit more expensive but not crazy expensive like some other versions could have been, I guess.”

He said athletes from around the South Shore will benefit from the upgraded track. He said that because it will be fully accessible, a wider range of people, including para athletes and Special Olympics athletes, will be able to use it.

“It’s going to be a big game changer. It’ll be the only turf filed on the South Shore and also the only rubberized track on the south shore. We’re envisioning soccer teams coming here to use it. When younger athletes from the South Shore that go on to regionals and provincials, they’re always playing on turf fields now. And they’re also running on rubberized tracks. So it will give the South Shore region an advantage being able to train on the same type of track and field that they would be playing higher level games at.”

It will also give people in the community a safe, accessible surface to use.

“It’s going to be a great surface for people to get out in the fresh air and walk or run on a surface where they don’t have to worry about rolling their ankles and tripping. So it’s truly going to be a fully inclusive community space for people to use.”

Snarby said the group plans to launch some fundraising efforts in the next few weeks.

And he said they hope to have the track and soccer field completed by late fall, but he said it depends on contractor availability.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Mobile clinic set for Queens General Hospital in Liverpool

A path through a garden leads to the entrance of a hospital

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

Nova Scotia Health is holding a mobile primary care clinic in Liverpool this Wednesday, and again on April 2 and April 13.

The drop-in clinic will be held at Queens Family Health at Queens General Hospital. You don’t need an appointment.

The clinic will operate this Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m., Tues., April 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Sat., April 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mobile primary care clinics are meant to bridge gaps in primary care in certain areas of the province. They address non-urgent issues.  

Patients of Queens Family Health can still access that clinic’s same day service for new and emerging health problems by calling 902-354-3322.

The emergency department at Queens General is also scheduled to be open on Wednesday beginning at 8 a.m.

North Queens residents get blow-by-blow of proposed wind development

Jason Parise, development director with SWEB Development, speaks to Scott Joudrey at a community engagement session at the Greenfield Fire Hall last week about SWEB’s proposal for a 10-turbine wind farm in the area. (Rick Conrad)

Property owners in north Queens got an early look last week at a company’s plans to build a potential wind farm in the area.

The Apitamkiejit Wind Energy Project, named after the Mi’kmaq term for tamarack, is being proposed by SWEB Development, an Austrian company with offices in Halifax.

It wants to erect 10 turbines on private property between Little Wentworth Lake and Wentworth Lake. The project could provide renewable energy for thousands of homes in the area.

The company is bidding through Nova Scotia’s Green Choice Program, which is a collaboration between the province, Nova Scotia Power and private companies to reach Nova Scotia’s goal of 80 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

SWEB held a community engagement session at the Greenfield Fire Hall late last week.

Jason Parise, a development director with SWEB, says the project has been in the works since 2021.

“We’ll continue to work on the project, engage stakeholders, engage First Nations communities,” he said. “This project would be at mid-stage development, so we have a lot of things that have been ongoing for a couple of years. Our wind resource assessment has been ongoing, we have a meteorological tower on site. A lot of our field work for the envrionmental assessment component is well underway. We expect to be filing an environmental assessment for this project at the end of 2024.”

The company should know if its application was successful by the end of the year.

Sarah Rosenblat is the senior development director for SWEB. She said community engagement sessions are important in shaping the Apitamkiejit project. This most recent session is on top of the online engagement they held two years ago. 

“The feedback that we’re going to hear tonight could even go as far as helping to shape the project in terms of layout. If there’s a sensitive area that we weren’t aware of, maybe a recreational lake that folks use in the summer. … That allows us to work within the community, hear their feedback, make adjustments, and it allows us to bring it into the actual project planning.

“It looked very different a while back. It’s actually already shifted because of public feedback. So, we’ve pushed away from the roads, come in more internally.”

Rosenblat says that if their bid is successful, the goal would be to have the project up and running by the beginning of 2028.

Scott Joudrey lives in Bridgewater but owns property in the area SWEB wants to develop.

“It’s a great idea,” he said. “It’s part of the future. Cleaner energy, and more sustainable energy. We gotta do something.

“I think it’s going to be a good idea, especially if they can put enough in the area to power a good percentage of the homes and businesses.”

Monica Fisher lives on Lapland Road, which would be near the proposed farm.  

“This development that is being proposed is very close to us so they would be using our Lapland Road extension as an access point if it gets approved. And that road needs major repair. … So if this gets to go through, they’re going to have to completely upgrade (the road).”

She said she and her neighbours were concerned about the impact the project would have on local wildlife. But the company met with them a couple of weeks ago, she said, and assured them that all wildlife would be protected.

“We’ve got quite a few windmill projects in our province that I was very unaware of until now. I’m learning more about them. … I’m not opposed to it, as long as it’s not affecting my life.”

This isn’t the only significant wind project being proposed for Queens County. Mersey River Wind won approval on March 12 from Region of Queens councillors to build a 33-turbine farm on about 80 hectares of Crown land 4.4 kilometres east of Milton. That project is expected to get underway later this year.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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New supergroup aims to give South Shore businesses stronger voice

Rae Bonneville is the chairwoman of the newly formed Lunenburg Queens Business Collective. (Rae Bonneville)

Business groups on the South Shore have teamed up to form one large umbrella organization, potentially representing hundreds of businesses.

The Lunenburg Queens Business Collective includes the chambers of commerce and boards of trade from Liverpool, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and Riverport. It also includes the South Shore Tourism Co-operative. 

Rae Bonneville is the new group’s chairwoman. She says the group won’t replace the business groups in each community. It will enhance what they’re already doing and give them more voice and visibility.

“It’s just so much more of a pool that everyone can access,” she said in an interview. “If you’re a member of the Lunenburg Board of Trade, for instance, you’re also a member of the collective. And your connections are really extended. … The connections for business are much higher. And also it gives us a much stronger voice for going to council and representing the businesses with a much stronger voice. It’s not just Liverpool on their own, dealing with a challenge. It’s all of us supporting that group. … It just gives us a lot more strength.”

Bonneville, who is also the president of the Bridgewater Chamber of Commerce, said the idea was first hatched by the Bridgewater chamber about two years ago. 

“It seemed like a great idea to unite and form a united voice and have a stronger presence and support each other in the whole region.”

She said that although the group is brand new, it already has its sights set on some big issues. 

“One of the biggest things we’re trying to tap into is a really good transit system between all of these towns to help with students and seniors and all kinds of shift workers and that sort of thing.”

And it has taken over responsibility for the Lunenburg Queens Business Awards, which are planned for November at the Best Western in Bridgewater.

Bonneville said they hope to hold region-wide job fairs and to create an activity calendar, so that an event in one community doesn’t compete with an event in another.

“It’s pretty exciting, we’re getting a lot of really positive feedback. I think this is going to have a lot of legs as we go along.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Liverpool’s Astor Theatre eyes opportunity with Bridgewater Cineplex closure

Cineplex Cinemas Bridgewater will close on April 29. (Rick Conrad)

While moviegoers on the South Shore may be mourning the impending closure of Cineplex Cinemas in Bridgewater, Liverpool’s Astor Theatre is getting ready to welcome film fans back.

Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell confirmed online rumours late last week that Cineplex will close its seven-screen multiplex on April 29.

No one from Cineplex was available for an interview on Tuesday, but the company sent the following statement to QCCR:

“We’ve made the difficult decision not to renew our lease and to close our Cineplex Bridgewater location, the last day of shows will be April 29.

“We are grateful to our team and the community for their support over the past 11 years.”

Mitchell said he’s contacted Cineplex to see if they would remain in town at a different location or in a smaller venue. He said Tuesday he hasn’t heard back from the company.

“Other than the date, I have no additional information from Cineplex,” he said in an interview. 

“It’s a huge loss just because it’s an entertainment venue, it’s a place where all ages could go out and socialize. It’s a loss in terms of that social aspect in the community.”

But Bridgewater’s loss could be Liverpool’s gain.

The Astor Theatre has regularly shown movies in its 200-seat space. It just recently got a new sound system installed. Executive director Jerri Southcott says they plan to begin showing movies again by mid-April. She said it may keep more Queens County moviegoers at their hometown theatre.

“Personally, I think it’s sad. The timing is really interesting. While it’s not going to make a huge difference, because we’re not sure people will make the trip here, but it might help.

“We will certainly be looking at the opportunities that it will have for us as a functioning theatre.””

News of the Cineplex Bridgewater closure comes amid a few tough years for the movie theatre industry. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, theatres have struggled to bring people back. Competition from streaming services has also bitten into the bottom line.

According to a 2023 study by Telefilm Canada on Canadian movie consumption, 95 per cent of Canadians watch feature films. But 98 per cent of that movie watching was happening at home.

Big budget action movies are still a draw to the multiplex, the study found. But many older and rural consumers watch a majority of movies at home. Fewer than a third of people made two or more trips to cinemas in the previous 12 months.

“High spectacle genres are the preferred lures to cinemas, especially for younger moviegoers,” the report found. “By contrast, many older and more rural consumers watch an overwhelming portion of their movies in the home.”

Ironically, Cineplex has been reporting better audience numbers in the past year, though box office receipts are still lagging behind 2019.

Smaller theatres like the Astor, which are considered second-run movie houses, had been restricted in what kinds of movies they could show. They had to wait until new releases cycled through Cineplex. 

With the Bridgewater theatres closing, Southcott isn’t sure how that will affect what the Astor can offer.

“We tended to be a place where they could see movies that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to see at a big cineplex anway. We’re excited about getting it up and running again. I’ts a great venue. Seeing a movie here is a really great experience.”

Mitchell said he thinks there’s still a great moviegoing market in Bridgewater. 

“I don’t think this is the end of movies in Bridgewater. You can watch a movie in Liverpool and you can watch a movie in Chester at the two playhouses, which is great. But regionally, this is the only multiplex. There is a market here for the multiplex.”

In the meantime, an online petition has been created to convince Cineplex to reverse its decision. It has more than 800 signatures so far.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Nova Scotia boosts Kejimkujik’s online marketing efforts

Queens MLA Kim Masland. (Rick Conrad photo)

The Nova Scotia government has given Parks Canada in mainland Nova Scotia $27,250 to help promote sites like Kejimkujik National Park.

Queens MLA Kim Masland said in a news release that the money is part of the Tourism Digital Content Marketing Initiative. It helps organizations create engaging digital marketing campaigns.

“Kejimkujik is a world-class park that gets thousands of visitors every year. This increased marketing will bring even more tourists to our communities in the future,” Masland said. 

“More tourists means more money for our local businesses. This investment is great news for the residents of Queens County.”

Masland says the funding will help bring even more visitors to Keji and more tourists to shop at Queens County businesses.

Waiting game continues as aquaculture review board silent on fish farm hearings

A map showing where Kelly Cove Salmon proposes two new fish farm sites (in yellow) and where it plans to expand its existing operation (in green). (Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board)

It’s anyone’s guess as to when or if the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board will hold hearings into a proposal to expand fish farming in Liverpool Bay.

The board posted a notice on its website on March 6, saying that hearing dates scheduled for April 2 to 5 were cancelled. They gave no reason, and no new dates are on the horizon.

Kelly Cove Salmon, owned by Cooke Aquaculture, applied in 2019 to expand its salmon farming operation off Coffin Island near Liverpool, and to add two new farms off Brooklyn and Mersey Point. If successful, that would increase Cooke’s operation to 60 pens from 14, and include trout as well as salmon. It could mean up to 1.8 million farmed salmon in the bay, compared to about 400,000 now.

Groups involved in the hearing are as much in the dark as everybody else.

Jamie Simpson with Juniper Law represents one of the five intervenors, 22 Lobster Fishermen of Liverpool Bay.

He said Monday that he received an email from the board telling him the April dates were cancelled. They also made no attempt to set new dates, he said. Since then, he hasn’t heard a thing.

“I would have thought that we would have heard some sort of a followup plan for the path forward here, but it’s just been silent so far.

“I mean I don’t know what to think. I’ve never seen it before basically. … It’s been radio silence since we got that letter.”

The hearings have been on hold since chairwoman Jean McKenna left the board on Feb. 20. Her departure surprised groups involved in the hearing, although the Nova Scotia government said her term had simply expired. 

The board cancelled March hearing dates and said that the April hearings would still go ahead.

The Tory government appointed board member and former Tory candidate Tim Cranston to take McKenna’s place as chairman. Cranston has been a member of the ARB since 2023. He ran unsuccessfully for the Conservatives in the last provincial election.

Premier Tim Houston came out against the proposed expansion in early February, but said that he supports aquaculture and respects the independence of the review board.

More than 150 residents, businesses and community groups filed written submissions with the board. Five groups were granted intervenor status at the hearings: Protect Liverpool Bay, the Region of Queens, the Brooklyn Marina, 22 Lobster Fishermen of Liverpool Bay, and Kwilmu’kw Maw-Klusuaqn, which is representing the Acadia First Nation.

Representatives with the review board have not commented on the cancellations or when there might be new hearings scheduled. They have said that any new information will be posted on their website.

Jamie Simpson said Monday that all he and his clients can do is wait.

“I don’t know what the forces are that are moving this, but all we can do is sit back, it’s highly unusual,” he said. 

“It seems like anything’s possible at this point. I assume that Kelly Cove Salmon wants to go ahead with their application. I haven’t heard anything to the contrary in that regard. So assuming that Kelly Cove doesn’t pull out, we’ll be going ahead at some point. And that’s about all I can say.”

A spokesman for Cooke Aquaculture could not be reached on Monday.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com