The Region of Queens approved its 2024/25 budgets on Monday. (Rick Conrad)

Region of Queens council approved a balanced budget on Monday with no tax rate increases and almost $30 million in spending.

At a special meeting, councillors also approved a $21.5-million capital budget, which includes the start of big projects like the water and sewer extension to the Mount Pleasant area and the new outdoor community pool at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Spending is up about $4 million from last year, to $29,848,303. The region’s water utility reported a $442,122 deficit.

Mayor Darlene Norman said in an interview that it was important to councillors not to increase the tax rate.

“We live in a great county and the budget reflects the fact that we are moving ahead,” she said.

“Many things in the budget remain the same. We’ve increased funding for fire departments for their truck purchases. The cost of those trucks is astronomical and we know how as volunteers how hard they work.

“It’s a good budget, it recognizes some requests from all parts of our county.”

Council committed an extra $126,772 in 2024/25 to help the county’s five fire departments with the rising costs of replacing fire trucks.

It also raised the household income threshold for the low-income tax exemption by $5,000. Property owners with a total income of $35,000 or less can qualify for up to $400 off their tax bill. The tiered structure gives the highest break for the lowest income.

“We understand that people financially struggle,” Norman said, “which is why … we increased the amount of money that people can make in order to claim a reduction on their taxes, … which is very generous, I believe, for a municipality of our size.”

The region reported a $644,000 surplus from last year, largely from rising property assessments, higher deed transfer tax revenue and unintended savings from unfilled staff positions. 

The region’s capital plan is packed.

CAO Cody Joudry said in an interview that it addresses a lot of concerns around the municipality.

“In terms of capital budget, it’s expansion of water, wastewater, there’s a lot of safety improvements and upgrades and a lot of investment in infrastructure and community assets, so I think that’s pretty significant.”

A little more than $7.8 million of the $21.5-million capital budget for 24/25 is provincial funding. Almost $2.5 million is from federal sources. About $3.8 million is from long-term borrowing, while $3.53 million is from a combination of municipal reserves and municipal surplus.

In addition to the new pool and the water and sewer extension, some other capital projects include:

• more work at Beach Meadows Beach to expand the parking lot, install sheltered picnic areas and improve environmental protections;
• much-needed repairs and upgrades at the Old Burial Ground in Liverpool;
• continued work on the Liverpool Business Development Centre to install a new heating, ventilation and cooling system;
• renovations to make the business development centre, otherwise known as the call centre space, ready for the temporary home of the Thomas H. Raddall Library;
• the early design work to install accessible washrooms at the inclusive play park and splash pad near Queens Place.

“There are things on there that are very important,” Norman said. “Of course, they will not all get done (this year), but by putting them on here, it shows that these are priorities and start them, do the best that you can do with them.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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The Gorham Street sidewalk next to the Astor Theatre was impassable on Thursday. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

Some users of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool say the Region of Queens is not doing enough to ensure the building is accessible, especially after this week’s snowstorm.

Kim Lees lives in Liverpool. Her knitting group meets at the Astor every Thursday. She said when they arrived in the early afternoon, it was difficult to find an easy way to enter the building. It was especially difficult for anyone with mobility issues.

“I don’t think the municipality is doing a very great job considering you can’t get up the wheelchair ramp and you can’t get in the front of the building easily either because there’s no clear pathway.

“It’s horrible and if this is the municipality’s property and it is a public building then it should be accessible to everybody.”

The sidewalk on Main Street in front of the Astor had been cleared Thursday afternoon. But the pathway from that sidewalk to the front of Astor had not. The narrow Gorham Street sidewalk on the side of the building was not cleared either, forcing people to walk in the street from the rear parking lot, or use the sidewalk on the other side of Gorham.

The accessible entrance at the back of the building cannot be used. While part of the wheelchair ramp to the back entrance is cleared, the rest of the ramp is blocked by a chain and filled with snow. 

Part of the ramp to the malfunctioning accessible entrance at the back of the Astor Theatre is blocked by a chain and snow. (Rick Conrad photo)

The automatic accessible door at the top of the ramp has not been working at least since the fall, Lees said. The Astor has kept it locked because it has been malfunctioning.

The region owns the Astor and Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre. It leases the building to the Astor Theatre Society. The municipality is responsible for keeping the sidewalks and the entrances to the Astor clear.

Jerri Southcott took over as executive director of the Astor last week. 

After concerns about access were raised, she asked one of the Astor’s staff to clear the walkway in front of the building.

Southcott has sent a letter to the region’s accessibility co-ordinator detailing some of the concerns with the building. She has a meeting set with municipal officials on Friday.

“We have made them aware of the issues with the ramp and we’re all working together to try to get that done as soon as possible,” she said Thursday.

Astor Theatre staff cleared the walkway in front of the building Thursday afternoon after people raised concerns about access. (Rick Conrad photo)

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman thanked the Astor’s staff for clearing a pathway to the theatre. She said the region’s staff were busy Thursday clearing streets, sidewalks, parking spaces and other areas around Liverpool.

She said that as mayor she can’t tell staff what to do. Adam Grant is the director of engineering and public works, the department responsible for the maintenance of municipal infrastructure.

Norman did not know why municipal staff didn’t get to the Astor. She said the sidewalk on Gorham Street next to the Astor is too narrow for the region’s sidewalk plows, so it has to be shovelled. She suggested people cross Gorham and use the wider sidewalk to Main Street. 

“And presently staff are clearing parking stalls and ensuring fire hydrants and accessible parks and roadways and all those things are clear,” Norman said. “Again, thank you to the Astor Theatre staff who shovelled out their walkway today before the region’s crew were able to get there.

“There’s many issues with snow removal. That sidewalk on the other side of the street is better for anybody with mobility issues. It’s a few steps more.”

As for the blocked accessible entrance, Norman says the region is working on it. She said she doesn’t know how long staff has been aware it isn’t working. She said she found out about it five days ago. 

“We try our best in the Region of Queens to make our properties as accessible as best we can. Sometimes we run into these unexpected matters. Council budgeted a fair amount of money to make that accessible and how unfortunate it is that we are now having issues with that door. But we are trying our very best to ensure that a building we own is indeed accessible for the public and for those who work there.”

In the meantime, Norman suggests people call the Astor ahead of time if they need help getting into the building.

“But there should be a way in which if someone’s going and they truly need to get in through that door as an accessible doorway, that they’ll be able to make contact with the Astor.”

Kim Lees says she wants the municipality to make sure its own properties are accessible.

“I want them to get off their hands and clear the snow. There is an issue in Canada where accessibility is a problem. And if it’s a public building, especially if the municipality owns it, I think that it should be cleaned. It should be accessible to everyone no matter if you are on foot, in a wheelchair, on crutches, canes. It should be accessible to everybody.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Photo Ed Halverson

The Liverpool curling club is once again undergoing major renovations.

The group is looking to cut costs with the installation of solar panels on the roof and improve accessibility with the construction of a modular ramp and power door.

The J and W Murphy Foundation recently provided Region of Queens with funding to be used for civic improvement projects.

Region of Queens council decided at their last meeting to award $236,000 of that funding for improvements to the Liverpool curling club.

Over the past couple of years, the club has spent around $750,000 improving the club through the installation of a new roof, improvements to the heating systems and insulation and transitioning to LED lighting.

Club president Gordon Sampson says while this is the first time they’ve received funding from the municipality the club has been successful in applying and making using of several provincial grants.

Sampson says they’ve seen awareness of the club drastically improve within the community since the renovations began.

“It’s exponentially higher than what we had expected even,” said Sampson. “The enthusiasm for the club has gone through the roof.”

In addition to hosting more bonspiels and club-based engagements such as trivia nights, Sampson says the community has made use of the building for a wide range of events from air cadet meetings to Privateer Days, public health COVID vaccination clinics to YMCA outreach programs.

He says opening their doors for use as a community hub aligns with the club’s core mission.

“We’re centrally located, we’re in the downtown core. What we can offer to the town and the region, that’s what we’re all about. That’s our mission statement,” said Sampson. “That’s what we want to do and that’s why we’ve been successful.”

Sampson says installing solar panels on the club will help them get away from oil and move to electric heating while cutting their costs.

He’s hopeful adding the electric heating to the already installed heat pumps will help make the club a Net-Zero building.

And members aren’t finished working to upgrade the club as they’re writing grants to replace the kitchen and furniture.

He says the club has earned a reputation for doing good work with the funding provided which makes it easier to apply for more funding.

“Once you get a track record you can show that you do what you say you’re going to do, well then, money becomes more readily available.”

Sampson expects work will begin on the new ramp and solar panels once the curling season wraps and the weather improves sometime around April.

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Photo Ed Halverson

The sale of 11 acres of municipal land was the highlight of Tuesday’s Region of Queens council meeting.

The only session in August started with a presentation from the Queens Care Building Society providing an overview of the proposed new long-term care home set to replace Queens Manor and Hillsview Acres.

The four members representing the society highlighted the programs the new facility will provide along with one and two-storey options for construction of the new 112-bed structure.

The society’s request to secure municipal land adjacent to Queens Place and the Best Western hotel was granted during the in-camera portion of the meeting when council agreed to sell 11 acres for roughly $960,000.

Some long-standing items that had previously come before council were also approved.

Region staff will get to work crafting a bylaw to allow Queens to collect road levies on behalf of non-profit associations.

Mayor Darlene Norman says staff has assured council they have the capacity to take on the added responsibility using existing resources.

“It only seems right and proper that we help them where we can,” said Norman. “For example, we do not put streetlights on their roads. We do not have personal garbage collection at their doorsteps. So, if we can, as a council, help them improve their roads, then it is the right thing for us to do.”

Council also agreed to a request from the South Shore Regional Hospital Foundation to provide $100,000 for their Brighter Days Capital Campaign.

The money will be the Region’s one-time contribution towards the $115 million redevelopment at the area’s regional hospital which will expand the size of the emergency room and surgical areas, add new dialysis chairs, MRI suite and CT-scanner among other upgrades.

The vote was not unanimous as some councillors argued with the ongoing doctor shortage and frequent ER closures, council should be supporting Queens General first.

Norman says South Shore Regional is just as much Queens’ hospital as Queens General.

“We could give a million dollars to our hospital, and it is not going to help our ER situation at this point in time. Our foundation, the Queens Hospital Foundation, have encouraged us to provide this money to South Shore Regional,” said Norman.

Council also decided to pay between $50,000 and $60,000 to build an accessible ramp at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre.

The new ramp will be located between the centre and the neighbouring RBC building to provide access from the parking lot into the Astor Theatre lobby.

Council then heard the Region took in just over $300,000 from the sale of 23 properties at the July 18 tax sale.

Approximately $48,000 will go to paying off outstanding debt with the remaining $250,000 or so, being put in the Tax Sale Surplus Reserve Account where previous owners have up to 20 years to claim the proceeds from the sale.

The first quarter financial review indicated the Region will be paying an additional $150,000 for garbage collection this year to cover the increase in fuel costs.

The original estimate was negotiated based on a cost of 89.64 cents per litre and in the past few months, the price of fuel has routinely been a dollar or more per litre above that.

Council was also made aware of human resource changes to the Region’s employee handbook to make the policies more inclusive and in keeping with 2022 standards.

Some of the policies hadn’t been updated in 20 years.

And the planning and development department is looking to increase the fees for some services to better reflect the cost of providing permitting and development amendments.

Council then moved in camera and approved the sale of the lot for the new long-term care facility as well as a piece of property in Milton for a multi-unit housing development.

Council will not meet again until the second Tuesday in September.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
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Curling stones. Photo Ed Halverson

The Liverpool Curling club is hoping almost $500,000 in upgrades over the past season will translate to new members.

President Gordon Sampson says the club is focused on two objectives.

“Everything we do tries to fit in two boxes. One of them is accessibility and inclusion, and the other one is efficiency. Because without getting our operating costs down, no matter what we do, we won’t be able to stay open,” said Sampson.

Sampson says the club enjoyed a buzz after some of the upgrades were completed last year and was looking forward to adding perhaps another 40 people to the existing membership of 75 until COVID restrictions shut them down.

He’s optimistic when they install the ice again in late October people will be just as curious to see the upgrades and give the club a try.

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

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Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens council took their last meeting on the road to the Pleasant River Community Hall.

The highlight of the agenda was council’s decision to invest almost $2 million to repair the failing air conditioning unit at the Liverpool Business Development Centre.

The meeting opened with the public comment section.

A couple of residents spoke asking council to put a pause on the permits to a controversial house being built on Eagle Head Beach while a third inquired about the possibility of adding more bylaw enforcement officers.

After that council went about approving the job descriptions for workers at Hillsview Acres long-term care facility.

The Region is mandated by the province to review the positions every four years.

From there, council voted to go ahead with the $1.9 million plan to install a new four-zone cooling system at the Liverpool Call centre.

Council then moved into the discussion phase of their meeting.

First up was a conversation around installing an accessible ramp at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre in Liverpool.

Provincial law requires all government owned buildings to be accessible by 2030.

Council deliberated on the placement of the ramp and how it is to be enclosed.

The preferred option seems to be along the side of the building adjacent to the Royal Bank that leads from the rear parking lot.

The plan will be evaluated and brought before council in greater detail at a future meeting.

The last piece of business was a lively discussion on whether or not to form a pool committee.

The Queens Community Aquatic Society recently received a $3 million private donation towards the construction of a new pool and are looking for the region to begin construction as soon as possible.

The conversation revolved around who will make up the committee, what responsibility it will have and what will be asked of staff.

In the end, council decided to form a committee but what it will look like and what role it will play in the construction of a new pool has yet to be determined.

Council will hold a special council meeting Tuesday July 5 to discuss the location of the new library.

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

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Region of Queens administration building

The Region of Queens is working to make council more accessible.

At Tuesday’s meeting council agreed to contract Catalyst Consulting Engineers to design the proposed new council chambers audio video layout, issue and evaluate the request for proposals, and oversee the final installation.

Mayor Darlene Norman says they needed to find someone with the expertise in these systems that wasn’t trying to sell a particular product.

“They’ve done other municipal council chambers across the province and they’ve done other related work and they don’t sell the gear and they’re not related to companies that do sell it. So this is the best way to get an unbiased viewpoint of what’s required,” said Norman.

Council has budgeted $11,000 for this phase of the project. Norman says the public may have sticker shock when the final bill comes due, but council sees the value in making chambers more accessible to everyone.

“If people were more readily able to access live feed, have good quality feed, if the council chamber were more accessible, et cetera, that we would have more engagement from the public,” said Norman.

Council has been given a ballpark number of $100,000 to properly outfit the chamber with the necessary audio/visual equipment and make it accessible. That includes new microphones, speakers and displays to improve the experience for people in the chamber and those watching council proceedings via live stream from home.

Part of the design will see council sitting around one large table instead of the individual desks and raised dais for the mayor. Norman says the chambers will also be rearranged to allow people to watch and present to council, no matter what range of mobility they may have.

“We’re not doing the cosmetics, we’re doing what it takes to have a council room that can look as equal and accessible as can be,” said Norman.

Catalyst Consulting Engineers will soon begin the work of assessing the council chamber and putting together the request for proposals.

Council will then take the consultant’s recommendations under advisement before approving the final budget.

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

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