Cheryl Horton is the treasurer of the Liverpool Tennis and Pickleball Club. (Rick Conrad)

Pickleball and tennis players in Liverpool will soon be able to use a new equipment shed and washroom facility that’s replacing a 100-year-old clubhouse.

There have been tennis courts at the corner of Park and Church Streets since 1867, and the Liverpool Tennis and Pickleball Club has used the clubhouse near the courts since 1922.

The problem is that while the courts are on land now owned by the Region of Queens Municipality, the clubhouse is at the back of a neighbouring property. Until now, the club and the property’s owner have always reached a deal to let the old clubhouse stand.

But new owners were concerned about the safety of the building and potential liability.

“Over the years, the clubhouse has been used very, very well, and it’s starting to show its age,” Cheryl Horton, the club’s treasurer, said in an intervew.

“Some of the cement pylons that were in place from 1922 have started to crumble.”

So, Horton and the rest of the board decided to stop using the clubhouse and build a new storage shed instead. The 160-square-foot structure will probably be ready this week.

It will house things like tennis and pickleballs, extra rackets and paddles, maintenance equipment and the electrical panel for the court’s lights. The non-profit group will also be installing a chemical toilet, a water cooler and a hand sanitizer dispenser for its 76 members.

“Right now, we’ve had to limit the use of the clubhouse, so it’s been a little bit difficult for the members to come and access anything that’s inside where we store our balls and extra paddles and tennis equipment and stuff like that. So, I think that’s been a little bit frustrating for everyone, but hopefully we’ll be past that when we get the shed completed.”

The shed and other work will cost about $15,000. The region is contributing $5,800.

This project has delayed the club’s plans for a long-needed resurfacing of the three tennis courts. Horton says that work is estimated at more than $100,000 and is vital to keep up with growing demand.

The popularity of pickleball has soared everywhere in the past few years, and Liverpool is no exception. The courts are booked four nights a week by the club’s members, with private groups reserving other times and others dropping into play. Some of their regulars come from as far away as Greenfield and Bridgewater.

“Pickleball has certainly taken off, as we all know, and having three tennis courts that act as pickleball courts are OK, but we find that we don’t have enough. So, hopefully in the resurfacing, we’ll do some reconfiguration and maybe add a fourth pickleball court.”

Horton says that once the equipment shed is done, the club will devote its energy to raising the money needed to get the ball rolling on the court resurfacing.

“We’re ready to grow this membership as big as we possibly can, and then focus on the resurfacing. That’s our next big project.”

For more information on the Liverpool Tennis and Pickleball Club, you can follow them on Facebook.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Liverpool author Vernon Oickle is getting ready for the release of his newest collection of ghost stories this fall. (Rick Conrad)

It’s a perfect night to tell a ghost story.

As the fog rolls in from the Atlantic Ocean at White Point Beach Resort on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, Liverpool author Vernon Oickle is in his element.

About a dozen people have turned out for his regular Thursday night ghost storytelling event at White Point. And while he usually tells his tales around a fire outside the lodge near the beach, his indoor audience on this night is nonetheless engaged as he recounts stories of spectres and restless spirits.

Oickle has crafted a reputation as a Nova Scotia authority on ghost stories and folklore, with books like Ghost Stories of Nova Scotia, Strange Nova Scotia, and Where Evil Dwells.

“Having been born and raised here in rural Nova Scotia, I’ve heard all this stuff, ghost stories and legends and superstitions,” he says.

“My family, particularly my mother’s side of the family, was extremely superstitious. And so I was raised in that environment and have been exposed to that and embrace that.”

He’s been collecting stories of the supernatural for decades, since publishing his first collection, Ghost Stories of the Maritimes, in 2001.

“There are stories told to me by other people who have had these experiences, and they’re quite popular. People love it. And, you know, particularly the children, when I do ghost stories at White Point, there’s a lot of children that participate.

“And it’s just a fun thing.”

But mining the spookier corners of Nova Scotia and the Maritimes isn’t the only thing that inspires Oickle, who began his writing career as a journalist at newspapers in Liverpool and Bridgewater. Other titles under his belt include the best-selling Blue Nosers’ Book of Slang, Grandma’s Home Remedies, the Outstanding Outhouse Bathroom Reader series, and various photo and trivia books. Still, the lure of a scary tale keeps drawing him back.

Early this fall, he’ll add to his assembly of alarming accounts with his 47th book, Even More Ghost Stories of Nova Scotia.

“It’s kind of become my thing, right? The year before we did Forerunners of Nova Scotia, which was all on forerunners. … And then last year, we did Grandma’s Home Remedies. All in that Maritime folklore tradition vein of things. So it’s been fun for me. I love it.”

While much of Oickle’s oeuvre is non-fiction, he’s also a celebrated mystery author.

In 2024, he added the International Impact Book Award to his collection of accolades, which also includes the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

He was honoured in the mystery/thriller-historical mystery category for the seventh in his Crow series of novels, Seven Crows a Secret Yet to be Told. Nine books have been published so far in the series, which is a play on the nursery rhyme that begins with One Crow Sorrow and ends with Thirteen Crows Beware It’s the Devil Himself.

The most recent, Nine Crows for a Kiss, continues the deadly intrigue gripping Oickle’s hometown of Liverpool. He says switching from non-fiction to fiction can be difficult, but it’s rewarding.

“I think most fiction writers would tell you it’s probably the hardest of the two, because you know you have to create worlds and events and characters that are believable. But it’s also quite freeing, quite liberating in that you can create your own world, your own environment, your own town if you want to. I’ve been invested in these stories, these people for a long time. And they’re like family to me now.”

Oickle says that after almost 50 books, he still loves telling other people’s stories and creating his own.

“I just enjoy it. And I consider myself very fortunate to be able to do it on a full-time basis, because a lot of people who want to be writers just financially can’t. But I’m in the position now, you know, I’m almost 64. And I have a very supportive spouse (Nancy) who supports and travels with me.

“But if you want to be a writer, you have to write. And if you want to be a photographer, you take pictures, or a sculptor sculpts, painters paint, right? Even if it’s a sentence a day or a paragraph. You know, I tell myself every day when I get up, y, OK you’ve got to move the story along. My advice to anybody who is seriously thinking about wanting to be a writer, just write.”

That persistence has paid off for Oickle throughout his career. He’s working on finishing his Crow series of novels, while coming up with new stories to tell and continuing his regular column in Saltscapes magazine.

“I have another piece of fiction that I’ve been mulling around for a couple years that I’d like to tackle once I get the Crow books off my agenda. So I hope to put pen to paper to that in the next year or two. And, you know, as far as other projects, I have a couple of other things that I’ve been delving into over the years. One’s historical, sort of a profile, biography type of thing.

“So, there’s plenty of material out there, you just have to be willing to put yourself into it and put in the time and the research to make it happen.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Thomas Raddall Provincial Park near Port Joli, Queens County, is one of 16 provincial parks getting upgrades. (Nova Scotia Provincial Parks)

The Nova Scotia government is committing $100,000 for upgrades to Thomas Raddall Provincial Park in Port Joli.

The money will help improve the park’s entrance building and water system, according to a news release from the governing Progressive Conservatives.

“We’re making smart upgrades that protect these beautiful spaces and make them easier and more enjoyable to access,” Queens MLA Kim Masland said in the release.

The work at Thomas Raddall is part of the province’s $13.8-million capital plan to improve infrastructure at 16 provincial parks, including water and sewer system upgrades at camping parks, washroom improvements, trail enhancements and parking lot redevelopments, according to the release.

More than 1 million people visited provincial parks in 2024.

Artist Jane Stevenson traces a mandala design on Beach Meadows Beach on Tuesday as part of a celebration for Disability Pride Month. (Rick Conrad)

It was a great beach day on Tuesday in Queens County.

And about 50 clients and staff from the Queens Association for Supported Living took full advantage of it to celebrate Disability Pride Month.

QASL asked Liverpool artist Jane Stevenson to help them create some sand art on Beach Meadows Beach to commemorate the month.

Stevenson has created memorable sand art installations before like her tribute to Olympic shot putter Sarah Mitton for the 2024 Paris games.

QCCR spoke to some people on the beach on Tuesday to find out what it was all about. Listen to it below.

Michael Moreau gets some help creating sand art on Tuesday at Beach Meadows Beach to celebrate Disability Pride Month. (Rick Conrad)

One of the designs at Beach Meadows Beach created by the clients and staff of the Queens Association for Supported Living. (Rick Conrad)

The Queens Association for Supported Living celebrated Disability Pride Month at Beach Meadows Beach on Tuesday. (Rick Conrad)

Queens Place Emera Centre. File photo by Ed Halverson

There could be more fast-charging stations for electric vehicles in the Liverpool area.

The region will enter an agreement with Tesla to do a feasibility study about installing new supercharging EV stations at Queens Place Emera Centre.

There is one fast-charging station now at the Sobeys in Liverpool. There are also chargers at the Best Western and at White Point Beach Resort. Nova Scotia Power plans two other fast-charging stations near the visitor information centre on the waterfront. 

Mayor Scott Christian said Region of Queens council discussed the agreement in a closed session this week.

“This is very much actual technical feasibility. Can we get enough electrical supply there? Will the grid support it?”

He said the new stations would likely support any electric vehicle.

“My understanding is that anyone with a modern EV has an adaptor. They’re the fourth-generation ones with super high-speed capabilities.”

Christian said the municipality will consult with Nova Scotia Power on the technical aspects of installing the equipment at Queens Place.

Crepes by the Coast will be operating a small canteen at Beach Meadows Beach. (Katharina Seitz-Cochrane via Facebook)

A young Queens County entrepreneur will be the first vendor to set up in the small canteen facility at Beach Meadows Beach.

Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian said this week the successful applicant is Crepes by the Coast, which is owned by Liverpool’s Sammy Cochrane, who will be entering university this fall.

The region will will be entering negotiations with Cochrane soon on a rental agreement for the space and spend up to $10,000 to make the space suitable for food service, by installing handwashing facilities and buying a fridge and freezer.

“Sammy is going to be going to university in September so we’re going to try to move quick on it and get it open. We’re hoping at least for the month of August. … They’re planning on ice cream and crepes and soft drinks.”

The region posted a request for proposals on July 4 for the small room attached to the washroom facilities at the beach. It’s a very basic space with a large serving window.

Christian wouldn’t say how many proposals they received. Councillors discussed them in a closed session on Wednesday. 

“We received interest from a limited number of parties and it was a quick turnaround realizing that we only had so much runway for this season and so it was just trying to do something rather than nothing. And a little bit of a test case, and then to get the facility ready to go so that we can do something whatever that looks like, whether we do something in-house with some summer students or again contract it out to a third party vendor for next season.”

The region opened the new washroom facilities and outdoor showers in 2024. Workers are also putting the finishing touches on six picnic shelters at the municipally owned beach.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

MacPhersons in Liverpool has been sold. (MacPhersons via Facebook)

The Wasoqopa’q, or Acadia, First Nation have bought two Liverpool retail businesses.

The Mi’kmaw nation’s leadership announced Tuesday evening that it has bought the long-established MacPhersons in Liverpool.

And early Wednesday evening, it announced it has bought the building currently operating as the Milton Market in Milton. That building has been for sale since May.

Wasoqopa’q is based in Yarmouth but takes in communities throughout southwestern Nova Scotia to Halifax. It includes six reserves: Yarmouth, Ponhook, Medway, Wildcat, Gold River and Hammonds Plains.

Liverpool furniture and sporting goods store MacPhersons was established in 1982, but the MacPherson family said their family has been in business for five generations.

Wasoqopa’q First Nation said it has bought the store and the land behind the business.

Owner Horace MacPherson told QCCR on Wednesday he was too busy for an interview and would prefer to comment next week.

Chief Deborah Robinson could not be reached for comment.

In the post shared by Deputy Chief Avis Johnson about MacPhersons, the First Nation leadership says it will continue to operate MacPhersons as it is now.

“MacPhersons has a long history as a successful establishment in Queens and we plan to continue to deliver the same quality service customers have come to know. The operation will continue to be managed by longtime employee Tyler Frank, a Wasoqopa’q First Nation member.”

In the same post, the MacPherson family said they’re leaving the store in “the best of hands”.

“Our family is honoured to pass the store on to the First Nations community. It’s a meaningful transition for us, knowing the store will continue to serve the community with the same heart and eclectic spirit that’s made it special for so many years.

“We’ve always believed in offering a little bit of everything, and we’re thrilled to see that legacy carried forward.”

Post shared on Facebook about the MacPhersons sale

MacPhersons sells appliances, furniture, hunting and fishing supplies and a variety of other products, including clothing, household goods and some audio-visual and computer supplies.

It also leases space to the Needs gas bar and convenience store next door.

The Wasoqopa’q leadership said it also plans to develop the land behind the store which runs down to the Mersey River as an outdoor cultural gathering place guided by Mi’kmaw traditional teaching.

Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian said he’s happy to see the business continue.

“I love MacPhersons because for me, it’s the store that has stuff that nobody else has in Queens. So I think it’s a really important member of the retail business community here. And I think it’s really interesting that (the new owner is) the First Nations community. I think it’s great.”

It’s unclear when the new owners of MacPhersons will officially take over. 

Facebook post about the Milton Market sale

As for the Milton Market property, the Indigenous community said they expected to make a formal announcement on July 31, “however in an effort to dispel speculation and false information we are sharing the news today.”

“We will use this property for a variety of programming, including an adult education and drop-in centre, workshops, small group gatherings, and other activities. More information to our membership will be shared once the purchase is complete.

“The ability to find appropriate space for our programming in the Queens area has gotten more difficult in the past few years. We are pleased to finally have a space of our own.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Northern Pulp says it will sell its assets, after deciding a new mill in Liverpool doesn’t make business sense. (Harry Freeman and Son Limited via Facebook)

UPDATED Tues., July 15 at 5:40 p.m.

Northern Pulp will sell its assets, killing the idea of a new kraft pulp mill in Liverpool.

The company, owned by Domtar-controlled Paper Excellence, has been under creditor protection since June 2020 after it closed its pulp mill in Abercrombie Point, Pictou Co.

It announced in a news release Monday evening that it would begin the process to sell off its holdings.

Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia’s natural resources minister, told QCCR on Tuesday that the province did all it could to make the Liverpool mill a reality.

“Surprised, a little disappointed. This has been a waiting game for landowners and people that supply low-grade wood ffibe to the market.

“Quite frankly, the province and the government have been working very hard on this project and I think we laid our cards on the table.”

Northern Pulp announced in March that a nine-month feasibility study found that a new $2.5-billion mill in Liverpool didn’t make business sense. It required an annual rate of return of at least 14 per cent and it said that wouldn’t happen without a significant amount of government support.

The province granted the company’s request for more time to look for more funding for the project. Monday’s announcement made it clear they weren’t successful. 

Rushton said the new facility would have provided a much-needed industrial customer for the low-grade wood fibre produced by private woodlot owners and mills like Harry Freeman and Son Limited in Greenfield.

“For the whole area, the whole forestry sector in Nova Scotia, I’m certainly not taking my hands off the steering wheel here. We’re going to carry on, and the conversation about a mill, I’m sure it will pop up again and we’ll be at the table to have those conversations, but right now we’re still investigating and working with the sector to achieve a market for the fibre.”

Last May, the province announced a deal to settle the company’s $450-million lawsuit against the province after Northern Pulp was forced to close its mill because of environmental concerns.

Under that agreement, the company said it would look into opening a new bioproducts mill in Liverpool.

In its news release Monday evening, Northern Pulp said the court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young would begin the sale process.

Liverpool was a thriving mill town for more than 80 years. Bowater operated a pulp and paper mill in nearby Brooklyn from 1929 to 2012, which employed thousands of people in Queens County over its lifespan.

But reaction to a new mill was mixed, given Northern Pulp’s environmental record.

Ashley Christian, president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said she believed a new mill in Queens County was a real possibility.

“While the idea of the mill of a modern bioproducts mill was exciting from an economic standpoint for Queens County, we did have some concerns and reservations about Northern Pulp’s past, their reputation, and environmental record,” she said Tuesday.

“I was expecting the mill to go through based on the conversations that I’ve had with individuals in the forestry sector, it felt like they were pretty confident as well. So I was a bit surprised. 
But again, I think it was probably the right decision.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Kristopher Snarby, president of the Queens County Track Society, says Liverpool’s new all-weather soccer field and rubberized track are almost set to open. (Rick Conrad)

The finish line is in sight for the South Shore’s only year-round soccer field and rubberized track, with only one hurdle left to clear.

“The track is done now. Lights are getting done, so we’re just getting them connected. And now we just have to finalize insurance,” Kristopher Snarby, president of the Queens County Track Society, said in a recent interview.

“And once we have insurance in place, then we can start renting it out and start using it.”

The $3.5-million facility at Liverpool Regional High School features an artificial turf soccer field and a four-lane, 400-metre rubberized track. It also has an additional two lanes on the straightaways for 100-metre sprints and 110-metre hurdles races. The society also plans to install bleachers, but that will have to wait until they raise more money.

“I just think it’s amazing that we have this facility in Liverpool,” Snarby says.

“Being the only one on the South Shore is kind of cool. And knowing that people from Bridgewater, Shelburne and all parts in between will want to be here to train and to play games and to run the track, it’s great. I see people out exercising who are runners, and I’m hoping that we’ll see them running to train here. The big game-changer is that we’ll have year-round use now, or close to year-round.”

The federal government contributed $1.8 million, with the province chipping in $1.2 million and the Region of Queens $250,000. The society is making up the difference, with about $150,000 still left to fundraise.

The high school’s old field didn’t drain properly and was sometimes unusable after a heavy rain. The new facility has a modern drainage system built right into the field.

“So, the water actually drains into the perimeter of where the green is for the field, and then there’s a drainage system underneath. It’s been great. We’ve had some pretty heavy rains, and there’s been no issue with drainage.”

The track society is responsible for maintaining the facility and looking after rentals and scheduling, in co-operation with the South Shore Regional Centre for Education and the municipality.

The facility will also be available for anyone in the community to use. Snarby says they’re still working out scheduling details and the logistics for community use.

With a natural turf soccer field and gravel track planned for North Queens Community School in Caledonia, Queens County athletes will be able to train and play on modern facilities for the first time in years.

The closest all-weather tracks are in Halifax, Clare or at Acadia University in Wolfville, all at least a 90-minute drive away.

“Our kids have been at a disadvantage forever for the track,” Snarby says.

“They literally train around the bus loop here. They run around the school, and that’s how they train for runs. So our kids have had to run through the streets of Liverpool, run in the parking lot, run in the bus loop. So it’s nice that we’re going to have the best facility on the South Shore to train at.

“And if I were a kid, I’d be pretty excited about coming here every day and seeing that compared to what they had before. And the soccer field’s beautiful. It’s going to be great for the community.”

Snarby says he had hoped the field and track would have been open by now, but he’s looking forward to having the insurance ironed out in the next few weeks. He’s happy with the almost-finished product.

“I just want to get the gate open so people can start using it. That’s the priority now.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Exterior of Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed on Friday (July 11).

The ER had closed this Wednesday but reopened Thursday this week.

The ER is supposed to be open 24 hours daily from 8 a.m. Monday to 1:30 p.m. Friday. Nova Scotia Health gave no reason for the Wednesday or Friday closures.

In the past, officials have told QCCR it was because of inadequate staffing levels.

Virtual urgent care is available for some conditions at Queens General every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic Monday to Friday for problems that require urgent treatment by calling 902-354-3322.

Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911. For general health advice and information, people can call 811 to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A consultants report does not recommend installing traffic lights at the Main and Market intersection in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

A study of the troublesome three-way stop in downtown Liverpool has found traffic isn’t that bad and that it doesn’t warrant installing traffic lights.

Engineering firm CBCL presented its findings to council this week about the intersection at Main and Market streets.

“We found overall that the intersection has sufficient capacity for the current traffic volumes and the future traffic volumes with the current stop control configuration. We found that the traffic signals are not warranted,” David Copp, a transportation engineer with CBCL who conducted the on-site traffic study in February, told councillors at their regular meeting Tuesday.

Copp said that opinions about the intersection are mixed. While some pedestrians and business owners believe there’s no problem, others told him it is hazardous.

“There was a number of folks who identified that cars or trucks were not yielding to pedestrians. They were sort of blasting through the stop signs and just ignoring any pedestrians who were waiting. 
There definitely seems to be a bit of a lack of trust on the part of the pedestrian that vehicles will actually stop where they’re supposed to when they approach the intersection.”

Collision data for the area is very limited. There have been 36 reported collisions within a 100-metre radius from 2009 to 2024. Most of those were vehicle collisions. Five of them involved pedestrians.

“So it made it very challenging to draw any conclusions or highlight trends or causation between these incidents,” he said.

Overall, the study found traffic flow and vehicle speeds were within acceptable limits. And it also found that five new housing developments planned for the Mount Pleasant area just outside downtown Liverpool won’t make volumes a problem in the next 10 years.

Copp said some changes could make the area safer for pedestrians.

He said combining the through and right-turning westbound lanes at the post office on Main Street would shorten the crosswalk there and improve visibility.

There would still be an issue of cars entering and leaving the angled parking spaces next to the post office. He said most of the collisions in the area were related to those spaces and that council should consider removing or reconfiguring them.

Councillors voted this past February to spend $24,000 on the traffic study after a crosswalk collision in January 2024 sent a 79-year-old woman to hospital.

The intersection has been the scene of lots of close calls over the years.

District 5 Coun. Jack Fancy said he doesn’t believe combining westbound lanes on Main Street is enough to protect pedestrians.

“We’ve had people hit and I think due diligence, if we just walk away from this and say we’re going to combine those two lanes, I don’t think we’re doing our job,” he said.

“I can live with the car to car (collisions), you can fix those. Car to pedestrians, you can’t fix. 
So I think the car to pedestrian is our biggest concern.”

He wants to see some kind of pedestrian-activated signal to alert drivers when somebody wants to cross.

District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault said the intersection and the sidewalk approaches have to be improved to be more accessible for people with visual, hearing or mobility impairments.

“It’s very scary to go through that intersection for pedestrians, very scary. So I think there’s a lot of work we have to do there, and if it doesn’t warrant traffic lights, maybe put up the lights for the signals for the pedestrians. 
But I think this is a situation where we really have to do a lot of a lot more conversation, a lot more work. We just cannot leave it the way it is.”

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton told QCCR after the meeting that even though the traffic count was done in February, when numbers would be typically lower, she said it still gives a good baseline for council to consider.

“And so our conversation with that particular intersection, I think, is far from over, and we should consider if there’s any improvements that we can make to the parking there (at the post office), how we make that the best it can be, given the information that was presented today.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Thomas Bjerke of Waterloo Street in Liverpool during an appeal hearing Tuesday of a proposed development next to his house. (Region of Queens YouTube)

A 10-unit apartment building in Liverpool, geared toward health-care workers, will go ahead after regional councillors turned down an appeal by local residents on Tuesday.

Thomas Bjerke and his wife live next to the undeveloped land on Waterloo Street. Bjerke told councillors he was worried about how the development would affect his and his neighbours’ quality of life. He appealed the site plan filed with the region.

“We are opposed to this project from the get-go,” he said at the appeal hearing, which was held during the regular council meeting.

“You’re taking the essence out of the neighbourhood by plopping a big building into essentially a house lot. 
So now we’re just foregoing any stage of quality of life.”

Bjerke said he and his neighbours are worried about increased traffic, noise and light pollution from the two-storey complex once it’s built.

He said that an enclosed garbage area planned for the property would be less than six metres from his bedroom window and about two metres from his backyard fence.

He said the area already has a problem with raccoons and rodents.

“But rats are the biggest issue in that area and we fear that by putting a garbage area that close to us and any of our neighbours is a deterrent to any healthy living because we have a backyard that will be right behind this and this is where we do most of our recreation during the summer months.”

The Housing Trust of Nova Scotia has been working on plans for the building for about a year.

They have a contract with the Nova Scotia government to build 116 modular units for health-care workers around the province.

Jordan Rogers, an engineer and project manager with the trust, told councillors that the plan is to build six two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units on Waterloo Street, just around the corner from Old Bridge Street.

He said tenants are required to be nurses, doctors, hospital cafeteria workers or others who work in health care. If workers from that sector don’t fill the apartments, then they would be offered to those in the skilled trades. But Rogers said that the housing trust hasn’t had a problem finding tenants who work in health care.

He said they worked closely with Region of Queens officials to ensure they complied with all bylaws. He also said they could look at relocating the garbage enclosure to another part of the property.

“We had to go through and check all of the boxes based on the bylaws, working with Mike (MacLeod) and his team to ensure that everything meets all those requirements with respect to, for example, garbage and parking, for meeting the absolute minimum and where we can, go further and beyond to those requirements.”

Mike McLeod, the region’s director of land use, told councillors that the Housing Trust’s proposal meets all municipal requirements.

Councillors voted unanimously to deny the residents’ appeal.

After the meeting, Bjerke and other residents said the municipality’s appeal process was rushed and excluded some adjacent property owners.

“The engineer himself said they worked on this for over a year now and we got two weeks to appeal something that affects our lives and everybody in the neighbourhood,” Bjerke said in an interview.

“I find that unacceptable.”

Dina Dexter of Liverpool was at the meeting to speak on behalf of her father and brother who live next door to Bjerke. Their backyard also borders the lot where the new building will be.

She said her family didn’t receive a notice that they could appeal, and when she asked municipal officials about it she was told the appeal period was over. Then she was given the wrong date for the hearing. On Tuesday, she wasn’t given a chance to speak.

“And if it wasn’t for my neighbours telling me about this we would not have even known,” Dexter told QCCR. “There’s no posting of a sign. There’s nothing.

“We desperately, desperately want more housing, but in a place like Liverpool, Nova Scotia, where there is so much space. There’s been a derelict abandoned piece of land since the Canadian Tire burnt down in the ’90s on Main Street. Why is it that (this building) is being placed in such a bizarre manner in essentially a backyard lot?”

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton told QCCR that she understands the residents’ frustration but that the region fulfilled its obligations under the Municipal Government Act.

She said if residents encounter any problems with the development, they can report those to the region’s bylaw enforcement officer.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed Wednesday. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed on Wednesday. It will reopen Thursday at 8 a.m.

The ER is usually open 24 hours daily from 8 a.m. Monday to 1:30 p.m. Friday. Nova Scotia Health gave no reason for the Wednesday closure.

Virtual urgent care is available for some conditions at Queens General every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic for problems that require urgent treatment by calling 902-354-3322.

Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911. For general health advice and information, people can call 811 to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Workers were cleaning up in front of 194 Main St. on Wednesday morning. The construction barricades have been removed and work has stopped. (Rick Conrad)

UPDATED Wed., July 9 at 1:55 p.m.

A rundown building in downtown Liverpool will go back on the market after regional council denied a developer’s request to turn it into apartments.

Councillors voted Tuesday not to change the municipal land use bylaw to allow Eric Fry to build up to 16 apartments at 194 Main St., known locally as the old Stedmans building.

Fry, president of SDL Investments Limited, told QCCR in an emailed statement on Wednesday evening that he won’t pursue the project any further.

“Unfortunately, we will be ceasing any further work on this project and putting the building up for sale immediately,” Fry said.

“While I understand that Liverpool does not wish to abandon its commercial presence on Main Street, we firmly believe that this decision is very short-sighted and does absolutely nothing to move the town forward, encourage new residents to move here or assist in revitalizing the downtown.”

He could not be reached for a followup interview about his statement.

The municipal planning strategy allows residential development downtown only in buildings with a primary commercial use. The bylaw requires that residential buildings in the downtown core have at least 50 per cent commercial space on the ground floor. 

Fry’s proposal was to transform the whole building into living space.

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton told QCCR on Tuesday morning after the council meeting that even though councillors voted 5-2 against a bylaw change, she hopes Fry continues with some apartments in the space. She made the comments before Fry’s evening statement.

“I think our community and our council members have made it very clear that they want there to be a downtown core commercial presence. And that is our Main Street,” Charlton said in an interview. She chaired Tuesday’s meeting because Mayor Scott Christian was on vacation.

“And there is allowance now for residential units to go in there to still allow for some housing. 
So there is flexibility there. I do certainly hope that the developer will continue with this project in the revised way that it reads in our bylaws now, but certainly if he chooses not to, that’s certainly up to him.”

Fry bought the building in January for $235,000. In February, he applied to the region for a bylaw amendment to allow a residential-only development with indoor parking.

Councillors considered three options: to allow residential development as a main use in downtown, to allow it by development agreement with council’s approval or to keep the bylaw unchanged.

Before Fry acquired the property, it sat vacant for a few years and was heavily damaged by extreme weather. Before that, it housed a dollar store and office space on the ground floor.

Workers have been cleaning up the building’s interior and fixing damage since early spring.

“We are extremely shocked and disappointed in council’s decision this morning to deny our application to amend the Land Use Bylaw and Municipal Planning Strategy language,” Fry said in the statement.

“Having owned properties in Queens for more than 10 years, our understanding was that Liverpool needs more housing.  Our initial residential building, The Falls in Milton, has been fully occupied since it opened last fall and there is a list of residents wanting to move in when a unit becomes available. This led us to approach RQM about an additional project that would create 16 additional units in the heart of Liverpool. Not to mention, convert an otherwise dilapidated structure into a signature building to anchor the town’s Main Street.

“Liverpool needs residential housing and not additional commercial space clearly demonstrated by the number of For Rent signs in the downtown core.”

The region hired consultants UPLAND Planning from Halifax to hold two public engagement sessions and an online survey on the potential bylaw change.

Thirty people responded to the survey, and only seven people attended the information sessions at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Eighteen of the 30 survey respondents said they were supportive of removing the commercial requirement from the bylaw.

But local business owners told the consultants they were worried about how it could potentially erode the downtown commercial zone. 

The region’s planning advisory committee met on Monday to discuss the consultants’ report.

They recommended sticking with the status quo and keeping the bylaw unchanged.

District 5 Coun. Jack Fancy voted against the motion to maintain the status quo.

He said the building needs a lot of work and he’s worried Fry might sell it. 

“So in order to make it so it’s profitable, it has to be a lot of money coming back,” he told his fellow councillors. 

“
That’s the whole idea. You don’t put money into something if you’re not going to get your money back out of it.”

Fry also owns The Falls in Milton, a three-storey apartment complex on the Mersey River, geared toward people 55 and over.

His plan for 194 Main St. was to have apartments on two levels, with a parking entrance at the back of the building on Water Street.

“I’m not an expert,” Fry said in his statement to QCCR, “but from my experience, I don’t think this type of thinking is going to move the needle in a town with so much promise and potential.”

Here is what councillors voted on and how they voted:

MOTION: That Council of the Region of Queens Municipality maintain status quo and deny the application to amend the Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw to allow new multiple unit residential dwellings as a permitted main use in the Downtown Commercial (CD) Zone.

FOR: Maddie Charlton, Courtney Wentzell, Stewart Jenkins, Vicki Amirault, Wanda Carver

AGAINST: Jack Fancy, Roberta Roy

ABSENT: Mayor Scott Christian

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Ryan MacLean with UPLAND Planning and Design Studio takes people through the options regarding a proposed change to how residential developments are handled in downtown Liverpool. (Rick Conrad/File)

It was a small group, but an opinionated one.

Some Queens County business owners and residents who responded to a survey don’t want a bylaw change that could dramatically alter Liverpool’s Main Street commercial landscape.

Developer Eric Fry of SDL Investments Limited wants the Region of Queens to amend its land use bylaw to allow him to build a 16-unit apartment building in the old Stedmans space at 194 Main St.

The bylaw allows residential development downtown only in buildings with a primary commercial use.

Fry doesn’t plan any commercial presence in the building. So he applied to the region in February to change the bylaw.

The region held public engagement sessions on June 17 and 19 for business owners and residents. It also created an online feedback form that was available from June 12 to 24.

Consultants UPLAND Planning of Halifax conducted the sessions and survey. 

​​The public had three options to consider: to allow residential developments in the commercial district as a main use by right, to allow them by development agreement which would require council approval, or to stay with the status quo and reject any amendments to the bylaw.

In their report for this week’s regular council meeting, UPLAND said seven people who weren’t members of the region’s planning advisory committee, the media or council attended the engagement sessions at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Thirty people replied to the online survey. Nineteen of those said they live in Liverpool, while 17 said they live in another part of Queens County.

Eighteen of the 30 respondents said they were either fully or somewhat supportive of changing the bylaw to remove the commercial requirement.

Ten were either fully or somewhat against it.

But 90 per cent of the business owners who responded were against a bylaw change. They said they were concerned about eroding the commercial area.

Half of the business owners said they would support standalone residential use by development agreement. And 40 per cent said they wanted no change to the current bylaw.

Many people were concerned that there seems to be no vision or strategic plan for Main Street or downtown Liverpool. They want to see a plan driven by the community, not by developers.

Some were also frustrated by the lack of communication from the region about the proposal, the engagement sessions or the survey. 

And the consultants found that there was a divide between those who want to see more housing downtown and those who want to preserve Main Street as a commercial zone. 

Councillors are due to discuss the report at Tuesday morning’s council meeting, which begins at 9.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Matt Smith of North Queens Active Living describes the new track and soccer field project at North Queens Community School in Caledonia to Queens MLA Kim Masland. (Rick Conrad)

Supporters of a long-awaited new soccer field and track at North Queens Community School in Caledonia cleared the final hurdle on Friday afternoon as Queens MLA Kim Masland announced the Nova Scotia government’s grant of $800,000 toward the $1.1 million project.

The Region of Queens had earlier committed $250,000 and a local resident donated land worth $7,500 to expand the field.

“This is absolutely a change maker for our students and our community,” Masland said in an interview after the announcement at the school.

“Our students will now have the opportunity to train at home, to be able to compete in sports that they’ve never been able to compete in before because they didn’t have the place to train. This is about investing in rural communities, this is about investing in our youth, and I’m just so excited about this project.”

The 325-metre gravel track and regulation-sized natural soccer field will mean that the 235 students from pre-Primary to Grade 12 will be able to stay in their community to train and compete. Now, students must travel to Bridgewater or Liverpool or even farther away to Mahone Bay to participate in outdoor school sports.

A concept drawing of the new soccer field and track at North Queens Community School. (North Queens Active Living)

It will also mean that the school will have a place to hold outdoor physical education classes again. As part of the project, its outdoor classroom will also be freshened up, along with a new canopy built by students in the school’s high school construction trades program.

Jake Flemming will be entering Grade 7 at the school in September. He’s on the volleyball and basketball teams and he throws javelin. He said he’s looking forward to using the new facility.

“I think it’s pretty good because hopefully it will help our stuff because we had to kind of practise inside a few times,” he said.

Principal Cindy Arsenault said it’s not safe for kids to use the field because it’s in such bad shape. It’s especially treacherous after it rains because it doesn’t drain properly, and years of damage from ATVs using the field have left holes in the turf.

“So you end up with giant mucky puddles all over, and plus there’s holes because ATVs are here so we have kids stepping in the water and twisting their ankle or falling,” she told QCCR on Friday afternoon.

She said the new fenced facility will get more kids engaged in school sports, which will help lower absenteeism.

“It allows us to bring in some additional sports and some additional things that our kids have been asking for. We could do rugby and some other similar sports, bring back soccer. It means an opportunity not even during school but off school (hours) for families to come and play here and do picnics and we can now start hosting things instead of us driving all the time.

“So for our kids it’s a benefit, they can be involved where they couldn’t before. Now they can come and be on their home field and be participating in sports.”

The new field and track aren’t just for the school to use, it will also be available for the whole community.

Alyssa Short, president of the North Queens Active Living Society, said she and other group members have worked for the past six years to make the new field a reality, though the need for a new field and track goes back decades.

“I have young children here and I know that the impact that it’s going to have on their lives is going to be incredible,” she said, “and I can see for all of their friends growing up with access to something like this it’s going to make such a big difference in their lives and I know for the community at large, there are so many people excited about this and who are going to take full advantage of this and it’s going to have a huge impact.”

Short expects work to begin this summer. She said she hopes the track and soccer field will be ready by the spring.

With a new rubberized track and artificial turf soccer field set to open soon at Liverpool Regional High School, Queens County athletes and community members will soon have two new facilities.

Masland said that will help young athletes from the area follow in the footsteps of Queens County Olympians like Jenna Martin and Sarah Mitton.

“We’re developing future athletes. If we think about Liverpool, we think about our Sarah; if we think about North Queens, we think about our Jenna. And there’s more Sarahs and there’s more Jennas and we have to make sure we have the place for them to grow and to train.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

The Region of Queens Dogwood Festival kicks off Friday evening. (Rick Conrad)

For the past 25 years, they’ve brought vibrant pops of pink, yellow and white to front yards in many parts of Queens County.

And this weekend, the inaugural Region of Queens Dogwood Festival will celebrate the 1,000 dogwood trees planted in the area since 2000.

Stephanie Miller Vincent is organizing the three-day festival. While there have been some garden tours and teas around the dogwood in the past, she says this is the first time an event has focused solely on the trees.

“The end of April, something caught my eye and I was like, holy, this is the 25th anniversary of those original trees. If we don’t do something intentional this year, we really missed an opportunity. You know, it’ll be small, but it will be a celebration. The trees are going to bloom every single year.

“It’s time that we start taking notice of them and welcome people to explore the community.”

Christopher Clarke is the dogwood father of Queens County. He wanted to make the region the dogwood capital of Nova Scotia.

As mayor, he began a millennial planting project in 2000, with the municipality selling 750 dogwoods at a relatively low cost.

“Those 25-year-old trees are very large,” Miller Vincent says. “Not everyone knows what they are, so I think they really catch people’s eye and their attention because they’re kind of like, my gosh, that is beautiful. And then they want to know more. And really, that’s part of the celebration that we’re doing is that these trees have been here for 25 years. And if you’ve driven through the community or come to the community since 2000, you may not know the reason why they’re here.

“That pink pop of color is very different for people as they drive down the street, and it really does catch their eye.”

Stephanie Miller Vincent (Courtesy of Stephanie Miller Vincent)

An opening ceremony and tree planting are planned for Friday evening at the Queens County Museum. On Saturday, local artist Andre Haines will be leading a dogwood painting session in Cobb Park. That’s where a dozen trees were planted after being donated by officials from the region’s former sister city Dryden, Ontario.

Also on Saturday, stained glass artist Scot Slessor will be holding a workshop at his studio in downtown Liverpool.

On Sunday, photographer Amy McGowan will be in Cobb Park taking keepsake photos of people, their families and pets among the dogwoods.

Miller Vincent has also created a crowdsourced map on the event’s website with more than 100 dogwood tree locations from Port Medway to Port Mouton.

“They are absolutely gorgeous. We’ve had the perfect weather for big, bright, beautiful blossoms.”

Miller Vincent plans to make the Region of Queens Dogwood Festival an annual event. And just like the trees themselves, she says she hopes the festival grows bigger every year.

“Absolutely. Bigger and better next year. We thought any celebration is a good celebration and we’ll add things to it next year.”

For more information, visit regionofqueensdogwoodfestival.ca or follow their Facebook page.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Vina Moses in front of the Hank Snow Home Town Museum in Liverpool. The museum is planning a summer country music festival beginning Friday. (Rick Conrad)

If you’re a fan of country music, Liverpool will be the place to be this weekend as the Hank Snow Home Town Museum kicks off Summerfest on Friday evening.

More than 25 acts are scheduled for the two-day event at the Hank Snow Gazebo Park, including the Saltwater Cowboys, Autumn Carver, and Dave Burbine.

Friends of Hank Snow Society administrator and longtime QCCR volunteer Vina Moses says fans from near and far will get a chance to listen to some great music.

“We’re going to have a lot of great acts, some that are new to Liverpool, some that … everybody has asked for and they’re coming back,” she said in an interview.

“And we’ve got a great lineup for the whole entire weekend.”

The summer festival took root during the pandemic when the museum couldn’t hold its traditional Hank Snow tribute.

“So this is a really key fundraiser for us,” Moses says.

“Every fundraiser that we have continues to support the continuation of this museum.”

The museum gets more than 3,000 visitors a season who pay tribute to Canada’s first major country music star. Hank Snow was born in Brooklyn, Queens Co., and recorded more than 140 albums and had more than 85 singles on the Billboard country music charts. He’s the only Canadian in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

The summer festival is also a good warmup for the main event, the Hank Snow Tribute from August 14 to 16.

“I am so excited for the tribute because it is youth-oriented,” Moses says.

“And I can tell you this, some of them have been coming here since they were five and six. And they are now teenagers. They’re touring all over the Maritimes. They’re going to Nashville. We have two of them just got back from Nashville. So we feel like we’re their parents because we have helped them become performers that everybody knows now.”

More than 40 acts will be coming to Liverpool for the tribute.

“We have young folks like Carson Fullerton, who’s like seven years old, has been to Nashville and back. Carson actually did a recording while he was there. We have folks like the Jovial Joes. They’re a young group of sisters from Halifax. We discovered them here. We asked them to come to our summer show. And boy, now they’re touring all over the Maritimes.”

Moses says organizers this year wanted to highlight young musicians while welcoming older favourites.

“You know, it’s interesting because you think of Hank Snow and you think, oh, old, nobody’s going to know Hank Snow. If you see the people who come here to visit, you would not believe it. They come from all over the world. And they all love music. They love country music. And they know that for a lot of these folks, Hank Snow started it for them. He’s the reason that people in Canada can go down to Nashville.”

As for this weekend’s festival, Moses says organizers tried to keep ticket prices as low as possible.

A weekend pass for one person is $55 or two for $100. And if you can make it for only part of the festival, ticket prices range from $15 for Saturday afternoon to $20 for Friday or Saturday evening.

“This weekend, we just want you to come and have fun. And we’ll have lots of food and we’ll have lots of fellowship and we’ll have lots of great music.”

More information about the Hank Snow Hometown Museum Summer Fest 2025 can be found on their Facebook page.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Region of Queens councillors recently discussed the future of fireworks at municipal events. (Pexels via Pixabay)

The traditional Canada Day fireworks display on the Liverpool waterfront will go ahead this year, but it may look and sound different at future celebrations.

Many people in recent years have questioned whether municipalities should continue their fireworks displays.

People with post-traumatic stress disorder and others who are neurodivergent can be triggered by the lights and noise from fireworks.

Pets and other animals can also be traumatized. 

Regional councillors discussed it at their meeting in early May, after some residents took their concerns to Mayor Scott Christian.

“And the nature of their reservations or advocacy against the use of fireworks,” Christian told councillors, “is related to the impact that it has on wildlife, impact that it has on pets, and impact that it has for members of our community who have post-traumatic stress from certain events and the impact that loud fireworks have with respect to that, as well as folks who are neurodivergent or can become overstimulated because of environmental stuff.”

District 1 Coun. Roberta Roy said most residents wouldn’t be happy if the region cancelled or changed the July 1 fireworks.

“I mean that park is full,” she said. “You have fireworks, you have a full park. People come in from all over the county and other counties. I just think people will say, you know, taking something else away from us.”

District 3 Coun. Courtney Wentzell said he opposes fireworks because they can be so upsetting to animals and humans alike.

“Just for the record, there are people on my end of town that have fireworks because it’s a Tuesday. … So it’s just like once the fireworks season starts and they can buy them, you never know when they’re going to be cracking off. And it does drive the dogs absolutely crazy. I think the community maybe makes the decision, not this council, but I am totally against fireworks.”

Councillors voted to continue with the traditional Canada Day fireworks this year, but asked staff to investigate other options for future celebrations, including looking at using silent or quiet fireworks.

And the region has decided to eliminate the largest shells during this year’s show. They are also warning people to prepare themselves and their pets to cope with increased noise until about 10 p.m.. 

Liverpool’s Canada Day celebrations are held in Privateer Park and begin at 2:30 with children’s entertainers Razzmatazz and magician The Amazing Mr. J. The evening’s main stage music begins at 5:30. The fireworks are scheduled to go off around 9:30.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

The Liverpool International Theatre Festival has issued a call for submissions for its 2026 event. (LaRocque Photography via Liverpool International Theatre Festival Facebook page)

The Liverpool International Theatre Festival is now accepting applications from amateur theatre troupes around the world to participate in the 2026 festival from Oct. 14 to 18.

“LITF is one of the Top 10 amateur theatre festivals in the world, and we’re incredibly proud to invite
troupes to bring their stories and artistry to our community,” festival chairperson Jean Robinson said in a news release.

“Each festival is a vibrant celebration of culture, creativity and connection.”

LITF features five days of performances which are usually one-act plays, along with workshops and many social events, which give audiences an opportunity to connect with the artists. Local residents are also given a chance to host the actors, writers and directors in their own homes, enhancing the cultural exchange component of the unique festival.

Amateur theatre groups can download the application form and guidelines from the festival’s
official website at www.litf.ca.

The Region of Queens is recommending that water rates should double to deal with rising deficits. (Rick Conrad)

Most residents in Liverpool and Brooklyn will likely have to pay more than double what they pay now for water.

The 1,233 customers of the Region of Queens Water Utility will be on tap to pay an average of 106 per cent more this year to stem rising deficits.

Under a rate proposal to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board, most customers who now pay $75.61 every three months would have to pay $170.32.

Region of Queens councillors approved the three-year water rate study at their meeting on Tuesday evening.

Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that the large proposed increase as of Oct. 1 will help dam mounting deficits at the municipality’s water utility.

“But the biggest challenge that we were looking at was this structural, perpetual, persistent, operating deficit where the thing would be in a deficit position, more and more and more with each passing year. … 
It just put us in a position really, where we’re recovering enough revenue from the water utility to run it.”

2021 was the last time rates for the region’s water utility were reviewed. They were set for the following three years until 2024. The region has been holding the line on rates since then, but it has racked up a deficit of about $516,000.

If rates don’t increase, that deficit is projected to swell to $3.344 million by 2027/28.

The costs of the utility are borne by its users. 

The region hired two consulting firms to conduct the three-year rate study. They found that revenues have to rise immediately by more than $430,000.

The proposed average increases in years 2 and 3 are 3.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent.

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton said Queens water customers had been paying some of the lowest rates in the province.

“I just want to note that because 106 per cent is significant, but when you look at it as a whole, our water rates are really too low, which is what is prompting us to go through this process.”

If the proposed rates are accepted by the provincial regulator, it would put Queens in line with the Town of Lunenburg, which has an unmetered rate for residential customers.

But the new levies would be higher than those charged in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and the Town of Bridgewater.

A staff report for council prepared by Adam Grant, director of infrastructure, and Joanne Veinotte, director of finance, partially blames the heavy damage sustained at the water treatment plant by a lightning strike in July 2023. An insurance claim covered only part of the damage, according to the report.

The lightning strike led to a boil-water advisory for water customers that lasted almost nine weeks.

After public demand for a break on rates, the region gave a one-time 70 per cent discount on water bills.

Grant and Veinotte also point out in the report that the utility has struggled operationally for years.

Knowing that water users would be on the hook for much higher rates, Queens councillors earlier this year created a $15,000 fund to give rebates to low-income residents.

Christian told councillors that regulators don’t allow separate rates for low-income households.

“But what we are trying to do is find effective and creative solutions to provide a rebate to those customers who cannot bear the financial impact of increased water rates.”

Customers will have a chance to participate in the provincial regulator’s public hearing once dates are set.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Brian Muldoon of Protect Liverpool Bay says he hopes people will come out for the New Privateer Film Fest at the Astor Theatre. (Rick Conrad)

Hearings into fish farm expansion in Liverpool Bay have been on hold for more than a year, but a group that fights ocean-based aquaculture says the issue isn’t going away.

To help keep awareness alive, Protect Liverpool Bay is holding a mini film festival on Thursday at the Astor Theatre.

Brian Muldoon, spokesman for the group, says they’re teaming up with Healthy Bays Network to put on the event.

“And we thought this would be a perfect time to bring people up to speed, show a couple of documentaries, and so the New Privateer Film Fest is this Thursday, June 26th at the Astor Theatre. (It’s) free to get in, and it’s from 6:30 to 9:15.”

Documentaries being screened are the CBC-produced The Salmon that Divides the Maritimes, a Greek documentary called The Sanctuary of Poseidon and Scale of Change from Hooke and the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

“It’s three excellent films,” Muldoon says. “I hope the community will come out and watch them, and then there’ll be an update on Protect Liverpool Bay and where the application stands with the Aquaculture Review Board.”

Last March, Nova Scotia’s ARB suspended planned hearings into an application by Cooke Aquaculture’s Kelly Cove Salmon to expand its operations near Coffin Island in Liverpool Bay and add two new fish farms off Brooklyn and Mersey Point.

Since then, there has been no movement on the hearing and no word from the aquaculture review board.

“It hasn’t gone away, and when I speak to different individuals in town, they go, ‘Oh, I thought it was a done deal,'” Muldoon says.

“I think it’s good to keep them updated and to keep top of mind, and here’s an opportunity leading up to our infamous Privateer Days weekend of celebration to give people an update. This will kind of bring them up to speed on what’s happening with fish farming on the East Coast.”

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told a business crowd in Liverpool in February 2024 that he was personally opposed to the expansion. But he has since talked about the need to expand resource development in the province.

“On the West Coast, they’re closing down fish farms, not renewing licences, trying to get them out of the waters and yet on the East Coast the message is ‘we’re open for business, come and let’s expand.’

“And we just don’t think that’s right.”

The New Privateer Film Fest begins Thursday at 6:30 at the Astor Theatre. It’s a free event, but Muldoon says donations to Protect Liverpool Bay are welcome.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Customers of the Region of Queens Water Utility will see their rates rise. (Kawita Chitprathak via Pixabay)

Municipal water customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn could see their rates double.

The Region of Queens is almost ready to submit its water rate application to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board.

Councillors are set to discuss a report from senior staff at their meeting on Tuesday evening.

2021 was the last time rates for the region’s water utility were reviewed. They were set for the following three years until 2024. The region has been holding the line on rates since then, but it has racked up a deficit of about $516,000.

If rates don’t increase, the water utility’s deficit is projected to swell to $3.344 million by 2027/28.

According to a three-year water rate study done by G.A. Eisnor Consulting Limited and Blaine S. Rooney Consulting Limited, the utility needs revenues to jump immediately by more than $1.6 million to stem the tide of rising deficits.

The staff report for council prepared by Adam Grant, director of infrastructure, and Joanne Veinotte, director of finance, blames the heavy damage sustained at the water treatment plant by a lightning strike in July 2023. An insurance claim partially covered the damage, according to the report.

• Read the report to council here

But Grant and Veinotte also point out that the utility has struggled operationally for years.

The lightning strike in summer 2023 led to a boil-water advisory for water customers that lasted almost nine weeks.

After public demand for a break on rates, the region gave a one-time 70 per cent discount on water bills in 2023.

The region has been warning for the past year that its 1,233 customers should prepare to pay much more for water.

The water rate study done for the region recommends an average increase in rates of 106 per cent immediately, 3.8 per cent in 2026/27 and 2.7 per cent in 2027/28.

Once councillors approve the rate study, it will be submitted to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board, which will schedule a public rate hearing.

The public will be allowed to give their input on the proposed rates at the hearing.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Min Smale is the chair of the Privateer Days committee. (Rick Conrad)

It’s the celebration that kicks off summer in Liverpool with a bang.

And the organizers of this year’s Privateer Days festival hope it’s bigger and better than ever.

Min Smale is the chair of the Privateer Days committee. This is her fourth year with the event.

“We’ve tripled our sponsor dollars over last year and it’s enabled us to do a lot more than we did last year. We keep posting new things and we keep getting great feedback,” Smale said in a recent interview.

“I think everybody is going to be thoroughly excited and have a great time.”

Last year’s festival almost didn’t happen, as organizers struggled to recover sponsor dollars and volunteers after the pandemic. Smale says there’s no fear of that this year, as their budget hovers around $70,000.

They doubled their board members this year to 10. And they have about 30 additional volunteers to help run the packed event schedule over the three-day festival. 

“I don’t think we’ve ever had this many eager volunteers come and help us. It’s overwhelming in a good way.”

Big sponsors like Atlantic Lottery Corp. and Coldstream Clear Distillery have come on board to help bring back the entertainment and beer tents.

Thirty artists are lined up to keep those tents hopping all weekend.

“I think the main thing I’ve heard in the last four years was, ‘When’s the beer tent coming back?’ And so we were very fortunate to be able to partner with a Nova Scotia brand like Coldstream Clear Distillery to help us get there.”

More than 60 craft, food and clothing vendors are expected to be set up in the park for the weekend.

Over a dozen events and booths are planned for kids and families, including bouncy castles from Yarmouth Big Bounce, a foam dance party and a superhero dance party.

And the popular Pirates of Halifax will return to this year’s event.

The weekend will also feature traditional historical re-enactments, like the encampment in Fort Point with the King’s Orange Rangers.

“My big things are family friendly, creating moments, support local and drive some business into the community as well as coming together as a community.”

A centrepiece of the weekend is the parade through downtown Liverpool on Saturday morning. And this year, the grand marshal will be well-known local musician and volunteer Dick Henneberry.

Smale says having a great team of volunteers has helped make preparations for this year’s festival go smoothly.

“Come out, enjoy yourself and we try to make everything as free or low cost as possible, just so we can all come together and have a great weekend.”

Privateer Days runs from June 27 to 29 at Privateer Park on the Liverpool waterfront. A full list of events is available on their Facebook page.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Ryan MacLean with UPLAND Planning and Design Studio explains the options regarding a proposed change to how residential developments are handled in downtown Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

It was a small turnout for the first public engagement session about a proposed change to downtown development in Liverpool.

Developer Eric Fry wants to turn the old Stedmans building at 194 Main St. in Liverpool into 16 apartments. 

The Region of Queens land use bylaw allows residential development downtown only in buildings with a primary commercial use.

Three options are on the table for the public to consider: to allow residential developments in the commercial district as a main use by right, to allow them by development agreement which would require council approval, or to stay with the status quo and reject any amendments to the bylaw.

The first drop-in session on Tuesday evening was geared toward the business community. The second session is focused on hearing from residents. That is scheduled for Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the community room at Queens Place Emera Centre. There is also an online survey available.

The region hired UPLAND Planning and Design Studio from Halifax to lead the public engagement. Two representatives from that company were at Tuesday’s session, along with Mike MacLeod, the region’s director of land use.

Ryan MacLean, an engagement manager with UPLAND, said they’ve already heard a variety of opinions.

“People have expressed great support for any opportunity to increase residential development, expressing their concerns around the housing crisis, but then we’ve also heard concern around the potential for if you permit more residential uses, then it could erode the commercial character of the downtown.”

Beach Meadows resident Mary White is a member of the region’s planning advisory committee, which recommended having the public sessions.

She doesn’t want the bylaw to change. And she said she’d like to see the region do more to support local businesses.

“I think that we need to maintain the commercial spaces on Main Street and I think that we need to decide as a community what we want the future of our community to be. And if that’s to have a main core then we need to support that. And as a municipality, I would hope they would get together and decide some intitiatives to help the (businesspeople) that are there that have been struggling and hanging on for so long.”

Rigel Jones, executive director of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said she was staying open-minded about any changes to downtown development.

“I know the feedback we’ve gotten from members in the chamber is they’re struggling with foot traffic and that having more residents on main street could change that.”

Liverpool resident Paul Deveau said he’s against the bylaw change, though he’s in favour of more residential development on Main Street.

“I firmly believe that, yes, we should allow some apartments to be built down there under the current use. All across Canada municipality have come up with urban plans for their main streets. … It’s a work-live-play. So they should have apartments on top of these businesses but still have the businesses stay. The moment you start allowing them to be converted into residential that’s the moment that all the street is going to be turned into residential because that’s where they’re going to make the most money.”

He said he’s happy the municipality is “finally” having some public engagement, but said two sessions aren’t enough for such a significant discussion.

The consultants will prepare a report for council by the end of June. The region’s planning advisory committee will then review the report and make recommendations to council.

If there are proposed amendments to the land use bylaw, councillors would vote on those. If they’re approved initially, then there would be a two-week notice period for a public hearing to be held before the final vote.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below