Members of the South Queens Middle School Grade 7/8 band perform at the Queens County Music Festival in late April. (Rick Conrad)
It looks like the band program at South Queens Middle School in Liverpool will live to play another day, though it’s unclear in what form.
Parents and others vented their frustrations online a couple of weeks ago when they heard the school planned to cut the program for next year.
It came on the eve of the 80th annual Queens County Music Festival at the Astor Theatre. The festival features young musicians and vocalists from school and private music programs being scored on their performances by trained adjudicators.
The middle school’s Grade 7 and 8 band competed at the festival.
Principal Stacy Thorburn told QCCR on Wednesday that she hopes to have good news for students and parents by the end of the week.
“It’s in the works. I’m in conversations to find out how it will look next year.”
The program includes about 40 students.
In a message to students and their families on Friday, the school said they’re looking at ways to continue offering it next year.
“School administration is having ongoing conversations with nearby schools to explore potential collaboration opportunities and are looking at creative staffing solutions, all with the intention to continue offering the band program,” the note read.
“Additionally, discussions regarding the band program are planned with the school advisory council.”
Thorburn didn’t want to comment on what led to the worries about the program’s survival.
“I would rather not because there are lots of things that go into play. And I’ve had conversations with our (school advisory council) and members of our community who have asked so I’d rather keep it at that for now, until we know for sure what’s happening.
Dave Schofield, president of the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool, Stacy Thorburn, principal of South Queens Middle School, and Ted Bulley of the Kiwanis Club at an announcement on Wednesday at the school. (Rick Conrad)
Sports teams at South Queens Middle School will be getting a new electronic scoreboard thanks to a donation from the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool.
The service organization donated $7,000 toward the $17,000 piece of equipment that will hang in the gymnasium at the Grade 6-8 school.
Principal Stacy Thorburn said the donation is “amazing”.
“To know that one of our organizations in Queens donated $7,000, it’s just unheard of. Even through our fundraising, as thankful as we are to everyone, we weren’t able to raise that much money, so a one-time donation of $7,000 is huge.”
Currently, a scoreboard is projected onto one of the walls of the gym.
“Which is great when technology’s working, but it had its time,” Thorburn said. “And so we thought well, we don’t have a scoreboard and we have lots of community basketball coming in, we have sports teams from other schools coming in, so we thought that would be a priority for right now.”
Thorburn said the whole community pitched in. A youth in the community donated what he made from giving basketball lessons, Liverpool Regional High School donated proceeds from their annual alumni basketball tournament, the school itself held an online auction and the school’s advisory council contributed $2,000.
“We couldn’t have done it without the community and the parents from South Queens, which is amazing.”
Dave Schofield, president of the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool, said usually the club gives up to $1,000 for specific projects.
“Initially we were thinking a smaller amount. And one of our members said, we got extra money this year from running the canteen at Queens Place, let’s go all in on the scoreboard, so that’s what we did.
“You like to see everyone working together for a common goal.”
The school held a short ceremony on Wednesday morning to unveil the Kiwanis contribution. Students, staff and Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian were there, as well as Kiwanis Club members from Liverpool, Halifax and Kingston, Jamaica.
Pam Rodney-White is governor of the eastern Canada and Caribbean district for Kiwanis International.
As part of her duties, she’s touring Canada’s six districts. And she was in town on Wednesday visiting the Liverpool chapter.
She said the Liverpool chapter’s support for the scoreboard is an example of the kinds of contributions Kiwanis clubs make to help kids and communities.
“It’s fantastic. I really want to congratulate the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool for the donation of the scoreboard. I’m sure the students are going to be happy when they look up there and see that they are making some runs, not fouls.”
Thorburn says she hopes to have the scoreboard installed over the summer in time for when students return in the fall.
Willa Thorpe is the new chief administrative officer for the Region of Queens. (Region of Queens Municipality)
UPDATED Mon., May 12
The Region of Queens has hired a new chief administrative officer.
Willa Thorpe will take over as the municipality’s top staffer on June 16, after regional councillors unanimously approved her appointment on Tuesday.
Thorpe is from British Columbia, where she is the director of parks, recreation and culture for the City of Port Alberni.
She has 10 years of experience in local government, though she has 20 years working in senior leadership roles. This will be her first job running a municipality.
Mayor Scott Christian said he’s excited to welcome Thorpe to the region and to the community.
“She demonstrated throughout the recruitment process that she’s incredibly skilled when it comes to directing organizations and the people within organizations and in meaningful ways and getting the best out of them,” he told QCCR Tuesday evening, after councillors approved her appointment.
“ And we know that that’s really what we need. We need a leader who’s going to be able to get the best out of the team and get this organization moving in a new direction, in a better direction. We know that there’s modernization that needs to occur. We know that there’s going to be changes, significant changes to the way that we do business, to the way that residents interact with the organization and the way that they receive services. And so that’s the first thing is her her skill set, her credentials, that she brings to the table.
“And then the other thing that really set her apart was her value that she placed on being of and in community.”
Christian said residents and regional councillors emphasized the importance of having a CAO that lives in Queens County and is involved in the community.
“We heard loud and clear from our residents,” he said.
“There was a lot of feedback on previous CAOs that weren’t very involved in the community. Some didn’t live in the community and there were a lot of expectations to say, ‘Hey, our next CAO should really be someone who lives in the community, is involved in the community, is engaged, active, visible in the community.'”
Christian said that during the hiring process, Thorpe “really shone” by demontrating her involvement in her community in Port Alberni through coaching and volunteering.
“And so she just demonstrated how she shows up in community and what that looks like. And how important it would be to her if she is the next CAO for our municipality to be really, really involved in Queens.”
Thorpe has a PhD in industrial/organizational psychology, as well as a masters in leadership. She also has a kinesiology and health studies degree, and she’s a certified coach.
Thorpe told QCCR she’s “very excited” to start the job and move to the region, especially since it has so many waterfront areas.
“I’m really trying to replicate the lifestyle that I’ve got on the West Coast and so when I was looking at Queens noticed that there’s lots of local community pride, which is very exciting and everyone I talked to in the community just seems so ecstatic to be in Nova Scotia, from Nova Scotia and being from the Queens area. And I also love the inclusiveness of Nova Scotia as well so seems like just a great fit.”
Thorpe is originally from Ontario, but has worked and lived in various places in Canada. This will be her first time living on the East Coast.
Her wife Carrie and their rescue dog Hershey will also be making the move with her. They plan to head out in early June in their camper van to drive the TransCanada Highway from B.C. to Nova Scotia.
“I’ve done portions of it, but I’ve never done the whole thing in one shot, so excited for the beginning of June to be doing the entire trek from West to East.”
She said she’s impressed with what she’s seen so far.
“It seems like there’s a great investment in community. It seems very exciting and something that I want to be part of, so I thought as my first opportunity to be a chief administrative officer, I thought it really ticked all the boxes and it seems like there’s a lot of really good stuff going on in the region.”
Thorpe said that she and her wife have already been house shopping in the area.
“Hoping to set down roots as soon as we can.”
The region has been searching for a new CAO since they fired Cody Joudry in December 2024.
Dan McDougall has been filling in on an interim basis since January.
Thorpe will be the region’s sixth permanent CAO since amalgamation 29 years ago.
Christian said Thorpe will be making in the range of $170,000 a year.
According to the federal job bank, wages for CAO positions in the southern region of Nova Scotia ranged from a low of $50.35 an hour to a high of $111.30 an hour.
Regional councillors are back to budget talks on Tuesday evening. (Rick Conrad)
The Region of Queens is about to announce who its new top staffer will be.
Councillors will publicly appoint the region’s new chief administrative officer at a special meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
In a staff report, acting municipal clerk Heather Cook says more than 40 applications for the job were received from across Canada.
Shortlisted candidates went through two interviews with the region’s CAO selection committee. That committee included Mayor Scott Christian, and councillors Maddie Charlton, Stewart Jenkins and Courtney Wentzell.
Dan McDougall has filled in as interim CAO since Joudry was fired.
The region’s new CAO is set to start the job in mid-June.
Queens councillors are also back to budget discussions on Tuesday evening.
This will be the third public meeting about the 2025/26 budget.
Councillors began their budget deliberations on April 24 by looking at capital and infrastructure spending. Last week, they tackled the operating budget.
On Tuesday evening, they’ll address issues that came up in the first two meetings, as well as any other changes or requests from councillors.
Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR last week that the region has about a $1-million surplus from 2024/25. But he said the specific surplus won’t be known until finance staff go through the final numbers and release the audited figures later this year.
Residents or the media were not provided with draft budget documents as they were last year. So far, only the region’s staff and councillors have a complete picture of the actual numbers from 2024/25 and the forecasted totals for this year.
The special meeting will be held at council chambers on White Point Road and livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook.
Donna Croft and Gil Johnson of Queens County Transit in Liverpool are gearing up the group’s Yuk Yuk’s fundraiser at the Astor Theatre on Saturday. (Rick Conrad)
Queens County Transit got on the road seven years ago with one used wheelchair-accessible van catering mostly to seniors in Liverpool.
“When we started out, we had one old used wheelchair-accessible van that we got from over in Clare. And I think it was in the garage more than it was on the road,” says chairman Gil Johnson.
Now, the community organization based in Liverpool provides affordable transportation around Queens County and beyond.
It’s one of 23 rural transit services around Nova Scotia.
The Queens County Transit fleet has grown to eight vans, five of which are accessible. And it employs 11 people, nine of whom are drivers.
Ridership is up too, by almost 30 per cent over the past two years. In 2023/24, the service completed 8,218 trips. About three-quarters of those were for seniors. Ridership so far this year is up by more than 1,000, with only half of overall passengers seniors.
But with increased popularity come increased costs.
“Without community support we would be dead in the water, we wouldn’t be operating,” Johnson says.
“Seven years ago, Queens County was one of four counties in the province that did not have a transit system. Today, we’re one of the leaders and we’re proud of that and we want to be able to keep going but we can’t do it without funding partners, fundraisers. ”
That’s why Queens County Transit has organized its first major fundraiser at the Astor Theatre for this Saturday, May 3. They’ve teamed up with the Yuk Yuk’s standup comedy tour for a show at the historic theatre at 7:30.
Comedians Francois Weber, Andrew Evans and Ian Black are set to hit the Astor stage.
“That’s going to be a good event,” Johnson says. “It’s going to be something new. Yuk Yuk’s haven’t been to Liverpool in quite some time.”
They’re also planning a silent auction at the event.
Queens County Transit gets about 35 per cent of its operational funding from the province and some other funding from the Region of Queens.
That funding and community support are vital so that the service can continue to offer rides to residents at reasonable rates.
A round trip within Liverpool, Brooklyn or Milton costs $10. That goes up to about $15 for longer rides to other areas of the county.
But the service also offers much-needed subsidized rides for medical trips to Queens General Hospital in Liverpool or to Halifax.
Manager Donna Croft says that through funding from the Queens General Hospital Foundation, it can offer a round-trip to an appointment in Halifax for as little as $100. The full cost is usually $160.
“It’s not only the seniors we’re catering to,” Croft says. “We’re catering to all ages. Say a mom with an infant has to go to the city to the IWK and she has no means of getting there or she has to wait for an ambulance to take them through. We have the monies through (the hospital foundation) that we can do that drive for them to get her to the IWK.”
“That’s a huge piece of the mandate of community transit, is to be able to get people to those appointments in an affordable fashion because it goes back to our funding partners,” Johnson says. “They’re the ones who help us subsidize those rides. But if you wanted to rent Queens County Transit to go shopping just on your own or to go for a drive, that’s available as well. It wouldn’t be subsidized. It would be fully funded out of pocket.”
Tickets are still available for the Yuk Yuk’s comedy fundraiser through the Astor Theatre box office or Ticketpro.ca.
And if you need a ride on Queens County Transit, they ask that you contact them at least 24 hours in advance by contacting them at 902-356-2670, by email at info@queenscountytransit.ca or message them on Facebook.
Shelly Panczyk is the chairwoman of the Queens County Food Bank in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
The Queens County Food Bank won’t have to worry about its rent for the next four years as Region of Queens councillors voted this week to give the group a rent subsidy.
As part of its budget talks, councillors agreed to the food bank’s request for an annual grant of $15,500 to cover the rent at its Main Street location in Liverpool.
Shelly Panczyk, chair of the Queens County Food Bank, told QCCR on Thursday that “it’s a wonderful thing.”
“That helps us out because it will give us more working capital to purchase food,” she said.
“We’ve been back and forth with the last council. This is probably our fourth time trying to get something and this council has done it. And I’ve got to give them a good clap around, because they’ve done a good thing. And I think people will step up and be aware that this council is a workable council.”
Before the food bank was forced out of a derelict municipal property in 2019 and began leasing space on Main Street, it paid no rent. Demand for their services has grown, as food costs have risen and donations have plummeted by about 50 per cent.
About 240 families a month use the Liverpool group’s services.
Food bank representatives appealed to councillors at their March 25 meeting for rent relief after the organization was hit with a $10,000 bill to fix its freezer. It’s also committed to begin food pantries for elementary and high school students throughout Queens County.
Mayor Scott Christian said councillors are trying to make more room in the region’s budget to help residents on low or fixed incomes. Council is also considering expanding the region’s low-income property tax exemption program.
“It’s really hard when you’re an organization like Queens County Food Bank when you don’t have certainty of available resources, like you’re constantly competing for available grants,” he said.
“ Their board members did a good job of articulating the financial need that that group has and those are the type of investments I think this council likes to make, so I’m pleased to see if we spend $20 to $25,000 on the low-income tax exemptions and another $15,500 on the food bank, again, it’s challenging, and we need to make sure that the province pays their fair share as it relates to community wellness, but from my perspective, that’s money well spent from the municipality.”
Council has another budget meeting scheduled for Tues., May 6 at 6 p.m.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian, right, wraps up the municipality’s second budget meeting on Monday night. Also pictured is interim CAO Dan McDougall. (Region of Queens YouTube channel)
Region of Queens councillors began their 2025/26 budget discussions with some money in the bank from 2024/25, as they look to make life a little easier for people on low or fixed incomes.
Mayor Scott Christian said the region has a surplus in the million-dollar range. But he said it’s difficult to know for sure until finance staff crunch the final numbers.
Last year, council began budget deliberations with a $650,000 surplus from 2023/24. Nova Scotia municipalities are not allowed to run an operating budget deficit.
Councillors are following a different process this year. While the meetings are public, residents don’t have access to draft budget documents as they did in last year’s discussions.
“I think in past years, there was a lot of emphasis on starting with a tax rate and then working down or whittling away at that or as you add things, the tax rate implications,” Christian told QCCR.
“I think that this year we wanted to focus on funding the right things, identifying what are going to be appropriate things to include in the capital investment plan, and then get that operating budget right. So I think it was a conscious decision but that was staff-driven that they thought that let’s try to get it right, try to set the appropriate budget given what the needs of the community are, and then look at it on balance with revenue and see what the implications are for the ratepayer.”
In their second public budget meeting earlier this week, councillors discussed boosting the low-income property tax exemption and helping the Queens County Food Bank with its rent.
They also found out that the region has about $325,000 left over from the renovations to the new Thomas H. Raddall Library space. Councillors had approved up to $1.26 million for that work.
And revenue at Queens Place Emera Centre is forecasted to be down this year because of less advertising and sponsorship and no major full-facility rentals planned to March 31, 2026.
Heading into 2025/26, the region expects to get $20.5 million in property tax revenue, an increase of $900,000, based on the current base tax rate of $1.04 per $100 of assessment.
That increase is mostly due to higher property assessments, which rose by $86.9 million.
Director of corporate services Joanne Veinotte took councillors through the region’s preliminary operating budget.
It was a chance for councillors to request changes, more information or additional funding.
Councillors like District 4 representative Vicki Amirault want the low-income property tax exemption increased to give more relief potentially to more people.
“I would like to up the income level,” she told councillors. “ I think we should up it $5,000 on each stage there, and up the rebate as well. I think it would be very helpful to our residents.”
Last year, the region increased the maximum income threshold to $35,000. Those in the lowest income range, up to $25,000, can get a $400 break on their taxes. Those in the top group can apply for up to $300 in relief.
Veinotte said she would report back to councillors on what relief the region could offer depending on how much more money councillors devote to the program.
District 3 Coun. Courtney Wentzell said he wants council to have a serious look at the Mount Pleasant water and wastewater extension. The region has budgeted $10.8 million toward the $21-million project. The Nova Scotia government is covering the rest.
The project would extend municipal water and sewer access to two new private housing developments in Liverpool. It would also improve existing infrastructure.
“The extension to Mount Pleasant boggles my mind when we have so much infrastructure need, including sidewalks … but not just that, with the upgrades needed in water on the west side of town, up till Union Street, I’m really having some reservations about the extension at all,” Wentzell said.
“And I’m speaking from the heart. I’m sorry if that upsets some people.”
Christian said after the meeting that councillors want to understand what exactly is involved in that project and potentially look for ways to lower the municipality’s share of the cost.
“This council’s not OK with incurring a huge amount of debt that could potentially be paid for by the general ratepayer and/or utilizing reserves that have been accumulated from the general ratepayer to pay for that service extension. And we currently don’t have any federal monies that are committed to that project. I think that that’s problematic. What is the plan with service extension? What impacts does that have on preparing us for future growth but also what impacts does it have, attending to known and foreseeable issues associated with the existing infrastructure for our utilities?”
Councillors will resume budget talks on Tues., May 6 at 6 p.m. at council chambers on White Point Road.
An undated aerial photo of the former Bowater Mersey plant in Brooklyn. (Queens County Historical Society Photo Collection, housed at the Queens County Museum)
Northern Pulp has asked for another extension in protection from its creditors as it continues to look for financing to build 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 County.
On March 10, the company and the Nova Scotia government announced that Northern Pulp would get a five-week extension while it tried to make a profitable business case for a new kraft pulp mill in Liverpool.
That was after the company said that its nine-month feasibility study found that a new mill in Liverpool didn’t make business sense. It said it would spend the five-week extension looking for private and public financing.
The multinational corporation estimated a new mill would cost $2.5 billion in government and private funding to design and build. And it would require an annual rate of return of at least 14 per cent, as outlined in a settlement agreement signed with the Nova Scotia government and approved by a B.C. court in May 2024.
Bowater operated a pulp and paper mill in Brooklyn, near Liverpool, from 1929 to 2012, over the years employing thousands of people in Queens County.
In a news release Tuesday evening, Northern Pulp said it filed documents earlier in the day requesting the extension under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act until July 18.
“The company will use this time to further advance preparations for a potential sale of its assets, should a new mill not be feasible,” the release said. “Additionally, Northern Pulp will continue discussions with various stakeholders and rights holders regarding the feasibility of establishing a new bioproducts hub in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.”
Premier Tim Houston sent a letter on March 20 to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre asking them both to support the company’s application for federal financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton told QCCR in March that the province has been working with the company to make a new mill work.
“We know we need a home for the low-grade wood fibre but at the end of the day, this is going to be a business decision from their part,” Rushton said.
“We’re willing to work with them to meet the environmental standards of a new-era mill that would find a home for ecologically produced forest products.”
Paper Excellence has said a new mill would also potentially produce biogas and biochemicals used in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and adhesives.
Last May, Houston announced a deal with Paper Excellence to settle the company’s $450-million lawsuit against the province after Northern Pulp was forced to close its mill because of environmental concerns.
The hearing on the company’s latest request is set for Fri., May 2.
Newly elected South Shore-St. Margarets MP Jessica Fancy-Landry speaks to a voter in Liverpool earlier in the campaign. (Rick Conrad)
UPDATED TUESDAY at 5:20 P.M.
Voters in South Shore-St. Margarets went back to the Liberals on Monday night, electing first-time candidate Jessica Fancy-Landry in a decisive victory.
Fancy-Landry beat Conservative incumbent Rick Perkins by about 7,000 votes, grabbing 55 per cent support.
The Liberal got 27,871 votes to Perkins’s 20,854, according to preliminary results from Elections Canada.
“I think it was our positivity,” she told QCCR in an interview.
“We ran a very positive and clean and energetic campaign and I think that really resonated with a lot of people here.”
Turnout in the riding was just over 72 per cent, which was higher than the national rate of about 67 per cent.
Fancy-Landry is originally from Caledonia and now lives in Bridgewater. She’s a teacher at Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin.
Perkins was first elected in 2021, ousting then-fisheries minister Bernadette Jordan.
Fancy-Landry said the big issue on the campaign trail was affordability and people’s concerns over the cost of living.
“Also, Trump and tariffs and then being a coastal riding, definitely fisheries,” she said.
“But I really think right now it’s time to unify all of our community and really build on this positivity and build trust back where the Liberal Party might have lost trust in a couple of different areas within the riding.”
She said she believes growing up in the area helped cement her win.
“I think that was my secret sauce. We need someone who has been here, has their feet on the street, has raised their kids here and really knows those intimate concerns and issues for the area and has the connections to bring people together.
“I really think it was that positivity in bringing people together that really spoke to a lot of people because politics right now is just so divisive. And we need to unify as a nation. And I really felt like … now that we have that mandate, we can start doing a lot of really good work.”
She said she’s already heard from municipal leaders from around the riding, as well as other Liberal MPs to help her in her new role.
Fancy-Landry said that in the next few weeks, she’ll be getting orientation as a first-time MP and meeting with the rest of the newly elected Liberal caucus.
She’ll also be wrapping up her career as a teacher.
But she’s looking forward to getting to work as the MP for South Shore-St. Margarets.
“That’s been my tagline for the last 37 days: ‘Let’s get to work,’” she said.
“And now we’re here and we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is and work really hard for our constituents, all constituents.”
The Green Party’s Mark Embrett finished third with 818 votes. Patrick Boyd of the People’s Party of Canada was the choice of 698 people and independent candidate Hayden Henderson got 460 votes.
Elections Canada said 50,701 of 70,205 eligible electors voted. That included just over 19,000 people who turned out for advance polls over the Easter weekend.
Katharina Cochrane, vice-president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, says voters seem to be ‘dialled in’ during this election. (Rick Conrad)
Nova Scotia’s South Shore is known for its ocean breezes and waterfront vistas, drawing thousands of tourists each year to relax on its many beaches.
But in the 2025 federal election campaign, there’s nothing laidback about the race to win the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets.
Incumbent Rick Perkins is trying to keep the seat for the Conservatives, while newcomer Jessica Fancy-Landry hopes to win it back for the Liberals. Mark Embrett is running for the Green Party and Patrick Boyd is representing the People’s Party of Canada. Hayden Henderson is running as an Independent.
In the 2021 election, Perkins beat Liberal incumbent Bernadette Jordan by about four per cent, or 1,800 votes. The NDP finished a strong third, capturing 19 per cent of the vote. Turnout was about 63 per cent.
This time, however, with no declared NDP candidate, it appears to be a two-way race between Conservative Perkins and Liberal Fancy-Landry in the April 28 vote.
2025 FEDERAL ELECTION: QCCR INTERVIEWS THE CANDIDATES
Perkins lives in St. Margarets Bay and says this is the most enthusiastic voters have been since he first ran in 2019.
“I’m getting a great response, a lot of people appreciating the job I’ve done for the last four years, and we’re almost running out of signs,” he told QCCR in early April.
Fancy-Landry is originally from Caledonia, Queens Co., and now lives in Bridgewater. The teacher, community volunteer and first-time candidate says it’s been an energetic campaign so far, with lots of great conversations with voters.
“Tariffs and Trump seem to be on the lips of everybody that we are talking to,” she says.
“Affordability. We’re hearing a lot about environmental (concerns), coastal impact, whether it’s fishing, whether it’s Christmas tree farming, whether it’s some of our forestry. People have really been reaching out to see what we can do to help bolster and support the different economies along our South Shore.”
The Greens’ Embrett is an implementation scientist with Nova Scotia Health. This is the Queensland resident’s first full campaign, though he’s had his name on the ballot in previous elections for the Greens.
“I decided to align myself with the Green Party because their values around equity and transparency and government and fairness and policies really echoed my own beliefs and my own values.”
The People’s Party’s Boyd is originally from Vancouver and moved to Sable River three years ago, after spending some time overseas in international banking. This the first campaign for the consultant and hobby farmer.
“We’re sicker than we’ve ever been. We’re poorer than we’ve ever been. We’re more censored than we’ve ever been. And at the same time, you can see the parties that are running, they can really be described as a globalist uniparty. So whether you’re on the Liberal side or the Conservative side, it’s really hard to differentiate or distinguish between policies.”
The riding covers a vast territory, stretching from Head of St. Margarets Bay outside Halifax to Clark’s Harbour at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.
In the 2021 election, it counted just under 80,000 voters. But it lost some of those electors when the boundaries were redrawn in 2023.
People seem motivated this time to get out and vote. About 19,000 people voted in advance polls over the Easter weekend, mirroring early turnout in the rest of Nova Scotia at about 25 per cent.
Katharina Cochrane is vice-president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce.
“I think people are really dialed in on this election this time which in the past people (were) not really that interested, but even younger people, first-time voters, they’re very anxious about the whole situation with America. And in general, it’s not as easy to get yourself in a situation where you can afford a house or get a place, live a middle-class life.
“So I think people are very anxious to see some changes.”
Cochrane says some of the main concerns in the Liverpool area are housing, poverty and rural development.
“There’s a lot of low-income housing that needs to be built. We’re one of the poorest ridings, probably in Nova Scotia, so that needs to be addressed. And then the whole rural development for small businesses, like what can be done to help small businesses to get on their feet when they start up. Come up with maybe tax breaks that would be helpful for the community.”
She said the commercial fishery and the environmental impacts of open-pen fish farming are also among the issues at play.
At a recent candidates meet and greet in Liverpool, voters said the lucrative lobster fishery, the fear of Trump tariffs and the overall tenor of politics were on people’s minds.
Danielle Robertson of Port Joli said she wants to see the federal government enforce fisheries regulations to help protect an industry that generates close to $500 million for southwestern Nova Scotia.
Fishermen are upset with what they see as illegal fishing in the wake of the Marshall decisions that guaranteed Indigenous communities a moderate livelihood in the fishery.
“Where I live I can see evidence of abuse of the fishery and overfishing,” Robertson said.
“And I’ve talked to fisheries officers who feel like they’re not able to do their job. And I think our resources are really taking a hit. I think our fish are being overfished. And I’m really hoping that the federal government will step up and enforce their federal fishing policies.”
Conservative Perkins says he’s been a big advocate for fish harvesters since he was elected in 2021. And he says the Liberals haven’t done enough to crack down on poachers.
“We believe it begins with enforcing the law, and then sitting down once the law is enforced and people are abiding by the law and negotiating for more access for First Nations. As long as there’s no penalty and no enforcement, why would I come to the table to negotiate when the government lets me do whatever I want, whenever I want?”
Liberal Fancy-Landry says that she wants to bring all sides to the table, while acknowledging the Department of Fisheries and Oceans must be allowed to enforce the law.
“Another thing is how many of the fishermen have actually been brought to the table when policy and draft bills have been in place. So it’s that engagement piece,” she says.
“I think a lot of the time people feel disenfranchised or disempowered because they haven’t been asked to be at the table. … The line’s drawn in the sand right now with Conservative versus Liberal versus whatever party. It’s time for us to all come together and actually have some courageous conversations.”
Scot Slessor, a stained glass artist in Liverpool, says this election is an opportunity to tackle interprovincial trade barriers. But he says regardless of the issue, he wants more co-operation among the parties.
“I’m looking for people who are going to be willing to work together,” Slessor says.
“You know, we’ve seen that minority governments get a lot done for our country, but the way people are interacting has been extremely negative. And I’m really hopeful that we can bring that a little bit back to some civility.”
A Queens County man is the latest victim of intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia, RCMP say. (RCMP)
RCMP have charged a man with second-degree murder in a domestic assault in Queens County in late March.
On March 28 at 3:30 a.m., Queens District RCMP and paramedics responded to a weapons call at a home in Mill Village.
They found an 84-year-old man with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed. Another man fled earlier in a vehicle.
Officers arrested a suspect later that morning, at about 7:45 a.m. at a home in Voglers Cove.
Derek Dominix, 60, of Mill Village was charged then with attempted murder.
The 84-year-old man died on April 11 in hospital, where he had been since the attack.
The Nova Scotia medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide, according to an RCMP news release.
Police say it’s a case of intimate partner violence.
The Southwest Nova RCMP major crime unit took over the investigation and upgraded the attempted murder charge to second-degree murder on April 22.
Dominix remains in custody and will appear in Bridgewater provincial court on May 15, at 9:30 a.m.
This is the ninth person killed because of intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia since Oct. 18, 2024. Seven women have been killed in cases linked to their male partners. In one of those cases, a woman’s father was also killed.
An RCMP spokeswoman said they won’t be releasing the victim’s name.
Anyone experiencing, or at risk of, intimate partner violence can seek help anonymously by calling 211 or 1-855-225-0220.
Rick Perkins, Jessica Fancy-Landry, Mark Embrett and Patrick Boyd are four of the candidates running in South Shore-St. Margarets.
QCCR has interviewed four of the candidates running in the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets in the April 28 federal election.
Conservative Rick Perkins, Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, the Green Party’s Mark Embrett and Patrick Boyd of the People’s Party of Canada spoke to us about various issues, including those specific to Queens County. Independent candidate Hayden Henderson did not respond to our request for an interview.
The riding covers more than 8,000 square kilometres and stretches from Tantallon outside Halifax to Clark’s Harbour in southwestern Nova Scotia. It was redrawn after the 2021 election and lost some its areas to the riding of Halifax West.
Conservative Rick Perkins defeated Liberal incumbent Bernadette Jordan in the 2021 election by about 1,800 votes. In that election, the NDP candidate got about 19 per cent of the vote.
This time, however, there is no declared NDP candidate. And the riding has lost some of its suburban Halifax voters after it was redrawn in 2023.
QCCR will be airing each of the four interviews with the candidates at 99.3 FM in Liverpool at 2:30 p.m. each day, beginning Thurs., April 24 through to April 27.
You can also follow the links below to listen to each of the interviews.
Rick Perkins is the Conservative candidate in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Rick Perkins photo)
Rick Perkins is trying to hold onto the South Shore-St. Margarets seat for the Conservative Party of Canada in the April 28 federal election.
He was first elected in 2021, ousting Liberal MP and then Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan by about 1,800 votes.
He’s up against Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, Green Party candidate Mark Embrett, People’s Party of Canada candidate Patrick Boyd and Independent Hayden Henderson.
The riding covers more than 8,000 square kilometres and stretches from Tantallon outside Halifax to Clark’s Harbour in southwestern Nova Scotia. It was redrawn after the 2021 election and lost some its areas to the riding of Halifax West.
This is the first in a series of interviews QCCR conducted with candidates about some issues specific to Queens County.
The interview was recorded on April 3 and edited for length.
Jessica Fancy-Landry is the Liberal candidate in the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets. (Jessica Fancy-Landry)
Jessica Fancy-Landry is trying to take back the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets for the Liberals in the April 28 federal election.
She’s up against incumbent MP Rick Perkins, who won the seat in the 2021 election over Liberal MP Bernadette Jordan by about 1,800 votes.
Fancy-Landry, a Bridgewater resident and first-time candidate, is a teacher at Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin.
She’s also a community volunteer, including serving as past board chair with the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia.
Fancy-Landry grew up in Caledonia, Queens County. We asked her about various local issues in the campaign, including the commercial fishery and the prospect of a new kraft pulp mill in Liverpool.
The interview was recorded on April 9 and edited for length.
Listen to our interview with Jessica Fancy-Landry below:
Mark Embrett is the candidate for the Green Party in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Rick Conrad)
Mark Embrett is trying to make a breakthrough in the federal riding of South Shore-St. Margarets for the Green Party of Canada in the April 28 federal election.
The Queensland resident is an implementation scientist with Nova Scotia Health.
In the 2021 election, the Green Party captured just under three per cent of the vote in the riding.
Embrett told QCCR in this instalment of candidate interviews that he realizes the Green Party likely won’t form government, but he said it’s important to have a party raising issues around equity, the economy and the environment.
The interview was recorded on April 7 and edited for length.
Patrick Boyd is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Rick Conrad)
Patrick Boyd is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in the April 28 federal election.
The consultant and hobby farmer lives in Sable River, Shelburne Co., and is a first-time candidate.
Conservative incumbent Rick Perkins, Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, the Greens’ Mark Embrett and Independent Hayden Henderson are the other candidates.
This is another in our series of interviews with candidates in the riding.
We asked Boyd about his and his party’s views on immigration and the temporary foreign worker program, as well as the commercial fishery and the prospect of a new kraft pulp mill in Queens County.
The interview was recorded on April 11 and edited for length.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian says regional council hopes to approve its 2025/26 budget by early May. (Rick Conrad photo)
Region of Queens councillors will begin their 2025/26 budget deliberations this week, almost a month after the fiscal year has expired.
Region of Queens councillors will begin their 2025/26 budget deliberations this week, almost a month after the fiscal year has expired.
Finance staff will present the draft budget to council at a meeting on Thursday (April 24) at 6 p.m. at council chambers on White Point Road.
Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that councillors had an initial budget orientation session on Tuesday.
“We need to get to it for sure,” he said in an interview after council’s regular meeting on Tuesday evening.
“We’re looking at approving the budget early next month so we don’t have any issues with the tax bills.”
Councillors will have another meeting to go over the draft budget on Monday at 6 p.m., with another meeting scheduled on Tues., May 6 at 6 p.m., if required.
They’re hoping to vote on the final budget at their regular meeting on Tues., May 13 at 9 a.m.
All meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the region’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The region was also late setting its budget last year. Councillors began deliberations on the 2024/25 budget in early April and finished by the end of the month.
The 2025/26 budget has to be set in enough time to allow the region’s staff to send out property tax bills by the first of June.
You don’t need your voter information card from Elections Canada to vote in the April 28 federal election. (Elections Canada)
If you haven’t received your voter information card yet for the April 28 federal election, Elections Canada says not to worry.
You can still vote without it.
Elections Canada told QCCR there have been delays in getting the cards to some parts of the country.
The Liverpool post office hadn’t begun receiving the cards for its customers until the middle of this week.
The cards contain information on where and when you can vote, details about your polling station and your name and address.
Elections Canada spokeswoman Francoise Enguehard says you don’t need the voter information card to cast your ballot.
“What is important for people to know is that you do not need a voter information card to vote,” she said in an interview. “And you don’t need it either to verify where you have to vote.
“The voter information card can serve as one ID to vote. But it doesn’t really change the way people have to prove their identity and they have to prove their address. So if people have a driver’s licence or they have a municipal or provincial ID, as civil servants would, then they can use that. And it you don’t have it, you need two things both with your name and one that proves your address.”
To prove your civic address, you can also use a property tax bill, a statement from your house or tenant insurance or a utility bill that contains your physical address.
You can also have somebody else vouch for your identity at your polling station.
“It’s the honors system. You say you are who you are and where you live. But the person must be registered at the same polling station and and the person can only vouch for one individual.”
Enguehard said she doesn’t know the reason for the delay in Liverpool.
“We send 28 million cards to electors all across the country. Sometimes it can happen that there is a delay in getting a polling location. So until you have the polling location, you cannot print the voter information card. Sometimes out of the 28 million, a few of the cards, the information is incorrect and new voter information cards have to be issued. So all of that can cause delays.”
She said those who haven’t yet received a voter information card should be getting one in the next few days.
Regardless, you can use the “My voter information” section on the Elections Canada homepage at elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868 to make sure you’re registered to vote.
The South Queens Chamber of Commerce is organizing a meet-and-greet in Liverpool with candidates in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Elections Canada)
Voters in Queens County will get a chance to meet some of the candidates vying to be the next MP for South Shore-St. Margarets.
The South Queens Chamber of Commerce and Main and Mersey Dining Room and Coffee Bar in Liverpool are teaming up for a candidate Q&A on Mon., April 21 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Ashley Christian is president of the chamber of commerce.
“The idea is a casual meet-and-greet forum,” Christian said. “What we’re going to be doing is casual networking and then allowing each of the candidates five to 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the group and then we intend to take questions from the floor. So we expect one hour of a more formal question-and-answer period and then another hour of just casual networking.”
Christian said she expects three of the five candidates to be at the event: Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, the Green Party’s Mark Embrett and Patrick Boyd of the People’s Party of Canada.
Conservative Rick Perkins, who is running for re-election, could not make it.
Christian did not know whether Independent candidate Hayden Henderson will be at the event. Henderson is the outreach director for the youth wing of the NDP. He was a last-minute addition to the ballot after the NDP’s Brendan Mosher dropped out and has since been endorsed by the NDP.
“We really wanted to give the citizens of Queens County an opportunity to meet everyone, hear their platforms, hear what’s important to them and ask them questions,” Christian said.
Rick Perkins, Jessica Fancy-Landry, Mark Embrett and Patrick Boyd are four of the candidates running in South Shore-St. Margarets. Not pictured is Hayden Henderson.
Four people will be trying to unseat Rick Perkins as the South Shore-St. Margarets representative in the April 28 federal election.
Perkins beat Liberal MP Bernadette Jordan in 2021, after running unsuccessfully against her in 2019.
Since the last election, the riding has been redrawn, with part of it being absorbed into Halifax West. Nominations closed on Monday.
Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry will be trying to take the seat back from Perkins. The teacher at Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin is originally from Caledonia and lives in Bridgewater.
Green Party candidate Mark Embrett is an implementation scientist with Nova Scotia Health and lives in Hubbards.
Patrick Boyd is running for the People’s Party of Canada. He runs a consulting firm.
The NDP don’t have a registered candidate in the riding. Their declared candidate Brendan Mosher dropped out at the last minute. According to a Facebook post on his candidate page on Tuesday, he said that he decided against running “after a long consideration and some last minute delays.”
He edited the post to say that Hayden Henderson would be running for the party in the riding.
Henderson is listed on the Elections Canada website as an Independent. According to the federal agency, “if an endorsement by a political party cannot be confirmed within 48 hours of the prospective candidate submitting their nomination paper, … the word ‘Independent’ (will) appear under their name on the ballot.”
Perkins won South Shore-St. Margarets in 2021 by about 2,000 votes, or 40 per cent. Jordan got 37 per cent, while the NDP’s Olivia Dorey captured 19 per cent.
QCCR plans to publish interviews with all candidates.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian says council will begin budget talks later this month. (Rick Conrad)
The Region of Queens still hasn’t begun its 2025/26 budget deliberations.
Mayor Scott Christian said this week the process will likely begin in the third week of April.
“Some time in the last two weeks of April and we will be notifying the public of that as soon as possible,” he told QCCR after Tuesday’s council meeting.
“Unexpected delays on the staff side preparing the numbers to get the starting point for the budget deliberation process in terms of understanding the lift (from increased property assessments) and our known operating and capital expenses.”
Budget deliberations were also delayed last year by the previous council. They began those talks in early April and finished by the end of the month.
This year, though, councillors will have even less time. Christian acknowledged that when the process does begin, it will be “expedited”.
“We’re right up against it. Tax bills need to come out in June, so it basically needs to be approved by the first council meeting in May to get our ducks in a row to have the tax bills (ready). That’s not ideal. It’s a point of frustration. We want to make it as engaging, transparent as possible. And we also want it to be a thoughtful, deliberate, intentional, patient approach. And unfortunately, we’re just not going to be in a position for the budget deliberations to be in that ideal state.”
He and Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton are away next week at a conference. He said that budget talks will begin the week after that.
Sherman Nunes of Liverpool watches on Saturday as his kids Luke and Lisa play in the new children’s area of the Thomas H. Raddall Library. (Rick Conrad)
The Thomas H. Raddall Library officially opened its doors on Saturday, as about 70 people helped usher in a new chapter for the Liverpool branch.
The library has been open for about six weeks in its new interim home at 54 Harley Umphrey Dr. People were impressed with the new digs, with some hoping the library stays where it is, with others wishing for a permanent location closer to downtown.
The event on Saturday featured local and provincial politicians, as well as many library staff.
The Region of Queens budgeted up to $1.26 million on renovations to the space in the municipally owned Liverpool Business Development Centre off White Point Road. The library had to leave the Rossignol Cultural Centre in downtown Liverpool by Dec. 31 because the building’s owner Sherman Hines was selling the building.
Tom Raddall and his family have allowed South Shore Public Libraries to continue to use the famed Nova Scotia author’s name on the Liverpool branch for another five years.
Raddall said he’s happy the library is in a better, newer space.
“Hopefully, it’s a step in the right direction,” he told QCCR. “Certainly it’s in a far better space than it was before. The location has been a controversial one over the years. But this library needed to be in a newer spot and this will suit the purpose until another one is built in the appropriate location.”
Many residents were concerned that the new location isn’t easy to walk to, with no sidewalks and limited lighting.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian said that he’s excited about the new space, with its expanded program rooms, commercial kitchen and children’s section.
“The plans are to make this space as great as we can make it. And we need to, as a community and as a council, figure out what makes sense in terms of either bringing a future library closer to town or bringing town closer to this library
Christian said it’s too early to say what the future holds for a more permanent location. But he said the region has to work out its priorities for the next few years, and address whether Liverpool needs a new, multipurpose community centre which could include meeting space, a gymnasium and the library.
“I think the focus right now, both for the folks at South Shore (Public) Libraries and also for the Region of Queens staff and the work that they’ve done to make the built environment really work, is to figure out how, for now, to make this the best space that we can make it.
“And the space is great in there, so it’s what do we need to do with the surrounding environment to remove barriers, … make sure that users who want to be accessing the space are provided that opportunity.”
Queens MLA Kim Masland said she would support a request for provincial funding for a new space for the library. But she said Saturday that she was impressed with its interim location.
“I think today we see as many people that are here, lots of smiling faces, lots of people really excited about this. This is also an interim facility here for now and so hopefully we’ll see a new library built in town, that would certainly be my wish someday. But we’re here for now and this is certainly a great interim facility.”
Lin Ireland of Liverpool was one of the many local library lovers taking it all in on Saturday.
“I think this is great,” she said. “It’s going to be used. And people complain about the location but I don’t think it’s all that far out. … I’m happy with it right where it is. A lot of money went into building this and why not leave it here?”
Susan McGibbon of Liverpool said her gardening club had their first meeting in the new branch a couple of weeks ago, and turnout was double their usual attendance. While she likes the new larger, brighter space, she hopes the region can build a new space in a more central location.
“I don’t think there was another option, and I think they’ve done a good job making it a good option,” McGibbon said.
“Do I think we need another location that’s part of a community hub? Yes, absolutely. And I think a new library committee getting struck is going to happen very soon, so that work can get going.”
Sherman Nunes of Liverpool was at the library on Saturday with his four-year-old Lisa and his two-year-old Luke, as they played in the new children’s area.
“It’s beautiful, it’s spacious, it has a lot of light. I’ve been to the previous library. This is a step up. It’s very nice.
“We like to take the kids out, and previously we did not have an indoor space around here in Liverpool, where we could take them out for a day or something, so we had to drive up to Bridgewater. But I think with this new addition, it would be nice to get them over here every weekend, especially so that they can run around, read some books, play with the toys. As you can see, they’re already occupied.”
The Thomas H. Raddall Library is open six days a week and closed on Mondays. Queens County Transit offers free rides to and from the library. That service runs every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. from the market shelter beside Hell Bay Brewing.
The Astor Theatre is the oldest performing arts space in Nova Scotia. (File photo by Ed Halverson)
UPDATED APRIL 3, 3:15 P.M.
The Astor Theatre in Liverpool has secured $500,000 in funding from the J&W Murphy Foundation.
The five-year commitment will give the Astor $100,000 each year to help beef up its programs and promotion.
Lynn Cochrane, vice-chair of the Astor Theatre Society, told QCCR that it’s a game changer for Nova Scotia’s oldest performing arts theatre.
“It is significant. It’s huge. This is the largest donation the theatre has ever received,” she said.
“We’re thrilled. It will be life-changing for the theatre.”
Cochrane said the board began discussions with the J&W Murphy Foundation about a year ago on a plan to make the Astor sustainable.
“So the Murphy foundation is giving us an opportunity to set ourselves up for future success.”
The J&W Murphy Foundation was established in 2008 by the late Janet and Dr. William Murphy, longtime Liverpool residents. Dr. Murphy co-founded the thriving Mersey Seafoods in 1964.
The foundation contributes to a wide variety of charitable causes, especially in Queens County.
Lisa Murphy, chair of the foundation, told QCCR that she views the donation as an investment in a cherished centrepiece of the community.
“The Astor has always meant a lot both to the town and to our family. Our mom was a huge supporter of the arts,” she said.
“If what we have done is perceived as a vote of confidence, then we’re also happy about that, because it’s intended to be. … We’re thrilled to be privileged enough to be able to extend this funding that can help settle some of the swirling concerns that an organization such as the Astor has struggled with over the years and to enable them to build on that to secure their future. I can’t think of Liverpool without the Astor. I cannot imagine the town without the Astor.”
Murphy says she hopes the foundation’s contribution will help the Astor secure funding from other donors, and to help the theatre cover operating expenses. But she says it’s up to the board to decide where it will do the most good.
“Our grant is specifically to say, free up your resources to think bigger.
“There’s no wishlist. We speak about a vote of confidence, we are saying that we’re trusting the leadership of this organization to make responsible decisions about what it wants to do with it. And they are in the best position to set the direction of the society. … That’s not for us to say.”
In the first year of the five-year commitment, Cochrane says the board will work on improving its fundraising, including creating a donor database. It will also create a cohesive marketing plan to help grow the Astor’s audience and its revenue.
That will include a new website. Cochrane says the board is in talks now with professionals in corporate fundraising and marketing and communications.
And they’ll work on getting the community more involved in their programming, asking people what kinds of shows they’d like to see.
The theatre’s board also plans to expand the Astor Academy in the second year of the funding, to bring in outside theatre professionals to give more training to youth and seniors.
“The Astor, like all arts centres, operates on one-third of its revenues from (government) grants, the other third is from revenues actually generated from concerts, events, and the other third is from donations,” Cochrane said.
“We really want to shore up the donation side. We come to the end of the year and we tend to be hand to mouth.”
Cochrane said people will likely start to see the results of the Murphy family’s investment in the fall.
“The board is thrilled. It’s a very generous donation at a time that the theatre is really going to have an opportunity to benefit from it, and hopefully make it live on for another 100 years.”
The Astor Theatre opened in 1902 and was originally known as the Liverpool Opera House. It hosted local and touring shows until silent films were introduced in 1917. Many Canadian and international artists have performed at the theatre over the years, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Rufus Wainwright, and even Mr. Dressup.
RCMP have charged a 60-year-old Mill Village man with attempted murder.
Queens District RCMP were called to a house on Hwy. 3 in Mill Village on March 28 at about 3:30 a.m.
Officers and ambulance personnel found an 84-year-old man with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed.
Another man had fled the scene before police arrived, according to an RCMP news release late Wednesday afternoon.
Both men knew each other, and no one else was in the home at the time of the assault.
Police arrested a suspect at a home in Voglers Cove at 7:45 p.m.
Derek Dominix, 60, has been charged with attempted murder and taken into custody. He’s scheduled to appear in Bridgewater provincial court on April 10 at 9:30 a.m.
