The historic Astor Theatre in Liverpool will undergo a multi-year facelift. (Rick Conrad / File photo)

The building that houses the Astor Theatre in Liverpool will get more than $1 million in upgrades this year, as part of a two-year, $3-million plan to modernize the historic building.

The Region of Queens owns the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre and leases it to the Astor Theatre Society.

Municipal councillors recently approved spending $1,050,000 this year and another $2,079,000 next year to install modern heating and cooling systems, air conditioning and long-delayed accessibility improvements.

Eric Goulden, chairman of the Astor Theatre Society, says he’s excited and grateful that the work is going ahead.

“All of these improvements are needed to update a 125-year-old building to today’s standards. … Most people don’t realize how busy we are and how much it’s needed to have a common point for people to get together and enjoy entertainment, but also learn and experience various crafts and meetings and that sort of thing. The vibe is very positive.

“We’re very, very pleased with the direction that we’re going in. We think that the next two years are going to be very positive for the Astor Theatre and a lot of the improvements that have been long overdue are going to take place.”

The Astor is limited in what it can offer in the warmer summer months, because the facility has only ceiling fans for cooling and air circulation in the theatre.

The region hired DSRA Architecture to detail what the building needs to improve operations and meet modern building codes. 

The region plans to upgrade the facility’s electrical supply and install a modern HVAC system, including heat pumps, that will allow the theatre to maintain comfortable temperatures year-round.

It also plans to install a platform lift so that people with mobility issues can access the second floor.

The washrooms will also be upgraded to comply with provincial requirements for accessibility and universality.

A new fire escape will be installed from the second-floor balcony, which will allow for wheelchair-accessible seating upstairs.

And the backstage area will be expanded by 765 square feet to allow more room for storage, a workshop and dressing rooms.

The architects also said the building’s insulation needs to be upgraded for better energy efficiency and to protect the wood structure from humidity. So far, that has not been included in the planned work.

Goulden says that the upgrades will allow the Astor to offer more to its patrons at any time of year. 

“We can’t do reliable programming in the summertime because of the lack of air conditioning, the lack of proper ventilation in the theatre. So it will give us at least another two months of programming that we can do in the summertime.”

He said the theatre is also shopping for a new movie projector to enhance its film offerings.

“Movies are going to be a big part of our growth. We will probably be the best movie experience on the South Shore.”

Councillors unanimously approved the work.

“I just have to say that I’m excited to see actually a plan for the updates at the Astor,” District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault said. “It’s been a long time coming. 
So I’m very grateful for it.”

Mayor Scott Christian said the Astor board will continue to look for grants and other funding to try to offset some of the cost for municipal taxpayers.

Representatives from the municipality and the Astor plan to meet early next week to discuss the upgrades.

“I’m really quite excited about the future,” Goulden said. “A lot of good things happening at the Astor.”

Here’s a breakdown of the work planned at the Astor:

Year 1 (2026/27 fiscal year):

• $245,000 – second floor platform lift (six months to install)
• $175,000 – emergency egress from balcony (three months to install)
• $210,000 – electrical upgrades (six months to complete)
• $420,000 – Phase 1 heating and cooling upgrades (six months)

Year 2 upgrades – 2027/28 fiscal year ($2,079,000):

• $1.4 million – backstage addition
• $315,000 – Phase 2 heating and cooling upgrades
• $168,000 – second floor washroom accessibility upgrades
• $196,000 – main floor washroom accessibility upgrades

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Members of the Port Medway Fire Department Auxiliary: Vincent Dieras, Deb Noble, Deb Lemon, Barbara Parnell, Sandi Simpson and Darlene Norman. (Rick Conrad)

As people around Queens County woke up Monday morning to power outages, volunteers at the Port Medway Fire Hall were busy giving people a place to warm up and get something to eat.

The Port Medway Fire Department Auxiliary opened the hall to everyone who needed it. They started preparing food at 6:30 Monday morning and still hadn’t stopped Wednesday afternoon.

“Port Medway is a very special community and for years it has always looked after itself,” says Darlene Norman, president of the auxiliary.

“Whenever there is an emergency or a power outage, this hall immediately becomes open and there’s always prepared home-cooked meals.”

“It’s open 24 hours a day until the power comes back on,” says auxiliary member Deb Lemon, “so even in the middle of the night you can come and recharge and warm up.”

Norman and Lemon are part of a team of about a dozen volunteers who have served three meals a day since early Monday, feeding up to 35 people at a time.

“We do scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon,” Norman says.

“One day for lunch, we had pizzas, one day we did sandwiches up. We did the best spaghetti and meatballs that people said they ever had. We had homemade cheese biscuits, homemade chicken soup.”

The fire hall has a diesel-powered generator so that it can open to anyone after storms, hurricanes and power outages. A Nova Scotia Power crew even stopped in on Wednesday for lunch.

It’s a place for people to find comfort as well as community.

“Anyone without power,” Norman says. “Mill Village people were here, there were people from over in West Berlin, East Berlin, … everyone knows, when it’s open, it’s open.

“This is a real community. It’s small, everyone’s compacted because of the way this community is designed, people know each other. It’s social, people come play cards. And whether or not you’re a member of the auxiliary it really doesn’t have a bearing on if you come in and help in this kitchen.”

MIke Vandale, left, and three friends play cards on Wednesday at the Port Medway Fire Hall. (Rick Conrad)

Mike Vandale, who lives in East Port Medway, was still without power Wednesday morning, so he was at the hall for some breakfast and a game of cribbage with three friends.

“It’s been fantastic. The auxiliary have performed above and beyond all expectations. Fantastic.

“Camaraderie, food, warmth, friendship. It’s a great place to come and see everybody and catch up on the news.”

Vandale adds, laughing: “Misery loves company.”

Norman says there are a lot of younger retirees in the small fishing village who have the time and energy to pitch in when needed.

Even when they’re not offering free meals during power outages, the hall welcomes the community for a free lunch every Wednesday. That’s in addition to their regular dances, bingo nights and other events.

People show their appreciation for the free meals by leaving generous donations. And Norman and Lemon say management at the Sobeys in Liverpool has also been supportive, giving the group a $50 gift card so they could stock up on groceries this week.

“That’s the community rubbing off on everybody else around us,” Lemon says.

Most of Port Medway had been reconnected as of Wednesday afternoon. A Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman told QCCR that crews were working to restore power to more than 200 customers in Queens County as of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Port Medway Fire Hall isn’t an official comfort centre. And it wasn’t the only place in Queens County offering help during the outage. Eight other locations were offering various services. You can check out the list on the Region of Queens website here.

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Lorna MacPherson, president of the Liverpool Curling Club. (Rick Conrad photo)

For local curling fans, Saturday afternoon could be one of the most wonderful times of the year.

The Liverpool Curling Club has invited hometown curling hero Jill Brothers to help them celebrate Curling Day in Nova Scotia.

Brothers, who is from Liverpool, is the third on Christina Black’s Nova Scotia team that finished second to Rachel Homan at the Canadian Olympic curling trials in Halifax last weekend.

“Our club opted to combine some curling fun. Two fun scrambles and a potluck supper but very importantly, we want to celebrate and honour Jill Brothers, our hometown curler, who we are very proud of,” Lorna MacPherson, president of the Liverpool Curling Club, said in an interview.

“Jill is going to be here and will be curling and is going to be here with her family so we’re really pleased that she’s been able to join us.”

MacPherson says the club is planning a couple of scrambles, which involve a few ends of curling just for fun. Brothers plans to participate in that, before being honoured by the club later in the afternoon. They’ll highlight Brothers’s early playing days in Liverpool and her most recent success.

“She has continued on now for two decades, having that variety of successes, both provincially and nationally,” MacPherson says, “and she was on a team that competed at the worlds. So it really gave us an opportunity to thank her for all that she has done for curling and just to tell her how much we appreciate her successes.”

MacPherson said Brothers is an inspiration to young local curlers. The 2004 Canadian women’s junior champion has been to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts eight times in her career, as a skip and in other positions. Last year, she and Team Black won bronze.

Brothers also works full time as the technical director for the Nova Scotia Curling Association.

“She’s very approachable with all ages young and and the more mature curlers in our curling club,” MacPherson says. “And particularly last week the success that Team Black had and how they demonstrated not only how to win with grace and enthusiasm, but also how to accept the losses and I think she’s just a great role model for our young people here in our community.

“Jill is just a great example of curling etiquette, enthusiasm and attitude.”

MacPherson says the celebration on Saturday is all about fun, and introducing new people to the club and to the sport.

“We really want to welcome people in our community to come into the curling club, particularly those that aren’t familiar with curling or maybe haven’t been in the curling club. If you want to curl, we can set you up with some gear and have people help you out on the ice or if you just want to watch, so it really is about celebrating all aspects of curling.”

Curling Day in Nova Scotia at the Liverpool Curling Club, featuring Jill Brothers, starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The special presentation honouring Jill Brothers is scheduled for 3:30. For more information, check the club’s Facebook page.

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Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian speaks to residents before a town hall meeting at the Liverpool Fire Hall on Thursday. (Rick Conrad)

Community safety and downtown development dominated the first of seven town hall meetings held by Queens County councillors.

About 30 people attended the two-hour session at the Liverpool Fire Hall on Thursday evening to hear about council’s plans for the municipality and to ask some questions of their own.

Safety for people of all ages was a big concern.

Some residents said their grandchildren stay away from the Mersey Skatepark at Queens Place Emera Centre because of violence and bullying there. 

Others said they were worried about reckless riding of e-scooters and other vehicles on sidewalks.

And the owner of the Subway restaurant said she and her staff are dealing with problems from some students at the neighbouring Queens Adult High School.

Kim Moulton told councillors that her staff regularly witness drug use in front of the restaurant. She said they’ve called the RCMP, who take the students away but then bring them back. 

“Most times it’s pretty good. And then sometimes, when the new school year starts it starts over again and then we have to put our foot down,” she said in an interview.

“It’s not a very nice sight to sit and eat your lunch when you have a group of people hanging around loitering, smoking, cursing and swearing, spitting. It’s very unsightly.”

Other people told councillors they’re concerned about the lack of enforcement of e-scooters on sidewalks.

Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act clearly defines limits on e-scooter use, similar to bicycles. But Mayor Scott Christian said that Queens District RCMP have told the municipality that they can’t do anything about people riding them on sidewalks or recklessly on the road.

“Some of the stuff that was raised here, it’s not safe for pedestrians and it’s intimidating for some pedestrians when they have users on electric vehicles bearing down on them,” Christian said after the meeting.

“We see a lot of youth, a lot of young kids, riding these scooters. They’re going quite quick. A lot of them aren’t wearing helmets. Something I’ve raised to the (RCMP) staff sergeant and they’ve identified as something that they need to do some public education around. When we raise it to them they say the municipality has to do their part and get effective bylaws in place as well.”

According to the Motor Vehicle Act, which the RCMP usually enforce, riders of e-scooters or electric kick scooters are supposed to wear helmets at all times, just like users of bicycles and skateboards. They also must ride on the road or in designated bike lanes.

Municipalities can make their own bylaws governing their use, in addition to what’s in provincial legislation.

Region of Queens councillors held the first of seven town hall meetings Thursday evening. (Rick Conrad)

People also raised concerns about the state of downtown Liverpool.

Sylvia Hurley said much of Main Street looks rundown.

“It needs to be revamped,” she said in an interview after the meeting.

“It needs upgrading, those buildings. I mean, you go downtown and look at the old Stedman building. Just look at it. It’s not attractive. It’s not attractive. The old Scotiabank, not attractive. You know, it’s just not welcoming anymore.

“I was born and brought up here and I remember when on Friday or Saturday night you came into town, and there was no place to stand on the sidewalk and talk because there would be other people standing and talking, and you don’t get that anymore.”

Christian and Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton pointed to council’s recent decision to amend the land use bylaw to allow more residential development downtown, specifically at the old Stedman’s site at 194 Main St.

“Coming up with a winning strategy where we can get more vibrancy in the downtown core, that’s a big priority,” Christian said.

For the first part of the meeting, Christian took people through council’s vision for the municipality and the priorities they plan to work on in four areas – governance, economic development, community wellness and environment and infrastructure.

People were asked to choose one part of each of those areas that was most important to them. They could also write suggestions on Post-It notes. The Top 3 concerns appeared to be transparency and accountability, coming up with an economic development plan, and repairing and replacing aging infrastructure. 

Residents said afterward they appreciated the chance to air some of their concerns, though they said they wanted more time to ask questions.

Christian encouraged people to come out to one of the remaining six sessions, to be held over the next week and a half at locations around Queens County.

“I think it’s an opportunity to hear about the direction we’re trying to take the municipality in Queen’s County and then an opportunity to bring your questions forward.

“You want to come out to speak to the issue or ask your question directly to your elected officials, this is your opportunity to do it.”

The town hall meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Here are the dates and locations of upcoming sessions:

• Fri., Oct. 17 – Milton Memorial Hall
• Mon., Oct. 20 – Mersey Point Hall
• Tues., Oct. 21 – West Queens Recreation Centre
• Thurs., Oct. 23 – Greenfield Fire Hall
• Fri., Oct. 24 – Port Medway Fire Hall
• Mon., Oct. 27 – North Queens Fire Hall

More information about the sessions is on the Region of Queens website. Residents can also fill out a survey here.

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stephanie Miller Vincent (Courtesy of Stephanie Miller Vincent)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Queens MLA Kim Masland, who is also Nova Scotia’s public works minister, with Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman on Friday at Queens Place Emera Centre after Masland announced more than $2.7 million in funding for Queens County. (Rick Conrad)

A new outdoor pool and a state-of-the-art track and soccer field for Queens County got a lot closer to reality on Friday as Queens MLA Kim Masland announced more than $2.7 million in funding for the region.

Masland, who is also the province’s public works minister, told a crowd at Queens Place Emera Centre that the province will give $2.2 million toward the $7.2-million community pool to be located next to Queens Place.

She also pledged an extra $500,000 for a new all-weather artificial turf soccer field and rubberized track at Liverpool Regional High School. Masland announced $700,000 last fall for the facility. That was before the design was changed to make it an all-weather facility, which would be the first of its kind on the South Shore. That brings the provincial contribution for that project to $1.2 million.

Masland made the funding announcements on behalf of Allan MacMaster, minister of communities, culture, tourism and heritage.

“These announcements are all about physical activity, making sure that we have opportunities for people living here and for people who are interested in moving to be part of what we have going on here in Queens. Great investment to keep our youth engaged,” she told reporters afterward.

“People that are moving to our communities, we have new doctors moving here, they have young families. They want to have facilities where their children and where they themselves … can be active. Health care is what we were elected on, and every decision that we make, health care plays a role in.”

Masland also announced the Liverpool Curling Club will get $47,030 for upgrades to its kitchen facilities.

The pool will be a six-lane, 25-metre, zero-entry structure, with a therapy hot tub.

The Region of Queens is contributing $2 million toward the pool, while an anonymous private donor has committed about $3 million.

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman said that tenders for work on the pool will be issued soon. And the hope is that construction will begin in spring of 2025, with an anticipated opening in 2026.

“The next call will be the issuing of tenders. All the pre-designs are completed.”

Deborah Herman-Spartinelli is a member of the region’s pool committee and the Queens Community Aquatic Society. She said the provincial funding was “wonderful” news.

“We still need to fundraise for certain aspects. There’s all these things like starter blocks, equipment and the therapy pool and other things that are needed.”

Kristopher Snarby is president of the Queens County Track Society. He said that with Friday’s provincial funding, in addition to $1.8 million from the federal government and $250,000 from the municipality, his group has about $100,000 in fundraising left to do.

“We’re still hopeful that we might be able to get it done by late fall,” Snarby said in an interview.

“From a soccer perspective, it’s great. It allows us to have a longer season. You can play into the winter if you want to, as long as there’s no snow. From a track perspective, the rubberized surface will be fully accessible, a level walking area for seniors, for people with disabilities, and that also can be used year-round as well.”

This is the Houston government’s second significant funding announcement for Queens County in the past two weeks. On April 15, Masland announced $10.7 million for upgraded water and sewer infrastructure that would also be extended to the Mount Pleasant area of Liverpool.

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Nova Scotia Public Works Minister and Queens MLA Kim Masland with Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman at a funding announcement at the region’s offices on April 15. (Rick Conrad)

Queens MLA Kim Masland will be at Queens Place Emera Centre on Friday at 1 p.m. to announce money for community recreation infrastructure.

Masland, who is also Nova Scotia’s public works minister, is making the announcement on behalf of Allan MacMaster, the minister of communities, culture, tourism and heritage.

No other details were provided in a news release on Thursday afternoon. Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman will also be at the event.

This will be the second significant funding announcement for Queens County in the past two weeks.

Last Monday, Masland announced $10.7 million in funding for water and sewer upgrades for the region. The municipality is pitching in $10.8 million. The $21.5-million project will extend water and wastewater services to the Mount Pleasant area of Liverpool. That money will also help improve existing water and sewer services to more than 1,200 homes and businesses in the area, and help enhance the amount of water available for firefighting efforts.

That project paved the way for two new private housing developments on more than 60 acres of land. About 325 new housing units will be built for up to 1,200 people.

QCCR will be at the announcement on Friday.