Minister of Public Works, Queens MLA Kim Masland. Photo Ed Halverson

Drivers in Nova Scotia will notice some new signals on the roads in the coming weeks.

Automated flagging machines will now be seen at road construction sites around the province.

Public Works Minister Kim Masland says the new machines will make those sites safer for workers.

“You do not have someone standing on the side of the road with a sign, you have a flagging device,” said Masland. “So, if something’s going to get hit, it’s going to be this device and not a human.”

The new machines are not permitted on 100-series highways and will be limited to roads with a speed limit of 80km/h or less travelled by fewer than 200 cars per hour.

The flagging device consists of a flag, one red light and one yellow light.

The signals used by the machine will be familiar to motorists. When the gate is raised, and the yellow light is flashing drivers should proceed with caution. When the gate is up and showing a solid yellow light prepare to stop and when the gate is down, and the light is red traffic must stop.

Masland says the devices are in use all over the country and have a proven safety record. The devices used here will be manufactured by Dartmouth based company Site 20/20.

The Public Works minister says it’s important to note these machines won’t be replacing existing workers.

“Especially with the amount of construction that we have in the province right now there certainly is a shortage of flaggers in our province. This is in no way to try to replace people or take jobs away from people. That is something that I would never support,” said Masland. “These automatic flagging devices so they still would need to be calibrated they need to be set up to the scene of which these flagging devices would look after.”

Masland says the new flagging devices will give contractors one more tool in their toolbox to keep people safe on the job.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com

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Thomas H. Raddall Library. Photo credit Ed Halverson

Tension between councillors at the last Region of Queens council meeting seems to have come from a simple accounting misunderstanding.

Many councillors were upset when it was revealed the cost to build the new library at Queens Place didn’t include $950,000 for the driveway, and other necessary infrastructure.

Several other sites were under consideration, but Queens Place was selected when it was determined each of the other locations would require up to $600,000 to prepare the sites for construction.

Councillor Maddie Charlton represents District 3, which includes the current home of the Thomas H Raddall Library in Liverpool.

She was one of the councillors who initially voted against building the new library at Queens Place.

She was convinced to change her vote when the library committee reported to council that each of the eight sites being considered would need hundreds of thousands of dollars of work to accommodate the new build.

Charlton was also worried that if the project was delayed any longer Queens could be without library services as the Rossignol Centre which currently houses the library is up for sale.

“That is a concern and that was also a part of why in back in January of this year I changed my mind and supported the location at Queens place because the library building is up for sale. It’s very old, it has its issues,” said Charlton. “And I’m a big supporter of the library so this this is difficult for me because I want to make sure residents have a library but also at the same time, we need to make sure that you’re representing your taxpayers the best way as well.”

Charlton and other members of council argued the Queens Place site was being misrepresented as the least expensive location when it now appears to cost almost twice as much as some of the other options.

Mayor Darlene Norman says after that meeting, she asked Region of Queens staff to explain why the numbers seem so out of whack.

The mayor says all the sites were evaluated on several factors such as flood-risk mitigation, demolition, and clean-up of any contamination.

She says the difference has to do with the land the municipality is selling to province for the new long-term care facility on the Queens Place site.

“It has been the historic action of council,” said Norman. “There’s not a policy but it has always been when land is sold in the Queens Place area Queens Place Crossing the money is used to invest in future infrastructure on that land.”

Norman says because of that, the cost of providing infrastructure and extending the driveway to the proposed library on the Queens Place site weren’t factored in.

The funding for the new library is coming from a $3 million surplus in the 2022-23 municipal budget.

Council will once again discuss if the library should be built on Queens Place land or moved to another location at their next regular meeting scheduled for this coming Tuesday, Feb 28.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Heavy equipment blocks the road to Eagle Head Beach. Photo Ed Halverson

Construction of a new house on Eagle Head beach has been stopped after the Region of Queens cancelled the development permits.

Mayor Darlene Norman says the region is acting on advice from their lawyer.

“We were advised by our legal counsel to revoke the development permit. That is all I can say about that matter,” said Norman. “When it is resolved, then I can say some more.”

Area residents have been vocal in their opposition to the controversial project since crews began breaking ground.

They’ve raised concerned about the environmental impact of developing so close to the beach and restricting access to public pathways.

In a short few weeks, the group has organized a grassroots letter writing campaign to government officials, shared information via their Protecting Eagle Head Beach Facebook page and have told their story to media.

Just last week the owner and excavating contractor were fined close to $2,000 by the Department of Environment and Climate Change for changing a watercourse without approval.

There’s no word yet if the owner plans to continue trying to build on the site.

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

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.