Dale Richardson and Matthew Roy speak to the Queens Garden Club about an innovative greenhouse project in Shelburne. (Rick Conrad)

The conditions are ideal for Queens County to become a local food powerhouse just like the Annapolis Valley, advocates say.

The area’s temperate climate and natural biodiversity are two big factors in its favour, members of the Queens Garden Club heard on Thursday evening.

The club’s Mary White says it’s time to devote some resources to harnessing that potential.

“We want some green initiatives here in Queens County,” she said. “We have some very lovely spots that they could go in and that not only could it help with things like food security, it could help with our economics. There’s no reason why everybody should go to the Valley and not go here.

“We have the same resources, and we’re able to do the same sorts of things.”

About 30 people gathered at the Thomas H. Raddall Library in Liverpool on Thursday to hear how that might be done.

The garden club invited Dale Richardson, a municipal councillor in Shelburne, and farmer Matthew Roy to talk about an innovative solar-powered and geothermal greenhouse project in Shelburne. Both were involved in the project.

The Community Garden and Foodshare Association of Shelburne County got a $142,000 grant from the Nova Scotia government in April. 

The volunteer-run project is about 90 per cent complete. It will produce thousands of kilograms of fresh produce year-round for the community to help combat local food insecurity. 

Roy is co-owner of Coastal Grove Farm in Upper Port LaTour, Canada’s only certified organic tea grower and the country’s only certified saffron grower. The farm is also the largest commercial vegetable producer in Shelburne County.

He said communities in southwestern Nova Scotia need to start thinking seriously about becoming more food independent. 

“Nova Scotia in general only has three days of food in the province,” he said. “Just digest that for a moment. … The rest of it has to get imported from other places, which isn’t bad when there’s not geopolitical issues, when there’s not climate change issues that bring dryness or droughts or interrupts transportation. … I think it’s really relevant to be thinking about where is our food coming from? And do we have the local production?”

Roy said that with only 19 registered farms in all of Queens County, there isn’t enough capacity to put food on the shelves if disaster struck.

“What has happened in Shelburne, I think would be really beneficial to have that replicated up and down the southwestern shore.”

Milton resident Kathy Chute said she’s impressed with what they’re doing in Shelburne.

“I’m jealous. I think we could do it here, no problem. and maybe even up in Milton. You know, that unused area by the swimming pool, we could put a nice greenhouse in there.”

White says farming could be as big an industry in Queens County as forestry and fishing.

“This area in particular was more about forestry and fishing, that sort of thing, and really they just let other people provide the food for them. And now it’s time for us to take that resource back. … It’s time for us to look at another natural resource that we have, and that is our outdoor space.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Ryan MacLean with UPLAND Planning and Design Studio explains the options regarding a proposed change to how residential developments are handled in downtown Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

It was a small turnout for the first public engagement session about a proposed change to downtown development in Liverpool.

Developer Eric Fry wants to turn the old Stedmans building at 194 Main St. in Liverpool into 16 apartments. 

The Region of Queens land use bylaw allows residential development downtown only in buildings with a primary commercial use.

Three options are on the table for the public to consider: to allow residential developments in the commercial district as a main use by right, to allow them by development agreement which would require council approval, or to stay with the status quo and reject any amendments to the bylaw.

The first drop-in session on Tuesday evening was geared toward the business community. The second session is focused on hearing from residents. That is scheduled for Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the community room at Queens Place Emera Centre. There is also an online survey available.

The region hired UPLAND Planning and Design Studio from Halifax to lead the public engagement. Two representatives from that company were at Tuesday’s session, along with Mike MacLeod, the region’s director of land use.

Ryan MacLean, an engagement manager with UPLAND, said they’ve already heard a variety of opinions.

“People have expressed great support for any opportunity to increase residential development, expressing their concerns around the housing crisis, but then we’ve also heard concern around the potential for if you permit more residential uses, then it could erode the commercial character of the downtown.”

Beach Meadows resident Mary White is a member of the region’s planning advisory committee, which recommended having the public sessions.

She doesn’t want the bylaw to change. And she said she’d like to see the region do more to support local businesses.

“I think that we need to maintain the commercial spaces on Main Street and I think that we need to decide as a community what we want the future of our community to be. And if that’s to have a main core then we need to support that. And as a municipality, I would hope they would get together and decide some intitiatives to help the (businesspeople) that are there that have been struggling and hanging on for so long.”

Rigel Jones, executive director of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said she was staying open-minded about any changes to downtown development.

“I know the feedback we’ve gotten from members in the chamber is they’re struggling with foot traffic and that having more residents on main street could change that.”

Liverpool resident Paul Deveau said he’s against the bylaw change, though he’s in favour of more residential development on Main Street.

“I firmly believe that, yes, we should allow some apartments to be built down there under the current use. All across Canada municipality have come up with urban plans for their main streets. … It’s a work-live-play. So they should have apartments on top of these businesses but still have the businesses stay. The moment you start allowing them to be converted into residential that’s the moment that all the street is going to be turned into residential because that’s where they’re going to make the most money.”

He said he’s happy the municipality is “finally” having some public engagement, but said two sessions aren’t enough for such a significant discussion.

The consultants will prepare a report for council by the end of June. The region’s planning advisory committee will then review the report and make recommendations to council.

If there are proposed amendments to the land use bylaw, councillors would vote on those. If they’re approved initially, then there would be a two-week notice period for a public hearing to be held before the final vote.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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