Members of the Port Medway Fire Department Auxiliary: Vincent Dieras, Deb Noble, Deb Lemon, Barbara Parnell, Sandi Simpson and Darlene Norman. (Rick Conrad)

As people around Queens County woke up Monday morning to power outages, volunteers at the Port Medway Fire Hall were busy giving people a place to warm up and get something to eat.

The Port Medway Fire Department Auxiliary opened the hall to everyone who needed it. They started preparing food at 6:30 Monday morning and still hadn’t stopped Wednesday afternoon.

“Port Medway is a very special community and for years it has always looked after itself,” says Darlene Norman, president of the auxiliary.

“Whenever there is an emergency or a power outage, this hall immediately becomes open and there’s always prepared home-cooked meals.”

“It’s open 24 hours a day until the power comes back on,” says auxiliary member Deb Lemon, “so even in the middle of the night you can come and recharge and warm up.”

Norman and Lemon are part of a team of about a dozen volunteers who have served three meals a day since early Monday, feeding up to 35 people at a time.

“We do scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon,” Norman says.

“One day for lunch, we had pizzas, one day we did sandwiches up. We did the best spaghetti and meatballs that people said they ever had. We had homemade cheese biscuits, homemade chicken soup.”

The fire hall has a diesel-powered generator so that it can open to anyone after storms, hurricanes and power outages. A Nova Scotia Power crew even stopped in on Wednesday for lunch.

It’s a place for people to find comfort as well as community.

“Anyone without power,” Norman says. “Mill Village people were here, there were people from over in West Berlin, East Berlin, … everyone knows, when it’s open, it’s open.

“This is a real community. It’s small, everyone’s compacted because of the way this community is designed, people know each other. It’s social, people come play cards. And whether or not you’re a member of the auxiliary it really doesn’t have a bearing on if you come in and help in this kitchen.”

MIke Vandale, left, and three friends play cards on Wednesday at the Port Medway Fire Hall. (Rick Conrad)

Mike Vandale, who lives in East Port Medway, was still without power Wednesday morning, so he was at the hall for some breakfast and a game of cribbage with three friends.

“It’s been fantastic. The auxiliary have performed above and beyond all expectations. Fantastic.

“Camaraderie, food, warmth, friendship. It’s a great place to come and see everybody and catch up on the news.”

Vandale adds, laughing: “Misery loves company.”

Norman says there are a lot of younger retirees in the small fishing village who have the time and energy to pitch in when needed.

Even when they’re not offering free meals during power outages, the hall welcomes the community for a free lunch every Wednesday. That’s in addition to their regular dances, bingo nights and other events.

People show their appreciation for the free meals by leaving generous donations. And Norman and Lemon say management at the Sobeys in Liverpool has also been supportive, giving the group a $50 gift card so they could stock up on groceries this week.

“That’s the community rubbing off on everybody else around us,” Lemon says.

Most of Port Medway had been reconnected as of Wednesday afternoon. A Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman told QCCR that crews were working to restore power to more than 200 customers in Queens County as of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Port Medway Fire Hall isn’t an official comfort centre. And it wasn’t the only place in Queens County offering help during the outage. Eight other locations were offering various services. You can check out the list on the Region of Queens website here.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Region of Queens councillors passed their capital budget last week. (Rick Conrad)

The Region of Queens got a head start on a big part of its budget last week by approving its five-year, $54.3-million capital plan.

It includes more than $27 million in projects for this fiscal year alone.

Councillors wanted to approve their capital budget earlier this year so that municipal staff could work on issuing tenders before the spring.

“The purpose of bringing the capital investment plan to council at this point is so that we’ve got as much runway as possible before the fiscal year starts on April 1st,” said CAO Willa Thorpe, “so that staff have the opportunity to go to tender on projects with the runway of between January and April.”

The extension of water and sewer to the Mount Pleasant area of Liverpool accounts for almost $10 million of the 2026/27 spending.

Another $1.4 million is being set aside to upgrade and extend two kilometres of the main water transmission line from the South Queens Water Treatment Facility to Union

Street in Liverpool, and to upgrade the water main from Roy Turner Road to Mersey Avenue.

Some councillors want staff to fast track the replacement of existing water infrastructure before adding new areas.

So they voted to hire a consultant to analyze the costs and timeline of the main water line project.

Adam Grant, the region’s director of infrastructure, said it would probably take from six to nine months to get a report back.

District 6 Coun. Stewart Jenkins had many questions for staff about the capital plan.

He wanted to know why projects take so long to get done. 

“Would it not be better to stop anything new and just get these projects done so we can have a fixed cost on it? … Why are we adding more projects on when we can’t get ones finished?”

Grant said staff try to strike a balance between ongoing projects and new ones added to the list.

“There are a lot of projects on there. I think each year … we try to trim them off and council would like to add some… . So we try to balance it out what we can complete. What’s pertinent, and what’s unnecessary, trying to prioritize in that fashion.”

Mayor Scott Christian said it’s council, not staff, that adds work to the list. He said Thorpe, Grant and Finance Director Joanne Veinotte have told him they’re trying to improve the process.

“There is a concerted effort to be more realistic, what we’re budgeting for the projects that we actually expect to be done, and improvements with respect to the way that we’re making decisions about what we’re doing in-house, and what we’re shopping out and subcontracting out. So it would be my expectation that moving forward, we are going to improve that in terms of achieving the work in the year that we’re funding it.”

Some of the projects that have been held over, like the wall at the Old Burial Ground or the new Gorham Street planter between Home Hardware and Celeste’s Hair Salon on Main Street, caught Jenkins’s attention.

“How do we justify a planter at in excess of $97,000 for plants?” he asked Grant.

Grant said it’s actually a vital retaining structure in the walkway from Main Street to the waterfront.

“So it’s a couple hundred metres long. 
It’s brick, it’s 12 feet to 16 feet high in spots, it does have plants into it. But it’s a lot more than just a planter with some shrubbery. It’s being improved, I guess, for accessibility, as well as retention purposes, to protect the pedestrians.”

Jenkins also had some work of his own to add to the list. Councillors approved his motion to add $200,000 to the capital budget this year to work on dry hydrants around Queens County.

They are vital for many of the region’s fire departments to be able to access water sources.

Jenkins said that before his concerns were addressed, he was ready to vote against the budget. But he said he would vote for it even though he still had some reservations.

Councillors voted unanimously to pass the region’s 2026-31 capital investment plan.

Next up will be the region’s operating budget. Councillors are set to begin debating that on Feb. 24. Residents can have their say by filling out a survey on the region’s website.

Some of the 2026/27 spending highlights in the Region of Queens capital investment plan:

• Accessible washrooms, universal playpark at Queens Place: $425,810 (federal gas tax funding)
• Gorham Street planter rehabilitation: $97,630 (municipal reserves)
• Thomas H. Raddall Library renovations: $111,490 (federal gas tax)
• Old Burial Ground wall rehabilitation: $173,440 (municipal reserves)
• Queens Place LED light refit: $78,000 (municipal reserves)
• Queens Place roof remediation: $70,000 (municipal reserves)
• Sidewalk Millard to Harley Umphrey Section 1: $519,192 (municipal surplus)
• Astor Theatre improvements Year 1: $1,090,499 (municipal surplus)

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Schools are closed and power is out around Queens County as the area got its first significant snowstorm of the season. (Rick Conrad)

The season’s first significant snowfall in Queens County knocked out power for many, with schools and some businesses closing for the day or delaying their opening.

About 20 centimetres of heavy snow fell, while power was out in many parts of the county, with Nova Scotia Power reporting about 130,000 outages across the province.

The outage map, however, wasn’t displaying all outages correctly. Residents reported outages throughout south Queens, including Port Medway, Eagle Head, Beach Meadows and Brooklyn. But the map was showing very few households affected.

The Port Medway Fire Department has set up a comfort centre at the fire hall for those without power.

The Region of Queens administrative offices were closed for the day. The South Shore Regional Centre for Education closed schools for the day.

If you’re in the Liverpool area, follow this link to see expected snowclearing response times.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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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.

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.

A fire off the West Berlin Wharf Road on Monday evening seen from the beach in West Berlin. (Rick Conrad)

A house was razed in a suppertime blaze in West Berlin on Monday.

Queens District RCMP and firefighters from Liverpool, Port Medway, North Queens, Greenfield, Mill Village, Italy Cross/Middlewood, Bridgewater and Dayspring responded to the fire at about 5:50 p.m. on the West Berlin Wharf Road. There were more than a dozen emergency vehicles on scene.

The building was fully engulfed shortly after fire crews got there, with flames seen shooting into the sky from across Blueberry Bay. Cars lined the Eastern Shore Road near the small beach in West Berlin to watch the fire from across the bay and take photos.

“At the scene, there were reports of gunshots or fireworks,” RCMP spokesperson Cindy Bayers told QCCR on Tuesday.

“No firearm was located in the area and no injuries were reported. One man was safely arrested. At this time, he’s not facing any charges and the investigation is ongoing.”

The oceanfront property down a long lane is a good distance away from West Berlin Wharf where lobster fishermen have their boats tied. One woman parked near the beach said she was worried her father’s building at the wharf was in danger, but said she soon realized the fire was far enough away.

Along with the house, a truck was also destroyed in the blaze and at least two outbuildings sustained damage.

Crews were on scene most of the night and into the early morning. They were called back to the scene around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday after reports of hot spots possibly reigniting.

The fire was fully extinguished by Tuesday afternoon.

The Liverpool fire chief could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

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Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton chaired the Dec. 19 special council meeting on the capital budget. (Region of Queens YouTube)

Region of Queens councillors had some tough questions for senior staff on Friday afternoon as they pored over their five-year, $57-million capital budget.

Elected officials were concerned about the timeline for water and sewer improvements in Liverpool as part of the $26-million Mount Pleasant extension.

They also wanted to know more about projects like the South Queens Outdoor Pool and planned upgrades at the Astor Theatre. And there were concerns about the municipality’s long-term debt.

District 3 Coun. Courtney Wentzell returned to an issue he’s brought up before about extending water and wastewater services to the Mount Pleasant area to connect two planned housing developments to the system. That project is supported with $10.7 million in provincial funding.

“With the loss of treatable water and with us … hiking the water rates, and then going ahead and starting a project to send transmissible water up Mount Pleasant Street before you fix the issue down here on (the west side of) town, … it does not make sense to me, and it never will. 28/29 before you fix the problem? No.”

The region’s current plan calls for $9.7 million in work to begin this coming year to run new water mains to the Mount Pleasant area and upgrade existing infrastructure en route. Work on other, older parts of the system is now scheduled to begin in 2028/29. The end date to finish the overall project has been pushed to 2032/2033, from the original finish date of 2028/29.

But with South Queens Water Utility reporting more than 60 per cent of its treated water lost through leaks in the system, Wentzell says he wants to see older pipes, like the lines and laterals from Roy Turner Road to Union Street, fixed first.

“Isn’t this all one big project now?” Wentzell asked.

“
Isn’t this all just one project or is the Mount Pleasant exchange separate getting up to Dauphinee Farms than the rest of Liverpool? I’m lost. I’m trying to expedite and get the old infrastructure fixed before we start driving pressureless water up a hill.”

Adam Grant, the region’s director of infrastructure, said the contracts are already awarded for the work to Mount Pleasant. And he said fixing one line won’t solve all their water woes.

“I wouldn’t expect to see 60 per cent of it be in that one segment of line. As we know, it’s spread throughout the town. 
So if we accomplish 10 per cent, we should be satisfied. I don’t want to set false expectations that replacing that transmission main, it’s gonna save all of our beans that are falling out of our basket.”

Councillors asked staff to return in January with options to expedite upgrades to older water and sewer lines in Liverpool.

District 6 Coun. Stewart Jenkins questioned Grant and Finance Director Joanne Veinotte about cost overruns at the $8-million South Queens Outdoor Pool.

Veinotte said that in trying to keep the project on budget, some details were missed like the $150,000 wraparound concrete bleachers.

“How can you miss $150,000 of cement bleachers?” Jenkins said. “I don’t understand it.”

Grant said many different departments rushed to finalize the pool design for tender. And some things were overlooked.

CAO Willa Thorpe, who was not with the municipality when council approved the pool plan, said that won’t happen again. 

“When we, as an organization, make hasty decisions on major projects, these are how items like this get missed,” she told councillors.

“So if we were to explore a project of this magnitude again in future, staff will take a different approach.”

Jenkins also wondered why the region is planning to spend about $5 million on heating, cooling and accessibility upgrades at the municipally owned Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, home of the Astor Theatre.

“I can’t believe we’re going to spend $5.4 million, when we have poverty, and we have leaking pipes, and we have everything else to spend money on, but we’re going to spend $5.4 million, for something that is not used by very many people in Queens County, and many of them have never been inside. So I think we should be considering that in our budget deliberations.”

Other councillors said the municipality has put off necessary upgrades at the Astor for a while. They said the facility is used well now and it could be used more with a modern HVAC system. It’s currently limited in what it can offer in warmer months because there’s no air conditioning.

Councillors also asked staff for a list of how the $10.2-million accumulated surplus will be spent. If they approve the current capital plan, that surplus is projected to drop to $1.7 million by 2031. 

And if they approve the proposed five-year capital plan, they’d also be voting to rack up the region’s long-term debt to $26 million by 2032.

Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton, who chaired the meeting because Mayor Scott Christian was away, said council is heading in the right direction.

And she said residents can participate in the budget process by filling out a survey on the region’s website here: https://www.regionofqueens.com/budget-engagement.

“And so you can say what’s working well, what’s not working well,” Charlton told QCCR. “Recognizing we have financial implications. we can’t do everything, but I think if we hear from people and there’s overarching themes or gaps and things that we’re missing, then it really positions council to make decisions about those items moving forward.”

Councillors will be back on Jan. 13 to vote on the capital budget.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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RCMP are looking for Shaun Clarence Cunningham (RCMP Nova Scotia)

Queens District RCMP are asking for the public’s help in finding a man wanted on a province-wide arrest warrant on sexual assault charges.

Police are looking for Shaun Clarence Cunningham, 46, whom police say is known to travel between Shelburne and Queens County.

He faces charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, two counts of invitation to sexual touching and failure to appear in court.

He’s described as five-foot-nine, 175 pounds.  He has brown hair and blue eyes.

RCMP say they’ve made several attempts to find him. They’re asking anyone with information to call the Queens District detachment at 902-354-5721 or their local police department.  Anonymous tips can be phone into Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or by using the P3 Tips app.

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.

The Nova Scotia government announced its five-year highway plan this week. (File photo by Rick Conrad)

Queens County roads are getting some attention in the province’s five-year highway improvement plan, announced this week.

Queens MLA Kim Masland, who is also Nova Scotia’s Emergency Management and Natural Resources minister, said the work locally will help with climate change.

“Our government is committed to climate-resilient infrastructure,” Masland said in a news release. 

“Projects like the shoreline protection on Shore Road are vital to ensuring our roads can withstand future challenges.”

The overall $2.5-billion plan to upgrade highways, roads and bridges across Nova Scotia includes an extra $150 million planned for gravel roads.

New projects added for Queens include:

• Construction of shoreline protection on Shore Road in Western Head
• Paving 2.3 kilometres of the Long Cove Road in Port Medway from the Port Medway Road easterly to the end of the paved section
• Upgrading 2 km of the gravel section of the Long Cove Road
• Work on 0.75 km of the Ramey Road in Buckfield from Route 210 northerly to the end of the sand seal

The provincial plan includes more than 160 highway improvement projects across Nova Scotia in the coming year.

Construction timelines will depend on planning and tendering.

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. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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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.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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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. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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(File photo via RCMP NS Facebook page)

RCMP are investigating a fatal car crash in Port Mouton on Thursday.

Queens District RCMP, EHS and fire services responded to the scene of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 103 at 9:16 a.m.

An eastbound Mazda 3 and a westbound International truck collided on the highway.

An 84-year-old man who was the driver and lone occupant of the Mazda died at the scene, RCMP said in a news release on Saturday.

The 35-year-0ld driver and lone occupant of the truck was taken to hospital with non-fatal injuries. RCMP did not provide an update on his condition.

An RCMP collision reconstructionist was at the scene, and the highway was closed for several hours.

Police are asking anyone with information on the crash, including dashcam footage, to contact Queens District RCMP at 902-354-5721. Or anonymous tips can be given to Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477, online at  www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or by using the P3 Tips app.

Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian. (Rick Conrad)

NOTE: This story has been updated from the original version. The region has changed the date of their first meeting to discuss the draft capital budget to Dec. 19.

The Region of Queens is kickstarting its budget talks.

The last couple of years, the region began its budget deliberations in April and passed its operating and capital budgets in May. That’s after the fiscal year begins.

For the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year, though, the region plans to start the process much earlier.

In April, Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR the delays in starting budget talks were due to staffing shortages. And that the next round of budget talks would begin much earlier.

“In an ideal world, I’d like to see the capital budget approved in December and have a draft of the operating budget available for public input in January,” he said.

And that’s what the region is planning, or close to it. A special council meeting has been called for Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. to review the draft capital budget, which contains big infrastructure projects like water and wastewater improvements, as well as other work on municipally owned facilities.

Christian said in April that regional council wants to be able to take a more thoughtful approach.

“We want to make it as engaging, transparent as possible for members. And we also want it to be a thoughtful, deliberate, intentional, patient approach.”

In a note on their website, the region said that passing the capital budget in the spring makes it difficult for tenders to be issued and awarded in a timely fashion. Approving it earlier means that projects can start sooner.

In May, councillors approved a five-year, $46.2-million capital investment plan, along with their $31-million operating budget.

Councillors are expected to approve the region’s 2026-27 capital plan at council’s first meeting of 2026 on Jan. 13.

The 2026-27 operating budget is scheduled to be introduced at the regular council meeting on Feb. 24. Councillors will debate it for a month, with an anticipated approval at the end of March.

The draft capital budget documents will likely be posted on the region’s website on Dec. 10.

The special council meeting about the draft capital budget will be held in council chambers on Fri., Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. It will also be livestreamed on the region’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. 

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Lorna MacPherson, president of the Liverpool Curling Club. (Rick Conrad photo)

For local curling fans, Saturday afternoon could be one of the most wonderful times of the year.

The Liverpool Curling Club has invited hometown curling hero Jill Brothers to help them celebrate Curling Day in Nova Scotia.

Brothers, who is from Liverpool, is the third on Christina Black’s Nova Scotia team that finished second to Rachel Homan at the Canadian Olympic curling trials in Halifax last weekend.

“Our club opted to combine some curling fun. Two fun scrambles and a potluck supper but very importantly, we want to celebrate and honour Jill Brothers, our hometown curler, who we are very proud of,” Lorna MacPherson, president of the Liverpool Curling Club, said in an interview.

“Jill is going to be here and will be curling and is going to be here with her family so we’re really pleased that she’s been able to join us.”

MacPherson says the club is planning a couple of scrambles, which involve a few ends of curling just for fun. Brothers plans to participate in that, before being honoured by the club later in the afternoon. They’ll highlight Brothers’s early playing days in Liverpool and her most recent success.

“She has continued on now for two decades, having that variety of successes, both provincially and nationally,” MacPherson says, “and she was on a team that competed at the worlds. So it really gave us an opportunity to thank her for all that she has done for curling and just to tell her how much we appreciate her successes.”

MacPherson said Brothers is an inspiration to young local curlers. The 2004 Canadian women’s junior champion has been to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts eight times in her career, as a skip and in other positions. Last year, she and Team Black won bronze.

Brothers also works full time as the technical director for the Nova Scotia Curling Association.

“She’s very approachable with all ages young and and the more mature curlers in our curling club,” MacPherson says. “And particularly last week the success that Team Black had and how they demonstrated not only how to win with grace and enthusiasm, but also how to accept the losses and I think she’s just a great role model for our young people here in our community.

“Jill is just a great example of curling etiquette, enthusiasm and attitude.”

MacPherson says the celebration on Saturday is all about fun, and introducing new people to the club and to the sport.

“We really want to welcome people in our community to come into the curling club, particularly those that aren’t familiar with curling or maybe haven’t been in the curling club. If you want to curl, we can set you up with some gear and have people help you out on the ice or if you just want to watch, so it really is about celebrating all aspects of curling.”

Curling Day in Nova Scotia at the Liverpool Curling Club, featuring Jill Brothers, starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The special presentation honouring Jill Brothers is scheduled for 3:30. For more information, check the club’s Facebook page.

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Lobster boats leave Port Medway on Monday morning to set their traps on the opening day of the season. (Rick Conrad)

Hundreds of boats and thousands of fishermen set out early Monday morning from wharves along the South Shore for the opening day of lobster season.

Traditionally known as Dumping Day, it’s the first time that crews get out to set their traps for the biggest commercial lobster fishery in Canada.

Family and community members were on the wharf in Port Medway before sunrise to bid good luck to the 10 boats that left just after 7 a.m.

Jillian Perry drove from P.E.I. to see off her husband Bruce on his vessel All A’Boat Me. It’s his fourth season fishing with his own boat. The Island resident lives in Port Medway while he’s fishing.

“It’s just a really big day in the season,” she said. “It can be dangerous, but it’s also exciting. It’s the start of a new season and we just hope for the best and it’s always good luck to come over and wish everyone good luck on their big day.”

Claudine Bulley of Liverpool was also at the wharf on Monday morning to watch her boyfriend Nick Conrad head out on Donkey Riding.

“It’s a tradition to come down and watch them go because it’s the first day of the season. It’s quite exciting too, just to see the season start and see what the catch is going to be.”

Just under 1,700 vessels and 10,000 people headed out from Cow Bay to Digby County on Monday to try to get the best fishing spots. The area’s lobster fishery brought in about $540 million and 21,500 metric tonnes in 2024-25, according to preliminary figures supplied by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

More than 7,100 tonnes of lobster was caught in 2024-25 in LFA 33, the area from Cow Bay to Shelburne, which was worth over $180 million.

In the larger LFA 34, which covers Digby and Yarmouth counties, fishermen caught more than 14,400 tonnes for a value of about $360 million.

Crews had good weather on Monday to start the season.

“I’ve checked with several captains throughout 33 and 34 and as far as I’m aware at this time, nothing, not a breakdown, no ropes caught in the gear,” Dan Fleck, executive director of the Brazil Rock 33/34 Lobster Association, told QCCR Monday afternoon.

“Everybody safe and the gear is getting set in the water, no issues to report. A beautiful day on the water though, gorgeous day.”

Fleck said it’s too early to know what the opening price will be this year. But he said fishermen in the Bay of Fundy are getting $10 a pound. The opening price last year was $11 a pound.

“If you look at what the captains are facing now, mackerel is, I think, $2.35 a pound for bait that’s just for mackerel. Herring’s expensive. Everything keeps going up except the price of lobsters.”

Fleck says fishermen are also keeping an eye on tariffs. China imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian lobster in March, though so far, the U.S. has held off.

And he said fishermen in some areas off Digby and Yarmouth counties last year had to deal with female Jonah crabs getting into their traps early in the season and eating their bait. That led to lower catches for some.

“We had exorbitant numbers of female Jonah crabs which are illegal to possess bycatch or do anything with them, so people are just literally dumping out the traps. We see those numbers have dissipated quite a bit from last year, so we’re just hoping they haven’t moved into anybody else’s traps.”

There are 678 licence holders in LFA 33, with each limited to 250 traps per licence. There are 978 vessels in LFA 34, with each licence limited to 375 traps. The season runs until May 31.

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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.”

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Carol Smith is the chair of the North Queens Remembrance Day Committee and chaplain with the North Queens Fire Association. (Rick Conrad)

When people in North Queens gather on Tuesday to commemorate the community’s war veterans, they’ll have a little help from a booklet and website honouring those who didn’t return.

The project is a collaboration between the North Queens Remembrance Day Committee, the North Queens Heritage Society and air force veteran Chris Charlton.

They’ve created a booklet called North Queens: We Will Remember Them. It profiles the 33 service members from the area who died in the two world wars and the Korean conflict.

“I think the importance is that these young men from North Queens were very committed to serving their country and to doing what was needed in their time,” says Carol Smith, chair of the Remembrance Day committee and chaplain of the North Queens Fire Association.

“And when you read the profiles, you just see what a huge change it must have been for them to leave rural Nova Scotia and go fight in faraway countries and just put their lives on the line. So it’s the enormity of their sacrifice that we need to remember. And I think that’s what Remembrance Day is all about, is realizing that we’re all called upon to want the greater good and to remember what they did for peace and what is it that we can do in our time and place. It’s just a great inspiration to me.”

Charlton, who was a Sea King pilot for 28 years and is a Gulf War veteran, approached the committee last year about a project he was working on to commemorate the war dead from North Queens.

The Maitland Bridge native wanted to profile each of the fallen veterans listed on the cenotaph in Caledonia.

“And we quickly got the committee together and started working with Chris,” Smith says. “Chris has done an amazing amount of work researching the lives of those whose names are on the cenotaph in North Queens, and he deserves a lot of credit for that because it’s been a labour of love for him.”

The committee received a $3,000 grant from Veterans Affairs Canada to print 250 booklets to distribute to families of the fallen. There will also be copies handed out at this year’s Remembrance Day service in Caledonia. Charlton will be at the ceremony.

The booklet includes a full profile and photos of each of the servicemen. There’s even more information on the North Queens Remembers website, including a treasure trove of archival documents.

“I think what makes them so very interesting is the details that Chris has put in, where each person was born, their family, where they enlisted, how they served, tragically where they died, where they’re buried, how their families were notified. It all brings to life their commitment and their sacrifice.”

Though Charlton wrote the profiles and compiled the documents, it was a community effort, including members of the former Royal Canadian Legion branch in Caledonia and the volunteer fire department.

“Part of it is to honour these people. And it would be easy to let the passage of time dim our memories. … A lot of the men were buried in foreign fields. And a lot of people have not been able to go and see the cemeteries. So this is just one way to connect us to the amazing stories for each of these people.”

The project was also a personal one for Smith. Her father Mervyn Dunn was a veteran of the Second World War. He returned home, but he didn’t talk much about his experiences overseas.

“He was in France, Italy, Holland, all those places, and he never talked about it. He never talked about it. Many veterans are like that, and I regret, I really regret, that I didn’t ask him more. … But, you know, so many people have the same story, that their fathers didn’t talk about it.”

At the Remembrance Day service in Caledonia on Tuesday, members of the committee will read the profile of Private Joseph Colp, whose brother Simeon is still alive and living in a nursing home in Lunenburg. They also plan to give one of the commemorative booklets to him.

“And I think this is a really good profile to read because it really highlights the sacrifice of so many. And Chris has mentioned in his profile that where he is buried, the cemetery contains the graves of those who died during the fighting at Moro River and Ortona. Today, there are 1,615 graves in the cemetery, of which 1,375 are Canadian.”

Smith says the committee has also given about 20 copies to the North Queens Community School, where teachers plan to use it in class projects. She hopes the document will inspire other groups to do similar research on veterans in their area.

“We used to have them around so that we could talk to them, but now we don’t. So I think these stories need to be told. And so if it could be an inspiration, that would be great.”

The Remembrance Day service in Caledonia is on Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. at the North Queens Fire Hall. 

Copies of the booklet are available for public viewing at the North Queens Heritage House Museum in Caledonia. You can visit the North Queens Remembers website at https://www.northqueensremembers.ca .

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Remembrance Day services around Queens County

A list of 2025 Remembrance Day services in Queens County.

A test tower collecting wind data on the site of the Mersey River Wind farm in Milton. (Renewall Energy)

The Mersey River wind farm in Milton has finally broken ground, with crews getting the site ready this fall for when turbines are delivered next year.

“We are moving forward with the construction of the wind farm,” said Dan Roscoe, CEO of Roswall Development, the company that plans to install 33 windmills on Crown land west of the Mersey River.

“What will take place over the coming weeks will mostly be work on roads and grading, and we’re going to get as much done as we can before the snow flies. It’ll probably take us into  the first week or two of January until we have to shut down, and then we’ll pick things up in probably March or April.”

Once the windmills are operational, Queens County residents will be able to buy power directly from Roswall’s subsidiary Renewall Energy.

Renewall promises that its rates will be lower and more stable than Nova Scotia Power’s. Hundreds of people have already signed up to be among the first residential customers, and the company also has agreements with more than 30 commercial, industrial, and government customers. The Region of Queens Municipality is one of them.

Roscoe told QCCR this week the company is in talks with about a dozen more big users.

“We’ve been engaging commercial and larger customers for some time, and that has continued. We continue to sign up new customers.”

Renewall sent out notices this week to people on its mailing list and to other local groups to tell them they’d be working at the site in Milton.

Roscoe said they’re still on schedule to have the wind turbines delivered by fall of 2026. He says people are excited about one of the first big wind projects in Nova Scotia that will sell power directly to homeowners.

“So it’s a big milestone for us, and I think it’s a big milestone for Nova Scotia. I think there’s a lot of interest in having choice of who we can buy electricity from. So we think it’s exciting for both electricity customers in Nova Scotia and the renewable energy industry in general.”

In 2021, Renewall was the first in Nova Scotia to be awarded a licence to sell power directly to consumers under the Renewable to Retail program introduced by the provincial government in 2015. The program allows companies to supply electricity directly to consumers while paying Nova Scotia Power a tariff for use of their grid.

People can sign up for updates on the project on the Mersey River Wind website.

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Dave White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, at a July public information session on road trails. (Rick Conrad / File)

ATV users will soon be able to travel more easily through Queens County.

Regional councillors voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to create a bylaw that would allow the vehicles on some municipal roads.

The bylaw will designate five routes around Liverpool that riders can use to access services or other trails.

Dave White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, and about 30 supporters were at the council meeting for the vote.

“We’re really excited with the decision of council tonight to move forward to the bylaw phase with all five road trails in the Region of Queens Municipality, specifically in the former township, to create trail-to-trail and trail-to-amenities connections,” White said in an interview afterward.

“And I think this is going to be a really positive thing for our community so we’re very excited.”

It’s been about two 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.

The region formed an ad hoc committee with local ATV organizations. The groups consulted with property owners, held public engagement sessions and asked for feedback in an online survey.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. About 180 people attended an information session at the Liverpool Fire Hall in July. Nobody voted against any of the five proposed routes. (Note: The routes are explained in detail at the end of this story.)

The online survey garnered between 74 and 84 per cent support for each route.

Those 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 Queens Place Drive. 

In a staff report to council, project officer Richard Lane said comments from residents were mostly positive, but some were confused about the rules, while others worried about how those rules would be enforced.

The region’s traffic authority, Director of Infrastructure Adam Grant, said increased traffic from ATVs may contribute to driver confusion in some areas, like the intersection of Bristol Avenue and Milton Road.

He said he wanted to ensure that public safety remains the priority as the region moves ahead with a bylaw.

The region also consulted five other municipalities with road trail networks – the towns of Oxford, Pictou, Shelburne and Yarmouth and the city of Corner Brook, NL.

The municipality asked Queens District RCMP for their feedback but didn’t get a response. 

Mayor Scott Christian said Queens will likely use municipal bylaws in other jurisdictions as their guide.

“We’re going to take all those lessons and try to … do it right the first time and just make it really clear and easy for the users about how they can navigate the road trails through the town of Liverpool, where they can go, where they can’t go, how they can safely operate their vehicles in town. I’m really excited about it.”

As with any new bylaw, the region must notify the public and give them an opportunity to comment at a public hearing. Christian said it shouldn’t take long to draft it.

White says road trail bylaws in other places are usually brief, since a lot of the regulations are already in provincial legislation.

He says that after lobbying two separate councils for the past two years, he’s happy that ATV users will soon get a greenlight to ride on certain roads.

“There are lots of things going on in a muncipality at any given time and while this took a little longer than we had hoped, we’re very happy with the outcome.”

FIVE PROPOSED ROAD TRAIL ROUTES IN LIVERPOOL (Source: Region of Queens staff report from Richard Lane, presented at Oct. 28 council meeting)

Route #1

From the rail trail as it enters Liverpool from the Shelburne direction and emerges from the walking trail behind the municipal office at 249 White Point Road, the road trail would allow a right turn onto West Street and left onto Harley Umphrey Drive. The road trail would then cross Hwy 3 and join the Trestle Trail, the road trail would also continue along George Street and end at the intersection with Old Port Mouton Road.

Route #2

Diverging from the Trestle Trail, the road trail would turn right onto King Street, left onto Lawrence Street, and right onto Wolfe Street until rejoining the Trestle Trail at Central Boulevard. The purpose of this road trail would be to avoid travel through a residential backyard and a section with poor sight lines and steep gradient.

Route #3

From the Trestle Trail as it crosses Main Street, the road trail would allow a left turn as far as the end of municipal street jurisdiction at Mersey Place Court. This would allow access to the Cowie Well and prepare for connection to the Trestle Trail from outside town limits via Milton, should an application be submitted to the Province of Nova Scotia for access in the future.

Route #4

From the Trestle Trail, the road trail would allow a right turn onto Brunswick Street, slight left on Main Street and right onto Henry Hensey Drive as far as the Visitor Information Centre. No access to Market Street, Bristol Avenue, or Main Street would be available. This road trail would enable access to parking, shops, and services including the Visitor Information Centre.

Route #5

Following the Trestle Trail until a left turn onto an access road at 31 Milton Road, the proposed road trail joins Milton Road with a right turn to the traffic light. From the traffic lights, the route allows a right turn onto Bristol Avenue, and a left turn onto Hank Snow Drive – no further travel on Bristol Avenue would be permitted. The route also enables riders to go straight through the traffic light, or to turn left and then left again onto Queens Place Drive. The inclusion of Old Cobbs Barn Road enables future road trail designation of a section of Hwy 3 toward Brooklyn, should an application be submitted to the Province of Nova Scotia in the future. This route would enable access to multiple shops, gas stations, accommodation, and amenities such as the Hank Snow Hometown Museum and Queens Place Emera Centre.

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Photo via Pixabay

A food bank in North Queens is getting $10,000 grant from the Nova Scotia government to help stock more protein options for its clients.

The Community Food Resource Network in Caledonia will use the funds for their Protein Pick Me Up program, Queens MLA Kim Masland said in a news release Wednesday.

The funding from the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage helps stock local food banks with fresh produce, dairy and proteins to help vulnerable families.

“The Community Food Resource Network serves hundreds of families every month in North Queens, and this investment will help them provide the nutritious protein and fresh food that families need,” Masland said in the release.

Operating since 2019, Community Food Resource Network provides about $10,000 worth of food and support each month. The organization also includes a seasonal garden, Muriel’s Closet thrift store, and partnerships with youth groups, schools and other local food banks.

It’s located at 9868 Highway 8 in Caledonia and is open Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m. They can be reached at 902-682-3130 or by email at ddawe@ns.sympatico.ca.

Jason Scott Rudderham of Hunts Point. (RCMP Nova Scotia)

A Queens County man wanted on a provincewide warrant has been arrested in Halifax.

Nova Scotia RCMP said Monday in a news release that officers with the Halifax detachment safely apprehended Jason Scott Rudderham of Hunts Point.

The 50-year-old faces charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation and exposing his genitals to a person under 14.

Queens MLA and newly appointed Minister of Natural Resources Kim Masland and Premier Tim Houston at the opening of the Steele Athletic Grounds in Liverpool earlier in October. (Rick Conrad)

Queens MLA Kim Masland says she was surprised to get the call to take over the natural resources portfolio, but she says she’s up to the challenge.

“It’s gonna be very busy, very, very busy and for me, my top priority always remains at home, that’s why I was elected. That’s why I ran was for the people of Queens County. It certainly is a privilege to bring their voices and perspectives to the table, but it’s gonna be busy.”

Masland was already the minister of emergency management when Premier Tim Houston announced a cabinet shuffle Tuesday that moved Tory Rushton out of the job and Masland in. Two other longtime cabinet ministers were also dropped from the government’s inner circle.

It’s been less than a year since the province created the standalone Department of Emergency Management. And Masland says she’s been doing a lot of work to get that up and running.

“I have a tremendous amount on my plate right now in building this new department and I know how important resource development is to our premier and to our province so it’s a big lift for me but I know we’ll get there together. Obviously I consider it a privilege, especially considering one of my first mentors through politics was John Leefe, and he once held this portfolio.”

She said she didn’t consider turning down the chance to lead a second department.

“I do like a challenge. I have an extremely strong work ethic, as most people know at home. You know, I’ll give it everything I have like I do with everything that I take on in life, while trying to also find a bit of a balance for family and my friends, but this certainly is gonna be a challenge, but I’m up to it.”

Masland would not say whether the direction of Natural Resources will change with her as minister. 

Houston says he wants to make Nova Scotia an “energy superpower” and that the cabinet shuffle will help his government “stay focused on energy and resource development”.

Masland is stepping into Natural Resources at a controversial time.

The Toronto golf course developer behind Cabot Cape Breton wants to take over part of West Mabou Beach Provincial Park.

Former minister Rushton confirmed in early October that department officials and the company would “have a conversation” about the protected public land.

Local residents are fighting any attempt to allow the developer to use any part of the park.

Masland had her first briefings as natural resources minister on Thursday. She says it’s too early for her to comment on the issue.

“I’ve been a minister for a hot minute, so I will be briefed this afternoon,” she said.

“I’m coming in with an open mind. I’m going to listen to the department. I will listen to Nova Scotians and my decision will be made from that, but we need to be looking at development of our natural resources and doing them in an environmentally sustainable way. We’ve said no for way too long and it’s time to start looking at how we can ensure that our province is prosperous, and that people can have a good quality of life and earn a good living in our province.”

She says Rushton and she are close, and she’ll rely on him for advice as she learns the Natural Resources portfolio.

“I consider him one of my brothers. Tory has been in this department since the beginning and he has given it everything he has and he is highly respected in the industry. I have some huge, huge shoes, or I’ll say work boots, to fill in minister Rushton, but he is there to support me and to assist me going forward.”

Masland says that even with leading two departments, her focus will still be on Queens County.

“I am a very, very strong constituency MLA. I believe that the MLA needs to be in the constituency and needs to be talking with their constituents so I’m gonna work very very hard to make sure that I maintain that balance. They are my priority above anyone else, but I know I’ve put my entire life to the side to represent the people of Queens and it’s something that humbles me every day and I’m tremendously proud to represent those people, my friends, my neighbors, my family I love Queens County so that’ll be a focus for me to continue.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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