Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson

By Rick Conrad

The Queens Place Emera Centre canteen contract and electronic voting are among the topics on the Region of Queens council agenda on Tuesday.

Staff are recommending that the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool be awarded a one-year contract to operate concessions at Queens Place. Councillors had previously agreed that the Kiwanis Club would be a good fit to operate the canteen, rent free, for one year. 

Under the proposal, the club would be responsible for ensuring food safety and insurance compliance. Volunteers from the club, Queens County Blades and the Queens County Minor Hockey Association would operate it.

The three organizations would share proceeds from concessions sales. The groups have joined together to operate the canteen at some previous events. 

The Kiwanis Club also told council that it would step aside if another operator came forward during their one-year term.

When Queens Place opened in December 2011, the region operated the canteen. Since 2016, however, either private businesses or community groups have run it.

Electronic voting may not be possible for the 2024 municipal elections, according to a report from Cody Joudry, Region of Queens chief administrative officer.

Twenty of Nova Scotia’s 49 municipalities offered online voting in the 2020 elections by contracting with a private company, he says. If the region wants to follow suit, it is probably too late to join with those other municipalities. It would have to issue a tender on its own and find a service provider, he said.

The possibility of e-voting in Queens came up at a previous council meeting. And Joudry is recommending that council ask for a staff report on the feasibility and cost to implement it in time for the October 2024 election.

Staff is recommending that council approve two requests to name private roads. Terry Whynot of Kent Fields Estates and the Quarterdeck Resort made both applications.

The first is to name a private road off Cobbs Ridge Road in Liverpool Lingley Lane. The other application is to call a new road off Willow Lane in Summerville Centre Audrelyn Lane.

Councillors will hear a presentation on Pemsik Conservation Mosaic. It is a proposed conservation area that would connect the Tobeatic Wilderness Area to the lands and waters around Port Mouton, Port Joli and Port l’Hebert, as well as Broad and Sable rivers.

The Pemsik project partners want to protect the cultural and natural values critical to the livelihoods of Mi’kmaq and rural communities throughout southwest Nova Scotia.

The council meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the council chamber at 249 White Point Rd., Liverpool. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to an audio version of this story below

Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens council will once again delay a decision on the location of a new library.

Municipal staff had recommended building at the Liverpool business development centre but after a flood of e-mail correspondence and public comments at the last meeting councillors decided to discuss the matter further. They have requested staff look into the feasibility of temporarily relocating the library at the business centre until a new permanent home can be found.

In the recommendations portion of the meeting council determined three properties were considered dangerous and unsightly and directed staff to take action.

Councillors also approved a staff request to apply for over $10 million from the provincial municipal capital growth program. The program supports municipalities’ efforts to address infrastructure needs.

Region of Queens would like to use the funding to support the Mount Pleasant service extension project which has three distinct components: transmission main upgrades, water lift station upgrades, and extending services to the growth area around Mount Pleasant. The current estimated costs of the project are in the neighborhood of $21.5 million.

Council then approved spending $750 as their contribution to co-host the New Year’s Day levee alongside Mersey branch 38 of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Council then moved into discussions, the first two items involved road names, the first being Lingley Lane and the second Audrelyn Lane. No other streets in the region currently have those names so they will be assigned to those streets at an upcoming meeting.

A discussion whether to support Mill Village fire department’s request to purchase a new truck for $620,000 will come back to council once the chiefs of the Regions’ five fire departments have an opportunity to discuss long term planning for replacement of their engines. The municipality contributes 25 percent of the cost to the fire service whenever a new truck is purchased.

Next municipal staff asked council to clarify the intent of the travel expense policy. Staff are looking to clarify the language and will bring the policy back for Council’s consideration at a future meeting.

The last item on the agenda was a request from the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool to take over operation of the concession stand at Queens Place.

Under the proposal, the club will be responsible for ensuring compliance with food safety certificates and insurance as well as obtaining a food operating permit, while operations will be handled by volunteers from the Queens County Blades and Queens County minor hockey association. Councillors were supportive of the idea as it would provide an opportunity for all three local organizations to raise money.

Regional staff will work out details with the Kiwanis organization and bring the item back before council at a future meeting.

Council only meets one time in December due to the holidays. The next council meeting will be January 9^th at 9:00am in council chambers.

To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com