Region of Queens councillors want a staff report on installing traffic lights at the three-way stop at Main and Market Streets in downtown Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

Queens County pedestrians and motorists won’t see orange crosswalk flags at a busy intersection in downtown Liverpool, but they could see a return of traffic lights.

Region of Queens councillors on Tuesday voted against installing the flags at the three-way stop at Main and Market streets. But they did support getting a staff report on having full traffic lights at that intersection.

The area did have traffic lights decades ago, until they were damaged by a transport truck, and taken down.

Safety concerns have long been an issue at Main and Market streets. In 2015, regional councillors commissioned a study by Insight Traffic Engineering that found traffic control wasn’t an issue and recommended minor changes.

In 2019, councillors rejected installing pedestrian-controlled crosswalk lights at a cost of $27,000.

But a collision in January which sent a 79-year-old woman to hospital rekindled concern in the community about safety at that intersection.

Councillors asked staff to come back with options about how to make that intersection safer. Adam Grant, the region’s director of engineering and public works, said in April that there is no evidence crosswalk flags would help. And he said pedestrian-controlled lights at that intersection could interrupt traffic flow and create more problems. He said it’s unusual to have the lights at a three-way stop.

The Town of Mahone Bay installed an all-way stop in 2021 near Saltbox Brewery on its Main Street. It also has flashing red lights and orange crosswalk flags for pedestrian use.

The all-way stop in Mahone Bay by Saltbox Brewery. (Google Streetview)

Even though councillors on Tuesday rejected the flags, they said action needs to be taken to make Main and Market intersection safer.

District 2 Coun. Maddie Charlton said that it will only get busier with the new Queens Manor, the apartment building planned off Bristol Avenue and the planned Mount Pleasant development expected to house up to 1,200 people.

Charlton asked staff for the traffic light report.

“When I look around at other communities that have these three-way intersections, they have lights. And so I think it’s important that we understand what the criteria (are) for those lights. If another option has presented itself that we can consider, I think that would be helpful to have. We need something that tells us how we could get those traffic lights, what the criteria is, so if we’re not there yet, when can we pull the trigger on them.”

District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault said it’s time for the region to address the problem.

“One person getting hit there is too many, and it’s been many over the years. So I think we really need to look into this and go forward on this and not stall so much on this problem. I know it’s been years and years, but I think we need to find a way forward.”

District 5 Coun. Jack Fancy said the flags would have been better than nothing. And he said he also supports pedestrian-controlled lights.

“There’s always going to be issues with each thing, but I believe the good outweighs the bad with this. Especially, what we’re aiming for right now is doing nothing. And I don’t think doing nothing is the answer.”

District 6 Coun. David Brown said enforcement and education would resolve a lot of safety issues.

“The lights won’t stop cars, the lines on the pavement won’t stop cars. You have to look for yourself and guard your safety. We’ve got a lot of development coming and I’d like to know what would trigger a need for (traffic) lights at that intereseciton because I think the stop control works well now if we enforce it.”

Mayor Darlene Norman said that when the traffic lights were operating at that intersection years ago, it seemed to help.

On Tuesday, councillors also approved $1,000 to study the feasibility of reducing the speed limit on Main Street from School Street to Riverside Drive, near Fort Point Lighthouse Park.

Residents submitted a petition to council in November, asking them to improve traffic safety in the area by lowering the speed limit and installing an all-way stop at Main and School streets. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton asked for a way on Tuesday to boost funding for the South Shore Transition House Association. (Region of Queens YouTube channel)

Thirty-four community groups in Queens County will be getting almost $150,000 in funding from the municipality, but one councillor worried on Tuesday that one organization wasn’t getting enough.

The Region of Queens approves funding requests each year from non-profit groups for operational, capital or event funding through its community investment fund.

Groups have to meet various criteria to be approved for funding. Eighteen groups applied for funding of more than $1,000. Another 16 applied for help under $1,000. Council must approve all requests over $1,000. Staff alone can assess and approve those requests under $1,000.

The South Shore Transition House Association asked for $5,000 so that the Bridgewater-based Harbour House can help clients in Queens County from a more secure location in Liverpool. 

Stephanie Sereda, the region’s community development co-ordinator, explained the association’s request to councillors.

“They currently have been in the Liverpool area serving clients for two years from a location that is just not secure. They have requested that they can find a safe and secure space, this would cover rent, transportation to and from for their clients.

“This would be for Queens County residents who are experiencing domestic violence to go and receive counselling and support and they’re brought in from all corners of Queens to the Liverpool area to this particular location. … But the space is very public and it’s a very private matter. They’re just hoping to continue to support in a better location.”

But because the organization’s cash assets made up more than half of their operating budget, they were eligible for only $1,250 under the community investment fund. The amount that can be awarded to an organization is reduced if its bank balance or assets are above a certain threshold.

Some other organizations were also not awarded all the funding they requested.

District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton asked if there was any way to make an exception to the policy to ensure the transition house association got its full funding request.

“I want to see this request considered to be supported in the full amount because I think it’s important that women in Queens County have access to a resource like this in Queens County and they don’t have to go elsewhere.”

Charlton wanted to see the motion amended. 

Other councillors, however, said that while they support more funding for the organization, they couldn’t support going against the policy.

District 6 Coun. David Brown said he would support a standalone request, but he wouldn’t support changing the policy in this case.

“This is a very worthwhile cause but we have to have some consistency in how we deal with things. We can’t decide that one area or group is not as deserving as another area or group. I think that’s a slippery slope we go down.

“But if we decide we want to give more to this organization, it’s a very good organization, we have that option at a later time and in my mind, that’s the best way to go today.”

Mayor Darlene Norman said that she couldn’t amend the motion, because it would be a substantive change and it would be out of order. Norman suggested that Charlton make a motion at a future meeting that council fund the remaining $3,750 requested.

“This council does highly support South Shore Transition House and the outreach they provide for the women in Queens but this council wishes to keep in check with the policy that we’ve developed.”

In the end, councillors voted to support the recommendation to give the South Shore Transition House Association $1,250. 

Councillors approved all funding requests recommended by staff, for a total of $147,858.64.

Here are the organizations awarded more than $1,000 in funding through the Region of Queens community investment fund.

Operating investment funds (for eligible operating expenses up to the amount stated)

• CJQC Radio Society (QCCR) – $5,000
• Queens County Museum – $10,000
• South Queens Chamber of Commerce – $5,000
• Queens County Fair Association – $10,000
• North Queens Heritage Society – $1,125
• South Shore Transition House Association – $1,250
• Mersey Point Community Association – $10,000
• The Friends of Carroll Baker Society – $4,847.50
• Coastal Queens Place – $5,000
• Queens County Blades – $5,000
• Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute – $5,900
• Friends of Hank Snow Society – $10,000
• North Queens Board of Trade – $10,000

Capital investment funds

• Seaside Recreation and Community Centre Association – $33,723.64
• Liverpool Baseball Club – $1,025
• Westfield Community Center Society – $23,197.50

Event investment funds

• Native Council of Nova Scotia – $2,300
• Privateer Days Commission – $3,400

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

Region of Queens councillors Jack Fancy, David Brown and Vicki Amirault in a file photo. (Rick Conrad)

The Region of Queens plans to increase the income threshold for people eligible for the low-income property tax exemption.

As part of budget discussions on Tuesday, District 6 Coun. David Brown asked council to consider increasing the income brackets for those eligible for the tax break.

“We know there’s been a lot of inflation this year and the consumer price index went up 3.4 per cent,” Brown said.

“We end up with bracket creep. I know some people are getting small raises in their pensions, small raises in the EI rate, and minimum wage that could price them out of that benefit. So we could be clawing back what little benefit they gained out of inflation.”

Property owners with a household income of $20,000 a year or less are eligible for a maximum $400 tax exemption. Those who make between $20,000 and $25,000 get up to $350, and those making between $25,000 and $30,000 get as much as a $300 break.

The revised income amounts would add $5,000 to each of those brackets. So the lowest income bracket would now be up to $25,000, and then $25,001 to $30,000 and $30,001 to $35,000. The tax exemption amounts would not change.

Brown originally wanted council to increase the income brackets by the same rate as inflation. That would have added about $680 to the lowest income group and about $1,000 to the highest.

But District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton said council should increase the top bracket by $5,000. She said the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg recently changed its low-income tax exemption to give people a 14 per cent boost in savings on their property taxes.

“I think upping that to the $35,000 is more than reasonable and helps those who need it the most,” Charlton said.

Council decided to increase each income category by $5,000.

“We’re talking about the lowest (paid) and the poorest in our society who need the most help from us,” Brown said. “And it’s a small amount of money to be able to help those who need it the most. I think it’s something we should do.”

The region originally set aside $125,000 for the low-income tax exemption in their 2024/25 budget. CAO Cody Joudry said staff would add another $10,000 for it in the budget. 

The increase will be funded from the municipality’s accumulated surplus special operating reserve fund, which sits at just over $10 million.

Council is holding a special meeting on Monday at 9 a.m. at the region’s offices to vote on the final budget.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

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

ATV riders in Queens County are hoping to connect off-road trails with public roads and streets in the municipality so that operators can more easily use local services and support local businesses.

David White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, and vice-president Greg Wigglesworth made a presentation to regional council this week outlining various options to make that happen. 

“In this case, we’re asking the Region of Queens for assistance with some connection within the township,” he said in an interview after the meeting.

“The whole goal here is to make a trail that connects across Queens County as well as providing economic advantage by bringing off-highway vehicle users to be able to access things like gas and accommodation and restaurants and that sort of thing.” 

This isn’t the first time White has proposed a connected network through Queens County for users of off-highway vehicles.

The association spoke to council last July about the idea, shortly after the Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act. That would allow OHVs on provincial and municipal roads, with certain conditions.

Both levels of government must first grant ATV access to those roads. In the Region of Queens, that would require a new bylaw. 

White and Wigglesworth presented councillors with various options to create a road trail near Queens Place Emera Centre, the Best Western and businesses around the intersection of Milton Road and Route 3 that would connect with the Trestle Trail. They also outlined options for a road trail to connect the Trestle Trail to White Point Road and from the trail to the lower parking lot downtown.

It’s part of the group’s vision to create a destination riding area in Queens for ATV users. White told councillors it would attract more business to the area from riders in the municipality and beyond.

“Our ultimate goal is to create the connectivity, to be able to go from the Lunenburg-Queens County line to the Queens-Shelburne line. Other ATV groups in other areas are working to make those connections as well.

“We’re looking to do it in a way that has minimal impact on residents. Our ultimate goal is to improve the connectivity, to enhance the trails for everybody, so it’s better quality trail for off-highway vehicles, walkers, cyclists and other users, as well as to make sure we have that economic impact, and to make sure we’re maintaining a safe environment for everyobdy.”

White said the group has been canvassing property owners and businesses. So far, he says, the response has been positive. He said Yarmouth has already allowed access to off-highway vehicles on Water Street in their downtown core.

“It’s very well travelled and they’ve been having a lot of success with that.”

Councillors appeared supportive of the idea. District 2 Coun. Ralph Gidney said he’s excited by the proposal.

“I think this is a very good idea, and what it’s going to do for our community is fantastic.”

District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton said she’s happy to see the group provided so many different options.

“I look forward to everyone coming together and finding a way forward with this.”

Councillors asked for a staff report on allowing the vehicles to use municipal roads. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to Thursday’s news update below

Darlene Norman, mayor of Region of Queens. Photo Credit: Darlene Norman

By Rick Conrad

Voters in the Region of Queens may be able to cast a ballot online in October’s municipal election.

Mayor Darlene Norman says she’s confident the region will be able to introduce electronic voting as an option this year.

Councillors asked CAO Cody Joudry at their first meeting of 2024 to prepare a report on the feasibility and costs of introducing electronic voting to Queens, while keeping the traditional paper ballot.

“I expect the cost to come back much more than pure paper voting, but it may not,” Norman said in an interview after the meeting. 

“But a combination (of voting options) would be good. … Younger people say that it’s the thing that we need, but it would be interesting to do it.” 

Twenty of 49 Nova Scotia municipalities offered an electronic voting option in 2020. Elections Nova Scotia used electronic ballots in the July byelection in Preston. And it plans to allow e-voting in the 2025 provincial election.

District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton said it’s time that Queens offers an electronic option in addition to the traditional ballot, to make it easier for people to make their choice.

“I think it’s important for us to move forward with this.”

District 6 Coun. David Brown said it would also help encourage people in more rural areas of the municipality to vote.

“With our widespread rural areas, it’s hard for people to get out to the polling station. Having the electronic option will get more people involved.”

The Kiwanis Club of Liverpool is closer to taking over the canteen at Queens Place Emera Centre.

The region would lease the facility to the club for one year rent-free. The club would be responsible for ensuring food safety and insurance compliance. Kiwanis volunteers would operate it along with members of the Queens County Blades and the Queens County Minor Hockey Association.

The three organizations would share proceeds from concessions sales.

Because of the Christmas holidays, staff couldn’t have a final agreement ready for councillors to review at their Tuesday meeting. They voted to wait until they see the contract before giving their final approval.

David Schofield, president of the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool, said Tuesday that his group is excited about running the canteen.

“I think it’s a good opportunity not just for the Kiwanis Club but also for the figure skating club and Queens County minor hockey who we’ve asked for their support as well, because we don’t have enough volunteers in our organization to do it. … A lot of people have made comments about not having a canteen available (at Queens Place), so I think it’s win-win-win-win.”

Steve Burns, manager of events, promotions and sponsorships, told councillors that it would likely take a couple of weeks after the contract is signed to get all the necessary permits in place for the Kiwanis club to take over.

In other news from Tuesday’s meeting:

Councillors want to try to address garbage pileups in Queens County cottage country.

District 6 Coun. David Brown asked staff for recommendations to address the problem.

He said the 40 so-called “grey box” sites on private roads throughout the county consume half of the region’s garbage collection budget.

“These are places that have large tax revenues for us that we don’t provide a lot of services for,” Brown said. “And nobody wants to see a mountain of garbage every time they drive into beautiful, pristine wilderness.”

Mayor Darlene Norman says it is a “huge problem”.

“And people in the Labelle and Molega area, some people are paying $10,000 property tax out there for no services. It is an issue that has to be dealt with.” 

Councillors asked staff to prepare an inventory on burnt out streetlights in the region, and press Nova Scotia Power to fix them more quickly.

District 1 Coun. Kevin Muise said many residents have complained that several streetlights haven’t been working in some areas for up to three months. He’s concerned about safety for motorists and pedestrians.

There are six streetlights out on Shore Road in Mersey Point alone, council heard. Many are out for longer than the 60-day service guarantee.

Nova Scotia Power is supposed to maintain the lights, but the region pays for them, even when they don’t work, Norman said.

“We are paying for a tremendous amount of street lights which are burnt out.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to an audio version of this story below.

The proposed site for the new library at Queens Place lies at the end of the driveway beside the sledding hill. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Council has cancelled the construction of a new library near Queens Place.

In a recorded 5-3 vote, Councillors Amirault, Charlton, Fancy, Gidney and Muise voted not to build the library at that location, while Mayor Norman and Councillors Brown and Hawkes voted to go ahead.

The motion was put forward by Councillor Charlton who expressed concerns Council wasn’t consulted about building a new road on the site which would extend the existing driveway to accommodate both the planned long-term care home and the proposed library.

In August 2022 council agreed to sell the land at Queens Crossing (the name of the site containing Queens Place, the Best Western Hotel, the skatepark, the planned long-term care home and the proposed library site) to the Queens Care Society for $2 per square foot.

The 479,000 square feet of land would bring in roughly $960,000, which is about what public works staff estimate it would cost to build a road, sidewalks and water infrastructure out to the end of the cul-de-sac to accommodate the library and long-term care home.

Historically, council has reinvested any proceeds from the sale of land on that site back into infrastructure at Queens Crossing.

Charlton says she supports the construction of a new long-term care home, but council was never asked if they wanted to spend that money and since it isn’t a policy, this council is not bound by the decisions of previous councils.

“We did not discuss a road extension when we agreed to sell the land,” said Charlton. “We were selling the land because it was already serviced for water and sewer to the point where it was required.”

Mayor Darlene Norman says if the municipality doesn’t cover the cost of extending these services it will need to come from the Queens Care Society’s construction budget.

“The whole idea that we would not show our support for this amazing facility is beyond comprehensible to me,” said Norman.

Councillor Vicki Amirault chairs the library site selection committee and voted against the committee’s recommendation.

The committee was tasked by council with finding the best location to build a new library.

The Queens Crossing site was put forth as the committee’s unanimous choice for the new build in June of 2022 but was rejected by council in a 5-3 vote.

In January of this year the committee made the same recommendation which council accepted at that time.

Councillor Amirault was contacted to provide a comment for this story but did not reply before publication.

Council is now looking at options to move the library closer to the Queens Place Emera Centre.

They have requested costed studies for two different library concepts.

One will determine the price of a stand-alone library beside Queens Place; the other would examine building an extension on the Centre.

CAO Chris McNeill told council he was warned by the project manager an extension would be more costly.

McNeill says any extension on Queens Place would have to look at the existing capacity of the building to handle additional demands on electricity, heating and water supply among other issues.

McNeill also informed council the two studies could cost in the range of $200,000.

In the meantime, council is aware of the precarious situation the Thomas H Raddall Library finds itself.

In addition to infrastructure issues the building is currently up for sale.

Council is suggesting the library find alternative locations where they could relocate temporarily until a new permanent location can be built.

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

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

The proposed site for the new library at Queens Place lies at the end of the driveway beside the sledding hill. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Council will revisit the decision to build the new public library at Queens Place.

Several councillors have expressed they didn’t have a full picture of the costs involved in locating the new library at Queens Place when they voted in January.

At issue is an estimated $950,000 cost to extend the road, sidewalks, and underground water and sewer infrastructure to accommodate the new build.

At the last council meeting CAO Chris McNeill explained that while it is not policy, it has been councils’ practice to reinvest the proceeds from the land sales at Queens Place back into the site.

Queens sold a large plot for the construction of the new long-term care facility replacing Queens Manor and Hillsview Manor.

The new road would reach the library as well as the new long-term care home.

Because it wasn’t infrastructure work dedicated to the library build, it wasn’t included when the costs were tallied to locate the library on the site.

Councillor Maddie Charlton says the $950,000 puts the site preparation costs at Queens Place far higher than any of the other seven sites that were being considered.

She says the Region has many priorities and it should be up to council to decide if they want to allocate $950,000 for Queens Place or if it could be used on another project.

That led to this exchange at the last meeting between Councillor Charlton and Mayor Darlene Norman.

“It sounds to me like the library committee was under the assumption that this was a signed deal, that infrastructure was happening,” said Charlton, “and we didn’t have an opportunity to discuss that’s how we want to spend that money.”

Norman replied, “There is a way to change your mind about when new information comes forward and it is called resending emotion.”

Mayor Norman is concerned if council can’t agree to build a new library at Queens Place it may never be built.

“There may even be a discussion at some point in time, we may even get back to why do we need a new library and all other things. I mean, I really don’t know why council cannot just agree that Queens Place is a great place to put a library which we are committed to do, you know,” said Norman. “Library services are part of our responsibility and it’s a library for Queens County. It’s not a Liverpool library, it’s a library for Queens County. And if we have $1,000,000 from the sale of land and we want to put that into roads, sidewalk that may assist the Manor, well isn’t that a great thing?”

Council will vote if they want to rescind the motion to build the library at Queens Place during their next meeting March 14.

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

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

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.

photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Council packed a lot into their final meeting of the year.

Following a public meeting that took most of the morning, council voted against selling the South Shore Regional Airport. Instead, they will continue to operate the facility and will look to sign the Nova Scotia Drag Racers Association and the South Shore Flying Club to new leases.

Rumclo Developments Ltd and Van Der Pas design made a presentation proposing to build 124 units on 23 acres of waterfrontage at 133 Shore Road if the Region agrees to pick up the $1.5 million tab to extend water service to the development.

Council will weigh the proposal and make the decision as part of the upcoming annual budget process.

Representatives of Hillsview Acres Long Term Care home provided a yearly update. While all regular positions are filled, the facility is searching for part-time staff.

Queens Manor has been providing some assistance to Hillsview Acres.

Both facilities will be merged and replaced when the new Long Term Care Home is built and ready in four years.

A couple of items that have been bouncing around the latest agendas have been resolved.

Council accepted terms of reference for the new pool committee, voted down spending up to $10,000 towards the cost of creating a Bioeconomic Development Zone and will prioritize clearing shrubs that obstructs traffic at Market and Henry Hensey Drive.

Councillors Maddie Charlton and David Brown will sit on a committee to update the Region’s communications strategy.

Council also considered a Development Agreement that would allow a 7-unit short term rental building in Hunts Point to be converted to multi-unit residential housing.

A public hearing on the matter will be held in council chambers January 10.

Council agreed to replace a 2010 work truck that is past its useable life with a new ¾ ton for $75,000 plus tax.

The Region will write off almost $10,000 in uncollectable debt owed to the municipality to get it off the books.

Council received a staff report detailing when council could request a traffic study.

They were informed they could make the request when making an amendment to the Land Use Bylaw or when adopting a Development Agreement but generally the decision to trigger a traffic study is left to the engineer or planner of the traffic authority.

And finally, Region Staff will now be calling for the tow truck if a vehicle is impeding snow clearing operations.

RCMP informed the municipality they don’t have the available personnel to police those parking violations, but it is within the regions authority to do so.

The next council meeting will be held in council chambers starting at 9:00 am on January 10.

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

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

Thomas H Raddall Library. Photo Ed Halverson

Regional council has rejected the idea of building a library at Queens Place.

The library steering committee put forward their unanimous recommendation to build the new library at the recreation hub at the last council meeting.

The committee had a list of eight publicly and privately owned sites to choose from and determined the Queens Place location to be the best based on their criteria.

They were looking for a centrally located site with access to sidewalks that offered space to build a 6,000 square foot library and 24 parking spaces, easy emergency access, good exterior lighting, outdoor space, and no known flooding.

District 3 councillor Maddie Charlton is concerned moving the library to Queens Place will make it inaccessible for low-income families in the downtown core.

“The poverty in our community is a huge concern and the low-income housing is not on that side of town. I spoke with one teacher who said that many of her low-income parents, during COVID, walked to the library so they could access internet for their children with their school work,” said Charlton. “There’s no transportation for the preschool age or the daycare age and just to put into perspective, there’s about to be, once the expansion happens at the Queens Daycare, 100 children at Queens Daycare. Think of the exposure they could have to the library if they could access it.”

Councillor for District 1 Kevin Muise agreed.

“People that walk there now are not going to walk across that bridge. They going to have to get cars and drive there. Low-income families who are in my district, they’re not going to walk across that bridge and go [to the library]. The other council, we was [sic] always arguing about putting stuff on that side of the bridge. Why don’t we have stuff on this side of the bridge. I just feel the library should stay on this side of the bridge,” said Muise.

Mayor Darlene Norman responded that everyone in the community finds access to the two major grocery stores located around the corner from the library.

The mayor expressed concern that perhaps council wasn’t fully considering all the services a library offers.

“I would think that our goal is to expand library use in Queens,” said Norman. “Library is a much larger service than books. It’s education programming, safety programming, it’s government, a way to reach different levels of government.”

Further complicating the discussion is the idea of combining the construction of the new library with a new pool, an idea put forward by the Queens Community Aquatic Society.

District 6 Councillor David Brown says plans to develop a library were already in motion before that idea was put forward and the two resources aren’t compatible.

“If council had wanted the two projects together, the terms of reference, I think, would’ve reflected that. We got terms of reference for a library and that’s what the committee has looked at,” said Brown. “The committee has also looked at the possibility of combining with the swimming pool. There’s nothing against that idea. The problem that we’ve got is the majority of the land that we have won’t support the two projects together. The area we selected as a committee is not big enough for the pool and a library together.”

In a five to three decision, council voted down the proposed Queens Place location for a new library.

Mayor Norman says a special meeting will be called in July for council to refine the parameters of a new library before sending it back to the library steering committee to come up with a second recommendation.

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

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

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens council is looking into the possibility of adding a Committee of the Whole to their calendar.

Mayor Darlene Norman says the idea of adding a Committee of the Whole meeting was floated in an effort to more fully explore issues that come to council.

“Some members of council basically felt they do not have enough time to debate things and then go out to the public and get the public response,” said Norman.

The mayor supports the motion to add the committee brought forward by Councillor Maddie Charlton at July’s Region of council meeting.

In her previous terms on council Norman says there were several committees but subsequent councils did away with them.

Norman expressed concern that should they decide to replace a council meeting with a committee of the whole meeting it could slow some services down.

“Right now, we can move a planning matter through in three months, following the recommended time for hearings and public hearings,” said Norman. “With a once a month council and a committee of the whole, we’re looking at five and six months to move a planning matter through.”

Adding another meeting is not the only option on the table to try and help councillors be better prepared to address issues at the council table.

“Perhaps getting the agenda a week earlier so then they have a week to go out and consult and debate,” said Norman.

Should council decide to bring in a committee of the whole they would also have look at making changes to their rules of order.

Currently, the municipality follows Bourinot’s Rules of Order, which wouldn’t allow anything discussed at COW to be discussed again at council.

To do anything more than vote on an issue would require council to change their own rules and procedures.

Council has directed staff to come back with a list outlining the pros and cons of committee of the whole and will make a decision based on the staff recommendation.

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

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

Back Row – Councillor Ralph Gidney, District 2; Councillor Carl J. Hawkes, District 7; Councillor David Brown, District 6; Deputy Mayor Kevin Muise, District 1; Councillor Jack Fancy, District 5. Front Row – Councillor Maddie Charlton, District 3; Mayor Darlene Norman; Councillor Vicki Amirault, District 4. Photo courtesy Region of Queens

The Region of Queens experienced a lot of “firsts” when council was sworn in last week.

In the region’s 24-year history, Mayor Darlene Norman is the first woman to ever hold the top post in the municipality.

At 29 years old, District 3 Councillor Maddie Charlton became the youngest person ever elected to council.

Norman and Charlton join District 4 Councillor Vicki Amirault, to account for the largest number of women on Queens council.

Mayor Norman sees this as people’s attitude’s becoming more progressive.

“People in Queens are not looking at gender,” said Norman. “They’re seeing people for who they are. They’re looking at their personalities and their strengths and it’s not who’s got the skirt and who’s got the pants.”

Norman says she’s never allowed herself to be pigeon-holed because of her gender.

“I grew up with three brothers and no sisters so I climbed the biggest trees and hunted and did what my brothers did. I never really felt that I was second shoe because I was a woman. But yet I realize that the world sees it that way, often,” said Norman.

Charlton says she was aware she was the youngest person campaigning to be on council but was pleasantly surprised by the reaction from people on the doorsteps.

“I was overwhelmed by the support I got from people,” said Charlton. “They were so excited that someone younger was running. People would often talk about how they wished people would. But given the current way council is run, it’s really hard for someone to be able to go to those council meetings in the daytime and work.”

Fortunately for Charlton, she is self-employed, operating her own hair salon out of her home. She says her clients have been very understanding about scheduling their appointments around council meetings.

Charlton said a few people did challenge her ability to maintain her family life and keep up with her council responsibilities, but they were in the minority.

“And I know that, had roles been reversed and my husband had been out campaigning that he would not have been asked that,” said Charlton.

She doesn’t take it personally and believes the question is all part of a learning curve for everyone in the municipality.

Charlton is hoping residents will be more involved in the work council is doing. To that end, she would like to change council meeting times to allow more people to engage with council.

“People just feel like they don’t know what’s going on. I would like to see more evening council meetings,” said Charlton. “At one point that’s how it always was, there weren’t daytime council meetings, they only happened in the evening.”

Charlton says live-streaming council meetings has been a great way for the public to be aware of what is going on and she would like to see that continue.

Mayor Norman feels the make up of this council is a good mix of older and younger people, each bringing their own perspectives to the discussions.

She says council will need to prioritize updating the their land use zoning and planning but aside from that, she will look to councillors to bring what they’re hearing from the community to the floor to determine the course they will take over the next four years.

“That’s really the role of the mayor, is to unite a group of people, bring them together to a common decision and accept that decision,” said Norman. “If I don’t agree with something but the majority of council agrees with it, even as the mayor, I will accept that decision and go forward with that decision, because that’s what a true council does.”

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