Jessica Fancy-Landry is the Liberal candidate in the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets. (Jessica Fancy-Landry)
Jessica Fancy-Landry is trying to take back the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets for the Liberals in the April 28 federal election.
She’s up against incumbent MP Rick Perkins, who won the seat in the 2021 election over Liberal MP Bernadette Jordan by about 1,800 votes.
Fancy-Landry, a Bridgewater resident and first-time candidate, is a teacher at Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin.
She’s also a community volunteer, including serving as past board chair with the Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia.
Fancy-Landry grew up in Caledonia, Queens County. We asked her about various local issues in the campaign, including the commercial fishery and the prospect of a new kraft pulp mill in Liverpool.
The interview was recorded on April 9 and edited for length.
Listen to our interview with Jessica Fancy-Landry below:
Patrick Boyd is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Rick Conrad)
Patrick Boyd is the candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in the April 28 federal election.
The consultant and hobby farmer lives in Sable River, Shelburne Co., and is a first-time candidate.
Conservative incumbent Rick Perkins, Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, the Greens’ Mark Embrett and Independent Hayden Henderson are the other candidates.
This is another in our series of interviews with candidates in the riding.
We asked Boyd about his and his party’s views on immigration and the temporary foreign worker program, as well as the commercial fishery and the prospect of a new kraft pulp mill in Queens County.
The interview was recorded on April 11 and edited for length.
You don’t need your voter information card from Elections Canada to vote in the April 28 federal election. (Elections Canada)
If you haven’t received your voter information card yet for the April 28 federal election, Elections Canada says not to worry.
You can still vote without it.
Elections Canada told QCCR there have been delays in getting the cards to some parts of the country.
The Liverpool post office hadn’t begun receiving the cards for its customers until the middle of this week.
The cards contain information on where and when you can vote, details about your polling station and your name and address.
Elections Canada spokeswoman Francoise Enguehard says you don’t need the voter information card to cast your ballot.
“What is important for people to know is that you do not need a voter information card to vote,” she said in an interview. “And you don’t need it either to verify where you have to vote.
“The voter information card can serve as one ID to vote. But it doesn’t really change the way people have to prove their identity and they have to prove their address. So if people have a driver’s licence or they have a municipal or provincial ID, as civil servants would, then they can use that. And it you don’t have it, you need two things both with your name and one that proves your address.”
To prove your civic address, you can also use a property tax bill, a statement from your house or tenant insurance or a utility bill that contains your physical address.
You can also have somebody else vouch for your identity at your polling station.
“It’s the honors system. You say you are who you are and where you live. But the person must be registered at the same polling station and and the person can only vouch for one individual.”
Enguehard said she doesn’t know the reason for the delay in Liverpool.
“We send 28 million cards to electors all across the country. Sometimes it can happen that there is a delay in getting a polling location. So until you have the polling location, you cannot print the voter information card. Sometimes out of the 28 million, a few of the cards, the information is incorrect and new voter information cards have to be issued. So all of that can cause delays.”
She said those who haven’t yet received a voter information card should be getting one in the next few days.
Regardless, you can use the “My voter information” section on the Elections Canada homepage at elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868 to make sure you’re registered to vote.
RCMP have charged a 60-year-old Mill Village man with attempted murder.
Queens District RCMP were called to a house on Hwy. 3 in Mill Village on March 28 at about 3:30 a.m.
Officers and ambulance personnel found an 84-year-old man with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed.
Another man had fled the scene before police arrived, according to an RCMP news release late Wednesday afternoon.
Both men knew each other, and no one else was in the home at the time of the assault.
Police arrested a suspect at a home in Voglers Cove at 7:45 p.m.
Derek Dominix, 60, has been charged with attempted murder and taken into custody. He’s scheduled to appear in Bridgewater provincial court on April 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Justin Freeman launched Letterswitch Publishing on Saturday in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
In a town without a bookstore, starting a publishing business might seem like a leap of faith.
But Justin Freeman of Liverpool says he’s realizing a childhood dream by launching Letterswitch Publishing.
“I’m content to just put out beautiful books that entertain and educate and encourage new parents, and parents of young kids especially, but everybody in a family,” he told QCCR.
“I hope it goes off well. Publishing is not exactly the most robust industry to be jumping into feet first at the moment, but I’m hoping with kind of the niche aspect of it and keeping things small and focused that it’ll be a success.”
Freeman unveiled his micropublishing company on Saturday at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. The stay-at-home Dad moved to the area a few years ago with his young family.
“(We) moved to Liverpool in 2022 after my son was born. My wife got a job at the hospital … and this is home now. We’re putting down roots and are looking forward to a lot of years here.”
Freeman says he’ll be concentrating at first on publishing his own work through Letterswitch.
His first book was on display on Saturday. Called A Little Grieving, he partnered with a pediatric crisis counsellor on the parent’s guide to helping your child through the grieving process.
He also plans a kids’ picture book called One Veggie, a middle-grade chapter book called Molly Moss Runs for Office and a western novel called Crimson Shadow.
“It’ll be a slow rollout. I’m a stay-at-home dad and I’ll just try to get things rolling here in the next couple years. But once both kids are in school, I look to open up to other authors and just get a nice catalog of titles.”
Freeman grew up on a farm in Missouri. He had an eclectic career before moving to Nova Scotia with his wife, Dr. Alison Freeman, and their kids Molly and James.
“I was formerly a police officer in Missouri in the city of Springfield. I was also a minister for a few years, and sold shoes and grew up on a farm and just have a varied background that kind of informs and inflects different writing. Thus all the different type of books that are coming out.”
The name of the company comes from how he met his wife, when he was still on the farm in Missouri and she was at home in Nova Scotia.
“Essentially, back in 2000, I was on the family farm using ICQ, a messaging app, and this message pops up saying, ‘Do you want to catch up?’ It was obviously a misdirect, but I went to reject it and something told me to accept it, so I did. And it was somebody looking for somebody named Justin Freeman that they had met in Massachusetts. And instead of typing MA for Massachusetts, they typed MO.
“And we struck up more conversations, postcards from abroad, kept up over the years, and then 15 years later, wound up meeting finally, fell in love. I’m now married to Alison and we have two beautiful kids. And so the letter switch is an homage to that switched letter that started our entire story.”
For the launch event, Freeman teamed up with local artisans to feature some of their work, including local baker Gabby’s Bread Basket, who catered the event, and the Covey Candle Company, who created a couple of limited-edition scents.
“And there’s also a piece that I commissioned by local artist Katie Kripp called Bound for Novel Passages. And it’s a sailing ship with books for the sails and it just represents a new journey for me and some other creatives I look to work with. I find myself surrounded by creative people here in Liverpool and I wanted to work with a few of them for the launch.”
People at the Letterswitch launch, like Jaqueline Duck of Liverpool, said it was exciting to have a publisher in the area.
“I think that’s amazing because there are writers here and they have to go and find a publisher. If we have one in Liverpool, it makes everybody’s life that much easier. And it’s good business.”
Freeman says that while he’ll be busy for the next few months on his own work, he’d still like to hear from people interested in his new venture.
Members of the Greater Molega Lake Lot Owners Association want changes to a proposed private road levy bylaw. (Rick Conrad)
A property owners group in Queens County’s growing cottage country hopes regional council can pass a new bylaw by the fall that would make it easier to collect fees to maintain private roads.
Representatives from the Greater Molega Lake Lot Owners Association appealed to councillors at their regular meeting on Tuesday to make a few changes to the region’s proposed bylaw on private road maintenance charges.
The bylaw has been in the works since 2019.
More than 5,700 properties in Queens County are connected to roads that aren’t maintained by the municipality or the province. Most of these roads are in the areas of Molega, Ponhook and Annis lakes.
The association invoices property owners an annual fee for that maintenance, using manually generated lists. It charges property owners annual fees of $408.25 for developed land and $149.50 for vacant land. Those amounts include HST.
Under the new bylaw, the region would collect the fees on annual municipal tax bills, and then remit those to the association.
Dwayne Primeau is president of the Molega lot owners group.
“Optimistically, when this bylaw has passed and hopefully when we adopt it, what will happen is the region will issue a tax invoice that includes a road maintenance levy. And that would essentially be the same fee that is collected at one time and then remitted from the Region of Queens to the association to support us in delivering the service to the citizens. ”
The group represents 1,233 property owners, covering more than 1,200 hectares or 3,000 acres. It’s the largest recreational development in Atlantic Canada. Many people now live in the area full-time.
The association is responsible for maintaining 52 kilometres of roadway, including 10 km of provincially owned K class roads, 13 boat launches and three bridges.
But treasurer Bruce MacInnis told councillors that about 20 per cent of land owners don’t pay their fees.
“And it is quite an expensive process because we’re duplicating effectively what they do here (at the region),” he said in an interview after the meeting.
“There’s a lot of people we just have difficulty finding because we have to maintain mailing lists and the information’s not always easy to find. So that takes a lot of time as well. And we’re volunteers.”
As part of the proposed bylaw, the region would keep about five per cent of the fees they collect to pay for administrative costs. The association estimates that would cut about $15,000 from what it gets from the levy. It wants that lowered to two to three per cent.
The group said a lower percentage would allow it to hire a manager to oversee its work in maintaining the private roads.
The bylaw would also require agreements with lot owners associations to be renewed every year. The group wants that changed to every five years, with renewal based on meeting certain criteria.
Primeau said after the meeting that he’s cautiously optimistic the bylaw will be adopted before the group begins sending out invoices in November.
“The message we’re trying to relate today is that our members and our board are are in support of and in need of this assistance to continue to maintain and manage the infrastructure, supporting this growing part of the region.
“We would really love to see this be in place and ready for us to adopt prior to November of 2025, which is when we typically would follow our manual process to invoice for the coming year’s fees.”
Councillors had suspended first reading of the bylaw in January so that they could become more familiar with it. It’s unknown when council will bring it back.
Lauren Murphy is the director of recruitment and volunteer services with Nova Scotia Health. (Nova Scotia Health photo)
Nova Scotia Health is looking for more Nova Scotians to fill hundreds of jobs around the province.
The department is holding its second annual provincial career fair on Thursday (March 27) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 11 locations around Nova Scotia.
The closest one for Queens County residents will be in Bridgewater at the Michelin Social Club, 221 Logan Rd.
Lauren Murphy, the director of recruitment and volunteer services with Nova Scotia Health, says last year’s event attracted about 3,000 people and led to more than 220 people being hired.
“It’s really an opportunity to showcase our roles and jobs and talk to Nova Scotians about our opportunities we have at Nova Scotia Health,” she says.
“Because we’re hosting it from coast to coast in the province it’s also an opportunity for people in their own communities to find a job there so they don’t have to leave.”
Murphy says job seekers will be able to speak to hiring managers from all parts of Nova Scotia Health.
“That’s also the beauty of showcasing the amount of positions that we have. We had admin staff hired … but we also had diagnostic imaging technologists, we had folks who are going to be supporting our pharmacies, we had (emergency) nurses and specialty nurses. It really was amazing to see the amount of people who showed up and were able to connect with a hiring manager and find a job.
“If you think about what it takes to run a hospital, obviously doctors are critical but there are so many more moving parts and pieces to it. We’re a 30,000-people employer. We’re Atlantic Canada’s largest and we really do cover everything you can think of.”
Murphy says being able to talk to somebody in person can help demystify the application process.
“Walking in there and being able to talk to people about such a wide variety is so much different than scrolling online and trying to doing your own research. … To be able to talk to someone who is living and breathing that job day in and day out … I really think that’s what bridges that gap between virtual and in-person.”
Job applicants will also be able to upload their resume using a QR code at the job fair. Murphy said Nova Scotia Health officials will follow up with applicants the week after the event who applied using the QR code to give them an update on their application.
She said she hopes to beat last year’s numbers, both for turnout and for hires.
“Any person that we can hire is a win. There are such amazing opportunites for internal advancement. So even if you take one job tomorrow, there’s a million different pathways you can take so you can have a fulsome career at Nova Scotia Health, which I think in a lot of companies these days, that’s pretty rare.”
More doctors and other health professionals from the U.S. want to move to Nova Scotia, according to Nova Scotia Health. (Province of Nova Scotia)
The unstable political situation in the United States may be good news for the Nova Scotia health care system.
More doctors and other health professionals working in the U.S. are looking to move north. One of the places they’re calling is Nova Scotia. And some of them also want to move to Queens County.
Lauren Murphy, director of recruitment and volunteer services with Nova Scotia Health, says they’ve seen an increase in applications from people from the U.S.
“Honestly, we’re hearing some pretty amazing stories,” she told QCCR this week.
“We’re hearing people who maybe have family members who are trans who don’t feel safe anymore. We’re hearing about people who are Canadians but have been living in the U.S. for years and working in their health care system and not feeling safe anymore and wanting to come back to Canada. We’re hearing from people who are internationally educated but living in the U.S. and again not feeling safe. It’s a scary time in the States and I do think people are seeing Canada as that safe space.”
Murphy said that the health care professionals reaching out to Nova Scotia Health recruiters are extremely qualified and experienced. They include doctors, nurses and other professionals.
“And the beauty is that the hospital setting in the U.S. is very very similar to what we have in Canada in terms of the level of care. And so being able to hire someone from the U.S., they can pretty much hit the ground running. As horrible as it is, maybe there is some silver lining that people can find a new home here in Nova Scotia and build roots and bring family or create families, and that’s great for our economy and great for us as a province.”
Murphy did not say how many doctors or other health professionals are interested in making the move from the U.S. to Nova Scotia.
According to data obtained in January 2024 by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, more than 1,000 health-care positions were still waiting to be filled in Nova Scotia. That includes professionals other than doctors and nurses.
And in March, about 96,000 Nova Scotians were still without a primary care provider. That was down from February’s number of just over 104,000. About nine per cent of the population is still looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
Murphy acknowledged that there’s a global shortage of health-care professionals. Jurisdictions like Nova Scotia have been looking in other countries to fill those spots.
The process can take some time, especially as candidates navigate immigration and licensing requirements. Nova Scotia Health has its own immigration team to help make it easier for clinicians or other professionals to move here.
Nova Scotia recently opened a new centre to help speed up the licensing process for internationally trained physicians. It takes about 12 weeks to complete and doctors agree to practise in the province for at least three years.
Murphy says American-based doctors also ask her recruitment team about the differences in culture and taxation.
“It’s a huge step to move to a different country,” she said. “A lot of the conversations start off very exploratory. If you’re thinking about the U.S., you’re also potentially talking to a candidate who is coming from a state that doesn’t pay tax.
“But … we really are seeing people who are like, ‘No, we have to do this, we’re taking the plunge.’ And we’re really seeing those numbers now.”
Some of those doctors and other professionals are interested in moving to Queens County.
Dr. Al Doucet is the chair of the Queens General Hospital Foundation, which works with Nova Scotia Health to bring doctors to the area.
He was out of the country and unavailable for an interview Friday. But he said in a text message that the foundation is getting inquiries from physicians and physician assistants about moving here.
Nova Scotia Health recently named Liverpool-based Dr. Alison Freeman the MD recruitment and retention lead for the South Shore.
To help with those recruitment efforts, Nova Scotia Health is holding a provincial career fair on March 27 at 11 locations around the province. Officials will be at the Michelin Social Club in Bridgewater from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Murphy says the job fair targets Nova Scotians who are interested in a first-time position with Nova Scotia Health or transferring to a different part of the province. More than 220 people were hired through last year’s job fair.
Susie and Joan Stephenson of Port Joli visit the Bookmobile recently at its stop in Port Mouton. (Rick Conrad)
It’s the last one in Nova Scotia. And it’s still motoring along the South Shore.
Each week, the Bookmobile brings books, DVDs and other materials to about 15 communities in Lunenburg and Queens counties, from Chester to Caledonia.
A mobile library has been operating on the South Shore since the 1970s.
Other library systems around Nova Scotia have stopped the service. The Cape Breton Regional Library had the only other one and it retired its Bookmobile in November 2024.
So now, the South Shore has the only remaining Bookmobile in the province. And it shows no signs of slowing down.
Ashley Nunn-Smith is the CEO and chief librarian of South Shore Public Libraries.
“Our Bookmobile has been on the road for 50 years. But it’s much beloved, it’s very much a fabric of the community. For example, a few weeks ago, we had someone bring the books out to Caledonia in their van because the Bookmobile was having some mechanical issues and not only did people come out to pick up their items, but they had almost like a tailgate party. They just hung around the back of the van and chatted with their neighbours. There was nothing keeping them there other than that sense of community.
“It’s not just about the books, although that’s wonderful to drive books out to people. It’s really about a sense of community.”
Joan Stephenson of Port Joli was at a recent Bookmobile stop at Coastal Queens Place in Port Mouton. Stephenson and her daughter Susie are some of the regular patrons the Bookmobile serves every three weeks at this location. It visits certain communities on a weekly basis, while others are on a tri-weekly schedule.
“We remember when we had to fight to get a Bookmobile because the county didn’t want it,” Stephenson says. “And instead they put streetlights on our road and fought the Bookmobile, and we said it’s a different kind of enlightenment.”
In 2021, the library put a new custom-built Bookmobile on the road at a cost of about $500,000, with an accessibility lift, Wi-fi and seven electrical outlets where people can charge their devices.
Last year, the mobile service had an average of 1,100 monthly visitors who checked out 3,000 items, accounting for about 15 per cent of the library’s overall visits and circulation. Fuel and maintenance take up about two per cent of the library’s total $1.9-million operating budget.
Nunn-Smith says that because the South Shore has fewer physical library locations than other library systems around Nova Scotia, having the Bookmobile is essential.
“I think that by having the library on wheels we can bring it to more spaces than we would be able to reach with brick and mortar locations. We’re able to reach more communities that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise. We reach Port Mouton and Mill Village. Those places, it wouldn’t be feasible to operate a library branch, and so we’re able to bring the library to them.”
Susie Stephenson says she remembers the anticipation as a kid waiting for the Bookmobile to visit, a feeling she still has years later.
“When we lived in Broad River, we all went and we’d come home with clothes baskets full of books. The eight of us would just sit around and read. And you’d do it until you had to eat.
“It makes it accessible and it keeps me in reading material. And it keeps me interested and not depressed. I can sit and read a book and look at it. … I’ll take two or three bags lots of times.”
Her mother Joan says it’s something she looks forward to every three weeks.
“I can’t be away too long. My husband’s disabled. So it’s fun to come here. And the wonderful thing is the people who drive and work on the Bookmobile over all these years we’ve had it have always become our friends. They know what you’re looking for and we laugh. They want to know how your trip was or how your surgery was. They become friends.
“We love it. We love the Bookmobile. I’m an old lady and hopefully it will outlive me.”
The Bookmobile visits Caledonia every Saturday from 10 a.m to noon in the NSLC parking lot. It will be back in Mill Village at the fire hall on April 4 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and in Port Mouton at Coastal Queens Place on April 4 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Jillian Young of Liverpool celebrates after winning the gold in her 200-metre snowshoe race at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Italy. (Special Olympics Canada)
Queens County athletes are once again at the top of the world podium.
Jillian Young and Rebecca Delaney of Liverpool captured gold this week at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Sestriere.
Young was the first to win gold on Thursday in the snowshoe 200-metre F15 final. And Delaney won gold on Friday as part of the 4 x 100-metre relay snowshoe team.
Susan Inglis, who is also Delaney’s mother, is one of the Team Canada snowshoe coaches in Italy for the games.
“It’s really amazing like the talent that is here and to see them compete on the world stage and do that well is just amazing.”
Young and Delaney are part of the 90-athlete-strong Team Canada at the games in Turin and Sestriere. And they contributed to Canada’s 76-medal haul.
Bridgewater’s Nick Skoreyko and Chloe Stoddart are the other athletes from Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens competing in Italy. Skoreyko finished fifth in both of his snowshoe races. And Stoddart claimed bronze in 500-metre cross-country skiing.
Delaney also placed fourth and fifth in two other races, while Young finished sixth in her other race.
Delaney’s gold-medal-winning relay team has the fastest time in the world and Skoreyko was also in the fastest heat among male athletes.
“Pretty big deal to go and represent your country,” Inglis said.
“The medals are the icing on the cake, but the cake is still pretty good, pretty impressive. And they are here in Italy in these beautiful mountains with people from all over the world and they’re showcasing their talents here and they have done all so well that it’s almost hard to believe that they can be in the Top 10 in the world.
“This little town of Liverpool can put out some pretty cool, amazing athletes.”
Inglis said Delaney’s relay was run in the middle of a blizzard on the mountain.
“I had no idea what was happening on those relays until they got around to the 100-metre mark becuase you couldn’t see.”
Inglis said every athlete achieved a personal best in their sport.
“If you’re beating your personal best times, which they’ve all done, that’s amazing in itself too.
“For Rebecca and Nick, they’ve been training for a good nine months. And the minimum that they’ve had to train was three times a week, so they’re improved their performance by all that training.”
Another important aspect of the games is meeting other competitors from Canada and around the world. Inglis said the experience will only help set up the Lunenburg and Queens athletes for even more success.
“I think that they now see waht opprotunities are out there for them. And if they work really hard, train really hard that they can continue to go to national games and maybe get to go to another world games.”
As for herself, Inglis says she’s learned a lot from other coaches, lessons she’ll put into practice when she returns to Nova Scotia.
“It gives me that knowledge to bing back and share in nova scotia, not just within luen queens but with some of the other coaches in nova scotia that do snowshoeing as well.
“It’s fantastic. I’ve never met a Special Olympic athlete I haven’t fallen in love with. And this has just opened up a new world to me because in Lunenburg Queens we have a limited group of athletes and I’ve been working with them for quite a few years but now I know athletes from all over the country. It’s been wonderful.”
Saturday is the last day of competition at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin. And then it’s the closing ceremonies Saturday night.
After that, Inglis says she hopes to take a few weeks off before resuming training for the Nova Scotia Special Olympics provincial summer games in July.
“It just was an overall amazing experience. I’m exhausted and looking forward to getting back home to my own bed and animals and things, but it’s been overall an amazing experience.”
The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed Friday. (Communications Nova Scotia)
The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool is closed Friday.
Nova Scotia Health issued a notice Thursday night that the ER would be closed temporarily until Mon., March 17 at 8 a.m. It gave no reason for the closure.
On Feb. 27, the department announced new “expanded and consistent” hours for the Liverpool ER. It would be open 24 hours a day from Mondays at 8 a.m. until Fridays at 1:30 p.m. and closed on weekends.
Leslie Oliver, the executive director of community and rural health in the western zone for Nova Scotia Health, told QCCR at the time that the new hours would provide patients with reliability.
“We don’t have any plans of going back to an inconsistent coverage schedule.”
Virtual urgent care is still available at the hospital from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
Chris Wolfe, chief of the North Queens Fire Association, speaks at a public meeting on Monday evening. (Rick Conrad)
When Mya Uhlman’s father needed medical help last August, her mother called 911 and expected her local fire department to respond.
They were still waiting 20 minutes later, so Uhlman’s mother called again. The 911 dispatcher told her the North Queens Fire Department was on its way. Uhlman’s parents live less than 10 minutes from the fire hall in West Caledonia.
“And they never, ever showed up,” Uhlman told QCCR. “She ended up calling a relative that lived close by to be with her because she was by herself. … So when I inquired about it, I was told (North Queens) were never paged.
“The ambulance did arrive eventually. It was around 40 minutes before the ambulance did arrive. My father is OK, but it was serious at the time.
“When my mother explicity asked for the North Queens Fire Department, they should have automatically been dispatched with no questions asked.”
Uhlman’s story and others were why Chief Chris Wolfe called a public meeting at the North Queens fire hall in Caledonia on Monday night.
About 100 residents, firefighters and other first responders from as far away as Yarmouth met to air their concerns about their local fire departments not being called to medical emergencies.
Chief Wolfe sounded the alarm on Facebook in February after another resident called 911 and the dispatcher didn’t notify Wolfe’s department. Instead, that person was still waiting for an ambulance when Wolfe’s deputy chief found out about it and had 911 page the fire department.
Volunteer firefighters around Nova Scotia take medical first responder training. The type of call they can respond to depends on the level their department signs up for. North Queens has 18 people trained to respond to almost any level of medical call.
Wolfe said that 111 of 198 of their calls last year were medical emergencies.
“My mandate is not to give up until we find a solution to this problem of not being paged for certain calls within our communities, because North Queens residents depend on us.”
He contacted Queens MLA Kim Masland to help organize the meeting with officials from the Department of Health and Wellness, Emergency Health Services, and Emergency Medical Care, which has the contract to operate ambulance and 911 service in Nova Scotia.
Masland, who is also the minister of emergency management, told those at the meeting to be frank with their concerns. And she also told people to continue to contact her and other MLAs.
“I want to make sure that we land where we need to land because what has been happening is not acceptable.”
Representatives from EHS and Emergency Medical Care explained how the system works and the challenges in deploying the right resources in a timely way.
But people like Mya Uhlman wanted to know why their local fire departments wouldn’t be told about a call, especially if the person in distress requested it. A first responder with North Queens also demanded to know why dispatchers would deny that request.
Before officials could answer his question, first responders from the Liverpool, Pubnico and Woods Harbour fire departments also spoke up and said the same thing is happening in their areas.
Jeff Fraser, senior executive director of the emergency health services branch with Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness, said dispatchers have to follow certain models.
“I’m not so sure we should be denying that. I actually didn’t realize that was happening in that manner.”
Gordon Peckham, who is the vice-president of operations with EMC, said he didn’t know why that’s happening, but that it shouldn’t.
After the meeting, Uhlman said she hopes officials change how and when they notify local fire departments.
“In a way it made me feel a little better to know it wasn’t only us. But at the same time, it really made me feel awful that this is happening in so many places and so many particularly rural community members are not getting the services they need in a timely fashion.”
Masland said she believes some progress was made at the meeting.
“There were things that were said here tonight that I could see they were raising the eyebrows of people here from EHS. And I think it’s important whenever you have communication that’s when you can start to resolve issues, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Chief Wolfe told QCCR that provincial officials promised to work on some of the issues raised and return in six to eight weeks for another public meeting.
“The community did well supporting us, showing up. They voiced their concerns. Most of the concerns voiced we were aware of. I’m hoping that EMC will take it seriously and we’ll get things resolved.
“You could see the reactions with some of the public talking there that there were things going on that they weren’t even aware of. And I believe that within the next day or two, they’ll be taking those things into consideration and addressing them right away.”
Susan Inglis, snowshoeing coach with Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens, will be heading to Italy this week with these athletes for the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin: Rebecca Delaney, Jillian Young, Chloe Stoddart and Nick Skoreyko. (Rick Conrad photo)
Queens County athletes are once again getting ready to represent Canada on the world stage.
Snowshoers Rebecca Delaney and Jillian Young of Liverpool will be among 91 athletes from across the country going to the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy, from March 8 to 15.
Bridgewater’s Nick Skoreyko will also be competing for a snowshoeing medal. And Chloe Stoddart from Bridgewater will represent Canada in cross-country skiing.
Delaney’s mother Susan Inglis, the snowshoeing coach for Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens, will be one of the 24 Team Canada coaches going to Italy.
It will be the first world games for all of them.
More than 50 people showed up at an event at Memories Cafe and Eatery in Liverpool on Saturday to wish them well.
Inglis says going to Italy is a significant accomplishment for the athletes and for the coaches.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to get to represent their country,” she said. “And to get to go to Italy, for some of them, like Jillian, … this is her first time going out of the country. And they’re going to get to meet people from all other countries and perform on the world stage and see how they stack up.”
Inglis says she is honoured to have been chosen as one of the coaches for Team Canada.
“It is humbling for sure. As it gets closer, it really hits home that I’m representing my whole county in going to Special Olympics World Games.”
Rebecca Delaney is a multiple medal winner at Special Olympics Canada Games. She’ll be running in the 100 and 200-metre snowshoe event as well as the 4 x 100 relay.
She says she’s looking forward to doing her best in Italy.
“I’m nervous and excited and I’m ready to go. I’ve been training and going to the gym a lot and it’s been non-stop. I think I’ll do good, but if I don’t win, I will do my best.”
Jillian Young has also won medals at national games. When she went to last year’s winter games in Calgary, it was her first time on a plane.
She says she’s pumped to be airborne again and to compete in Italy.
“I’m really proud of getting this far. And we’re going to make Canada rock. Go Canada go!”
Young says she hopes to win a gold medal and to “kick some butt!”
Betty Ann Daury of Liverpool has coached snowshoe and track with Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens for 43 years.
She was a coach with Team Canada in Nagano, Japan, in 2005. She’ll be cheering on the team from home this time. She says they’re in good hands with Inglis as coach.
Daury said going to a world games is a fitting reward for the athletes, who have committed to regular practices, workouts and hard work to get there.
“They’ve accepted the fact that if you want to go, if you don’t work hard, then you don’t go. … If you can’t do it here, then you can’t do it there. And you know, we’re so proud of these guys.
“Jillian is an example of how great you can become. She’s come a long way.”
Ben Hatt was among the people at the event at Memories on Saturday to show their support. He grew up with Rebecca and her sister Kate.
“I am really excited to see how she does in Italy. I know she’s gonna win and if she doesn’t win, she’s going to be brave in the attempt. I just think it’s really important to show support for people you love.”
Inglis says the team will be leaving Monday for Toronto for two days to meet with some dignitaries in an official sendoff, including a celebratory Italian dinner. Then they fly to Italy to get ready for the week of competition in Sestriere.
“It is a pretty big deal. From little old Liverpool, we’ve got Sarah Mitton who’s a pretty amazing Olympic athlete and then we’ve got our Special Olympians who are going to representing Queens County on the world stage. And I hope that everybody tunes in.”
Some of the drugs seized in RCMP raids in southwestern Nova Scotia earlier in February. (RCMP Nova Scotia)
UPDATED Feb. 25 at 5:20 p.m.
RCMP have charged 21 people, including three from Queens County, with more than 50 offences after raids on Mi’kmaw-owned cannabis businesses in Queens, Kings, Lunenburg and Annapolis counties.
Southwest Nova RCMP called the operation Project Highfield. It began in October 2024 and involved 13 dispensaries throughout southwestern Nova Scotia.
RCMP said Tuesday it involved officers from various units, as well as police services in Kentville, Bridgewater and Annapolis.
Police raided the retailers between Feb. 4 and 13. Two of those were on the Wildcat and Ponhook reserves of the Acadia First Nation.
RCMP held a news conference in New Minas on Tuesday afternoon to announce the charges and items seized.
They conducted raids on dispensaries on- and off-reserve, Supt. Jason Popik of Southwest Nova RCMP told QCCR on Tuesday, including in Acadia, Glooscap and Annapolis Valley First Nations.
Police seized:
141.4 kg of dried cannabis
189.29 kg of cannabis edibles
46 kg of liquid cannabis
23.4 kg of hashish
9.5 kg of psilocybin, or magic mushrooms
958 cartons of unstamped tobacco
18 firearms (17 long guns and a handgun)
$16,143.14 in cash
3 ATMs
7 shed-like structures
Supt. Popik told QCCR in an interview on Tuesday that organized crime is using indigenous communities to undercut the legal cannabis market, with unregulated product.
“I see them infiltrating the legal cannabis market and they’re really exploiting the indigenous communities,” he said.
“They’re trying to utilize the treaties to find a rational way for them to sell their drugs. And they’re doing it through the people running the different dispensaries. Organized crime will exploit any opportunity they have. … They’re making a lot of money, the dispensaries are the ones taking the risk and the dispensary owners are the ones being arrested.”
Supt. Popik said the wholesale value of all the drugs seized is about $1.25 million, while the street or retail value is between $2.5 and $3 million.
The Micmac Rights Association is protesting the RCMP action. Many of those charged belong to the organization.
The group says Mi’kmaw have a right under the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752 to sell cannabis at truckhouses on reserve.
They say officers desecrated sacred objects, destroyed personal property and traumatized Mi’kmaw men, women and children. The group plans a protest on the Angus L. Macdonald bridge in Halifax on March 10. On June 21, a 15-year-old boy will lead a 111-kilometre march from Annapolis Valley First Nation to the Dartmouth RCMP headquarters.
Twenty-one people are facing 52 charges under the Cannabis Act, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Excise Act and the Criminal Code, including:
Possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling
Unauthorized sale of cannabis
Possession for the purpose of trafficking (psilocybin)
Possession of unstamped tobacco
Possession of unstamped cannabis
Careless use of a firearm
Possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition
Service Nova Scotia’s alcohol, gaming, fuel and tobacco division, and the federal Public Prosecution Service, also assisted in the investigation, RCMP said.
Those charged will begin to appear in court in June, RCMP say. They say their investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.
One of the trucks from the Greenfield and District Volunteer Fire Department that went off the road on Sunday en route to fighting a fire near White Point. (Greenfield and District Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page)
The Greenfield and District Volunteer Fire Department may have lost two trucks on Sunday to icy roads near White Point, but its firefighters still helped battle a house fire.
Chief Moyal Conrad described the dangerous driving conditions he had to deal with as his crews responded to a call for help from the Liverpool Fire Department.
“We left here. It was a sunny day. There was no snow in the air. The closer we got to Liverpool, the snow was coming down. Reports were the house was fully involved and the roads were treacherous. I was driving the first truck for Greenfield. The road was really, really slippery. The first turn we almost didn’t make. I went in about a couple hundred yards and stopped and rethought my choices. We were only hundreds of yards away from the scene, so we proceeded very, very cautiously. Every turn we tried to make, the truck had a mind of itself.
“The front tires would not steer at all. Every time we went towards the ditch until we hit the hard crushed snow and it bounced back on. … There was a downhill turn at the end and as we were going down the hill, she just kept sliding, sliding, sliding and she just got to the edge and all of a sudden the front tires caught the hard snow and bounced back on the road. When it did that, it slingshot my ass end then my truck into the ditch. It put a brand new 2023, million-dolar truck into the ditch.”
Conrad was in the truck with his son Brandon, who is also the deputy chief. The chief says he’s grateful they escaped unhurt.
“I was basically holding on to him saying, ‘Oh my god, we’re going off, Brandon.’ It’s a very sickly feeling when you have no control of what you’re driving.”
The other tanker truck from Greenfield that went off the road on Sunday in icy conditions. (Greenfield and District Volunteer Fire Department)
Firefighters from Liverpool, Greenfield, North Queens, Port Medway and Mill Village responded to the blaze off the White Point Road on Sunday. That was during a freezing rain warning, which made already slick side roads in the area even more dangerous.
Conditions were so bad that a salt truck also ended up in the ditch.
The Greenfield department sent two tankers. Soon after Conrad’s truck left the road, another tanker from Greenfield coming the other way also slid off the road and landed on its side.
Nobody was injured in either case. And two of the crewmembers from the second truck walked to the scene and spent the rest of the day helping fight the fire, even though it was difficult to stand on the icy roads.
“And they fought fire for the rest of the afternoon and the evening and our rescue truck come along with four other firefighters that made it to the scene and they were on scene fighting fire all afternoon, all evening.”
Conrad says the truck he was driving was a newer model the department bought in 2023. He believes that one can be fixed. The other tanker was an older model from 2017 that was extensively damaged and will probably have to be replaced.
A new tanker truck costs about $1.2 million, he said.
He said he hopes insurance will help cover the costs of repairs and replacement. And there may be some money available through the Region of Queens, which provides up to $425,000 over 10 years for new equipment.
But any insurance payout will cover only what the department paid for the truck, not its replacement cost, Conrad said. So, the fire department could still be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Most of that would have to be raised through the volunteer firefighters’ fundraising efforts like community breakfasts or the Nova Scotia Firefighters 50/50 draw.
“We need to think a lot of things out,” Conrad says. “Queens County doesn’t have a big tax base. We do not have a lot of money to work with. We do a lot of fundraising just to keep the lights on. We have to flip a lot of eggs sometimes in order to buy these trucks.”
Conrad says they get about $80,000 a year from the Region of Queens to help run the department, half of which goes to keep the hall open.
“That does not buy equipment, that does not train my men. All that stuff is done by the great people of this county when the fire departments put out their hands (for fundraising) … If it wasn’t for the fundraising, us out here in the country, it makes it hard to be able to purchase stuff. We had a truck plan and that truck plan has gone right out the window at the moment.”
Even so, he said he’s hopeful that things will work out.
“On a good note, in the last two days, I’ve taken a ton of calls and emails from people who want to help out. I just got a message from a fire chief in Prince Edward Island who wants to help us out.”
And he said the neighbouring North Queens Fire Association has loaned them one of their older tankers. So, he said the Greenfield department is still able to respond to fire or medical emergencies.
“We’re not defeated yet. We have the gear and we have the trucks. Members are keen. I don’t want to take away from anybody else’s fundraising, but think of us the next time we have a breakfast or something and come out and help us out.”
The North Queens Fire Association bought a new rescue truck in December 2023 to respond to medical emergencies and other calls. (North Queens Fire Association Facebook page)
The fire chief in North Queens wants answers about why his department isn’t being called to more medical emergencies in the community.
Chris Wolfe, who leads the volunteer-run North Queens Fire Association in Caledonia, says he’s worried that residents aren’t getting the help they need and someone could die because of it.
“We’re supposed to get called for pretty well anything that the ambulance will come out to North Queens for and that hasn’t been the case here lately,” he told QCCR.
“My concern is that the community’s not getting the help that they need when they need help the most. You take an ambulance takes an hour basically get to North Queens and even longer if you’re in a storm, so potentially somebody could be lying there for an hour without medical help.”
That’s why Wolfe has organized a public meeting on March 3 at 7 p.m. at the North Queens Fire Hall in Caledonia at 9793 Highway 8.
He’s invited officials from Emergency Medical Care and Emergency Health Services, as well as Queens MLA Kim Masland, who is also the minister of emergency management, and Health Minister Michelle Thompson. Wolfe is also encouraging residents to attend.
Wolfe expressed his frustration in a recent Facebook post. He also posted last August asking residents to contact him if they’ve called 911 in the past expecting the fire department to respond.
A post on the North Queens Fire Association Facebook page from Chief Chris Wolfe.
“I’ve previously had meetings with EMC and EHS and we’ve talked about it and I thought things were going to get straightened out but obviously they didn’t and we did have one particular call there the night before I posted that and the individual was lying outside in the snow and they weren’t going to page the fire department for it.
“We ended up going over on our own terms and dealing with it till EHS arrived so that was my pet peeve that sent me to put the post on Facebook.”
Emergency Health Services contracts out ambulance and paramedic service in Nova Scotia to Emergency Medical Care, which is owned by Medavie Blue Cross. EMC also operates the province’s 911 call centre.
EMC officials declined an interview request. A spokesman said in an emailed statement that they “are committed to continuing the conversation to address” the fire department’s concerns.
Wolfe said 18 of the first responders at his department are certified under the Medical First Response Program, which trains people to care for someone who is injured. He said they responded to 111 medical calls last year, which account for between 65 and 75 per cent of what they do.
But he said they could potentially respond to more calls and more quickly than EHS, if only they knew about them.
It’s a situation that rural fire departments are dealing with around the province, he says.
“When you become an MFR agency you choose what level of response you want to be and where we’re so far from a hospital or anything like that we choose to be non-urgent and that means that we give anybody the help that needs it for any type of scenario.”
He says he’s not looking for a quick fix, but he hopes the meeting helps.
“I don’t expect everybody to come (to the meeting) with answers. It’s not going to be fixed overnight.
“The purpose of the March 3rd meeting would be to get everybody there, address what the problems are, take everybody’s concerns from the public, put that all together and then go back to the drawing board and say, ‘Look we know this is what’s wrong, what options do we have to fix this, how can the volunteer fire service and MFRs help us out,’ and then maybe have another public meeting maybe three to four weeks later and come back to the drawing board and tell people what was found out and how things are going to be addressed.
“The more people that show up, the better it will be. And hopefully we can get things addressed and make things better for all of Nova Scotia.”
Ryan and Elizabeth Brown, who live near Liverpool, will be featured on an episode of the new A&E TV show Oceanfront Property Hunt on Saturday afternoon. (Rick Conrad)
Elizabeth and Ryan Brown knew they wanted to get out of Ontario.
And they knew they wanted to buy a house on the water in Nova Scotia.
But what they didn’t expect when they began their search was to be featured in an internationally broadcast television show.
The Queens County couple’s quest will be on the new A&E show, Oceanfront Property Hunt, this coming Saturday afternoon. Produced by Halifax-based Ocean Entertainment, the show follows a different couple each episode as they look for an oceanfront home. Two episodes are broadcast back-to-back beginning at 1 p.m.
The couple has organized a community watch party on Saturday afternoon at Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill in Liverpool.
“Ideally, we’ll have the show on all their TVs so that everyone can watch it with us, and I will be hiding under a table if it goes sideways,” Elizabeth says, laughing. “We’ll be seeing it fresh with everybody else. So yeah, I’m a little nervous. A little nervous.”
Elizabeth is an insurance underwriter and Ryan is the sales manager at Liverpool Home Hardware. They were living in Kitchener when they decided they wanted to move to a smaller, less hectic community.
“We were wanting to get something on the water, either lakefront or ocean,” Elizabeth says. “And Ryan’s preference would have been oceanfront. And we’re pretty outdoorsy. We like canoeing, kayaking, camping. And to have something that’s literally on our doorstep, that was our motivation for moving to Nova Scotia because everything is right here.”
“We were eventually going to retire out here,” Ryan says, “but we just moved that forward a bit.”
The Browns applied to be on the show after their Halifax-based realtor told them about it.
Their realtor had been cast on the show, but the producers also wanted some of her clients to apply.
Elizabeth says she told Ryan they were going to apply.
“And I was like, ‘Oh, OK, I guess we’re doing this,'” Ryan says.
They had to submit a video about themselves, their house hunt and why they wanted to be on the water.
“Ocean Entertainment was great. The crew was great,” Elizabeth said in a recent interview. “They were a lot of fun to work with. I feel like it wasn’t reality. I feel like it was our pretend life. We’re on TV, and this is bananas. But we were actually doing it.”
Elizabeth admits that applying for the show was a little outside her usual comfort zone. But she and Ryan fell in love with their new home and community and wanted to share it.
“When we saw Liverpool, we really liked it. But really it was the house that settled it. As soon as we walked into it, we knew that was the house we really wanted.”
The 45-year-olds booked time off work for the four-day shoot last summer. The production crew followed the couple around Queens County on their search for waterfront houses.
The episode features some local landmarks like the Quarterdeck Resort on Summerville Beach.
Until the show airs, they’re sworn to secrecy about which house they chose or even where. But they’re more than happy to talk about how they feel about the move to Queens County from Kitchener.
“I wish we’d done it years ago,” Elizabeth says.
“Yeah, I would agree with that. I love it,” Ryan says. “I wouldn’t change a thing. I love our life here. I love our house.”
“The people we’ve met have been great,” Elizabeth continues. “Our neighbourhood is great. Our friends are great. Our neighbours have been awesome with helping us get settled in.”
“We’re on the beach probably two to three times a week,” Ryan says.
“All of the things that we were looking for in an oceanfront property, in what we wanted to get out of being in Nova Scotia, we’re getting,” Elizabeth says. “And it’s fricking awesome.”
The couple has high praise for Ocean Entertainment and the overall experience, especially the short-term star treatment that came along with it.
Ryan: “It was a lot of fun and a lot of work.”
Elizabeth: “It was like having a little army follow you around. One of the assistants was like the snack girl. And so literally all I had to say is, ‘I’m kind of hungry.’ And she would appear. And I had some dairy allergies. So she would appear with a selection of things that I can eat. And it was wonderful. I’m like, ‘Can I keep you?'”
Two episodes of Oceanfront Property Hunt featuring Queens and Lunenburg counties air on A&E on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Atlantic. The episode featuring the Browns airs at 1:30. Episodes are also available on Apple TV.
An undated aerial photo of the former Bowater Mersey plant in Brooklyn. (Queens County Historical Society Photo Collection, courtesy of the Queens County Museum)
It will likely be March before Queens County residents find out whether Liverpool will once again be a mill town.
Last May, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said the region could be the home for a new kraft pulp mill. It all depends on whether forestry giant Domtar, which operates Paper Excellence, believes there’s a business case for it.
Nobody from Domtar or the provincial government would do an on-air interview this week. But in emailed statements, both the company and Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton said more will be known in March.
Domtar said in its statement that it’s in the final stages of a feasibility study into a new mill.
“Our team continues to work with the Province of Nova Scotia and is in the final stages of establishing a business case for building a new bioproducts mill in Liverpool.”
Rushton said in his statement that the province is open to more natural resource development, adding the province believes a new mill would be a good fit for Liverpool.
“Our interest is in the economic potential for our forestry sector and the province — creating good paying jobs, construction investment and strengthening the overall supply chain. Success in our resource sectors means success for our whole province.”
Last May, the premier announced a deal with Paper Excellence to settle the company’s $450-million lawsuit against the province after its subsidiary Northern Pulp was forced to shut down its mill in Pictou County in 2020.
As part of that deal, Paper Excellence launched a nine-month feasibility study into whether a Liverpool mill is viable.
“The province has agreed to support Paper Excellence in the idea of building a new kraft pulp mill in Queens County, in the areas around the former Bowater mill,” Houston told reporters last May. “With the support of the region’s forestry sector, the company believes that Liverpool could again support a new mill, and I agree.
“If there is a business case and the company brings forward a project, it could mean an investment of more than $1.4 billion in our economy and that’s just to build a new mill. Let me assure Nova Scotians that any project that comes forward will need to meet today’s standards and will undergo environmental assessment, significant public consulation and Indigenous engagement.”
Under the court-approved settlement agreement, Domtar’s rate of return over 20 years must be 14 per cent.
“We assess the estimated cost of construction, delivered wood, start-up and operation, labour, and funding and financing structures, among many other items,” Domtar said in its statement to QCCR.
“We are also assessing the price and market for the pulp and any other bioproducts the mill could produce.”
Houston has recently said the province needs to open up to more natural resource development, especially in light of the tariff threat from the U.S.
Bowater operated a pulp and paper mill in Brooklyn from 1929 to 2012, employing hundreds of people in Queens County.
When it closed, it threw 320 people out of work. It also affected people in other industries.
Many of the employees retired or left for jobs in western Canada or elsewhere. The region fell into an economic funk. And it took years for the local economy to recover.
When the premier announced the prospect of a new mill last spring, though, local reaction was mixed.
Some local politicians and forestry workers said it would be a welcome boon to the local economy and the industry. Some others, including local business leaders, said they were concerned about the environmental impact a pulp mill would have.
David White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, made another appeal to regional councillors on Tuesday to create road trails in Queens County. (Region of Queens YouTube channel)
ATV users in Queens County are motoring along with their plans to connect off-road trails with public roads and streets in the municipality.
And Region of Queens councillors are interested in hitching a ride.
David White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, was at regional council on Tuesday evening to repeat the group’s request from last March for the region to help make a connected network a reality.
“The idea behind them is to provide trail-to-trail connections and trail-to-access services. That’s supported by the 2022 Off-Highway Vehicle Spending Report that showed in the province of Nova Scotia in that year $464 million was spent by off-highway vehicle users. It’s time that impact was felt here in our county. It’s well past time. ”
This is the third time off-highway vehicle groups have appealed to councillors for a road trail that would allow users to go from Lunenburg to Queens to Shelburne counties.
They first presented to council in July 2023, shortly after the Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act, which would allow off-highway vehicles on provincial and municipal roads, with certain conditions. Both levels of government must grant access. And in Queens, that would require a new bylaw.
Queens County ATV groups say having that connected trail locally would boost tourism and help local businesses by creating a destination riding area.
“You need look no further than this weekend gone by where 551 off-highway vehicle users registered and went on a run in Western Shore, and they raised over $13,000 for a volunteer group and their club and saw somewhere in the neighbourhood of 800 people participate. Sixty-one rooms were sold over two nights for a total of over 120 room nights in that community because of off-highway vehicle use.
“Our goal is to have a connected route across Queens County to complete the western loop of the Great Trail, part of the TransCanada Trail to be able to leave Lunenburg County and go right through to Shelburne with the bigger idea of leaving Halifax or Tantallon, travelling to Yarmouth, around to Middleton, and back to Bridgewater via New Germany.”
White told councillors his group has signed agreements with 10 private landowners in Queens County, which would give ATV riders permission to use people’s property to get from one trail to another.
He said the ATV association and the Queens Rails to Trails Association have also spent about $300,000 maintaining and improving trails around Queens County.
White told councillors that Queens ATV Association spent $49,150 in 2024 clearing and improving trails for off-highway vehicles.
The Queens Rails to Trails Association has spent almost $245,000 maintaining and improving other trails around Queens County.
White asked councillors for letters of support to explore developing the road trail network in Queens. And he said he’d like a commitment from the region to explore any funding for the groups. He also wanted the region to commit to a process that would begin consultations with ATV groups and others.
Mayor Scott Christian thanked White for his groups’ work on trails around the region.
“And I think it’s appropriate also to apologize for the lack of engagement or action on behalf of the Region of Queens Municipality in actioning previous requests, that the two organizations have made and attempts at engaging our municipality on these files.”
At Christian’s urging, councillors agreed to the letters of support and to explore funding for the groups. They also asked staff to prepare a report for their Feb. 25 meeting on connecting a trail near the region’s offices to the popular multi-use Trestle Trail.
Christian said he wants the region to continue consulting with the community about how to make the connected road trail a reality.
Abigail Smith displays her gold medal at a PanAmerican judo meet in Montreal in November. (Abigail Smith photo)
Abigail Smith has already made a mark on the Canadian and world judo stage, and she’s not done yet.
The Grade 11 student at Liverpool Regional High School will be competing against judokas from other countries yet again as she prepares for a tour of Europe with Team Canada in March.
Smith will be travelling to Spain, Portugal and Croatia for European Cup tournaments and training camps as part of the European Judo Tour.
“I travelled with Team Canada one time last year which was for an event in Germany, and I was so excited for it,” Smith told QCCR.
“And now I got selected to be on a tour which is an even bigger deal. I didn’t think that would happen for me this year at all. My main focus was nationals, but now I’m spending a month in Europe. It’s crazy to me, I didn’t think it was going to happen to me this year. It’s really exciting.”
She said she’s looking forward to the more intense competition of the European tournaments.
“The training for me is the most important thing. Getting to train with different bodies. In Canada, you know everyone you’re training with and you’re getting familiar with different fighting styles. So getting to go outside of Canada, and fighting round after round with people from all different countries, you’re getting so much experience from it, it’s going to make my judo way better. Tournaments in Europe are a lot different than tournaments in Canada, there’s a lot more aggression, there’s a lot more people who want to win. So I’m getting so much experience.”
Two of the tournaments are in the older U21 or junior age division, while the third is in her usual U18 or cadet class. But Smith is no stranger to punching above her age.
In November, she won a bronze medal in the older division at the Quebec Open and followed that up with another bronze in the same age class at the Pan American Canada Cup. And she snagged two gold medals at the same meets in her usual division.
The 17-year-old Brooklyn resident, who began judo lessons when she was four years old, is ranked in the Top 10 in her age division in Canada.
Smith says juggling the travel, training and tournaments with school and a social life are worth it. They’re all part of building toward her ultimate goal, which is to compete at the World Judo Championships and at the Olympics.
“Because judo is my life. The thing I love the most is judo and everything that comes along with it.
“So for me, doing all those things, like sacrificing time with friends, I want to go to the Olympics, I want to be world champion, and I know the goals that I want and that I’ve dedicated so much time to, they’re not going to come true unless I keep with it. So I keep with it. Everyone in my life is so supportive. They know I need to train.
“My family, my friends, my community, everyone is so on board with what I do, it makes it 10 times easier.”
Smith trains with Nova United Martial Arts in Halifax four days a week. She says she takes notes at every competition and training camp she attends. And she works with her coach Jason Scott on how to improve.
For the next couple of months, she’ll be focused on getting ready for the European tour in March and a February meet in Denmark, where she also competed last year.
“I want to win of course because it’s my first European tour. My biggest goal is to go out there and fight, do my best. Show the European tour me, show them me. I want to learn so much. You’ll never learn everything about judo. So each time I go away, I’m learning so much.”
After she returns from Europe, she’ll be getting ready for the national judo championships in Calgary in May. If she wins there, she’ll be on Team Canada for the world championships in Bulgaria in August.
But she doesn’t want to think too far ahead. She’s just hoping to do her best wherever she goes.
“I hope everything goes well so I can bring back good results for everyone supporting me.”
(Transition House Association of Nova Scotia Facebook page)
A transition house in Bridgewater is trying to expand the services it offers in Queens County.
Harbour Houseprovides round-the-clock support for women and children in Lunenburg and Queens counties. And Queens County residents can access emergency shelter and transitional housing through Harbour House if needed.
It provides the only services in Queens County for women and children dealing with domestic violence.
There is no permanent physical location in the area for people to access Harbour House services. But they’re working to change that.
Kelly Ann Hamshaw, executive director of the South Shore Transition House Association which operates Harbour House, says they’re trying to get office space in Liverpool so that Queens County residents have a safe, secure and reliable spot to access services on a certain day each week.
“There’s a notable increase in demand for our services, both anonymously or in our emergency shelter or for our outreach programs and services across both regions, both in Lunenburg and Queens,” Hamshaw said in an interview.
The association asked the Region of Queens last year for funding of up to $5,000 to help with that. But because of the rules of the municipality’s Community Investment Fund, councillors approved funding of $1,250.
“We were wanting to have a presence in Queens County on a regular and consistent date or day so that individuals who wanted to stop in and come see us and access support would be able to do that,” Hamshaw says.
“But we will travel to meet individual women and make arrangements for a safe, secure place to meet them. We just wanted to have a more regular and frequent, secure location. … We have a desire to expand our service reach in Queens County.”
Transition houses around the province are calling for more support for people fleeing domestic violence.
Police say six women have been killed in Nova Scotia in the past three months by their male partners.
The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia says its member organizations supported about 4,500 women and children in abusive situations in 2024. It says the problem is only getting worse.
The Nova Scotia government declared intimate partner violence an epidemic last September and increased funding to transition houses across the province. But organizations that help people in abusive situations say more resources need to be directed to address the problem.
District 2 Coun. Maddie Charlton raised the issue of more funding for the South Shore Transition House Association at a council meeting in May. She told QCCR recently that ultimately, she’d like to see a secure shelter space locally for people fleeing abusive situations.
“I would like to see something permanent pop up in Queens so that we have our residents who want to access these services here who can stay in the community if they wish,” Charlton said.
“I think those conversations should happen as soon as possible and take some initiatives if we can because those numbers are terrifying. It’s becoming a pattern that you don’t want to see.”
Hamshaw said that people who need support or counselling in Queens County can access Harbour House’s services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“All of our services are available to women seeking support from Harbour House in any area of Queens County. So they just need to reach out and make arrangements. So that would be safety planning, supportive counseling, perhaps assistance navigating the justice system, and any other supports that a woman may require. … Our professionally trained support workers are here to support the citizens of Queens County. … And we’ll make appointments to meet women in their community at a safe place.
“What’s important for everybody to know is that Harbour House is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Women can call us any time at 902-543-3999. And if somebody is in immediate danger, we always encourage them to call 911. Another thing if you know someone in an abusive relationship, it’s important to listen without judgment, validate their feelings and encourage them to seek support from professionals like us at Harbour House.”
Hamshaw says many people in abusive situations call anonymously, or they’re not ready or able to leave. Counsellors work with women to offer support and to create a plan they’re comfortable with.
“We do provide emergency shelter, which is safe refuge for individuals who need to come into our emergency shelter. A big part of what we do is counseling. So not all women are ready to access our emergency shelter or to end their relationships, but they do want support in navigating healthier relationships, boundaries, or safety planning or counselling after experiencing the trauma of leaving an abusive or domestic violence situation.
“Ultimately, we want to empower women to make choices that are best for them and their families. And we’re here to support them as they make those choices and provide the options that are available to them. So if a woman chooses that she would like to access emergency shelter, we have a network of shelters across the province. So not all women are going to feel safe in a community where the person causing harm resides or works.
“So a woman may call Harbour House, but makes a choice to go to another shelter under our umbrella that they feel safe and secure in. Some women may choose to stay near for things like child care, employment, or access to school, or even their support network in the community.”
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP
Harbour House services are open to Queens County women and families year-round, at 1-902-543-3999 or toll free at 1-888-543-3999 or by text at 1-902-514-4019. You can also visit their website here.
People can also call 211 or go online at ns.211.ca to access services in their area.
You can also call the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia toll-free line at 1-855-225-0220. Or visit their website here.
The Region of Queens has reached a deal with its striking public works employees. (Rick Conrad)
UPDATED 2:55 p.m. Thursday
The Region of Queens and its striking 38 public works employees have reached a deal.
Local 1928 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers voted 32-5 around 6 p.m. Wednesday to accept the region’s latest offer.
Jim Sponagle, the local’s business manager, told QCCR Wednesday night that it was hard to turn down.
“They came back with a financial offer that certainly we couldn’t overlook, couldn’t turn away. I felt it was a significant move from where we were,” he said.
“I think overwhelmingly (union members) were pretty happy with the deal.”
The main issues in negotiations were better wages, overtime protections and keeping temporary employees in the bargaining unit. The last contract expired March 31. The new contract runs from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2027.
The union said their members were some of the lowest paid municipal workers in Atlantic Canada.
They had been on strike since last Thursday, saying that the region’s latest offer wasn’t any better than the one members resoundingly rejected in mid-December.
Sponagle said the region improved its offer this week and it addressed much of the union’s concerns about wages. But he said the region said it needed the flexibility to call some employees in to work on weekends without paying overtime.
Sponagle said some members weren’t happy with that, but the majority supported the deal.
“At the end of the day, you can’t win every battle. … You can only do your best. I believe I left it all on the table and we couldn’t make any traction with that part of the agreement.”
About 20 supporters of the strikers showed up at Tuesday’s regional council meeting to urge councillors to tell the region’s negotiators to get back to the bargaining table and get a deal. That evening, the municipality gave the union a new offer.
Some family members of the workers told councillors they were ashamed of how the region’s negotiators had treated the employees.
“I think it had a significant impact,” Sponagle said. “The public put pressure on the mayor and council to do their job.”
It’s a three-year deal retroactive to March 31, with the first year giving raises to all members of $4 an hour or more, with 2.5 per cent increases in the second and third years of the deal.
Council ratified the deal in a closed-door session on Thursday morning. Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that he was grateful the deal was reached.
“These folks have historically been underpaid and our council is pleased to be able to sign a deal with wages that reflect the value that these folks have for our organization and the importance of them to be able to receive a living wage and support their families and themselves.”
Christian read a statement at a short council meeting after the deal was ratified. He said that while he was happy with the deal, he was also upset by some of the comments people made about the region’s managers online.
“I’m unsettled by a number of public allegations and unsubstantiated claims and personal attacks towards some of the region’s employees,” he said.
“ Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, everyone in this organization deserves to be respected, and as your mayor, I need to ensure that all employees, including non-unionized staff and management of this organization, receive that respect, specifically, our (acting) CAO Pam Lovelace and our director of engineering and public works Adam Grant received an incredible amount of personal attacks throughout the later stages of this process as it became contentious.
“I won’t stand in silence as any employee of this organization, including my fellow councillors, are harassed, attacked or bullied.”
Christian said some comments were “pretty intense personal attacks”, with some people calling for Lovelace and Grant to be fired.
As talks broke down, tensions increased, with union members’ supporters pressuring councillors to step in and direct their negotiators to get a deal done.
Some supporters at Tuesday’s meeting were upset by comments made by Lovelace about the union refusing to return to the bargaining table. They were also upset that she tried to downplay the number of employees on strike.
“But there are going to be tough times, there are going to be unpopular decisions, there are going to be mistakes made,” Christian told QCCR, “and we all need to do better and the organization needs to do better to make sure that those appropriate channels are in place so that if there are frustrations and complaints and grievances within our community that there are good established channels to address those things.”
The region is still claiming that temporary employees are not members of the bargaining unit. The union’s unfair labour practices complaints about that are still outstanding. Dates have not been set yet for that hearing.
Christian said he believes most employees will be back on the job by Monday. And he said the region plans to hire experts to help address those tensions, calm things down and ensure that all employees return to a supportive workplace.
About 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are still looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner. (Communications Nova Scotia)
More people are dropping off the Need a Family Practice Registry in Nova Scotia.
According to numbers released Tuesday by Nova Scotia Health, 9,200 people either found a doctor in the past month or were removed from the list.
Just over 110,000 Nova Scotians are still looking for a primary care provider. That’s down from more than 119,670 on Dec. 4. About 10.5 per cent of the population does not have reliable access to primary care.
Nova Scotia Health officials have been contacting people on the list to confirm they still need a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Health officials stopped providing breakdowns by region last summer. The last update in June showed that about 10 per cent of Queens County residents were still looking for a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing in first-draw action at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool on Monday. (Rick Conrad)
UPDATED 3:45 p.m. MONDAY
Some of the favourites were early winners on Monday at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.
Sixteen teams are competing for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
The winning team here will represent Canada at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Championship in April in Fredericton. That event also serves as a qualifier for the Olympics. If Canada qualifies there, it will be the winning team from Liverpool who will go on to the Olympics in Italy.
Some of the biggest names in Canadian curling are at Queens Place Emera Centre this week.
Teams are divided into two pools of eight during the round robin, which goes until Thursday. The top three teams from each pool then advance to a six-team playoff.
In the first draw Monday morning, Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher beat Paige Papley and Evan van Amsterdam 8-2 in six ends.
Bottcher and Homan said afterwards that they were happy with how they began the tournament.
“We played great,” Bottcher said. “I thought it was awesome to come out at the start of the week and have a real good game, but it’s going to be a long week so we’re going to have to keep playing well.”
“It was great to finally get on the ice and game mode,” Homan said, “just see how it felt for speeds and how the ice held up and it was great out there.”
Other winners on Monday morning were Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres, and Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter.
Local organizers were happy to get the first games under their belt. And they’re hoping curling fans will come out to some of the action.
“It’s coming along great,” said Kim Thorbourne-Whalen, vice-chair of the Liverpool Championship Host Society.
“It’s been a year, year and a half in the making and just to have to the opening cermeonies last night, it was a good crowd. It’s been great seeing all these big names … in Liverpool, on our ice, in our community, it’s amazing. For the final draw, there are only 60 seats available. We still have a lot of tickets (available) through the week.”
On Sunday evening, the Dartmouth and District Pipe Band kicked off the opening ceremonies at Queens Place. Mi’kmaw artist Melissa Labrador and her family performed a smudging ceremony. And Queens MLA Kim Masland, Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian and Thorbourne-Whalen welcomed athletes and fans. Curling Canada’s Scott Pfeifer officially opened the trials.
