Members of the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board held a water rate hearing in Liverpool in November. (Rick Conrad)
A decision limiting Halifax Water rate hikes may have implications for the Region of Queens as it waits to hear a decision on its application to double water rates.
The Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board on Tuesday approved a reduced rate increase for the Halifax region’s water utility.
Halifax Water had asked for a combined 35.6 per cent rise in rates, to be implemented over the first three months of 2026. Provincial regulators called that “rate shock” for customers.
The board denied Halifax Water’s request to include deficit elimination in its application. Removing that would lower the second rate increase by about 10 per cent.
It ordered Halifax Water to return with a modified rate proposal within a week.
“The Board finds that the magnitude of the proposed rate increases, implemented over the first three months of 2026, constitutes ‘rate shock’ for its customers. For residential customers, the combined, compounded rate increase was proposed to be 35.6% from January 1 to April 1, 2026,” the regulator wrote in the decision released Tuesday.
“While Halifax Water provided a reasonable explanation about the need to increase rates to cover some of its higher costs due to inflation and other cost pressures, the Board finds that other requested costs were not justified or that the utility overestimated some of those costs.”
The Halifax and Queens water rate applications are very different. For example, Queens is asking regulators for a combined 102 per cent increase over three years. It also has equipment and infrastructure problems Halifax doesn’t.
At the Region of Queens hearing in November, municipal officials warned that without an immediate 85 per cent hike, the whole water system could be in jeopardy.
They said the Region of Queens water utility has been undercharging its 1,200 customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn for years. And because of that, the infrastructure is outdated and needs to be repaired or replaced.
The water utility is supposed to pay for itself through what it charges customers.
The region says it needs to jack up rates immediately to stem a $516,000 deficit. If rates don’t rise, that deficit is expected to swell to more than $3 million by 2027/28.
But during the hearing, board members challenged the region’s past accounting practices and their claims from the last time they asked for an increase in 2021.
Board chair Bruce Fisher opened the hearing by characterizing the region’s application as “rate shock”.
“As there’s a fairly significant rate increase, the board did issue an additional set of information requests. Essentially, we wanted to have additional information on the record in advance of this hearing so we could discuss potential options to deal with what I would say is rate shock.”
The only intervenor in the hearing, the Queens Community Health Board, opposed the region’s application, saying that granting such a large increase would be rate shock for customers.
Fisher also told the region later in the hearing that the size of their request was unusual.
“We don’t typically see 100 per cent rate increases.”
At the end of the hearing, the board had asked for more evidence from the region to support its application. That was received on Nov. 28.
The board aims to file its decisions within 90 days after they receive final evidence. So the decision in the Region of Queens water case will likely be available in late February.
The Region of Queens lifted its voluntary water conservation measures on Wednesday. (Rick Conrad)
Municipal water customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn can let their taps run a little longer.
The Region of Queens lifted its voluntary water conservation request on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post, the region said that recent rainfall “has restored the Town Lake to a level above the conservation threshold,” though it’s still not at full capacity.
The conservation directive had been in place since early October, as the region dealt with ongoing drought conditions.
Members of the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board held a water rate hearing in Liverpool on Wednesday. (Rick Conrad)
If the Region of Queens Water Utility doesn’t double its rates over the next three years, the whole system is in jeopardy.
That’s what a consultant hired by the region told provincial regulators on Wednesday during a hearing into the utility’s request for an immediate 85 per cent increase, part of its overall 102 per cent requested hike in rates.
Bruce Fisher, chair of the three-member Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board panel, asked Gerry Eisnor of G.A. Eisnor Consulting, what would happen if the board held the rate increases to 15 to 20 per cent.
“I don’t want to be cynical, but really, if you cut that much out of this budget, I would be buying bottled water,” Eisnor said.
“You will not have a reliable system. I think if you cut this back enough, you’re either going to have a water quality issue or a water delivery issue. Either way, you’re in trouble. … This utility needs to be brought up to be funded properly so it can go forward. It will not be what I would call a sustainable, successful operation.”
Eisnor and consultant Blaine Rooney wrote the water rate study that forms the region’s application for an increase for its 1,233 customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn.
Eisnor said the Queens water utility has been undercharging customers for years, especially when compared to other municipalities like Mahone Bay and Shelburne with similar water quality.
The region made its case on Wednesday for rate hikes that the Queens Community Health Board has called “unreasonable, unjust and unprecedented”.
Even the appeals board’s Fisher referred to the application as “rate shock”.
“We don’t typically see 100 per cent rate increases,” he said during Wednesday’s hearing.
Board members questioned region officials on why they need such a large rate hike, their budget assumptions, staffing, the system’s water leaks and loss, and other issues.
They heard that the municipality has been subsidizing the water utility for at least 20 years, as losses have been covered by general revenue.
And that meant that deficiencies in the system were left unaddressed.
Until 2021, the region didn’t have a good handle on the utility’s expenses. The region’s finance director Joanne Veinotte told the board on Wednesday that when she was hired, she began to implement stricter accounting measures.
Eisnor said there had been no inventory control over things like water meters, which in many cases are 30 to 40 years old and need to be replaced.
“I don’t think the protocols and procedures were as rigorous as they should have been,” Eisnor said.
“It was worse than we thought,” Veinotte said. “It took us a while to sort through it.”
But when Fisher asked for specifics on exactly what that means, Eisnor and Veinotte could not provide them.
The utility is also struggling with aging infrastructure, Eisnor said, with much of the piping dating from the 1880s.
The region says it needs to jack up rates immediately to stem a $516,000 deficit. If rates don’t rise, that deficit is expected to swell to more than $3 million by 2027/28.
The Queens Community Health Board intervened in the rate hearing. It said the region’s initial first-year 106 per cent rate hike request was too high, especially for vulnerable residents on fixed incomes.
After they objected, the region lowered its Year 1 request by taking some funds from other budget reserves and smoothing out depreciation charges over a longer period.
Tara Druzina, chair of the community health board, said during the hearing on Wednesday that she doesn’t fault the current council and staff for the water utility’s problems.
“We know this is long in coming, this has been 22 years. But the 22 years has resulted in a significant burden for our vulnerable population.”
Almost 20 per cent of water utility customers are in arrears.
She welcomed the region’s recently approved utility assistance rebate of $200 a year for people with household incomes of $35,000 or less. But she said the cap should be higher, to match the low-income cutoff for a family of four in Queens County of $48,000.
After the hearing, Druzina said she’s confident the appeals board will consider the impact on low-income residents.
“We understand that the utility needs to run a balanced budget. But now I also think that the utility and the appeals board understand that there are a lot of people out there who just cannot afford a 115 per cent increase. So hopefully we can strike a balance. And I’m hopeful for that, and the board seems to be siding on that as well.”
Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that the region is trying to put the utility back on solid financial ground.
“So I think that it is a mess. It’s a mess that was a long time in the making. It’s going to take us a while to get out of it. All we can do is make the next responsible wise decision. And I think that the experts that we’ve convened to look at this file and the commitments that we’ve made in the future of the water utility, I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
Members of the regulatory board asked the region to provide more information on five items by Nov. 28. After that, the board has 90 days to make a decision.
The Region of Queens is asking for a lower immediate rise in water rates. (Daan Mooij via Unsplash)
The Region of Queens is no longer asking for an immediate 106 per cent increase in water rates.
But customers will still have to pay about 115 per cent more over three years if the municipality’s application to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board is successful.
In documents filed with the board on Nov. 7, the region is now asking for a 43 per cent increase in the first year for the 1,200 water utility customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn. The region has diverted about $1.6 million in budget reserves to blunt the first-year increase and spread it over a longer period.
“The utility did not get in its present state overnight and it cannot be restored to its proper efficient and effective state overnight, but the process has started, and it needs a sustainable rate structure to accomplish this,” Willa Thorpe, the region’s chief administrative officer, wrote in the revised rate hike request.
“If the current underfunding is not addressed now it just pushes the problem forward and adds unnecessary debt payments for future customers.”
Before the region filed its revised rate hike request, the Queens Community Health Board filed a comprehensive objection to the planned increases, calling them “unreasonable, unjust and unprecedented”.
The board is the only registered intervenor in the hearing, though it has letters of support from the Queens County Food Bank, Liverpool Curling Club, Queens Transit and the Queens Care Society.
Board chair Tara Druzina told QCCR this week that many people can’t afford to pay up to an extra $461 a year for water services.
“I think the perspective of the community health board is the shock of the increase that is coming forward,” she said.
“The municipality does need to run a balanced utility and we’re aware of that. It’s just that the 115ish per cent over three years, while there’s such a large percentage of water loss, is this concerning part we have, particularly for our vulnerable residents.”
The board will hold a public hearing on the region’s water rate request on Wed., Nov. 19 at 10:30 a.m. in council chambers at the region’s offices on White Point Road.
Druzina said it’s important for residents to have their say at the hearing.
“The board members, like at a council meeting, need to know the perspective of the community impacted.”
Anybody can speak at the hearing, but you must notify the board by Fri., Nov. 14, by email at board@novascotia.ca, by phone at 902-424-1333 or 1-844-809-0010. You can also send written comments to the board by email or by sending a letter to the Clerk of the Board at P.O. Box 1692, Unit “M”, Halifax, NS B3J 3S3 by Nov. 14.
The region says it needs to raise rates by more than 100 per cent to deal with an $800,000 deficit.
The utility has operated at a loss for five consecutive years, since 2020. It’s also been struggling to keep a lid on significant leaks in the system, losing up to 69 per cent of its water each year through faulty water mains and other unrepaired damage. In a 2024 study commissioned by the region, consultants said that leakage rate placed it in the “worst” category compared to other utilities.
“The people of Queens County face a choice made by others: pay dramatically more for a service that wastes two-thirds of its water or fight for regulatory protection,” the health board wrote in its submission.
“The (regulatory) board has both the authority and the obligation to protect ratepayers from this injustice while ensuring utility viability. We recognize the challenges faced by small rural utilities. However, four years of declining performance despite board direction and significant spending demonstrates problems beyond normal operational difficulties. We are not asking the board to let the utility fail. We are asking the board to protect the people of Queens County from bearing the full cost of that failure.”
The community health board points to the utility buying used water meters from Halifax that were already past their prime, staffing shortages, improper oversight and the ongoing system leaks.
The health board wants the provincial regulator to approve a 15 to 20 per cent increase and impose mandatory targets to reduce system leaks: 10 per cent reductions a year by 2028, with a long-term reduction goal to the industry standard of 30 per cent.
In a letter to the regulatory board after the region’s revised rate request, Druzina says the lower proposed hike in the first year is better, but “without binding performance accountability measures, however, it does not address the operational failures that created this crisis or prevent recurrence.”
And she says the region’s recently approved $200 utility assistance rebate for those on low incomes is “insufficient and unsustainable”.
In a county with a 31.5 per cent child poverty rate and where more than 30 per cent of residents are over 65, Druzina says even with the rebate, people will struggle to cope with a 43 per cent immediate increase.
Recent decisions by the regulatory board have approved water rate increases of up to 17.8 per cent in Sherbrooke on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore and 7.2 per cent over two years for Halifax.
The Queens proposal “represents the largest rate increase request in documented Nova Scotia regulatory history”, Druzina writes.
In addition to an interim hike of no more than 15 to 20 per cent, the health board wants future increases tied to reducing the water wasted through leaks in the system. It also wants the provincial regulator to order an independent system audit and quarterly public reporting, and to require a performance-based rate plan with accountability measures.
The Region of Queens is asking for hefty water rate hikes. (Rick Conrad)
Some municipal water customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn will get a break on their bills.
Region of Queens councillors recently approved the utility assistance rebate for those on low incomes.
Council created the rebate program because the 1,200 customers of the municipal water supply are expected to see a huge increase.
The Region of Queens Water Utility is asking provincial regulators for a 106 per cent increase to water bills. That’s to address an $800,000 deficit.
Under the rebate program, the region will give up to a $200 credit on the applicant’s utility account.
That is expected to cover just over half (58 per cent) of the expected $342 annual increase in people’s water bills. If someone gets the full rebate, they would still be paying about 50 per cent more than they do now, or about $472 annually.
Mayor Scott Christian said he was impressed with council, given that they’re asking customers for such a hefty increase.
“And so I’m proud, I’m proud of this piece of work, and I thank the staff for your efforts in helping us with our vision to get to a place where we can feel good about the fact that these water rates are going to impact a lot of our residents.”
If the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board grants the region’s request, most people’s annual bills will rise to $672.
The provincial regulator will hold a public hearing at council chambers on Wed., Nov. 19 at 10:30 a.m. Residents can speak at the hearing, but they must notify the board by Nov. 14. Written comments can be sent by email to board@novascotia.ca or by sending a letter to the Clerk of the Board at P.O. Box 1692, Unit “M”, Halifax, NS B3J 3S3 by Nov. 14.
Councillors approved $15,000 in this year’s budget to pay for the rebate. If more money is needed for the program, staff will return to council to approve the extra spending.
The rebate took effect last Tuesday, after council’s vote. The region will publicize the rebate and tell people how to apply for it.
It is open to all water utility customers with an annual household income of $35,000 or less.
More information on the region’s water rate application can be found here by searching for Matter Number M12363.
La Fecundidad by Salvador Dali will hang in Gallery 244 in Brooklyn on Saturday as part of the Queens Coast Art Tour. Photo courtesy of Sue and Chres Jensen
It’s the third year for the Queens Coast Art Tour and studio rally, but it will be the first year that people will be able to see a piece by Salvador Dali at one of the galleries.
Gallery 244 owners Sue and Chres Jensen bought a signed Dali in September and they plan to display it at their gallery in Brooklyn starting Saturday to coincide with the art tour.
Called La Fecundidad or Fertility, it’s a sterling silver relief from 1977. It’s signed by the Spanish surrealist, weighs just 249 grams, and measures 18 by 24 centimetres.
It was part of a limited run created for American Express as a promotional item for some cardholders.
The couple are in Toronto for six months while Chres awaits surgery. They told QCCR this week that they bought it from their friend Doug Peterson in Burlington, Ont., who has owned it since the ‘70s.
They thought it would be a great way to help promote the art tour and Queens County artists.
“We knew we weren’t going to be there for the art tour and we wanted to send something back to Nova Scotia that would align our artists with a master,” Sue says. “I’m hoping that people come to see it and enjoy the work.”
“It’s kind of a draw like a bit of a fish hook so that people will see a piece by a well-known artist, and that will maybe introduce them to some of the local artists there,” Chres says.
“So that will create some curiosity and some buzz and that’s what we’re hoping to do and hopefully give the art scene in Liverpool and Brooklyn a boost.”
Sue says the piece will be hung differently than other artwork in the gallery. She says they’re not concerned about security.
“It’s gonna be hung in a little different way on the wall, but no, we know where we live and we want people to enjoy seeing it.”
After the art tour, she says they’ll store it in a secure place until next spring when they reopen the gallery.
The back of a piece by Salvador Dali bought by Sue and Chres Jensen of Gallery 244 in Brooklyn. Photo: Sue Jensen
Gallery 244 features work by Chres and other local artists.
He says the Dali, which he estimates is worth around $5,000, will help add to the eclectic nature of their space.
“Our gallery is kind of diverse but we are more contemporary. We have abstract artists and cubist artists. I guess I’d put myself in that category. We try to offer something different to the public. Some people want to have something a little different and more striking in their personal collection of art.”
Sue says their friends have been looking after the gallery for them while they’re in Toronto.
“It’s exciting to give back to the community. The artists and musicians have been watching the gallery for us and working, so it’s just something to send back to them to say thank you.”
The Queens Coast Art Tour is on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the Salvador Dali piece and other work at Gallery 244 in Brooklyn, the tour features artisans at work all over Queens County. You can meet artists in their own workshops or at three public sites – The Astor Theatre, Coastal Queens Place or White Point Beach Resort.
Region of Queens councillors have granted a funding request from the Brooklyn Recreation Committee. (File photo by Rick Conrad)
The Brooklyn Recreation Committee, which operates the Brooklyn Community Hall, the Hank Snow playground and Brooklyn Waterfront Park, has been given a grant of almost $6,000 to finish work on the hall.
At their Sept. 23 meeting, councillors unanimously approved a request from the society from the Community Investment Fund for fixing trim, walls and drywall as well as painting the whole interior of the building.
The group had asked for $8,976 under the fund’s capital investment portion. But councillors accepted a staff recommendation for $5,999.71 in funding.
The recreation committee said it needed help to pay for the final work after completing significant upgrades like new windows and heat pumps.
The region charges Brooklyn residents an area rate on behalf of the non-profit society. That rate is expected to generate $49,761 in revenue in 2026 to help with maintenance of the playground, park, hall and the cemetery in Brooklyn.
Before the request, $71,000 was left in the region’s Community Investment Fund to fund eligible applications.
“Accounting best practice would not normally consider painting and the repairing of trim a capital expense, however, it could be considered the final phase of the capital work that has taken place over the last year involving conservable investment in the hall and remediation of some damage caused by the installation,” according to the staff report from Steve Burns, community economic development officer.
District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault declared a conflict and did not vote on the matter.
Two Bluenose deckhands meet. Kate Smith of Sydney, N.S., is currently part of the Bluenose II crew. Craig Harding of Liverpool was a deckhand on the ship in the 1960s. (Rick Conrad)
The Brooklyn Marina rolled out the red carpet for Nova Scotia’s sailing ambassador on Tuesday evening.
A few dozen people turned out to meet the crew of Bluenose II at the small clubhouse as it visited the Liverpool area in its first stop on a tour of southwestern Nova Scotia.
Others drove down the small wharf in Brooklyn or towards the breakwater to get a look across Liverpool Bay to where the schooner was anchored near Port Mersey Commercial Park.
Volunteers at the marina had food and drinks ready for the crew and fans of the Bluenose.
Capt. Phil Watson was one of the dozen or so crewmembers who shuttled from the sailing icon to the marina.
“We haven’t been here in a long time and we were developing a a cruise along Southwest Nova and so Liverpool it is. There’s great alumni support here and community support and the club has always been good to us so it’s pretty easy to put Liverpool on the list.. … It’s good to come back to this side of the province again.”
The tour of southwestern Nova Scotia was hatched after the Bluenose crew cancelled an early September trip to Gloucester, Mass. Instead, they said they’d do what so many other Canadians are doing this year, stay closer to home and support local tourism.
Kate Smith, a deckhand from Sydney, N.S., is spending her third summer on the Bluenose. It was her first visit to Liverpool.
“I love it. It’s great. People are sweet. It’s super awesome,” she said of the Liverpool welcome. “We really like going around this area and we figured we’d go on a little staycation basically around the south coast.”
Liverpool’s Craig Harding sailed on the schooner as a 20-year-old from 1968 to 1969.
“I’d been on fishing boats on draggers and so on but I’d never been on a sailboat until that year and I learned to sail on it,” he said. “I’ve been connected to the Bluenose ever since. Hard not to be. Really, really happy to see the support. It was beautiful to see her come in.”
The last time the Bluenose II was in Liverpool was in 2021 when the ship celebrated 100 years of Bluenose history.
Jamie Frankel of Massachusetts just happened to be at the marina when he heard about the Bluenose’s visit. He and some others arrived on his boat The Sea Quester a couple of days before to wait for a weather window to continue their journey through the Gulf of Maine.
“None of us knew she was going to be coming at the time, so this is an incredibly welcome surprise. … As the sailing ambassador for Nova Scotia I think everyone loves her but in addition, she has beautiful lines as a ship and as a tall ship of that size I’d say that it’s always a wonderful event to be someplace where she comes in and it’s the splendor of old sailing ships and old-style sailing ships.”
Capt. Watson says the Bluenose always draws a crowd.
“It’s bringing a fishing schooner back to a fishing community. You know all these communities have shipbuilding, fishing heritage and these schooners, whether it was a fishing schooner or a cargo schooner, they all have that history there, so to be able to put a thing in place in the harbour where you can then talk about it and you can talk about, ‘oh those schooners used to be here all the time’ or ‘they used to build them over there’, it’s a chance for the community to talk about the history of their communities and share it with them themselves and hopefully they’ll come and share it with us as well.”
The Bluenose II left Liverpool on Wednesday afternoon, sailing around Port Mouton to its next stops in Clarks Harbour, Yarmouth, Digby and Lower West Pubnico.
Chris Radimer, owner of Tiddley Bee Honey, near his hives in his backyard in Brooklyn. (Rick Conrad)
It’s a sunny day at the Privateer Farmers and Artisans Market in downtown Liverpool, and Chris Radimer’s table is buzzing with people looking for local honey.
Radimer, the owner of Tiddley Bee Honey in Brooklyn, sells his raw, unpasteurized honey from his property and at markets in Liverpool and Shelburne.
He also uses some of the beeswax his bees produce to make things like furniture polish and candles.
Radimer has been beekeeping since 2019 after a 33-year career in the Canadian Navy.
He explains how he arrived at his business name: “Tiddley in the navy means something that is done neatly and tidily and expertly, and so I thought, that would work pretty well because that’s what you want from your bees. You want your bees to take care with the building of the honey, building of the hives, building of the comb.”
Radimer and his wife moved to Queens County from Ontario in 2022. Since then, he’s been tending to his 26 full colonies and two half-colonies spread on his own and other properties in the area.
He keeps four colonies and two half colonies on his own property. The others are hosted by homeowners in Brooklyn, Mersey Point, Western Head, Beach Meadows, and near Lockeport.
“I retired from the the navy in 2017 and sort of didn’t know what to do or where to go,” he says.
“We were in Port Colborne, which is on Lake Erie, which has Niagara College pretty close by, and my sister, who works there, knew about this beekeeping program. And Veterans Affairs was offering to send us back to school, and I went to one of their open days, and the person that was representing the commercial beekeeping group was so incredibly enthusiastic that I just got swept into it. And after that, I was reading books and applying and spent the next full year at that school learning.”
Each of his hives has a queen and a minimum of about 20,000 other bees bringing back pollen and nectar. When it’s loaded with honey, one section of a hive can weigh up to 50 pounds.
“And if you have a very healthy colony, there’s a couple on this property here that are very healthy right now, they could go up to 60 or 80,000 bees for the summer,” he says.
“And then that number would back way down over winter.”
Without a lot of agricultural activity in south Queens, it would be difficult to have a large beekeeping operation.
“To make a living off of it, you need commercial-level agriculture, where you have a stable stream of crops to pollinate, or crops that produce nectar that you can draw from.”
Radimer says he’s happy with the number of colonies he has.
“To have a viable, small-scale honey operation, you probably need about 150, and I’m never going to do that. Thirty is probably going to be my limit, just because I’m getting a little older and it’s a lot of weight to lift.”
He’s quick to point out that beekeeping is agriculture, which is why the year-long course at Niagara College was important. You need to know how to keep your flock healthy. You also have to learn to adapt to extreme weather or other conditions.
He says the season this year began slowly, but the spring conditions soon improved, bringing a mix of rain and sun to help produce the pollen and nectar that bees need.
“It was just a very slow start, but once they got going, there was a lot of nectar for them to produce. I was really shocked at the amount of honey that was generated in late May and through June, early July, but now it’s stopped.
“So the challenge right now is that with these drought conditions, with no rain, even if we have flowers, the flowers aren’t producing nectar to the degree that the bees need.”
And because bees need the honey to keep their colonies fed and thriving, a shortage of the golden stuff creates another problem – robber bees.
“And robber bees are nasty,” Radimer says.
“They’re more aggressive and they’ll attack other hives to try and steal the honey.”
Radimer says many beekeepers will harvest only once a season, usually later in the year, but he harvested about 30 to 40 litres in July and he’s hoping for better weather for a bigger harvest this fall. The late summer plants like aster and goldenrod produce a honey that customers like, but bees, not so much.
“The problem with that honey is it’s not actually that good for bees. It’s not as nutritious as the early honey. So we like to take as much of that as we can. And then as soon as we’ve taken that honey, most beekeepers with more than one or two hives will start feeding sugar water. The (bees) can process that better. The goldenrod honey actually gives them the runs.
“So, if you’ve got bees nearby and a black truck, such as me, you notice when you’ve left too much goldenrod (honey). It’s just yellow streaks, yellow streaks (on the truck).”
And as if robber bees and the weather weren’t enough to deal with, there’s also the constant threat of predators like wasps, hornets, skunks and bears.
“What skunks do is they’ll sit at the bottom of the beehive and they’ll tap on the box with their paws. And as the bees come out, they’ll eat the bee. And a skunk can go through a beehive pretty quick. They’ll eat a lot of bees. They want protein.
“Bears too, bears don’t tend to go for the honey. They tend to go for the brood. They’ll scrape off all the eggs and the brood. Bears apparently can smell a beehive for about three kilometres.”
Radimer is constantly monitoring and maintaining his hives, especially during swarm season in May and June, when the colonies are more likely to make new queens. Every 10 days or so, he’ll suit up and open the hives to make sure everything is tiddley.
One thing’s for sure, his bees keep him buzzing.
“I like a challenge and I like puzzles. And so, you know, when something’s not going right, I can do research. I can look at what I’ve done, what others are doing and try and figure out if there’s a way to solve it. Ultimately it’s agriculture. So sometimes the solution is just walk away from it and start another colony. But usually, you can bring them back if they’re having trouble. … I was just out at one of my yards this morning and it was struggling a little bit last month. I wasn’t quite sure why. And I did a few adjustments here and there and I left it for a few weeks and it’s fabulous. It’s fantastic. Better than it was at the start of the season. So that’s what you want to see.”
Raw honey does not need pasteurization and therefore is the most nutritious honey you can eat. During processing, Tiddley Bee’s honey never reaches temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius, which is also the internal temperature the hive strives to maintain over winter to protect the queen
It’s natural for raw honey to crystallize
Honey will absorb moisture instantly. You’ll know if honey’s “gone bad” if it begins to foam. That means the moisture content is too high and it’s begun to ferment
If honey contains more than 18 per cent water, it will spoil. “But if it’s under 18 per cent, it could last 1,000 years,” Radimer says
Help pollinators like honeybees and other bee species, butterflies and moths by not using pesticides on flowering crops
Worker bees are all female; they do all the work of collecting pollen and nectar and defending the hive; drones are males and are used exclusively for reproduction. The males can’t forage or feed themselves
In winter, the colony will form a protective ball around the queen. The bees take turns on the outside of the cocoon and flap their wings constantly to generate heat. They also need a lot of honey to feed on during the winter months
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian says municipal water customers aren’t in danger of restrictions yet. (Rick Conrad File photo)
As drought conditions continue in Nova Scotia, many municipalities are asking residents to cut down on their water consumption.
But so far in Queens County, levels in the Town Lake Reservoir are keeping up with demand.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian says customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn don’t have to worry about their water yet.
“The latest briefing from staff is we’re still looking pretty good. It’s surprising, the amount of inflow to outflow on the lake is still at good, sustainable levels.”
The last significant rainfall in Nova Scotia was more than two months ago.
Municipal water utilities in the Halifax and Cape Breton regions, and towns in central and northern Nova Scotia have asked customers to conserve water.
Mandatory measures are in place in Annapolis County and Antigonish.
That’s on top of a provincewide ban on open fires and travel in the woods.
Even though the dry weather hasn’t affected municipal water customers in Queens yet, some residents are dealing with dry wells.
The region has opened the shower facilities at Queens Place Emera Centre to the public. It’s also reminding residents of the public Cowie Well at 733 Main St. in Liverpool.
Christian says the municipality will keep an eye on water levels in the Town Lake Reservoir.
“So we’re just continuing to monitor that very closely. But at this point, the level is good in the reservoir and still the inflow is still quite good.”
Jean Robinson has been chosen as Queens County’s volunteer of the year for 2025. (Rick Conrad)
Part of Jean Robinson’s job more than 30 years ago was to choose Queens County’s volunteer of the year.
Now, the Brooklyn resident and consultant has received the award herself.
“I was really surprised and honoured to be selected and I’ve been thinking it’s kind of funny because I came here in the late ’80s as the recreation director for the county and part of my job was helping select the representative volunteers, so it’s a bit of full circle.”
The Region of Queens Municipality announced earlier this summer that it had chosen Robinson as its volunteer of the year for her “remarkable and diverse volunteer resume”.
She has a full-time job as president of Horizons Community Development Associates, Inc., but that hasn’t stopped her from giving much of her free time to non-profits and other groups in the community.
Originally from Beersville, N.B., near Moncton, Robinson moved to the area in 1988 and has made her mark with many organizations, whether that’s volunteering at her kids’ schools when they were younger to the Queens County Girls Choir and Queens County Seafest to her current volunteer gig as chair of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival.
She’s also helped shepherd local community theatre productions at the Astor Theatre and with the Winds of Change Dramatic Society as a producer.
She credits her parents with teaching her the importance of volunteering at a young age.
“I just think that arts and culture have a really important foundational role in community and in a healthy community, so this is my way of being part of that and it ties to my bigger value that volunteering is foundational to communities, to community development and having a healthy place to live, work and play.”
She’s been involved with the theatre festival since 2011 and it was that connection that also garnered her the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal in January for services to the arts.
Former Lt.-Gov. Arthur LeBlanc and his wife Patsy are big fans of the festival and he nominated Robinson for the honour.
“And that came as a complete surprise. I opened my email one day back in early January and I thought is this a real email?” she says, laughing.
“It was very special. It was a lovely ceremony. I was able to take two of my three adult children. … It was lovely to see the breadth of volunteers that were being recognized for their work, whether it was in civil society or in government or in Indigenous relations.”
She says volunteering is changing as people’s family lives and priorities shift. Many groups, especially in rural communities like Liverpool, find it challenging to recruit and retain volunteers.
“I think it is still a struggle and I think that the days of folks volunteering for many years with an organization is maybe more of the exception than the rule than it used to be and just the ongoing long-term volunteer is a little more difficult to get now.”
Robinson is bucking that trend by staying with organizations like the theatre festival for the long haul. She says volunteering has helped her form and strengthen long-lasting friendships.
“People volunteer for different reasons and so, understanding that people may want to volunteer for social connections, they may want to do it for building skills which could then even potentially help on a resume.”
She says volunteer-run groups have had to adapt to remove any barriers to bringing new people on board.
“Knowing that there aren’t financial barriers for them to being involved and understanding that as an organization. Thinking about the strengths that volunteering brings to a person in the community but also how can we break down the barriers and support people to be part of the community. How do we open the door and make them feel welcome?”
Robinson will be the Region of Queens delegate to the provincial volunteer awards ceremony on Sept. 29. She’ll be one of 70 from around the province to be honoured with the award.
The Queens volunteer of the year is chosen from nominees for the region’s Ripple Effect volunteer recognition program which allows the public to nominate fellow community members for their volunteer efforts. More information about the Ripple Effect is available here on the Region of Queens website.
The Region of Queens Water Utility has proposed increasing water rates by more than 100 per cent. (Bluewater Sweden via Unsplash)
Hearing dates have been set for the Region of Queens water rate hike application, as customers brace for their costs to double.
Joanne Veinotte, the region’s director of finance, told councillors in June that the water utility needs to bring revenue in line with costs immediately. The Region of Queens Water Utility’s 1,233 customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn bear the costs of the service.
“These increases translate to an average annual increase of 106 per cent in the initial year, 3.8 in Year 2 and 2.7 in Year 3,” she said.
“Over the last several years, the utility has struggled operationally with staffing, and the treatment plant was heavily damaged in July 2023 during a severe thunderstorm that destroyed a large amount of sensitive and expensive instrumentation and equipment at the site.”
The Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board has scheduled a public hearing for Thurs., Oct. 9 at 10:30 a.m. in council chambers on White Point Road.
An evening session starting at 6 is also scheduled if it’s needed.
People can speak at the hearing, but they must register with the board by Sept. 17. Residents can also send written comments to the clerk of the board at PO Box 1692, Unit M, Halifax, NS B3J 3S3, by email at board@novascotia.ca, or by fax at 902-424-3919. The deadline for written submissions is also Sept. 17.
People can request formal standing as an intervenor in the hearing. That allows you to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses. The deadline for applications for intervenor status is Aug. 22.
The region hired consultants G.A. Isenor and Blaine Rooney to prepare its water rate study for the regulatory board.
They found that the water utility will rack up a deficit of just over $1 million by the end of 2025/26, if rates don’t increase immediately. That shortfall will swell to $3.344 million by 2027/28 without higher charges.
For residential customers, the average quarterly bill is now $82.61. That could rise to $169.66 this year, $174.63 in 2026/27 and $177.39 in 2027/28.
The average customer currently pays $330.44 a year. If the rate hikes are approved, that will rise to $678.64 annually in the first year and $709.56 after three years.
The annual fire protection charge paid by the municipality, currently $201,531, could increase by 99.3 per cent to $401,599 for 2025/26, $495,931cfor 2026/27 and $503,625 for 2027/28.
Queens water customers had to endure an almost nine-week boil water order in summer 2023. That was after a lightning strike heavily damaged the water treatment plant.
The region gave a one-time 70 per cent discount on water bills, after public demand.
This time, though, customers likely won’t get a break from significant increases to their water bills.
The region claimed in a news release in June that its customers pay the lowest rates in Nova Scotia.
The new rates would put it in line with the Town of Lunenburg, but higher than the Town of Bridgewater and the Cape Breton region.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian said comparing rates in Queens to other municipalities isn’t as straightforward as it seems.
“This proposed change to the rate, it brings us into alignment with a lot of ‘like’ municipalities, a lot of our neighbouring municipalities who have water utility systems. So I think that is important to understand what we look like in comparison to a lot of the other municipal units around us.”
The regulatory and appeals board has the power to set rates as requested, order a lower increase or an even higher one.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Abigail Smith will be going to the World Judo Cadets Championships in Bulgaria in August. (Rick Conrad)
Abigail Smith is booking another international flight to wear the maple leaf.
The 17-year-old judo athlete from Queens County will be representing Canada at the World Judo Cadets Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, Aug. 27 to 30.
There are three divisions in judo: cadet for athletes under 18, junior for those under 21, and senior.
“I’m so excited,” she told QCCR.
“It’s been my dream for so long. Years now, I’ve been wantitng to go to a world event, and cadet worlds, it’s what I’ve been working for. I moved to the city to be able to train for this goal, so to know that all my hard work paid off and I’m actually getting to go, it’s such a surreal feeling.”
Smith decided five months ago to move to Halifax and stay with a family there so she can train full time at Nova United Martial Arts.
“When I was living in Liverpool, I was only able to train three days a week on the mats because it’s such a long drive — two hours there, two hours back. I was getting home at 11, and not getting to bed until 12. This is my last year to make the cadet worlds, this is the last year I could qualify, so I said I really wanted to go for it and I talked to my coaches and my parents and everyone that’s been helping me, and they said, ‘Yep, let’s go for it’.”
Smith began judo lessons when she was four years old. She’s now ranked in the Top 10 in Canada.
She’s been racking up the frequent flyer points in the past few months, joining Team Canada for the European Judo Tour in March.
And she grabbed two bronze medals, in her usual U18 or cadet division and the U21 division, at the national judo championships in Calgary in May.
Like the fierce competitor she is, though, she was disappointed because she had her sights set on a gold in the U18 division.
“I was very upset with the results actually. To get selected for worlds, you have to win nationals. I didn’t win, but Judo Canada has the option to select another (athlete). They selected me to go also.
“I went there to win. My first fight was a good fight. And I went into my second fight, it went into golden score which is overtime and I was dominating the whole fight controlling it and a few seconds into overtime I made a mistake, I got caught and I lost that fight. Then I was very upset. Then my coach talked to me, my dad talked to me and they said you can still podium, so I fought back up to the repechage and I won the bronze medal after a few more fights.”
She’ll have a big cheering section in Bulgaria for the worlds. Her coaches Jason Scott and Jamie Slaunwhite plan to be there, along with her parents.
“It’s special, it means a lot to me, they’re my biggest supporters, my mom and dad, for them to come it’s going to be great for them to see me fight.”
Smith says she’s excited to show, again, what she can do on the world stage.
“I think i just want to go out there and fight and show my judo and leave everything on the mat. I don’t want to have any regrets after this. I just want to go out there and fight and give it my all.”
Ryan and Elizabeth Brown, who live near Liverpool, will be featured on an episode of the new A&E TV show Oceanfront Property Hunt on Saturday afternoon. (Rick Conrad)
Elizabeth and Ryan Brown knew they wanted to get out of Ontario.
And they knew they wanted to buy a house on the water in Nova Scotia.
But what they didn’t expect when they began their search was to be featured in an internationally broadcast television show.
The Queens County couple’s quest will be on the new A&E show, Oceanfront Property Hunt, this coming Saturday afternoon. Produced by Halifax-based Ocean Entertainment, the show follows a different couple each episode as they look for an oceanfront home. Two episodes are broadcast back-to-back beginning at 1 p.m.
The couple has organized a community watch party on Saturday afternoon at Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill in Liverpool.
“Ideally, we’ll have the show on all their TVs so that everyone can watch it with us, and I will be hiding under a table if it goes sideways,” Elizabeth says, laughing. “We’ll be seeing it fresh with everybody else. So yeah, I’m a little nervous. A little nervous.”
Elizabeth is an insurance underwriter and Ryan is the sales manager at Liverpool Home Hardware. They were living in Kitchener when they decided they wanted to move to a smaller, less hectic community.
“We were wanting to get something on the water, either lakefront or ocean,” Elizabeth says. “And Ryan’s preference would have been oceanfront. And we’re pretty outdoorsy. We like canoeing, kayaking, camping. And to have something that’s literally on our doorstep, that was our motivation for moving to Nova Scotia because everything is right here.”
“We were eventually going to retire out here,” Ryan says, “but we just moved that forward a bit.”
The Browns applied to be on the show after their Halifax-based realtor told them about it.
Their realtor had been cast on the show, but the producers also wanted some of her clients to apply.
Elizabeth says she told Ryan they were going to apply.
“And I was like, ‘Oh, OK, I guess we’re doing this,'” Ryan says.
They had to submit a video about themselves, their house hunt and why they wanted to be on the water.
“Ocean Entertainment was great. The crew was great,” Elizabeth said in a recent interview. “They were a lot of fun to work with. I feel like it wasn’t reality. I feel like it was our pretend life. We’re on TV, and this is bananas. But we were actually doing it.”
Elizabeth admits that applying for the show was a little outside her usual comfort zone. But she and Ryan fell in love with their new home and community and wanted to share it.
“When we saw Liverpool, we really liked it. But really it was the house that settled it. As soon as we walked into it, we knew that was the house we really wanted.”
The 45-year-olds booked time off work for the four-day shoot last summer. The production crew followed the couple around Queens County on their search for waterfront houses.
The episode features some local landmarks like the Quarterdeck Resort on Summerville Beach.
Until the show airs, they’re sworn to secrecy about which house they chose or even where. But they’re more than happy to talk about how they feel about the move to Queens County from Kitchener.
“I wish we’d done it years ago,” Elizabeth says.
“Yeah, I would agree with that. I love it,” Ryan says. “I wouldn’t change a thing. I love our life here. I love our house.”
“The people we’ve met have been great,” Elizabeth continues. “Our neighbourhood is great. Our friends are great. Our neighbours have been awesome with helping us get settled in.”
“We’re on the beach probably two to three times a week,” Ryan says.
“All of the things that we were looking for in an oceanfront property, in what we wanted to get out of being in Nova Scotia, we’re getting,” Elizabeth says. “And it’s fricking awesome.”
The couple has high praise for Ocean Entertainment and the overall experience, especially the short-term star treatment that came along with it.
Ryan: “It was a lot of fun and a lot of work.”
Elizabeth: “It was like having a little army follow you around. One of the assistants was like the snack girl. And so literally all I had to say is, ‘I’m kind of hungry.’ And she would appear. And I had some dairy allergies. So she would appear with a selection of things that I can eat. And it was wonderful. I’m like, ‘Can I keep you?'”
Two episodes of Oceanfront Property Hunt featuring Queens and Lunenburg counties air on A&E on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Atlantic. The episode featuring the Browns airs at 1:30. Episodes are also available on Apple TV.
An undated aerial photo of the former Bowater Mersey plant in Brooklyn. (Queens County Historical Society Photo Collection, courtesy of the Queens County Museum)
It will likely be March before Queens County residents find out whether Liverpool will once again be a mill town.
Last May, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said the region could be the home for a new kraft pulp mill. It all depends on whether forestry giant Domtar, which operates Paper Excellence, believes there’s a business case for it.
Nobody from Domtar or the provincial government would do an on-air interview this week. But in emailed statements, both the company and Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton said more will be known in March.
Domtar said in its statement that it’s in the final stages of a feasibility study into a new mill.
“Our team continues to work with the Province of Nova Scotia and is in the final stages of establishing a business case for building a new bioproducts mill in Liverpool.”
Rushton said in his statement that the province is open to more natural resource development, adding the province believes a new mill would be a good fit for Liverpool.
“Our interest is in the economic potential for our forestry sector and the province — creating good paying jobs, construction investment and strengthening the overall supply chain. Success in our resource sectors means success for our whole province.”
Last May, the premier announced a deal with Paper Excellence to settle the company’s $450-million lawsuit against the province after its subsidiary Northern Pulp was forced to shut down its mill in Pictou County in 2020.
As part of that deal, Paper Excellence launched a nine-month feasibility study into whether a Liverpool mill is viable.
“The province has agreed to support Paper Excellence in the idea of building a new kraft pulp mill in Queens County, in the areas around the former Bowater mill,” Houston told reporters last May. “With the support of the region’s forestry sector, the company believes that Liverpool could again support a new mill, and I agree.
“If there is a business case and the company brings forward a project, it could mean an investment of more than $1.4 billion in our economy and that’s just to build a new mill. Let me assure Nova Scotians that any project that comes forward will need to meet today’s standards and will undergo environmental assessment, significant public consulation and Indigenous engagement.”
Under the court-approved settlement agreement, Domtar’s rate of return over 20 years must be 14 per cent.
“We assess the estimated cost of construction, delivered wood, start-up and operation, labour, and funding and financing structures, among many other items,” Domtar said in its statement to QCCR.
“We are also assessing the price and market for the pulp and any other bioproducts the mill could produce.”
Houston has recently said the province needs to open up to more natural resource development, especially in light of the tariff threat from the U.S.
Bowater operated a pulp and paper mill in Brooklyn from 1929 to 2012, employing hundreds of people in Queens County.
When it closed, it threw 320 people out of work. It also affected people in other industries.
Many of the employees retired or left for jobs in western Canada or elsewhere. The region fell into an economic funk. And it took years for the local economy to recover.
When the premier announced the prospect of a new mill last spring, though, local reaction was mixed.
Some local politicians and forestry workers said it would be a welcome boon to the local economy and the industry. Some others, including local business leaders, said they were concerned about the environmental impact a pulp mill would have.
Abigail Smith displays her gold medal at a PanAmerican judo meet in Montreal in November. (Abigail Smith photo)
Abigail Smith has already made a mark on the Canadian and world judo stage, and she’s not done yet.
The Grade 11 student at Liverpool Regional High School will be competing against judokas from other countries yet again as she prepares for a tour of Europe with Team Canada in March.
Smith will be travelling to Spain, Portugal and Croatia for European Cup tournaments and training camps as part of the European Judo Tour.
“I travelled with Team Canada one time last year which was for an event in Germany, and I was so excited for it,” Smith told QCCR.
“And now I got selected to be on a tour which is an even bigger deal. I didn’t think that would happen for me this year at all. My main focus was nationals, but now I’m spending a month in Europe. It’s crazy to me, I didn’t think it was going to happen to me this year. It’s really exciting.”
She said she’s looking forward to the more intense competition of the European tournaments.
“The training for me is the most important thing. Getting to train with different bodies. In Canada, you know everyone you’re training with and you’re getting familiar with different fighting styles. So getting to go outside of Canada, and fighting round after round with people from all different countries, you’re getting so much experience from it, it’s going to make my judo way better. Tournaments in Europe are a lot different than tournaments in Canada, there’s a lot more aggression, there’s a lot more people who want to win. So I’m getting so much experience.”
Two of the tournaments are in the older U21 or junior age division, while the third is in her usual U18 or cadet class. But Smith is no stranger to punching above her age.
In November, she won a bronze medal in the older division at the Quebec Open and followed that up with another bronze in the same age class at the Pan American Canada Cup. And she snagged two gold medals at the same meets in her usual division.
The 17-year-old Brooklyn resident, who began judo lessons when she was four years old, is ranked in the Top 10 in her age division in Canada.
Smith says juggling the travel, training and tournaments with school and a social life are worth it. They’re all part of building toward her ultimate goal, which is to compete at the World Judo Championships and at the Olympics.
“Because judo is my life. The thing I love the most is judo and everything that comes along with it.
“So for me, doing all those things, like sacrificing time with friends, I want to go to the Olympics, I want to be world champion, and I know the goals that I want and that I’ve dedicated so much time to, they’re not going to come true unless I keep with it. So I keep with it. Everyone in my life is so supportive. They know I need to train.
“My family, my friends, my community, everyone is so on board with what I do, it makes it 10 times easier.”
Smith trains with Nova United Martial Arts in Halifax four days a week. She says she takes notes at every competition and training camp she attends. And she works with her coach Jason Scott on how to improve.
For the next couple of months, she’ll be focused on getting ready for the European tour in March and a February meet in Denmark, where she also competed last year.
“I want to win of course because it’s my first European tour. My biggest goal is to go out there and fight, do my best. Show the European tour me, show them me. I want to learn so much. You’ll never learn everything about judo. So each time I go away, I’m learning so much.”
After she returns from Europe, she’ll be getting ready for the national judo championships in Calgary in May. If she wins there, she’ll be on Team Canada for the world championships in Bulgaria in August.
But she doesn’t want to think too far ahead. She’s just hoping to do her best wherever she goes.
“I hope everything goes well so I can bring back good results for everyone supporting me.”
The Region of Queens has lifted voluntary water conservation measures for residents in Liverpool and parts of Brooklyn. (0xCoffe via Pixabay)
Municipal water customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn don’t have to worry about tightening their taps.
The Region of Queens announced Wednesday afternoon that it has lifted voluntary water conservation measures that residents and businesses were under since early November.
The region said in a news release that recent rainfall has restored the Town Lake Reservoir to appropriate levels.
The reservoir is still not at full capacity, the region says, but there is enough water so that people don’t have to worry about watching their consumption.
Earlier in the day, Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that the region has been working with officials in the provincial Emergency Management Office to look for ways to replenish the reservoir if needed.
“There are alternatives and secondary water sources that we could access water from if push came to shove, but they’re not potable.”
Christian says using those sources would only be a last resort if they needed to feed the system.
But people who rely on the region’s water utility don’t have to worry about that for now.
If water levels drop again, the region says it will notify users through ads on local radio stations, including QCCR, posts on the region’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and on its website.
Queens regional councillors are looking for ways to help prevent more water crises in the region. (Henryk Niestroj via Pixabay)
While residents and businesses in the Liverpool area are being asked to cut back on water, Region of Queens councillors want to find ways to improve communication and deal with any future water shortages.
Last week, councillors asked for a comprehensive staff report on the region’s water and wastewater systems. They also want staff to develop a communication system to inform customers quickly when problems arise.
Municipal water users in Liverpool and parts of Brooklyn have been asked since Nov. 1 to restrict their water usage.
Water levels in the Town Lake Reservoir are too low to support the town’s usual consumption.
The region has warned people that without significant amounts of rain, more drastic measures may have to be taken.
Mayor Scott Christian said it’s important to investigate longer-term solutions.
“It has appropriately alarmed a lot of our residents and a number of members of council as well,” Christian said.
“So I think it’s appropriate that we ask those questions in terms of how are we going to avoid situations like this in the future. What’s our Plan B? How can we make sure that we do all we can to protect against known or foreseeable risks to the stability or the dependence of our water supply?”
Other councillors said they were also worried how the water supply could be affected if the Liverpool Fire Department needs to respond to a fire.
Liverpool fire chief Trevor Munroe could not be reached for comment Monday.
District 3 Coun. Courtney Wentzell said the region needs to address problems with its existing infrastructure.
“I think we’ve got an infrastructure problem on the west side of Liverpool from the town well to Union Street. This is very, very serious. We need to know what Plan B is, we need to look ahead and we need to look after people that already hooked up before we start hooking up new.”
The region has been criticized in the past for its efforts at spreading the word about water problems.
But some businesses and residents complained that they didn’t know about it until days after the order was issued.
People were also upset at what they saw as a lack of transparency about the reasons for the order.
Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton said residents and businesses need to be informed more quickly and more directly.
“I’m also running into a lot of residents who are unaware that they’re supposed to decrease their water usage right now, so I think that this is critical that this happen so that residents can be alerted when needed in a very quick manner.”
CAO Cody Joudry could not give councillors a timeline for when staff will complete their report.
The Region of Queens released this graphic on Friday morning to illustrate water levels in the Town Lake Reservoir (Credit: Region of Queens Municipality)
UPDATED Nov. 22 at 10:15 a.m.
The Region of Queens is asking its municipal water users to cut their consumption in half.
The municipality first sounded the alarm on Nov. 1 about dropping water levels in the Town Lake Reservoir.
Since then, the situation has only worsened. Officials say people have not reduced their water use enough to deal with the lack of rainfall.
The area has received only about 45 millimetres of rain since the first of October. CAO Cody Joudry told QCCR last week that the region would need at least 50 mm of rain a week to improve things.
For the past few weeks, the region has appealed to the 1,400 residential and commercial water utility customers in Liverpool and Brooklyn to conserve water.
Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR on Thursday that the newest advisory was necessary because water levels continue to drop.
“We’ve just continued on the same trajectory towards a situation we don’t want to find ourselves in. The updated (communications) strategy is around giving people a target to work toward to manage their own consumption or water conservation efforts.”
The region released more information on Friday morning, explaining the current water levels in more detail, including a graphic to illustrate.
“At full capacity, the Town Lake Reservoir has a maximum depth of nine feet above the water intake pipe,” according to the release. “Currently, the water level stands at six feet. If levels reach five feet, it triggers the Warning Level, where reduced water pressure could impact the entire system. While the system is operating at lower pressure, it remains functional.”
Some people who commented on the region’s latest post on Facebook said they’re frustrated with the region’s efforts to put the word out.
Christian said he understands people’s discontent. He said council plans to discuss the region’s long-term water plans and better communication with residents at their meeting on Monday evening.
“I think those are all good and fair questions to be asking right now. … It’s something that members of the council definitely take seriously. The things that we need to right now right now, is we need to conserve water right now.”
People also wondered why the municipality is flushing some fire hydrants in certain areas. Christian said he appreciates people pointing that out, but said they need to do that to avoid contaminating the water supply. Still, he said officials will look at ways to limit the flow of water from those hydrants.
The region also responded on Friday morning to concerns about the hydrant flushing.
“These ‘flusher locations’ are essential to maintain water quality throughout the system,” the release said. “The municipality has reduced flushing rates from 40 to under 5 gallons per minute to conserve water while ensuring safe potable water distribution.”
Christian told QCCR on Thursday that the best thing to do is for all users to cut their consumption as much as possible.
“But what’s most important urgently right now is to try our best as a community to conserve water as much as possible.”
Municipal water users have dealt with frustration before. Controversy over an eight-week boil water order in the summer of 2023 forced the Queens water utility to give customers a one-time break on their bills.
Other water utilities across the province are also struggling with dwindling water supply. The Halifax region issued water conservation notices last week.
The Region of Queens is asking people to take shorter showers and take baths less often. Flush toilets only when necessary, reduce the number of times you do laundry or dishes, fix leaky pipes and report any suspected leaks in water lines to the municipality at 902-354-7170.
The region says its 1,400 water utility customers must use less water because the municipality’s Town Lake reservoir is getting dangerously low.
Queens CAO Cody Joudry said Thursday that he hopes residents and businesses co-operate.
“I wouldn’t call it at a critical level, however it’s been heading that way for a while,” he said.
“It is continuing to go down at this point. It’s definitely getting worse so that’s why we really want to talk to the public and encourage them to actively try to conserve water.”
Mayor Scott Christian was not available for an interview Thursday. But he did post this video on his Facebook page Thursday afternoon appealing to municipal water users to cut their consumption.
Queens County has had very little rain this fall. According to Environment Canada, the area had only 30.1 millimetres of precipitation in October. So far, only 4.1 mm has fallen in November.
Joudry says the area needs to get at least 50 mm a week to replenish the reservoir to comfortable levels.
In their latest update, the municipality says if the situation worsens, they may have to begin mandatory conservation measures. Failure to follow those could result in fines and having your water cut off.
“Overall we’re not seeing a lot of decreased usage,” he said. “Those that are conserving water, we appreciate it. And those that aren’t, we are asking them to take it seriously and take immediate action … that people actively and consciously and deliberately take steps immediately to use less water than they were last week, than they were the week before that and the week before that. … We don’t want it to be dire.”
Joudry says the region has had worse water levels in the past. The reservoir isn’t yet at the low levels experienced in 1992, 1994 or 2001.
“When we get down to those levels, we’re implementing mandatory water conservation. And if people aren’t adhering to those rules, there could be tickets or disconnections and we don’t’ want to get to that point.”
Joudry said it’s difficult to say how close the region is to enacting more severe measures. But he said if things don’t improve in the next two to three weeks, it may come to that.
“I remain hopeful that usage goes down and rain occurs. Maybe more than one day of hard rain would be great.”
Joudry said he has reached out to the region’s Top 10 largest water consumers to explain the situation and ask them to start conserving water immediately.
“I don’t want to put all the weight or the onus on them. Everyone needs to do their fair share.”
The region did not do a baseline measurement of individual water usage when they first identified the problem about three weeks ago. But Joudry said officials are discussing ways to judge whether specific residents and businesses are using less water.
And he said they don’t plan yet to contact users directly. He said he hopes the municipality’s updates on social media and on radio will get the message across.
“I’m not sure at this point what we can do at this point, other than a door knocking campaign. It may come to that. For example, if we get to mandatory conservation measures, there might be letters that go out and door knocking.”
Joudry said he understands that conservation efforts will be different for everybody, depending on what their needs are.
Some of the things you can do to reduce your water usage include: reduce the frequency of flushing toilets; do fewer loads of dishes and laundry; stop washing vehicles; take shorter showers; turn off taps when not in use while showering or brushing your teeth; and fix any leaks or dripping faucets.
And if you have a suspected leak in your water line, contact the municipality at 902-354-7170.
A house on Wolfe Street in Liverpool was gutted by fire on Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured in the blaze. (Rick Conrad)
Emergency crews were busy in Queens County on Tuesday as a house fire in Liverpool left a family homeless, and a motor vehicle collision snarled traffic in the Brooklyn area.
The Liverpool Fire Department was called to 61 Wolfe St. shortly after 2 p.m. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the house was fully engulfed, according to Liverpool Fire Chief Trevor Munroe.
“We encountered heavy fire conditions on arrival. No one was injured. We did check the homeowner but he seemed fine.”
Munroe said the home’s residents and their pets were outside when firefighters arrived.
Fire crews clean up after a house fire in Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon. (Rick Conrad)
Six fire departments from Liverpool, Port Medway, Mill Village, Greenfield, North Queens and Italy Cross were at the scene.
Munroe didn’t have many more details on Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ll do a preliminary investigation and then turn the home back over the homeowner and they’ll bring in their insurance company.”
Also on Tuesday afternoon, traffic was being diverted in Brooklyn after a motor vehicle collision in the Sandy Cove area.
Few other details were available late Tuesday afternoon. RCMP could not be reached for comment.
QCCR will publish more details as they are available.
Hundreds of Sarah Mitton fans cheered on the Olympian on Friday afternoon at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
It was a disappointing result for Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton on Friday in the shot put at the Olympics in Paris, but for the hundreds gathered at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, she’s still a hometown hero.
It was a boisterous crowd that cheered Mitton on at the live viewing party as she tried for Olympic gold in the shot put. People were decked out in red and white and waved Canadian flags. Every time Mitton showed up on the big screen, people erupted into cheers and applause.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t Mitton’s day.
After three throws, Mitton did not make the cut for the final eight competitors. Her best throw was 17.48 metres in rainy and wet conditions.
Her third throw appeared to be close to the 20-metre mark, but she fouled out after losing her balance and stepping out of the throwing circle.
Mitton was a favourite going into the Olympics, after dominating most events this year. She won the World Athletics Indoor Championship in March and broke her own Canadian record three times. She also qualified easily for the Olympic final, with her first throw of 19.77 m.
Before the event, anticipation was building for the 250 people gathered at the Astor to watch Mitton compete live.
People travelled from around the South Shore and beyond to cheer her on.
Karen Hofrichter of Hubbards was there with her granddaughter Lily Lantz of Chester. Hofrichter and Lantz arrived an hour before the viewing party and snagged seats front row centre.
Lantz is a 14-year-old shot put athlete herself at Chester Area Middle School. She said she was at the Astor to cheer on her idol.
Hofrichter said the result wasn’t what they expected, but she’s confident Mitton will be back.
“Unfortunate. It was a tough day, tough with the weather, I think. Not everyone was doing their best. But you know what? We still love her. She gave it her all. And she can regroup and come back. We know she’s got it in her.”
Lantz said that the conditions didn’t help. Early on in the final round, another athlete slipped on the rainy surface and fell after her throw.
“I personally feel like (Mitton) might have gotten in her head after that one girl had slipped,” Lantz said.
“She tried her best and unfortunately lost her balance on that one throw, her good one out in the 20s. Which is OK, she tried her best and she’s gonna come back and she’s gonna hit harder.”
Ruth Anne Zwicker of Liverpool said despite the result, she’s still proud of what Mitton has accomplished.
“I’m so proud of Sarah. She’s worked so hard. My heart’s sad for her today because I know this isn’t where she wanted to be. But I’m excited that her mom (Bonnie) is there with her today. And proud to be a Canadian.”
Dave McKiel of Alberta was visiting his parents and watched Mitton compete.
“I know that the community is very proud of her and her efforts up to this point. It’s kind of disappointing that she didn’t advance today but she’ll receive a hero’s welcome the next time she’s back because everybody is super proud of her efforts.”
“The turnout and the crowd, you can tell the community loves her and supports her.”
German athlete Yemisi Ogunleye won gold in the event, with New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche taking silver and China’s Jiayuan Song capturing bronze.
