Dave White is the president of the Queens County ATV Association. (Rick Conrad)

ATV operators in Queens County will soon be able to ride their vehicles on some municipal roads in Liverpool.

Region of Queens councillors adopted a new road trails bylaw on Tuesday, paving the way for off-highway vehicles to use some roads to access trails and services.

• READ THE BYLAW HERE

The rules take effect Feb. 1. But Dave White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, says there’s still some work to do to get the trails ready for riders.

“It’s really important for people to note that, although it’s passed second reading today, it will not become officially open. … Things that have to be done is we have trail signage to go up as well as the region has some signage for where the trail crosses streets. So they’ve already done some preliminary work.”

White said the association, the ATV Association of Nova Scotia and the municipality will update users on when the trails are ready to use.

The bylaw designates five routes around Liverpool that riders can use to access services or other trails.

It’s been about two and a half years since the association and the Queens Rails to Trails Association approached the region to create a connected trail network similar to those that exist in neighbouring Lunenburg and Shelburne counties and in other parts of Atlantic Canada.

ATV groups say that the changes will bring more economic activity to Queens County. In 2022, ATV users said they spent $454 million in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act in 2023, which allows off-highway vehicles on provincial and municipal roads with certain conditions.

“It’s been a major development and a lot of work with the municipality, over the last six months, but really over almost two and a half years at this point,” White said .

“So we are exceptionally pleased with it.”

White says motorists won’t see much of a change once the rules go into effect, since the vehicles won’t be allowed everywhere.

“You will see off-highway vehicles on defined streets. That’s important, it is not all of town. It’s very specific.”

The routes are behind the municipal offices on White Point Road and at various points from the Trestle Trail that would allow access to the Visitor Information Centre, downtown shops and services like the gas stations and grocery stores around Queens Place Drive. 

The association also signed an agreement with a local landowner so riders can access the former rail bed to get to the Milton Road. 

“And then you’ll travel like any other vehicle down to the light, and have all of the options open to you, including the yield lane to the right to access Irving, Shell and Hank Snow Drive, which will allow us to have combined tourism events with the friends of the Hank Snow Society, which we’re very excited for, and we’re hoping to do an event with them in February.

“You will also be able to turn left at the light to access businesses like Sobeys, Superstore, McDonald’s, Dollarama, Queens Place, Best Western, which is a major win because people will be able to come in and do expanded tourism opportunities. So we’re very excited.”

White says once the trails are open, they should bring in business from off-highway vehicle users from around the province.

He says people can get more details about the routes by downloading the ATV Association of Nova Scotia’s mobile app. 

Here are the routes outlined in the bylaw:

• West Street from civic number 181 to the intersection with Harley Umphrey Drive, then to the intersection with White Point Road.
• King Street from civic number 56 to the intersection with Lawrence Street, then to the intersection with Wolfe Street to civic number 16.
• Main Street from the intersection with Central Boulevard to civic number 741.
• Brunswick Street from civic number 63 to the intersection with Main Street, then to the intersection with Henry Hensey Drive to the pump station at civic number 4 Henry Hensey Drive.
• Milton Road from civic number 31 to the intersection with Bristol Avenue, west to the intersection with Hank Snow Drive and east to the intersection with Queens Place Drive. Included is Hank Snow Drive to civic number 38 and the entirety of Queens Place Drive and Old Cobbs Barn Road.

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Ryan MacLean with UPLAND Planning and Design Studio at a public engagement session in Liverpool in July. (Rick Conrad/File)

The Region of Queens will be looking for outside help for a planned overhaul of some parts of its land use bylaw.

Councillors voted this week to hire an external firm to review the bylaw and municipal planning strategy.

The region passed an extensively reworked bylaw and planning strategy in May 2022. The process cost $140,000 and was led by UPLAND Planning from Halifax. It was also supposed to take 18 months, but ended up taking almost four years because of the pandemic.

The 2022 bylaw changes were controversial, with many residents upset that proposed livestock provisions could prevent many people from raising small numbers of animals on their land.

Mayor Scott Christian said this week that it’s time for a review.

“The municipal planning strategy and land use bylaw, I think, is second only to a budget deliberation as an allocation of the public resources, and setting of the tax rate in terms of the levers that we have available to us as a council to impact our community, impact business owners, impact residents, in terms of the regulations, the protections and regulations, and avenues that residents and businesses have with respect to permitted use of property in our municipality,” Christian said.

“And I think that it’s really important to me that our land use bylaw or municipal planning strategy is reflective of the priorities and the concerns and the direction that this council wants to take the community.”

The land use bylaw returned to council’s radar earlier this year as developer Eric Fry applied to turn the dilapidated former Stedmans building on Main Street in Liverpool into apartments.

Councillors initially rejected his plan because it contained no commercial space. The rules required that at least half of a downtown building’s ground floor be devoted to businesses.

But after Fry threatened to sell the property, councillors relented. They changed the bylaw in late November to allow a modified version of Fry’s plan to go ahead, with two much smaller spaces for commercial use.

The region hired UPLAND to conduct citizen engagement sessions in relation to Fry’s development and proposal to change the bylaw.

Mike MacLeod, the municipality’s director of land use, told councillors at their regular meeting this week that hiring outside consultants would be more efficient, since the region’s staff don’t have the capacity to carry out the review in a timely manner.

“There is considerable work involved in even an interim planning review,” he said. 

“So if staff were to undertake it, the timeframe will be considerably lengthened to complete the review, as well as staff’s ability to carry out the day-to-day operations at the department. We would be very challenged to do it in-house.”

The region has about $50,000 set aside already for future planning review projects. MacLeod said that money could go toward the cost of this review.

Councillors want to create or review regulations regarding

• Commercial uses in residential zones
• Short-term rentals
• Keeping of livestock in residential and rural zones
• Light pollution
• Additional coastal protection measures and climate resilient land use regulations
• Minimum property standards

District 3 Coun. Courtney Wentzell said he was concerned about getting one firm to do all the work.

“I still have some deep concerns about one firm looking after so many different items, and the cost that will be,” he told his fellow councillors.

“And I think of our town hall meetings, and our priorities, where coastal protection and climate resilience is way up there. I didn’t see a whole lot about livestock in our planning meetings and town halls. I think there’s nothing prioritized here, and I am still leery of one contractor looking after all of this.”

MacLeod said that even though an outside company will be hired, staff would still be involved. And he added that professional planning firms are experienced in work like this.

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton said that the region could rely on lessons learned in other municipalities who have already addressed things like coastal protection.

Councillors will have input on details of the tender before it’s issued. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Dave White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, at a July public information session on road trails. (Rick Conrad / File)

ATV users will soon be able to travel more easily through Queens County.

Regional councillors voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to create a bylaw that would allow the vehicles on some municipal roads.

The bylaw will designate five routes around Liverpool that riders can use to access services or other trails.

Dave White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, and about 30 supporters were at the council meeting for the vote.

“We’re really excited with the decision of council tonight to move forward to the bylaw phase with all five road trails in the Region of Queens Municipality, specifically in the former township, to create trail-to-trail and trail-to-amenities connections,” White said in an interview afterward.

“And I think this is going to be a really positive thing for our community so we’re very excited.”

It’s been about two years since the association and the Queens Rails to Trails Association approached the region to create a connected trail network similar to those that exist in neighbouring Lunenburg and Shelburne counties and in other parts of Atlantic Canada.

ATV groups say that the changes will bring more economic activity to Queens County. In 2022, ATV users said they spent  $454 million in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act in 2023, which allows off-highway vehicles on provincial and municipal roads with certain conditions.

The region formed an ad hoc committee with local ATV organizations. The groups consulted with property owners, held public engagement sessions and asked for feedback in an online survey.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. About 180 people attended an information session at the Liverpool Fire Hall in July. Nobody voted against any of the five proposed routes. (Note: The routes are explained in detail at the end of this story.)

The online survey garnered between 74 and 84 per cent support for each route.

Those routes are behind the municipal offices on White Point Road and at various points from the Trestle Trail that would allow access to the Visitor Information Centre, downtown shops and Queens Place Drive. 

In a staff report to council, project officer Richard Lane said comments from residents were mostly positive, but some were confused about the rules, while others worried about how those rules would be enforced.

The region’s traffic authority, Director of Infrastructure Adam Grant, said increased traffic from ATVs may contribute to driver confusion in some areas, like the intersection of Bristol Avenue and Milton Road.

He said he wanted to ensure that public safety remains the priority as the region moves ahead with a bylaw.

The region also consulted five other municipalities with road trail networks – the towns of Oxford, Pictou, Shelburne and Yarmouth and the city of Corner Brook, NL.

The municipality asked Queens District RCMP for their feedback but didn’t get a response. 

Mayor Scott Christian said Queens will likely use municipal bylaws in other jurisdictions as their guide.

“We’re going to take all those lessons and try to … do it right the first time and just make it really clear and easy for the users about how they can navigate the road trails through the town of Liverpool, where they can go, where they can’t go, how they can safely operate their vehicles in town. I’m really excited about it.”

As with any new bylaw, the region must notify the public and give them an opportunity to comment at a public hearing. Christian said it shouldn’t take long to draft it.

White says road trail bylaws in other places are usually brief, since a lot of the regulations are already in provincial legislation.

He says that after lobbying two separate councils for the past two years, he’s happy that ATV users will soon get a greenlight to ride on certain roads.

“There are lots of things going on in a muncipality at any given time and while this took a little longer than we had hoped, we’re very happy with the outcome.”

FIVE PROPOSED ROAD TRAIL ROUTES IN LIVERPOOL (Source: Region of Queens staff report from Richard Lane, presented at Oct. 28 council meeting)

Route #1

From the rail trail as it enters Liverpool from the Shelburne direction and emerges from the walking trail behind the municipal office at 249 White Point Road, the road trail would allow a right turn onto West Street and left onto Harley Umphrey Drive. The road trail would then cross Hwy 3 and join the Trestle Trail, the road trail would also continue along George Street and end at the intersection with Old Port Mouton Road.

Route #2

Diverging from the Trestle Trail, the road trail would turn right onto King Street, left onto Lawrence Street, and right onto Wolfe Street until rejoining the Trestle Trail at Central Boulevard. The purpose of this road trail would be to avoid travel through a residential backyard and a section with poor sight lines and steep gradient.

Route #3

From the Trestle Trail as it crosses Main Street, the road trail would allow a left turn as far as the end of municipal street jurisdiction at Mersey Place Court. This would allow access to the Cowie Well and prepare for connection to the Trestle Trail from outside town limits via Milton, should an application be submitted to the Province of Nova Scotia for access in the future.

Route #4

From the Trestle Trail, the road trail would allow a right turn onto Brunswick Street, slight left on Main Street and right onto Henry Hensey Drive as far as the Visitor Information Centre. No access to Market Street, Bristol Avenue, or Main Street would be available. This road trail would enable access to parking, shops, and services including the Visitor Information Centre.

Route #5

Following the Trestle Trail until a left turn onto an access road at 31 Milton Road, the proposed road trail joins Milton Road with a right turn to the traffic light. From the traffic lights, the route allows a right turn onto Bristol Avenue, and a left turn onto Hank Snow Drive – no further travel on Bristol Avenue would be permitted. The route also enables riders to go straight through the traffic light, or to turn left and then left again onto Queens Place Drive. The inclusion of Old Cobbs Barn Road enables future road trail designation of a section of Hwy 3 toward Brooklyn, should an application be submitted to the Province of Nova Scotia in the future. This route would enable access to multiple shops, gas stations, accommodation, and amenities such as the Hank Snow Hometown Museum and Queens Place Emera Centre.

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Volunteers with the Queens County ATV Association explained proposed new road trails at a public information session at the Liverpool Fire Hall on Tuesday. (Rick Conrad)

More than 150 people turned out on Tuesday evening to learn about how proposed new routes for off-highway vehicles could affect Liverpool motorists, residents and businesses.

The public consultation was organized by the Queens County ATV Association at the Liverpool Fire Hall.

“So what we’re looking to do is to provide connection for off-highway vehicle users to be able to get into our commercial districts to access our restaurants, our gas stations and our accommodations, as well as to provide trail-to-trail connections,” Dave White, president of the ATV association, told QCCR on Tuesday.

“So what we’re trying to do in the larger picture is have 100 per cent connection from Lunenburg through Queens County to Shelburne. And the even bigger picture is for an eventual development of a path that would see people be able to leave Tantallon, go all the way down to Yarmouth, around to Digby, over to Middleton, back across New Germany and back up to Tantallon, which would be a route that would be very similar, actually I think a little bit bigger than one that everybody travels to Newfoundland to do.

“So this provides a massive opportunity for recreational development and also for economic development because we know from the 2022 spending survey that $454 million got spent that year by off-highway vehicle users in Nova Scotia. So part of our hope is that we can start to see our county start to recognize some of that economic growth too.”

The ATV association and the Queens Rails to Trails Association have proposed five areas around Liverpool to connect existing off-road trails with municipal roadways so that riders can access services or other trails.

The Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act in 2023, which allows OHVs on provincial and municipal roads with certain conditions.

Five information stations were set up at the fire hall on Tuesday with volunteers at each to explain the routes and the laws around off-highway vehicle use on public roads.

People were asked to fill out feedback forms to say whether they oppose or support each route.

Dave White is president of the Queens County ATV Association and secretary of the Queens Rails to Trails Association. (Rick Conrad)

“We’ve had only positive feedback tonight that I’m aware of,” White said.

“We have had some questions about what the rules are. So there are speed limits, you do have to have a drivers licence, you have to be insured, you have to have your headlights on even during daylight hours. The times are restricted to daylight hours. So there are lots of rules that cover it.”

Brianna Darton and Erich Gennette traveled from Mount Uniacke to find out what it’s all about. Darton’s parents live in Liverpool.

“We’re kind of in the process of introducing my parents to the world of ATVing and if we can make things a little more convenient for them I think that would be a good start,” Darton said.

“I think it would be a great thing for them to do as they head into retirement and any encouragement with ease of access (and) they’re afraid of breaking the rules. They don’t want to drive where they shouldn’t.”

“At the moment really all we can do,” Gennette said, “is go from the No. 3 (highway) to Bridgewater and it would be really nice to do more than that. We just did it today. We’ve seen it. We’d like to do something different. So if we could go through Liverpool and go down to Shelburne that would be cool and just see a new place because this is our first time going ATVing down here and we’d like to do it more often.”

Peter Lavender of Liverpool said he wanted to find out how the proposed routes would affect traffic going into downtown.

“I was concerned mainly about Bristol (Avenue), you know, the main part of town going through Main Street but apparently they avoided that. They’re going all the way around that so it’s looking pretty good.”

White says off-highway vehicle users love visiting other areas of the province and they want to be able to travel more easily through Queens County and invite others to visit too.

“Our interest isn’t just in having it, we want it done properly, safely and to encourage good use and good economic impact.”

White says the ATV groups will work with municipal staff to collect the results of the feedback from Tuesday’s session. Regional councillors have seemed supportive of the idea of a connected road trail network in Queens County.

They would have to create a new by-law to make it happen.

White says he hopes that process can be wrapped up by the end of the year.

In the meantime, residents can give their feedback in an online survey posted by the region on its Facebook page.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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