Liverpool International Theatre Festival 2026 | P.O. Box 2027, 219 Main St., Liverpool, Nova Scotia Canada B0T 1K0 • info@litf.ca • www.litf.ca

International theatre companies from around the globe prepare to take the Astor stage.

Liverpool, Nova Scotia The countdown is on for the 17th Biennial Liverpool International Theatre Festival (LITF), returning October 14–18, 2026. This year’s festival will welcome nine competitive international theatre companies, along with a special non-competitive film presentation from Uganda, bringing stories, cultures, and theatrical traditions from around the world to the Astor Theatre.

“One of the things that makes LITF so special is the commitment these troupes make to be here,” said Deborah Raddall, Marketing Chair for LITF 2026. “Some companies are travelling more than 11,000 kilometres to perform in Liverpool. It’s incredible to think that artists from around the world choose our community to share their work. Audiences can experience world-class theatre and discover different cultures without ever leaving Nova Scotia.”

The 2026 lineup features companies from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, México, Wales, Egypt/Canada, and Italy/London, presenting a diverse collection of comedies, dramas, physical theatre, and contemporary works. The festival also includes a special film presentation, The Pursuit, by Ushindi Community Theatre of Kasangati, Uganda.

The best way to experience LITF is with a Stage & Beyond Pass, which includes all competitive performances, Coffee Critiques with the adjudicator, Festival Club entertainment, reserved seating at the Opening Ceremonies and Closing Awards Presentation.

Stage & Beyond Passes are available now through the Astor Theatre Box Office, online through the Astor Theatre, and at LITF.ca.

The full festival schedule will be released in the coming weeks, with individual performance tickets going on sale then.

Follow the Liverpool International Theatre Festival on Facebook and Instagram for troupe spotlights, festival updates, and behind-the-scenes features as Liverpool prepares to welcome the world once again.

Media Contact:
Deborah Raddall
Marketing Chair, LITF 2026

Liverpool International Theatre Festival
LITF.ca

draddall@gmail.com

The Housing Trust of Nova Scotia is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating community workforce housing rentals across the province. They partner with communities, governments, and local organizations to develop, preserve, and revitalize homes that facilitate and enable local economies, and are guided by their mission and values, and are committed to building strong, vibrant communities where everyone has a place to call home.

The “Housing for Healthcare” initiative, in partnership with the Government of Nova Scotia, builds and operates affordable, quality housing for essential workers, and work with local healthcare organizations to reach eligible residents, They are currently preparing to open 1-Bedroom and 2-Bedroom units on Waterloo Street in Liverpool.

This initiative addresses two pressing social issues:
1) Lack of housing for healthcare workers
2) Shortage of non-market rental housing

They will be available for healthcare or skilled worker sectors, including workers that support the operation of a healthcare facility including but not limited to:

– Doctors
– Nurses
– Technicians
– Administrative support staff
– Orderlies
– Continuing care assistants
– Support Staff
– Maintenance Staff

Rental rates will be based on a mixed income model, and some households may be eligible for an incentive towards or reduction in their rent based on total household income.

For more information call Heidi Bennett, Housing Advisor for the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia at (902) 410-0244 or via email – heidi@housingtrust.ca.

Four South Shore municipalities are making it easier to build and develop across the region with the launch of a new shared online building permit portal.

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL), the Town of Bridgewater, the Town of Lunenburg, and the Region of Queens Municipality have introduced a single digital platform that allows residents, contractors, and developers to apply for and track permits anytime, from any device.

The portal streamlines the application process while maintaining existing inspection services and standards. Users can create one account to manage projects across all four municipalities, helping reduce duplication and improve efficiency.

“This is a smart regional partnership that improves service and makes the process easier for everyone involved,” says Mayor Elspeth McLean-Wile. “It’s a win for residents, builders, and staff.”

To support the rollout, municipal staff are hosting “Coffee & Create Your Account” sessions this week at local building supply stores in Lunenburg and Queens counties, offering hands-on help for users to get started.

Full details, including session dates and portal access, are available on municipal websites, and the next events are as follows:

July 15 – Buck’s Home Building Centre, Cookville (7 a.m.)
July 16 – Mary Lake Home Hardware, Caledonia (8 a.m.)
July 17 – Castle Building Centre, Blockhouse (7 a.m.)

Learn more about these events by contacting angela.corkum@modl.ca or call 902-903-4855.

This initiative reflects a growing trend toward regional collaboration and digital service delivery, improving access and convenience for residents while making better use of municipal resources.

Interviews are available with municipal representatives upon request.

Edmonton, AB (Monday, May 26, 2026) – The Brick, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leon’s Furniture Limited, announces the grand-opening of three new franchise locations across Nova Scotia’s South Shore on May 28, 2026.

The openings of locations in Bridgewater (76 High Street), Liverpool (236 Main Street) and Barrington Passage (3542 HWY 3) are a significant milestone for The Brick as it continues to grow across Canada and develop franchise partnerships throughout Atlantic Canada.

“We’re thrilled to expand into three new locations on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, and even more excited to open all three on the same day,” said Darci Walker, President, The Brick. “Led by franchise owners with deep community roots and an outstanding reputation for trust and service, these stores bring proud Canadian retailers together to support one another and strengthen their presence locally.”

To celebrate, guests are invited to attend any of the three grand opening events at all three locations on May 28 at 8 a.m. Visitors will have the chance to win a range of prizes, including a $5,000 shopping spree, three $2,500 gift cards, iSeries Serta mattresses, a Midea refrigerator, an Everett recliner and more. In addition, all Nova Scotia store locations can enter to win a $5,000 Brick shopping spree.

The Liverpool and Barrington Passage locations will be owned and operated by Mike Wilson of The Wilson Group; a four-generation family enterprise that has been serving communities across southwest Nova Scotia for more than 100 years. Built on understanding people and maintaining personalized service, this partnership with The Brick shows continued investment in the community.

“We are thrilled to bring The Brick to Barrington Passage and Liverpool,” said Mike Wilson, President, Wilson Group. “Southwest Nova Scotia deserves access to a world-class furniture and appliance experience, and partnering with one of Canada’s most trusted retail brands allows us to deliver exactly that. This is an exciting new chapter for Wilson Group and most importantly, for the communities we’ve been proud to serve for generations.”

The Brick offers a wide range of home furnishings, mattresses, electronics and appliances, and has been operational since 1971.

About The Brick

Focusing on Saving You More, The Brick offers a wide range of home furnishings, mattresses, electronics and appliances. Saving Canadians more since 1971, The Brick is proud to be part of your community. The Brick is online TheBrick.com. Keep up-to-date, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Liverpool author Bryn Pottie has been named to the longlist for the prestigious Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his debut novel, The Great Lunenburglary.

Liverpool author Bryn Pottie has been named to the longlist for the prestigious Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his debut novel, The Great Lunenburglary, bringing a uniquely Nova Scotian story to the national stage.

For 79 years, the annual $25,000 dollar prize has recognized excellence in Canadian literary humour. Past winners have included Will Ferguson, W.O. Mitchell, Stuart McLean and Mordecai Richler. In addition to local author Bryn Pottie, this year’s longlist includes humour heavy hitters such as Mark Critch and Terry Fallis.

The list “showcases the remarkable talent, wit and keen insight that continue to make Canadianliterary humour so vibrant and essential,” says Daphne Mainprize, president of Stephen Leacock Associates.

“It’s a great honour to be a Leacock longlister!” says author Bryn Pottie. “I worked hard on this book and it’s great to be recognized by an even more prestigious group than my mom and her friends at the library. Any history book will show you that the Nova Scotian story has always been full of hard, serious work. But this place is pretty silly and ridiculous, too, and I wanted to write something to highlight that.”

Set in 1922 Lunenburg, The Great Lunenburglary tells the story of two teenagers who steal the Bluenose. Blending historical fiction with absurdist comedy, the novel delivers a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud caper rooted in local culture and storytelling traditions. It was released in June 2025 by Nova Scotia’s Moose House Publications.

“It’s ironic that Bryn Pottie and Moose House are producing this level of quality at the same time our provincial government is cutting funding for publishers who provide opportunities for this level of writing,” says Moose House publisher Brenda Thompson.

After a year of steady local sales, national retail chain Indigo named The Great Lunenburglary one of Canada’s best regional books of 2025.

“The Great Lunenburglary is a kilometre-a-minute laugh riot with endless re-readability,” says Bridgewater Coles manager Justin Robar, “I’d recommend this book to anyone; there’s probably no one in Nova Scotia that I haven’t already!”

The three finalists will be revealed in mid-May, and the winner of the

and $25,000 prize will be celebrated at a gala dinner in Orillia, Ontario on June 20.

The full 2026 Leacock Prize longlist is available here: https://quillandquire.com/omni/longlist-announced-for-2026-leacock-medal-for-humour/ For more information, review copies, or interview requests, please contact Bryn Pottie at brynsampottie@gmail.com or Brenda Thompson at brenda@moosehousepress.ca.

HUNTS POINT – A large crowd was on hand on Thursday, February 26th at White Point Beach Resort for the announcement of the Mersey River Wind Project, which will see construction and installation of 33 wind turbines with related grid connection infrastructure. The wind farm is expected to supply 148.5 MW of zero-emission electricity, capable of powering more than 50,000 homes.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is providing a $206 million loan to a partnership between Slate Asset Management and funds managed by Hamilton Lane to develop a wind farm at Mersey River. Project partner Renewall Energy Inc. will sell electricity to end customers in Nova Scotia.

The announcement was made by the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, and the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

This large-scale project will help support the province’s energy transition, as Nova Scotia moves from coal-based electricity generation to clean electricity by 2030. The wind farm is expected to avoid approximately 220,000 tonnes of emissions per year, equivalent to 1.5% of Nova Scotia’s carbon output in 2022.

Renewall secured Nova Scotia’s first renewable-to-retail program licence to sell electricity from 100% renewable sources directly to end customers. This licence gives residents, public institutions, commercial and industrial customers the ability to achieve emissions reductions and sustainability objectives. Construction will take place in two phases, with the first phase expected to be completed in 2027. More than 200 workers are expected to be employed at the peak of construction activities.

Dan Roscoe, Renewall

The project is being financed under the CIB’s Clean Power priority sector, which addresses financing gaps in low-carbon emissions projects such as renewables, district energy systems and energy storage.

Minister Hodgson also announced that NRCan will provide nearly $5 million in funding to Net Zero Atlantic for the Data Analysis and Modelling for Atlantic Offshore Wind and Transmission project, to support the next stage of offshore wind planning and the proposed Wind West and Atlantic Energy Strategy.

The Province of Nova Scotia’s contribution is both financial and in-kind support, valued at nearly $700,000.

Jessica Fancy, Member of Parliament for South Shore—St. Margarets, presided over the event, stating “Renewall is bringing greater choice and affordability to Nova Scotia electricity consumers for the very first time. With the support of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the Government of Canada, the Mersey River Wind project will harness our province’s natural wind power advantage to provide clean renewable power to Nova Scotia families and businesses for decades to come.”

MP Jessica Fancy

Speakers also included Mike Shoen, Director of Investments at Canada Infrastructure Bank The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia; Dan Roscoe, President of Renewall Energy Inc; and Scott Christian, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality.

Perkins House.

Last week, the province’s heritage department announced that it plans to close the Perkins House Museum, in addition to 11 other museums throughout the province

A statement by the Dept of Communities, Culture, Tourisms & Heritage said some of the material and objects currently housed at the museum will be shuffled to other locations in the province-wide system, while others “may” be transferred to “other institutions” or “community organizations.” The statement did not say ‘what’ would go ‘where’ or provide a timeline for what it calls the “de-accessing” of material.

The government’s “Collection Management Policy” govern its museums. It includes a section outlining criteria for the saving of material and objects and provides guidelines on how they are to be handled. That policy can be accessed at https://museum.novascotia.ca/collections-research/policies/collection-management-policy. The section that controls access and the end-of-access to material begins on page 20 of that policy.

While general sweeping budgets cuts were announced, the impact on precise sites of arts, culture and heritage were not spelled out in detail. There are currently 28 museum sites in Nova Scotia.

Queens resident Mary Dahr shared her concern about the provincial debt and “such drastic cutbacks to everything in Nova Scotia.” Dahr added, “One of my major concerns is the Perkins House. For me, the Perkins House is a magical place, it’s something that we in Liverpool have always been really proud of…it’s almost like taking the lighthouse down at Peggy’s Cove – it’s that important…

“…and after they spent two million dollars fixing that house and then to turn around five years later and close it down!”

Local resident André Haines, speaking of the broader funding cuts, spoke of the importance of arts, culture and heritage in drawing visitors and as part of life in Nova Scotia. “We know that arts and culture and heritage have been the cornerstones of modern living throughout history.”

Council Matters

COUNCIL TRANSFERS LAND TO PRIVATE NON-PROFIT

AFTER THE VOTE: WHAT LAND CONSERVATION LOOKS LIKE IN QUEENS

By Denaige McDonnell

Council has approved the transfer of municipal land at Path Lake to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, placing the property under permanent conservation stewardship for a nominal price of $1. This transfer continues a long-standing pattern in Queens, where multiple ecologically significant properties have moved into conservation ownership over the past two decades. Protected sites include Port Joli, Stuart Lake, Long Lake Bog, Shingle Mill Bog, and Toby Island nature reserves, each recognized for sensitive habitats or rare species.

From an ecological perspective, these are precisely the kinds of landscapes conservation organizations exist to protect. The value of these sites is real, documented, and in some cases nationally recognized. The question, now that the Path Lake decision is made, is not whether conservation is worthwhile — but how conservation functions in practice, and what the cumulative effect of these decisions means for local governance and long-term strategy.

Conservation and Stewardship Are Not the Same Thing

A common assumption is that land transferred to a conservation organization is actively managed on an ongoing basis. In practice, stewardship varies. Some sites have formal management plans and regular monitoring; others rely primarily on legal protection through ownership, with limited on-site presence.

Doug van Hemessen, Stewardship Manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Nova Scotia, confirmed that several conservation properties in Queens do not currently have a designated on-site steward. Instead, NCC relies on a volunteer-based Property Steward Program, in which trained volunteers visit assigned sites at least annually and report observations to NCC staff, who retain overall responsibility.

In context, NCC conservation lands account for approximately 6,234 acres, or just over one per cent, of the Region of Queens Municipality’s roughly 590,000 acres.

This light-touch approach to land management can be appropriate for sensitive habitats such as bogs and wetlands. At the same time, periodic monitoring shapes how conservation is experienced locally and brings practical governance considerations into focus: how issues are identified between visits, who responds to access-related impacts, and how ecological conditions are tracked over time.

As the footprint of protected land in Queens continues to grow, these considerations become central to understanding how conservation functions in practice and how responsibilities are shared.

What Changes When Land Leaves Municipal Ownership

For residents, the Path Lake transfer may look like little has changed. The land remains accessible. The landscape remains intact. Recreation continues. From a governance perspective, however, the change is significant.

Once land leaves municipal ownership, control leaves with it. Elected officials no longer have authority over how the land is managed or adapted over time. Accountability shifts from a democratic body to an external organization, even when public access is preserved.

That tradeoff is often acceptable when the goal is permanent protection. But it also reduces municipal flexibility by permanently removing land from the public asset base. Land set aside for conservation can no longer support future community, cultural, or region-led development initiatives.

The impact of that loss is magnified by the absence of a clear long-term growth strategy. Without a shared vision for how Queens wants to grow or what it hopes to attract, land decisions are made one parcel at a time rather than as part of an integrated plan.

The Strategic Question Queens Has Yet to Answer

Taken on their own, each conservation transfer in Queens is easy to support. Taken together, they raise a larger question: how do these decisions fit within a coherent long-term strategy for municipal land?

There is no publicly articulated inventory of municipal lands and their intended purpose, nor a clear framework showing how conservation transfers are weighed alongside housing needs, recreation planning, climate adaptation, or economic development. Council does not routinely assess how much land has been permanently removed from future municipal use or what that loss of flexibility means over the long term.

Without that strategic context, land decisions risk being shaped by opportunity and goodwill rather than by a deliberate vision for how the region wants to grow and what assets it needs to retain to get there.

A Legacy Worth Managing Intentionally

The Path Lake transfer is now complete. The land is protected, and that outcome will be welcomed by many. The work ahead is not to revisit the decision, but to deepen the conversation. As Queens continues to partner with conservation organizations, clearer communication about stewardship, cumulative impacts, and long-term intent would strengthen public trust and understanding.

Conservation is a legacy decision. Its value is highest when it is guided by intention, transparency, and a clear vision for the future.

Liverpool Bay, NS

Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board approves expansion of Liverpool Bay Salmon Farm

February 17, 2026 – Bridgewater, N.S.l Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. (Kelly Cove) announced  the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board’s (ARB) decision today approving the lease boundary amendment and expansion for salmon farm AQ#1205, located offshore from Coffin Island in Liverpool Bay.

Kelly Cove has operated the farm since 2011, and the approval allows 6 cages to be added to the site for the culture of Atlantic salmon bringing the total number of cages to 20.

“The week-long ARB public hearing in October was rigorous and brought together input from multiple stakeholders and intervenors,” said Joel Richardson, Vice President of Public Relations for Cooke Aquaculture Inc., parent company of Kelly Cove. “We appreciate that the Board allowed the time necessary for everyone to make presentations, ask questions and gain an understanding of how our aquaculture farming works.”

As part of the hearing, Kelly Cove exhibited this video about it’s Liverpool Bay operations: https://youtu.be/M4Ux3nXUUxk

In its decision, the ARB concluded that it is satisfied that there will be no negative, or any, impact of this amendment on any of the statutory conditions. The ARB further concluded:

– The re-drawing of the boundary to encompass the infrastructure, as well as adding six new cages, represents the optimum use of marine resources, in that the site will be used to efficiently produce thousands of kilograms of food.

– This farm makes a genuine contribution to community and Provincial economic development.

– The existing farm does not cause significant negative impacts to other fishery activities in Liverpool Bay.

– The oceanographic and biophysical characteristics of the public waters surrounding the proposed aquacultural operation are suitable for salmon aquaculture.

– The proposed expansion will not have a negative impact on the other users of the public waters surrounding the proposed aquacultural operation.

– There is no significant impact on the public right of navigation.

– The proposed expansion will not have any significant impact on the local wild salmon population and the existing farm has not had a significant impact since coming into operation in 2011.

Kelly Cove plans to install new, state-of-the-art cages, containment nets and underwater smart-farming technology which includes an integrated suite of advanced digital tools, sensors, robotics, and AI-driven systems designed to monitor fish farming in real-time.

John Rogers says the proliferation of short-term rentals is violating his rights as a property owner. (Rick Conrad)

Imagine feeling like your neighbourhood has been turned into a party zone.

That’s what John Rogers says it’s like to live in White Point Estates, near Liverpool.

And he blames the Region of Queens for letting it happen.

He says the municipality’s zoning rules are essentially overriding property covenants that forbid short-term rentals like Airbnbs from operating in his subdivision.

“These houses are purpose-built for partying basically,” Rogers recently told QCCR in an interview.

“In the summertime, it’s like living in a campground. … It’s just people coming in and out every weekend.

“It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. We’re being denied the right to enjoy our own property because council believes it’s better to give the rights to people who don’t live here and let them make money on their property.”

The Nova Scotia government requires short-term rentals to be registered with the province. To get that registration, property owners have to prove that land use bylaws in their municipality allow them to operate their house as an Airbnb.

In Queens, White Point Estates is in the “resort” zone, which allows short-term rentals. 

“My neighbour’s 50 feet from me, and it’s an Airbnb, I can hear them all day, all night,” Rogers says.

“One group of renters lit a house on fire so we had fire trucks and all that wailing through the night. We’ve had fireworks when they’re not allowed to have fireworks. We’ve had full-out weddings in places, so the streets have been blocked with cars, traffic, you can’t get by. 

“We have a lot of nosy renters who feel like they could just walk on other people’s property, so I’ve had people on my property filming my house. I’ve had people come into my driveway and do exercises because my driveway’s paved so they feel like, ‘Oh we can go in there and do jumping jacks and pushups.’

“So it’s a lot of nuisance and just the fact that 30 per cent of your neighbours change every weekend, … and you get new neighbours the following week and you don’t know who they are.” 

When somebody buys a property in White Point Estates, they must agree to a list of 14 restrictive covenants on what they can do with the land. The first rule states that only one single-family dwelling is allowed. That structure must be used only for residential purposes, and property owners cannot do anything that creates a nuisance for their neighbours.

Click on the image to read the covenants in White Point Estates

Rogers says he and his wife bought the land and built their house five years ago partly because of those rules.

But he says that because municipal bylaws allow short-term rentals in White Point Estates, about a third of the subdivision’s property owners are ignoring those covenants and using their houses as Airbnbs. He said the problem has only gotten worse in the past five years.

He says it’s too expensive to take all those property owners — he estimates there are about 15 or 16 rentals in White Point Estates — to court.

He says some of the properties sleep up to 10 people and aren’t even owned by residents, but by companies based in Ontario or other parts of Nova Scotia.

“The only remedy is to change the bylaw in the zone to reflect the covenants, which is to not allow short-term rentals to operate within that zone. And it’s a small zone, so we’re contained to three streets. We’re not asking them to change the rules of the county. We’re just asking them to abide by the rules in our zone, which is our subdivision.”

Rogers and some of his neighbours met with Mayor Scott Christian and District 1 Coun. Roberta Roy in July.

Christian told QCCR he understands residents’ frustration, but he said there can’t be a quick fix.

“I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to make a hasty decision about short-term rentals as it pertains to the resort zone and not take a bigger-picture look at how we’re handling short-term rentals across Queens County.”

Municipal councillors voted in December to review the region’s land use bylaw and municipal planning strategy. One of the things they want to look at is regulation of short-term rentals.

That process could take a year or more.

“I can understand and appreciate their frustrations,” Christian says, “but I do think that the way that council is going about it, the handling of it is appropriate that we do our homework and look at it with a big-picture mindset so that we land on an equitable and appropriate approach for all of Queens County.”

Councillors voted to change the land use rules in November to allow a developer to turn the old Stedman’s building on Main Street in Liverpool into apartments.

Christian said that change affected only the downtown commercial zone. Outlawing short-term rentals in White Point Estates would have bigger implications.

“Short-term rental properties are prevalent throughout all of Queens County. Not just in south Queens and not just in the White Point Estates. So this is a really complex one.”

In the meantime, residents like John Rogers will continue to press regional council to make a change so that they can enjoy their homes again.

“You know, this isn’t about me. I’m not on some glorious campaign. I’m challenging council to do the right thing. And I don’t believe council should be bestowing rights on people who don’t live in the county and trash on the rights of the people who do.

“Defend the rights of the people who live here and pay taxes here and vote here. That would be the right thing to do.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

A view of Main Street in Liverpool on Monday morning from the QCCR webcam. (QCCR)

Schools and most businesses closed for the day in Queens County, as the area was expected to get up to 35 centimetres of snow overnight Sunday and through Monday.

The snow and blowing snow began in the region late Sunday and was expected to continue all day Monday.

There were reports of the Irving and Shell gas stations in Liverpool running out of fuel.

While most places decided to close for the day, Queens Place Emera Centre was scheduled to open as a warming centre at 10 a.m.

The fitness centre was closed for the day. And staff were going to judge whether to open the rest of the facility for afternoon programming or evening ice bookings, according to a post on the Region of Queens Facebook page.

Curbside waste collection scheduled for Monday was rescheduled to Sat., Jan. 31.

Nova Scotia Power reported no widespread power outages, though the company did warn that with colder temperatures, the power grid may be stressed and that short temporary power outages may occur.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

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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A Liverpool man is accused of impersonating an RCMP officer. (RCMP)

A Queens County man has been charged with several offences, including stealing a dump truck and impersonating a police officer.

Christopher Allan MacLeod, 43, of Liverpool was charged after incidents on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

RCMP say that on Dec. 26 at about 9:20 p.m., a man approached an RCMP officer outside the Cookville RCMP detachment in Bridgewater and said he was an RCMP sergeant who had just been transferred from another province.

He drove to the detachment in a black Dodge Ram and was dressed in civilian clothes, according to an RCMP news release. He said he didn’t have any RCMP identification.

The officer confirmed that the man was not a fellow officer and arrested him.

Lunenburg District RCMP charged MacLeod with impersonating a peace officer and breach of a recognizance. He appeared in Bridgewater provincial court on Dec. 29 and was released on conditions.

On Jan. 1, at 11:45 a.m., Queens District RCMP got a call about a stolen dump truck from a garage on Devonshire Road in West Caledonia.

While officers were on their way to the scene, they saw the vehicle on Highway 3 in Liverpool.

They stopped the truck and safely arrested the driver, whom police identified as MacLeod. They allege that MacLeod entered the garage on Dec. 31 and stayed overnight before taking the truck.

Queens District RCMP have charged MacLeod with break and enter with intent, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime and two counts of failing to comply with an order.

MacLeod appeared in Bridgewater provincial court on those charges on Jan. 2 and was remanded into custody. He appeared again on Jan. 7 and was ordered back to jail until his next appearance on Feb. 4.

RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Carlie McCann asked people to contact police or Crime Stoppers if they have any information about either incident.

“At this point I don’t anticipate there being further charges related to either of these two files, but we will continue to investigate if new information is learned.”

MacLeod is listed in Nova Scotia property records as the co-owner, with Charles King, of 27 West Berlin Wharf Rd. in West Berlin. A house, truck and several outbuildings were destroyed in a fire there on Dec. 22. RCMP said at the time that one man was arrested at the scene but later released and not charged in the fire. They have not said what caused the blaze, but said they had reports of fireworks before it began.

RCMP say that anybody worried about the identity of a police officer should ask the officer for identification or contact their local detachment’s non-emergency line. In an emergency, call 911.

“Nova Scotia RCMP regularly reinforces with all of our officers the importance of self-identification,” McCann said.

“If you are in a situation where you suspect that someone might be using or planning to use real or replica police equipment or if you’re in a situation where something is concerning or seems off, please don’t hesitate to call local police or if you believe you may be in immediate danger, call 911.

“In a situation like a traffic stop, you can ask to see an officer’s badge and ID card and that will have their regimental number and the ID card will have a photo. We always want Nova Scotians to be aware of suspicious behaviour, and don’t hesitate to reach out to police to report it.”

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Region of Queens administration building. (Rick Conrad)

Sixteen properties are up for grabs in a Region of Queens tax sale.

The various houses and plots of land around Queens County are being sold in a tax tender by the municipality to recoup unpaid taxes.

One of the properties for sale is 15 Court St., beside the former Mersey Hotel in Liverpool.

That is owned by Rosemarie Jacob, who is also the listed owner of several abandoned properties in Queens. She was the owner of the historic Hendry House at 89 Main St. in Liverpool, which was destroyed in a May 2024 fire.

After the fire, the region declared the property dangerous and unsightly and ordered Jacob to clean it up. After she failed to appeal the order, the region cleaned it up and sent her the bill.

Citing privacy, the region has refused to disclose how much that cost taxpayers.

Anyone interested in bidding on one of the properties in the tax tender has to submit a sealed bid by Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. to cover outstanding taxes, interest and expenses. If the property owner pays all outstanding taxes and fees before the deadline, the property is removed from the tax sale.

More information is available here on the Region of Queens website.

An accessible washroom at the inclusive play park in Liverpool likely won’t be finished until the end of 2026. (Rick Conrad)

Accessible washrooms at Liverpool’s universal playground and splash pad have been delayed as Region of Queens staff look into an off-grid design.

Regional councillors voted in April 2024 to speed up installation of the permanent washroom and change room facilities at the site, next to Queens Place Emera Centre.

But at a capital budget meeting just before Christmas, Director of Infrastructure Adam Grant told council that the $425,810 project has hit some roadblocks.

“We’ve done a lot of work in the background, trying to identify a feasible solution for that site. It is challenging, it’s constrained physically,” he said. 

“We do not have a lot of real estate to work within next to that parcel of land. There’s no provisions put in for electricity to allow for any development… So we have maybe 30 amps of power, which is not enough to run a facility like that. 
There’s no water provided for a washroom facility and there’s no wastewater whatsoever at the site. So it’s those three strict parameters and combined with having not much real estate to work within, that makes it very challenging to find a solution that fits within that footprint.”

The $600,000 Etli Milita’mk playpark opened in October 2023, the result of a years-long community fundraising initiative by local members of Autism Nova Scotia. The region contributed the land and about $112,000 to the project. The province chipped in the rest.

In the meantime, the region has supplied a portable accessible toilet for users of the park and splash pad, which is closed until the spring.

In response to a question from District 5 Coun. Jack Fancy, Grant said that power, water and sewer can’t be extended from the Queens Ground Search and Rescue building nearby because of the way the playpark was built.

“Unfortunately, with the building, the splash pad and the playground, we limited any opportunity to make any kind of addition in that area by putting a perimeter fence right into the curb and sidewalk. Getting involved with the asphalt to remove it, to put power, to put sewer (and) water, is going to get extremely expensive.”

Grant said that’s why staff are looking at some kind of off-grid accessible facility, though it will likely be more expensive to maintain.

“The caution is that it’s going to probably create a lot more of an operational burden than we’d like to see, but it will fulfill council’s wish to have an accessible facility there.”

The accessible washroom and change room at the playpark and splash pad are now expected to be finished by the end of 2026.

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Five people, including Darrell Dexter, have been appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia. (Office of the Lieutenant Governor)

Queens County’s Darrell Dexter is among five Nova Scotians given the highest honour in the province.

Dexter has been appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia.

He led the NDP to a historic provincial election win in 2009, forming Nova Scotia’s first New Democrat government.

As premier, he led a government that tried to tackle the province’s debt and deficit, improve protections for private-sector trade union members, raise the minimum wage and lobbied successfully for the Churchill Falls hydroelectric project and a  multi-billion-dollar federal shipbuilding contract for Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding.

His government also bought the assets of the closed Bowater Mersey paper mill in Brooklyn in 2012. It was a deal that helped secure pension benefits for former Bowater workers.

Dexter served as a Dartmouth city councillor from 1994 to 1996. He was an NDP MLA for the Dartmouth area from 1998 to 2013.

A former lawyer, he is a graduate of Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College. He grew up in Milton. Since his resignation as NDP leader in 2013, after the party was defeated in that year’s election, he has worked as a political commentator and a lobbyist for the cannabis industry.

He and his family have moved back to Queens County.

Other recipients of the 2025 Order of Nova Scotia are:

• John George (Jack) Flemming, Halifax – a philanthropist and entrepreneur recognized for his contributions to local charities
• Rankin MacSween, Ironville, Cape Breton Regional Municipality – a business and community leader and from 1995 to 2021, president and CEO of New Dawn Enterprises, the oldest community development corporation in Canada
• Joel Plaskett, Dartmouth – a celebrated singer, songwriter, producer and philanthropist
• Carolyn G. Thomas, East Preston – an educator and human rights and community advocate; recognized for her contributions to education, government and community development.

A ceremony will be held at Government House in Halifax in the spring. Lt.-Gov. Mike Savage will present the new members with their awards.

Region of Queens Municipality administration building. (Rick Conrad photo)

Region of Queens councillors will discuss the municipality’s five-year, $50-million capital budget on Friday afternoon.

The region is getting an earlier start on its budget talks this year. The plan is to approve the capital spending estimates by January so that tenders can be issued earlier in the year to get work started more quickly.

While some projects are under budget, like renovations for the library space at the Liverpool Business Development Centre and the upgrades at Beach Meadows Beach, others are running over.

For example, staff are reporting funding shortfalls with the $8-million South Queens Outdoor Pool. Overall cost overruns are estimated at about $150,000, with just over $4 million in costs to date.

The expansion of water and wastewater services to the Mount Pleasant area is running a little behind schedule and over original budget estimates.

The project, which was initially projected to cost about $22 million, is now expected to cost $26 million.

Councillors will discuss the capital budget in a special council meeting on Friday at 3 p.m. at council chambers on White Point Road.

Arthur Roy says he wants the Region of Queens to honour an agreement his father signed in 1947. (Rick Conrad)

A Liverpool man says he wants the Region of Queens to honour an agreement the municipality made with his father 78 years ago.

Arthur Roy’s father Lincoln signed a deal with the old Town of Liverpool for $1 in 1947 “to dig and excavate an open trench and construct a covered flag drain 115 feet in length” over his land off Wolfe Street. The town wanted to use it as a stormwater drain.

The agreement allowed the municipality to access the land to build the drain and “do other necessary work for the purposes of renewing, repairing, improving or altering the said open trench and said covered flag drain … provided that the area … is left in a good and safe condition.”

Click the image to read the original 1947 agreement (Courtesy Arthur Roy)

Roy, who now owns the land, says the problem is that the town never finished the work properly in the first place. And he’s been fighting to get the municipality to come back and make it right.

“And now the trench has got silt into it and it’s grew up with grass and it’s just a mess,” he said in an interview.

“Either the easement agreement is good or not, right? If it’s good, come and do what it says on the easement agreement. If it’s no good, come and fill it in. They had all these years, 70-some years, running that water down there and not done anything.”

Councillors discussed the issue at a recent closed-door, in-camera meeting.

Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that the region is willing to replace a crumbling four-foot culvert on Roy’s property.

“We’re going to put a modern culvert in. It’s changed in terms of the standard and the approach to dealing with trenches and ditching. I think in ’47, they wouldn’t have had the same materials available to them, so we’re going to put in a culvert using today’s technologies and today’s approach to handling that, putting in an appropriate culvert given our requirement for access back there. ”

The drainage ditch cuts through Roy’s land. He says he can’t easily access his 10 acres of land, which he uses as pasture for his sheep. He’s had to build a small walkway over the ditch to get there.

“And you can’t take a vehicle over it, so here I have a piece of land that’s cut into where I live … and I can’t access it. I have wood over there cut in the pasture. I can’t get anything to go over because it’s not safe to go over.”

Christian says the drain on Roy’s land is part of a network of stormwater drains and trenches.

“The trench that goes on his land is a small part of a huge network of stormwater trenches that exist. … We need to make sure that culvert is safe. It’s currently unsafe and we need to make sure that that’s a safe passageway across that trench.”

In 2021, Roy contacted his local councillor at the time and former mayor Darlene Norman. 

In a letter to Roy, then-CAO Chris McNeill said the municipality would replace the culvert but that Roy would be responsible for its maintenance because the region had no record of installing the culvert in the first place.

“But if they had 115 feet of flagstone, you wouldn’t need a culvert, you could get across that land 115 feet.”

The region’s CAO Willa Thorpe contacted Roy last week after councillors discussed it. She told him the region’s plan to replace the culvert. 

Roy hasn’t seen anything in writing yet. And he’s waiting to meet with his lawyer this week before deciding what to do.

“I don’t want a culvert,” he says. “(The agreement) doesn’t call for a culvert. All I want them (to do) is to follow the easement agreement.”

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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.

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Members of Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing join local politicians on Monday as governments announced millions in funding for a co-op housing project in Liverpool. Pictured are QNCH’s Eric Goulden and Susan MacLeod, South Shore-St. Margarets MP Jessica Fancy, Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian, Queens MLA Kim Masland, QNCH housing consultant Michael Blair, QNCH’s Janice Wentzell, Randi Dickie, housing consultant Earl Mielke and Queens Coun. Jack Fancy. (Rick Conrad)

As crews worked in the background, politicians from all levels of government on Monday officially announced millions in funding for a new co-operative housing development in Liverpool.

Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing is building 30 rental units on Lawrence Street in Liverpool that will likely be ready by November 2026.

South Shore-St. Margarets MP Jessica Fancy, Queens MLA Kim Masland and Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian were among those on hand for the announcement of $11.91 million from the federal and provincial governments for the development.

Fancy said the federal contribution of $6.96 million in low-interest loans through CMHC’s Co-operative Housing Development Program will help secure affordable housing for many in the area.

“It’s a chance for a fresh start for many, including some of our most vulnerable people in our community.”

Fancy said the Liverpool co-op housing project is one of seven approved across Canada. It’s being built by Bird Construction.

The province is contributing $4.95 million through its Department of Growth and Development.

Masland applauded the “passion, dedication, effort and grit” of the co-op’s board members to make the project a reality.

“Plain and simple, we need more affordable housing in our community, and it is because of organizations like Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing that more people will have a safe and affordable place to call home.”

The co-operative got approval for the federal and provincial funding earlier this year, but Monday’s announcement was the first time they could speak about it publicly.

The Region of Queens sold four lots to the group in 2023 for $1 and rezoned the area to pave the way for the development. It also committed $203,000 for project management and architectural fees.

Other funding includes:

• $175,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• $343,500 from the Nova Scotia Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund
• $400,000 from Efficiency Nova Scotia
• $75,000 from the Nova Scotia Community Housing Growth Fund

Mayor Scott Christian said the municipality is looking at other properties it can give to groups like QNCH to help spur more affordable housing in Queens.

“This is a step in the right direction. We all know that we need to do a lot more. We have a lot of folks who need access to affordable, accessible, barrier-free housing, and I commend these folks in terms of their environmental stewardship and working toward net-zero emissions too, because we also need to build homes in a way that’s climate resilient and is appropriate for the future.”

Planning for the project began about four years ago, with most of the work on design and funding happening in the past two and a half years.

The 30 fully accessible apartments will include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. It will be targeted toward seniors, with about 70 per cent occupancy set aside for older residents, but available for anyone who meets the application criteria.

Rents will be based on income, but the maximum charged for a one-bedroom will be $790 a month, $1,004 for a two-bedroom and $1,100 for a three-bedroom.

Queens County is in desperate need of affordable housing. Data from the 2021 census showed that 35 per cent of renters in Queens spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing.

And 34 per cent of Queens residents have considered leaving the community due to housing issues, according to a report from the South Shore Housing Action Coaltiion.

To keep pace with population growth, the report projected that the county will need 555 new units by 2027.

On Monday, even the project’s construction foreman was interested when he heard about the rents. 

Michael Blair, a housing consultant working with the co-op on the Lawrence Street project, said the group’s ultimate goal is to try to build 100 affordable units throughout Queens County.

“We’re thrilled to finally have the funding both by the CMHC through the Co-operative Housing Development Program and through the province with the Nova Scotia Department of Growth and Development announced. Now we’re able to tell the story about the exciting new neighbourhood that we’re building.”

He said the apartments’ net-zero, passive design means that tenants won’t have to worry as much about rising energy costs.

“Building with highly energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems, triple-glazed windows, extra insulation, all those things contribute to the long-term sustainability of the co-op, of the neighbourhood, and kind of insulates it to a certain degree from increasing energy costs, which thus make (us) able to keep … (the units) affordable long-term.”

Rental applications will probably be posted on the housing co-op’s website in the spring. 

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The Region of Queens adopted a winter maintenance policy this week. (Photo by Sergei Starostin via Pexels)

The Region of Queens has a snowplowing policy for the first time.

“This ensures municipal transportation infrastructure, roads, sidewalks and facilities are managed effectively during snow, ice and other winter conditions, while providing consistent, transparent and a measurable level of service throughout the community,” Adam Grant, director of infrastructure, told councillors at their regular meeting this week.

“Establishing this policy will provide clarity for staff as winter maintenance is provided, while also providing clear expectation to residents.”

The region is responsible for snow clearing mostly in Liverpool and some parts of Milton. Nova Scotia’s Department of Public Works looks after everything else.

The winter maintenance policy details priority areas and response times.

• MORE DETAIL HERE ON EXPECTED RESPONSE TIMES

For example, at the top of the list are roads and sidewalks leading to the municipal public works garage, Hillsview Acres Home for Special Care in Greenfield, Queens Place Emera Centre, the municipal administration building and Liverpool Business Development Centre on White Point Road and the Queens Waste Management Facility.

Then it’s collector roads and sidewalks downtown, including the main parking lot and spots on Main Street. Local roads and sidewalks are next, with municipal waste collection sites, otherwise known as grey boxes, dry hydrants, Pine Grove Park, Queens Ground Search and Rescue and the Astor Theatre as lower priority areas.

Click on the map for a larger image (Region of Queens)

The service standard is to have all roads, sidewalks and parking areas accessible within 48 hours after a storm. But some areas have six-hour or 12-hour targets. For example, the goal on main roads is to have both lanes cleared to bare asphalt within 12 hours. 

Grant stressed that municipal crews begin their work as quickly as possible. 

“So when you look at the time, post-storm, whether it’s six hours, 12, or 48, that doesn’t mean that we’re waiting six hours to start,” he said. “It’s likely to assume that it would be completed in a shorter period of time. It just sets out a priority for us as what we tackle first, second, third, fourth, achieving always to try to have zero as the response time for residents to experience.”

Some councillors were concerned that the service standard for clearing out dry hydrants is 48 hours after a storm.

District 6 Coun. Stewart Jenkins said he wants to see a stricter standard for maintaining those areas.

“I can’t believe we would wait two days after a snowstorm to clean out fire services’ access to their dry hydrants. I think that’s a misstep and it should be done sooner than that.”

Grant said that crews usually get to those areas pretty quickly.

“We generally start dry hydrants probably 12 hours after a storm’s end and we work on them routinely overnight and the next day and they’re typically cleaned up within 24 hours,” he said.

“And I guess what this outlines is that if we can’t accomplish that within 48 hours, then we need to revisit the resources and the level of service that we’re trying to achieve, then make sure that there’s that balance in there. But in no way are we intending to not maintain dry hydrants in a timely manner.”

He also pointed out that fire departments can call municipal crews in emergency situations and they’ll respond immediately.

Mayor Scott Christian also wanted to ensure that downtown streets and sidewalks are accessible as early as possible for those with mobility challenges.

Manager of Public Works Garrett Chetwynd said main sidewalks are usually passable pretty quickly after a storm after the sidewalk plow goes through. Crews have to use shovels and other hand tools to get to the bare sidewalk, and the crosscuts (the sloped area that joins the sidewalk with the road) would be clear within 12 hours. 

“That doesn’t mean that they’re not touched at all,” Chetwynd said. “When our sidewalk plow goes through, it’s clear just not to that bare sidewalk. It’s very difficult to navigate that changing slope and terrain as you get through with the machine.”

Councillors approved the new policy at their meeting on Tuesday. Christian said that staff and council could make tweaks to it if necessary as the season progresses.

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The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed until Monday. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed Friday and reopen on Monday (Dec. 15) at 8 a.m.

It will also close at 1:30 Wed., Dec. 17 and reopen Thurs., Dec. 18 at 8 a.m.

The ER is usually open 24 hours a day from 8 a.m. Monday to 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open. Virtual urgent care, for some medical conditions, is open at Queens General daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic through the week for new, emerging health problems by calling 902-354-3322.

Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian and his fellow councillors at a town hall session at the Liverpool Fire Hall in October. (Rick Conrad)

The Region of Queens is giving residents a say in how the mayor and councillors are compensated.

Regional council voted this week to create a citizen advisory committee on council remuneration.

Chief Administrative Officer Willa Thorpe told councillors that involving residents in the process helps avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

“The committee’s work could be completed prior to council adopting the 2026-2027 operating budget, so any potential compensation adjustments would be considered during budget deliberations.”

The region is looking for three to five people to sit on the committee, preferably with experience in finance, policy, governance, legislation or related areas.

The mayor’s current annual salary is $48,533, while councillors make $24,267. The deputy mayor makes $25,667. The mayor and councillors do not participate in a benefits or pension plan.

Pay for council and the mayor is adjusted after every election. Any raises are calculated by using an amount equal to the cumulative percentage of the average salary increase of all region employees over the past four years or by the cumulative consumer price index over the same period, whichever is less. 

The region has had the same policy since 2018.

This fall, regional staff contacted municipalities around the province about how they review councillor compensation.

Nine municipalities responded. Two-thirds of those included some kind of pension or health benefits.

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg adjusts council pay annually based on the provincial consumer price index. It also includes a health and dental benefits plan, with elected officials paying 25 per cent of the premium. Since June 1, 2021, they are also enrolled in the province’s public service pension plan, which MODL belongs to as an employer.

MODL’s mayor is paid $59,377 a year, while councillors make $29,562. The deputy mayor gets $40,208.

In the Halifax region, which is Nova Scotia’s largest municipality, the mayor makes almost $205,000, with councillors at $99,402. They can also participate in a benefits and pension plan.

The citizen advisory committee in Queens would meet three times, twice in January and once in February, before delivering its report by Feb. 28.

Councillors would appoint committee members at their first meeting in January. Holly McConnell, the region’s director of people and culture, would help the committee with their work.

When asked whether three meetings is enough time for the committee to review compensation for mayor and councillors, Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that they’ll have help.

“I guess that we will see,” he said.

“My expectation is that staff will carry most of the heavy lifting and the load in terms of actually doing the writing and development of the work. But I think it’s really important to have the citizen panel so there are opportunities from an objectivity and an impartiality standpoint and to get different perspectives around the table.”

Meetings of the committee will be open to the public. And it will be dissolved once it finishes its review. 

The region is accepting applications until Jan. 2 at 4:30 p.m. Applicants should email a brief summary of their experience and a brief statement on why they want to participate to the municipal clerk at clerk@regionofqueens.com. 

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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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