Queens County Museum Board Chair Dave Nickerson says the museum complex has been given the opportunity to apply for $50,000 through the Canadian Museums Assistance Program (CMAP), following the provincial government’s decision earlier this year to cut heritage funding.
The announcement came after a premature post on the museum’s Facebook page suggested the funding had already been confirmed, but it hasn’t. “We have applied, but we have not heard back yet,” Nickerson told QCCR.
The provincial cuts, announced in February, were a blow to the Queens County Museum Complex, which includes Perkins House, the courthouse, the lighthouse, and the main museum. The complex lost its provincial operating funding, leaving the board scrambling to keep the doors open.
For Nickerson, this isn’t just an administrative challenge. It’s personal. He grew up steps from Perkins House and says his earliest memories include ringing the brass bell at the front door. He later built display cases for the museum as a cabinetmaker, funded through community sponsors. “We have to preserve our history,” he said. “It’s always been in my heart.”
The community responded quickly to the funding cuts with protests and letters to MLAs and Premier. The museum board has what Nickerson describes as a dynamic group of local business leaders, and they came together quickly to respond.
Perkins House has traditionally opened around the May long weekend, but with funding still uncertain, this year’s opening date remains up in the air. If funding is granted, Perkins House will be able to open eight hours a day through the week, a significant step up from the one or two days a week that is the alternative.
The Queens County Historical Society, which holds charitable status over the complex, will issue tax receipts for donations. Fundraising events are being planned, with details to be announced through QCCR, community bulletin boards, and the Queens County Museum and Historical Society Facebook pages.
“Through community involvement, everybody stood up and realized we cannot lose Perkins House,” Nickerson said.
HUNTS POINT – A large crowd was on hand on Thursday, February 26th at White Point Beach Resort for the announcement of the Mersey River Wind Project, which will see construction and installation of 33 wind turbines with related grid connection infrastructure. The wind farm is expected to supply 148.5 MW of zero-emission electricity, capable of powering more than 50,000 homes.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is providing a $206 million loan to a partnership between Slate Asset Management and funds managed by Hamilton Lane to develop a wind farm at Mersey River. Project partner Renewall Energy Inc. will sell electricity to end customers in Nova Scotia.
The announcement was made by the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, and the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
This large-scale project will help support the province’s energy transition, as Nova Scotia moves from coal-based electricity generation to clean electricity by 2030. The wind farm is expected to avoid approximately 220,000 tonnes of emissions per year, equivalent to 1.5% of Nova Scotia’s carbon output in 2022.
Renewall secured Nova Scotia’s first renewable-to-retail program licence to sell electricity from 100% renewable sources directly to end customers. This licence gives residents, public institutions, commercial and industrial customers the ability to achieve emissions reductions and sustainability objectives. Construction will take place in two phases, with the first phase expected to be completed in 2027. More than 200 workers are expected to be employed at the peak of construction activities.
Dan Roscoe, Renewall
The project is being financed under the CIB’s Clean Power priority sector, which addresses financing gaps in low-carbon emissions projects such as renewables, district energy systems and energy storage.
Minister Hodgson also announced that NRCan will provide nearly $5 million in funding to Net Zero Atlantic for the Data Analysis and Modelling for Atlantic Offshore Wind and Transmission project, to support the next stage of offshore wind planning and the proposed Wind West and Atlantic Energy Strategy.
The Province of Nova Scotia’s contribution is both financial and in-kind support, valued at nearly $700,000.
Jessica Fancy, Member of Parliament for South Shore—St. Margarets, presided over the event, stating “Renewall is bringing greater choice and affordability to Nova Scotia electricity consumers for the very first time. With the support of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the Government of Canada, the Mersey River Wind project will harness our province’s natural wind power advantage to provide clean renewable power to Nova Scotia families and businesses for decades to come.”
MP Jessica Fancy
Speakers also included Mike Shoen, Director of Investments at Canada Infrastructure Bank The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia; Dan Roscoe, President of Renewall Energy Inc; and Scott Christian, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality.
Last week, the province’s heritage department announced that it plans to close the Perkins House Museum, in addition to 11 other museums throughout the province
A statement by the Dept of Communities, Culture, Tourisms & Heritage said some of the material and objects currently housed at the museum will be shuffled to other locations in the province-wide system, while others “may” be transferred to “other institutions” or “community organizations.” The statement did not say ‘what’ would go ‘where’ or provide a timeline for what it calls the “de-accessing” of material.
The government’s “Collection Management Policy” govern its museums. It includes a section outlining criteria for the saving of material and objects and provides guidelines on how they are to be handled. That policy can be accessed at https://museum.novascotia.ca/collections-research/policies/collection-management-policy. The section that controls access and the end-of-access to material begins on page 20 of that policy.
While general sweeping budgets cuts were announced, the impact on precise sites of arts, culture and heritage were not spelled out in detail. There are currently 28 museum sites in Nova Scotia.
Queens resident Mary Dahr shared her concern about the provincial debt and “such drastic cutbacks to everything in Nova Scotia.” Dahr added, “One of my major concerns is the Perkins House. For me, the Perkins House is a magical place, it’s something that we in Liverpool have always been really proud of…it’s almost like taking the lighthouse down at Peggy’s Cove – it’s that important…
“…and after they spent two million dollars fixing that house and then to turn around five years later and close it down!”
Local resident André Haines, speaking of the broader funding cuts, spoke of the importance of arts, culture and heritage in drawing visitors and as part of life in Nova Scotia. “We know that arts and culture and heritage have been the cornerstones of modern living throughout history.”
AFTER THE VOTE: WHAT LAND CONSERVATION LOOKS LIKE IN QUEENS
By Denaige McDonnell
Council has approved the transfer of municipal land at Path Lake to the NatureConservancy of Canada, placing the property under permanent conservation stewardship for a nominal price of $1. This transfer continues a long-standing pattern in Queens, where multiple ecologically significant properties have moved into conservation ownership over the past two decades. Protected sites include Port Joli, Stuart Lake, Long Lake Bog, Shingle Mill Bog, and Toby Island nature reserves, each recognized for sensitive habitats or rare species.
From an ecological perspective, these are precisely the kinds of landscapes conservation organizations exist to protect. The value of these sites is real, documented, and in some cases nationally recognized. The question, now that the Path Lake decision is made, is not whether conservation is worthwhile — but how conservation functions in practice, and what the cumulative effect of these decisions means for local governance and long-term strategy.
Conservation and Stewardship Are Not the Same Thing
A common assumption is that land transferred to a conservation organization is actively managed on an ongoing basis. In practice, stewardship varies. Some sites have formal management plans and regular monitoring; others rely primarily on legal protection through ownership, with limited on-site presence.
Doug van Hemessen, Stewardship Manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Nova Scotia, confirmed that several conservation properties in Queens do not currently have a designated on-site steward. Instead, NCC relies on a volunteer-based Property Steward Program, in which trained volunteers visit assigned sites at least annually and report observations to NCC staff, who retain overall responsibility.
In context, NCC conservation lands account for approximately 6,234 acres, or just over one per cent, of the Region of Queens Municipality’s roughly 590,000 acres.
This light-touch approach to land management can be appropriate for sensitive habitats such as bogs and wetlands. At the same time, periodic monitoring shapes how conservation is experienced locally and brings practical governance considerations into focus: how issues are identified between visits, who responds to access-related impacts, and how ecological conditions are tracked over time.
As the footprint of protected land in Queens continues to grow, these considerations become central to understanding how conservation functions in practice and how responsibilities are shared.
What Changes When Land Leaves Municipal Ownership
For residents, the Path Lake transfer may look like little has changed. The land remains accessible. The landscape remains intact. Recreation continues. From a governance perspective, however, the change is significant.
Once land leaves municipal ownership, control leaves with it. Elected officials no longer have authority over how the land is managed or adapted over time. Accountability shifts from a democratic body to an external organization, even when public access is preserved.
That tradeoff is often acceptable when the goal is permanent protection. But it also reduces municipal flexibility by permanently removing land from the public asset base. Land set aside for conservation can no longer support future community, cultural, or region-led development initiatives.
The impact of that loss is magnified by the absence of a clear long-term growth strategy. Without a shared vision for how Queens wants to grow or what it hopes to attract, land decisions are made one parcel at a time rather than as part of an integrated plan.
The Strategic Question Queens Has Yet to Answer
Taken on their own, each conservation transfer in Queens is easy to support. Taken together, they raise a larger question: how do these decisions fit within a coherent long-term strategy for municipal land?
There is no publicly articulated inventory of municipal lands and their intended purpose, nor a clear framework showing how conservation transfers are weighed alongside housing needs, recreation planning, climate adaptation, or economic development. Council does not routinely assess how much land has been permanently removed from future municipal use or what that loss of flexibility means over the long term.
Without that strategic context, land decisions risk being shaped by opportunity and goodwill rather than by a deliberate vision for how the region wants to grow and what assets it needs to retain to get there.
A Legacy Worth Managing Intentionally
The Path Lake transfer is now complete. The land is protected, and that outcome will be welcomed by many. The work ahead is not to revisit the decision, but to deepen the conversation. As Queens continues to partner with conservation organizations, clearer communication about stewardship, cumulative impacts, and long-term intent would strengthen public trust and understanding.
Conservation is a legacy decision. Its value is highest when it is guided by intention, transparency, and a clear vision for the future.
Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board approves expansion of Liverpool Bay Salmon Farm
February 17, 2026 – Bridgewater, N.S.l Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. (Kelly Cove) announced the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board’s (ARB) decision today approving the lease boundary amendment and expansion for salmon farm AQ#1205, located offshore from Coffin Island in Liverpool Bay.
Kelly Cove has operated the farm since 2011, and the approval allows 6 cages to be added to the site for the culture of Atlantic salmon bringing the total number of cages to 20.
“The week-long ARB public hearing in October was rigorous and brought together input from multiple stakeholders and intervenors,” said Joel Richardson, Vice President of Public Relations for Cooke Aquaculture Inc., parent company of Kelly Cove. “We appreciate that the Board allowed the time necessary for everyone to make presentations, ask questions and gain an understanding of how our aquaculture farming works.”
As part of the hearing, Kelly Cove exhibited this video about it’s Liverpool Bay operations: https://youtu.be/M4Ux3nXUUxk
In its decision, the ARB concluded that it is satisfied that there will be no negative, or any, impact of this amendment on any of the statutory conditions. The ARB further concluded:
– The re-drawing of the boundary to encompass the infrastructure, as well as adding six new cages, represents the optimum use of marine resources, in that the site will be used to efficiently produce thousands of kilograms of food.
– This farm makes a genuine contribution to community and Provincial economic development.
– The existing farm does not cause significant negative impacts to other fishery activities in Liverpool Bay.
– The oceanographic and biophysical characteristics of the public waters surrounding the proposed aquacultural operation are suitable for salmon aquaculture.
– The proposed expansion will not have a negative impact on the other users of the public waters surrounding the proposed aquacultural operation.
– There is no significant impact on the public right of navigation.
– The proposed expansion will not have any significant impact on the local wild salmon population and the existing farm has not had a significant impact since coming into operation in 2011.
Kelly Cove plans to install new, state-of-the-art cages, containment nets and underwater smart-farming technology which includes an integrated suite of advanced digital tools, sensors, robotics, and AI-driven systems designed to monitor fish farming in real-time.
John Rogers says the proliferation of short-term rentals is violating his rights as a property owner. (Rick Conrad)
Imagine feeling like your neighbourhood has been turned into a party zone.
That’s what John Rogers says it’s like to live in White Point Estates, near Liverpool.
And he blames the Region of Queens for letting it happen.
He says the municipality’s zoning rules are essentially overriding property covenants that forbid short-term rentals like Airbnbs from operating in his subdivision.
“These houses are purpose-built for partying basically,” Rogers recently told QCCR in an interview.
“In the summertime, it’s like living in a campground. … It’s just people coming in and out every weekend.
“It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. We’re being denied the right to enjoy our own property because council believes it’s better to give the rights to people who don’t live here and let them make money on their property.”
The Nova Scotia government requires short-term rentals to be registered with the province. To get that registration, property owners have to prove that land use bylaws in their municipality allow them to operate their house as an Airbnb.
In Queens, White Point Estates is in the “resort” zone, which allows short-term rentals.
“My neighbour’s 50 feet from me, and it’s an Airbnb, I can hear them all day, all night,” Rogers says.
“One group of renters lit a house on fire so we had fire trucks and all that wailing through the night. We’ve had fireworks when they’re not allowed to have fireworks. We’ve had full-out weddings in places, so the streets have been blocked with cars, traffic, you can’t get by.
“We have a lot of nosy renters who feel like they could just walk on other people’s property, so I’ve had people on my property filming my house. I’ve had people come into my driveway and do exercises because my driveway’s paved so they feel like, ‘Oh we can go in there and do jumping jacks and pushups.’
“So it’s a lot of nuisance and just the fact that 30 per cent of your neighbours change every weekend, … and you get new neighbours the following week and you don’t know who they are.”
When somebody buys a property in White Point Estates, they must agree to a list of 14 restrictive covenants on what they can do with the land. The first rule states that only one single-family dwelling is allowed. That structure must be used only for residential purposes, and property owners cannot do anything that creates a nuisance for their neighbours.
Click on the image to read the covenants in White Point Estates
Rogers says he and his wife bought the land and built their house five years ago partly because of those rules.
But he says that because municipal bylaws allow short-term rentals in White Point Estates, about a third of the subdivision’s property owners are ignoring those covenants and using their houses as Airbnbs. He said the problem has only gotten worse in the past five years.
He says it’s too expensive to take all those property owners — he estimates there are about 15 or 16 rentals in White Point Estates — to court.
He says some of the properties sleep up to 10 people and aren’t even owned by residents, but by companies based in Ontario or other parts of Nova Scotia.
“The only remedy is to change the bylaw in the zone to reflect the covenants, which is to not allow short-term rentals to operate within that zone. And it’s a small zone, so we’re contained to three streets. We’re not asking them to change the rules of the county. We’re just asking them to abide by the rules in our zone, which is our subdivision.”
Rogers and some of his neighbours met with Mayor Scott Christian and District 1 Coun. Roberta Roy in July.
Christian told QCCR he understands residents’ frustration, but he said there can’t be a quick fix.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to make a hasty decision about short-term rentals as it pertains to the resort zone and not take a bigger-picture look at how we’re handling short-term rentals across Queens County.”
“I can understand and appreciate their frustrations,” Christian says, “but I do think that the way that council is going about it, the handling of it is appropriate that we do our homework and look at it with a big-picture mindset so that we land on an equitable and appropriate approach for all of Queens County.”
Christian said that change affected only the downtown commercial zone. Outlawing short-term rentals in White Point Estates would have bigger implications.
“Short-term rental properties are prevalent throughout all of Queens County. Not just in south Queens and not just in the White Point Estates. So this is a really complex one.”
In the meantime, residents like John Rogers will continue to press regional council to make a change so that they can enjoy their homes again.
“You know, this isn’t about me.I’m not on some glorious campaign. I’m challenging council to do the right thing. And I don’t believe council should be bestowing rights on people who don’t live in the county and trash on the rights of the people who do.
“Defend the rights of the people who live here and pay taxes here and vote here. That would be the right thing to do.”
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian and his fellow councillors at a town hall session at the Liverpool Fire Hall in October. (Rick Conrad / File photo)
A citizens committee is considering recommending significant raises for Queens County’s mayor and councillors.
The five-person group of volunteers appointed by Region of Queens council to review elected officials’ remuneration had their second meeting on Friday.
They agreed that the mayor’s position should be considered a full-time job. They also agreed to recommend that it increase to $68,752 a year from the current $48,033.
That reflects the current salary of the mayor in the West Hants Regional Municipality.
Councillors could see a bigger percentage bump. Committee members discussed how the annual pay for a regional councillor of $24,286 is less than minimum wage, based on a 30-hour work week.
After considering the West Hants councillor rate of $34,376, they discussed raising the salary for a Queens councillor to $41,496.
Committee members split on that. Three supported the higher rate, while two others voted against it.
Kerry Morash said it would be difficult to justify that kind of increase to residents.
Pamela Brennan said she supports higher pay for councillors, especially in the age of social media.
“We live in a time when elected officials are targets for abuse, targets for frustration,” she said, adding that as an elected official, “potentially, you put your employable future at risk.”
She said that a higher rate of pay could encourage more people to consider running for municipal council. District 6 was the only area that was uncontested in the 2024 election.
Committee chair Christopher Clarke, also a former mayor, said after the meeting that it’s a balancing act.
“You fall between two stools,” he told QCCR.
“On the one hand, you want to compensate people who run for office properly. And they deserve that. On the other hand, you’ve got to be cognizant of the fact that Queens is one of the poorest municipalities in the province. You’ve got to make sure that whatever you do doesn’t add too great a burden on the taxpayer.”
The committee’s Tara Druzina said if the new salaries are recommended by the committee and approved by council, the cost would be the equivalent of an extra $24 a year per taxpayer.
It’s important to note that the committee has not yet decided on its final recommendations to council. It will meet again on Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. in council chambers. That meeting is open to the public.
Committee members are set to discuss the rate of pay for deputy mayor, among other issues.
While they focused on West Hants for much of their discussion Friday, they’re also looking at other municipalities with a similar population or budget size.
“So we’ve been using West Hants as our comparison,” Clarke said.
“It is a reasonably fair comparison. Population-wise, it’s more, they have more councillors. We’ve also been cross-referencing to the Town of Bridgewater, for example, where we’re very comparable in size, number of councillors, budget. We’ve looked at the (Municipality of the County) of Annapolis.”
The committee also briefly discussed pension options for elected officials. Some Nova Scotia municipalities allow their council members to participate in a pension plan. But the committee did not reach a consensus on that issue in their Friday meeting.
Currently, pay for Region of Queens 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.
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg’s mayor is paid $59,377 a year, while councillors make $29,562. The deputy mayor gets $40,208. Members of council can also participate in a health and dental benefits package and be part of the provincial public service pension plan, which MODL belongs to as an employer.
The committee is due to report back to Region of Queens council by Feb. 28. Councillors will have the final say on how they are compensated.
Committee members are: Christopher Clarke, Velta Vikmanis, Tara Druzina, Kerry Morash and Pamela Brennan.
Two staff members are helping them with research and background. They are Holly McConnell, the region’s director of people and culture, and Alex Wilson, the region’s policy analyst and strategic initiatives co-ordinator.
Region of Queens councillors rejected a property owner’s application to build four short-term rentals on this property on Fostertown Road in Port Medway. (Rick Conrad)
Region of Queens councillors made probably one of their easiest decisions at their regular meeting on Tuesday.
They rejected a bid to build an Airbnb that almost nobody wanted in their community.
Hans-Martin Klein, the owner of a vacant three-acre piece of land on Fostertown Road in Port Medway, wanted to build a single-family house for himself and four more single units to operate as seasonal rentals.
Listen to the audio version of this story:
Residents signed a petition against it, the region’s planning advisory committee recommended that council deny it and even the region’s planning staff said it should be rejected.
Under the municipality’s land use bylaw, fixed-roof overnight accommodations are not allowed in that part of the small village. It would require a change to the region’s land use bylaw to rezone the area.
Shelly Stevens is a Port Medway resident, who lives next door to the property.
“This area is made up of full-time residents who value safety, privacy and a quiet rural environment. Approving this rezoning would fundamentally alter the character of our community and reduce its liveability.”
Stevens told councillors that the road to the property is narrow, so it couldn’t accommodate increased traffic safely. She said the property owner’s proposal was also light on specifics.
“There’s no information on building size or sizes or layouts. There doesn’t appear to be any plan for garbage or recycling, or parking solutions, and no information on how many people the structures would accommodate.”
In addition to the petition, councillors said they also received a number of emails from residents opposed to it.
Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton, who is a member of the planning advisory committee, said she was against the proposed development, especially since the region is planning a review of its land use bylaw and regulations around AirBnBs.
“There have been a lot of concerns raised about short-term rentals and how it affects our housing stock … this has been really problematic in Queens County. And so, we’re going to be looking at best practices to regulate those, where we want to encourage those, where we may not. And so that will have a really comprehensive review. So it didn’t make sense to entertain something like this.”
District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault’s area includes Port Medway. She said the development would not fit with the location and characteristics of the small fishing village.
“As we have seen, many things such as the width of the road, the stone walls, the ditches, the flooding. There’s just so many points that stick out to deny this proposal.”
Councillors voted in December to hire an outside consultant to overhaul parts of its land use rules. One of those areas was the regulation of short-term rentals.
The consultant hasn’t been chosen yet, but the last time the region reviewed its land use bylaw and planning rules about eight years ago, it was expected to take about 18 months.
Forested land in Pleasant River will be protected from development. (Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust)
About 200 hectares (500 acres) of ecologically significant forest in North Queens will be protected from development by the Nova Scotia Working Woodlands Trust.
The property in Pleasant River is the first one bought by the trust. The acquisition represents about 12.5 per cent of the organization’s goal to protect 4,000 acres by this spring.
Mary Jane Rodger is the executive director of the trust.
“This is a really exciting step for us, obviously, because it’s the first property we’ve ever purchased,” Mary Jane Rodger, the trust’s executive director, told QCCR, “but then also because of some of the unique habitat features and species at risk that exist in North Queens.”
Rodger says the Pleasant River property is a mixed-wood forest that’s about 35 years old. The trust will keep about 100 acres of it wild, while using the remaining land as a demonstration woodlot to help teach sustainable forestry practices.
“Our organization really has the capacity to help this property achieve its full ecological as well as economic potential. Within our model, we’re heavily vested in the working forest aspect as well as the kind of more traditional conservation aspect. So a portion of this property will be permanently protected.
She said the organizaiton will be “showing woodlot owners different ways to steward their lands or manage their woodlot in a way that you get to cut down trees, but still leave most of them standing and hopefully still be economically profitable.”
The property is also significant because it helps the trust get closer to its goal of accessing the carbon offsets market. That will help raise money to cover the long-term costs of protecting and preserving the forest.
“Land conservation in itself is an expensive endeavor. You have to send someone out to a woodlot every year to make sure there’s no cutting over boundary lines or invasive species or impacts from climate change. So we need to make sure that as an organization, we have the stability to continue to operate into the future because the nature of what we do is very, very long-term.”
The trust bought the property from Neil Emenau for about $300,000. It partnered with the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, with funding from Parks Canada and the Southwest Nova Biosphere Region.
The Pleasant River plot is next to the 3,000-hectare (7,400-acre) Pu’tlaqne’katik (“shaving lake” or “shingle lake”) Wilderness Area, which is protected by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.
The woodlands trust says the acquisition enhances an important conservation corridor around Kejimkujik National Park, which will help foster ecological diversity and strengthen wildlife habitat. The land will be protected from development and conventional clearcutting.
“We see so many lakes and rivers, in Queens County and in Lunenburg County get subdivided and you lose a lot of that ecological integrity when people clear their land all the way to the lake. Another key component of this property is there’s quite a significant river frontage along Pleasant River that will remain forested forever.”
And it will still be accessible to the public.
“So we’re hoping that we can encourage folks to access the property for hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, whatever it might be.I know the ATV community does use it as a thoroughfare as well, which we’d be happy to work with them to continue that access.”
Rodger says the trust hopes to get its charitable status this year, so that it will be more attractive for landowners to sell their properties.
A view of Main Street in Liverpool on Monday morning from the QCCR webcam. (QCCR)
Schools and most businesses closed for the day in Queens County, as the area was expected to get up to 35 centimetres of snow overnight Sunday and through Monday.
The snow and blowing snow began in the region late Sunday and was expected to continue all day Monday.
There were reports of the Irving and Shell gas stations in Liverpool running out of fuel.
While most places decided to close for the day, Queens Place Emera Centre was scheduled to open as a warming centre at 10 a.m.
The fitness centre was closed for the day. And staff were going to judge whether to open the rest of the facility for afternoon programming or evening ice bookings, according to a post on the Region of Queens Facebook page.
Curbside waste collection scheduled for Monday was rescheduled to Sat., Jan. 31.
Nova Scotia Power reported no widespread power outages, though the company did warn that with colder temperatures, the power grid may be stressed and that short temporary power outages may occur.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
