Bill Smyth and Alex Doggett of Queens County Transit with one of the new hybrid SUVs the non-profit society bought with funding from the federal and provincial governments. (Queens County Transit Facebook page)
Queens County Transit has received government funding to expand its fleet and to keep up with the growing demand for its service.
The non-profit based in Liverpool has bought two new hybrid SUVs, thanks to $116,293 in funding from the federal and provincial governments.
Alex Doggett is the chairman of the Queens County Transit Society.
“It came at a very opportune time for us. We were in this condition where we were refusing rides because we didn’t have enough vans and drivers.”
The new vehicles have been on the road since early April, Doggett said. The service now has eight vehicles, five of which are wheelchair-accessible vans.
“By having the two vehicles, we’re able to keep up with most of the requests, not all of them,” he said. “It’s quite amazing how busy the vans are.”
Queens County Transit gave more than 8,000 rides last year. In April alone, their fleet was out 700 times.
The service has been operating since 2018, when it started with three vehicles. It provides a relatively low-cost transportation option for anyone in Queens County. But it’s become an important resource for seniors and those on low incomes.
The federal government chipped in $93,034 through the Rural Transit Solutions Fund with the Nova Scotia government contributing the remaining 20 per cent, or $23,259.
Kim Masland, Nova Scotia’s public works minister and the MLA for Queens, said at an announcement on Friday that the funding will make a big difference in the community.
“I am so proud to support you. I have never been more proud and humbled to be the MLA for an area that is just growing more and more every day. And the big thing we take away every night is our hearts. The people’s hearts in this community are absolutely incredible and they open them up and do the right thing every day for the people that surround them.”
Doggett said the service survives thanks to government funding like this and support from the community. The Region of Queens municipality also committed $48,500 in funding to the service for this fiscal year.
“What it means is that we didn’t have to go into a fundraising situation, going to the public,” he said. “Where we’re non-profit, it gets very tight at the end of the fiscal year for us and it’s always great to have these types of programs.”
He said the cost of gas has doubled in the past year and maintenance costs have also risen.
“It’s really been quite an undertaking and hopefully it will continue into the future.”
Doggett said Queens County Transit is always looking for new volunteers and board members to help ensure the service thrives for a long time.
“We’re at the point a number of us are seniors and it’s time to get some younger blood in to carry on with this. Some of us are getting to the point where we’re probably going to be stepping down and hopefully get other people to come in and take over.”
The society has its annual general meeting scheduled for June 18 at 10 a.m. at their headquarters at 31 Milton Rd. in Liverpool.
Ashley Christian is president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce. (Rick Conrad)
The Nova Scotia government announced this week that as part of a settlement agreement, Northern Pulp will study the feasibility of opening a paper mill in the Liverpool area.
We asked some people at the South Queens Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting on Thursday for their reaction.
An undated aerial photo of the former Bowater Mersey plant in Brooklyn. (Queens County Historical Society Photo Collection, housed at the Queens County Museum)
The pulp and paper industry may be making a comeback in Queens County.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced on Thursday that Paper Excellence, which owns Northern Pulp in Pictou County, will be launching a feasibility study into whether it can open a mill in Liverpool.
He was speaking at a news conference in Halifax. His opening remarks were broadcast to a crowd of local politicians, chamber of commerce members and forestry sector workers at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool.
The possible new mill in Liverpool is part of a settlement agreement to resolve the company’s $450-million lawsuit against the province.
“The Pictou mill is not reopening,” Houston said. “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.
“With the support of the region’s forestry sector, the company believes that Liverpool could again support a new mill, and I agree.”
Houston said the company will likely launch the feasibility study in the next few weeks. It is expected to take up to nine months.
“Let’s keep in mind a new mill is not a guarantee. If the company decides not to proceed with the new mill, Nova Scotia’s interests are still accounted for and protected. But if there’s a business case and the company brings forward a project, it could mean an investment of more than $1.4 billion in our economy.”
Bowater, which operated in Brooklyn from 1929 to 2012, employed hundreds of people in Queens County. It was founded as the Mersey Paper Company Limited by industrialist Izaak Walton Killam.
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 begin to recover.
Houston said a new mill would be good news for Queens County and for the province’s 35,000 woodlot owners.
“We are building a stronger economy for Nova Scotians, and a new mill has enormous economic potential. It could kickstart a new chapter for communities along the South Shore and the province’s economy overall.”
Northern Pulp closed its mill at Abercrombie Point, Pictou County, in 2020, after the Nova Scotia government under Stephen McNeil refused its application for a new effluent treatment facility. It had been pumping effluent into nearby Boat Harbour, sparking protests from the Pictou Landing First Nation.
Houston said Thursday that any new mill in Queens County will have to meet modern standards.
“Let me assure you that any project that comes forward will need to meet today’s standards, and will undergo environmental assessments, significant public engagmeent and indigenous consultation. We will also hold the company to a high standard for the Pictou mill site.”
Many of the people at the Astor for the announcement Thursday would not comment afterward. Queens MLA and Public Works Minister Kim Masland declined to comment. She said all media inquiries were being handled by the premier’s office.
The forestry workers in attendance did not want to be interviewed, but were happy with the announcement and said that the “industry’s needed some good news”.
Mayor Darlene Norman said she was limited in what she could say publicly.
“For those who understand the forestry sector, this is a wonderful opportunity for Queens.”
The possibility of a new pulp and paper mill in Queens County came to light this week when CBC reporter Michael Gorman reported on Wednesday that an announcement was imminent.
Kerry Morash worked at Bowater for 19 years and was also the Queens MLA for the Progressive Conservatives from 1999 to 2006. He welcomed the news that the industry might return to the area.
“I think it’s a big opportunity for the community and western Nova Scotia,” he said in an intervew. “And especially when you look at the storm damage that we have and we have a lot of wood laying down in the forest from Pictou to Yarmouth and that’s getting drier and getting ready to catch on fire. If we can clean up the forest and produce a product and make some employment, envrionmentally friendly and sustainbably, it’s all good news.”
Ashley Christian, president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said she wants to make sure a mill is safe and sustainable.
“As long as all environmental regulations are being met and taken really seriously, I think that we in Queens County would welcome industry, we welcome jobs and what that would provide for our community.”
As part of the settlement agreement with the province, Paper Excellence has to top up Northern Pulp pension plans by $30 million to protect the former employees’ pensions. It also has to pay $50 million of its own court costs.
If the company’s study finds a new mill in Queens County is viable, it will pay the province $15 million to settle its $99 million debt. If it finds a new mill isn’t possible, it would pay the province $30 million and pay $15 million toward the cleanup of the Northern Pulp site.
If the company goes ahead with a new mill, it would seek financing and work with the province and others to get it going.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says new public housing announced for Liverpool is ‘desperately needed’. (Rick Conrad / File)
Liverpool is getting new public housing in the next 12 months, the Nova Scotia government announced Wednesday.
An eightplex is planned for land next to 183 and 185 Old Port Mouton Rd. The building will be modular housing, divided into eight separate residences.
John Lohr, Nova Scotia’s minister of municipal affairs and housing, said in a news release Wednesday that it’s part of 26 new modular housing units being built in the next 12 months in Shelburne, Digby, Wedgeport and Liverpool.
Lohr said it will provide affordable housing for up to 82 people. He said the province is going with modular housing to get the units built as quickly as possible.
The new housing is a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, with 14 ground-floor units that will be barrier-free.
The units will be affordable, with rents tied to income.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman said in an interview Wednesday that she’s happy to see the province is building more public housing in Liverpool.
“I think it’s excellent. It is desperately needed throughout the entire province, so, pleased to see that the province is now looking at (the) western (end of the province) and that we will be getting one eightplex.”
Norman said provincial officials told her on Tuesday that 77 people are currently waiting for public housing in the Liverpool area.
“It will move quickly and (be) a much needed relief,” she said. “I know people have been impatient as the government has been announcing units in other areas, bu they’ve been going zone by zone and now we’re in the western zone.
“So they’re basically already designed. They’re very nice. They’re four units on the bottom, and the four bottom units will be totally accessible and there are four units on the top.”
The province is investing $11.8 million to build the 26 units in the four communities. That’s in addition to the 247 units previously announced, bringing the total to 273.
The Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency will issue a tender for a design and construction team to deliver the homes.
Brooklyn judo athlete Abigail Smith is getting ready for the 2024 Canadian Open Championships in Montreal from May 23-26. (Rick Conrad)
Queens County judo athlete Abigail Smith is the first to admit she isn’t the best driver — yet.
Smith doesn’t have her drivers licence, but she’s learning. And if she takes the same approach to mastering the rules of the road as she does to racking up medals at national and international competitions, she’ll be motoring around in no time.
But first, the 16-year-old from Brooklyn is gearing up for what she calls her most important tournament of the year.
The 2024 Canadian Open Championships in Montreal are set for May 23 to 26. Smith will be competing in the U18 and U21 divisions. She’s been there twice before and won silver both times.
“My goal is to win,” she said in an interview this week. “I really think I can win this year. If I win in my U18 division, then I’ll be going with Team Canada to represent them at (World Championships Cadets), which is in Peru. So if I win, I’ll go to worlds, which is my goal. Still, if I don’t win, it’s a huge experience to be at nationals. It’s a big deal.”
So far, Smith seems to be on the right track. The Grade 10 student at Liverpool Regional High School captured two gold medals at the Eastern Canadian Championships in April.
She won the top spot in the U18 division, and she also triumphed for the first time in the senior division.
“The senior division is always a lot harder, because I’m fighting women, and they’re more experienced and they have more knowledge of fighting. But knowing that I fit in in the senior division I know I’m on the right track for when I eventually am a senior, hopefully I’ll be medalling as well and hopefully I’ll keep winning.”
Her wins at the Eastern Canadian Championships were only a month after an impressive showing at the International Thuringia Cup in Germany in late March. She won two meets and lost two. But she says the experience was “next level, it was so amazing.
“When you’re training in Canada, you know most of your people so you’re all friends. But in Germany, everybody is there to win, even when you’re just training and doing a basic little practice fight, they’re going to try to kill you. So you have to fight like it’s the biggest fight of your life for every round you do.
“It was really intense which is exactly what you need to train like if you want to get somewhere in judo.”
Smith was in Germany for a week and a half. She said she learned a lot.
‘The biggest thing I think it helped was my confidence, to be able to travel by myself, to be able to fight people who are not from Canada, to have no idea who the heck you’re fighting, that really boosted my confidence. … The competition of course was beneficial. But the training after, that was the reason I was there, for the training, it was amazing.”
Smith is doing more than making an impression on the judo mat. She is also Sport Nova Scotia’s True Sport ambassador for May. Twelve young athletes were chosen from around Nova Scotia to post about their experiences and to promote the values of fair, inclusive and safe play.
“Lots of ambassadors have been posting about one or two experiences. I’ve been posting about my experiences. But I’ve been involving my judo team and my coaches so they can share their experiences as well.
“Having a bond with my team is so important. We work as a team together so whatever I’m doing, I want them to be involved in, so I want them to be promoted too.”
Smith trains four days a week with her club Nova United Martial Arts, in addition to daily strength and cardio workouts. She also coaches young judo athletes two days a week in Liverpool and older athletes one day a week in Halifax.
While Smith says she’s getting busier with school, training, coaching and competitions, she also has to find time to get behind the wheel.
“I just turned 16, I want to be able to learn to drive now. So I have to make time for that. I have to make time for training. I’m getting to the age where judo needs to be my main priority, so I have to add in more hours for judo. It’s been a lot lately, school’s been getting harder as I’m getting older. But I’m doing my best to keep up with everything, and if there’s a point where I can’t handle it, I’ll cut back. But hopefully, I’m never going to have to do that because I never want to cut back on judo.”
Min Smale is the chairwoman of the Privateer Days organizing committee. This year’s event is scheduled for June 28 and 29 in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
The organizers of this year’s Privateer Days festival in Liverpool are promising a bigger and better celebration even as they cope with less funding and fewer volunteers.
Entering its 39th year, Privateer Days has become the biggest event of the year in Liverpool, drawing thousands to the downtown.
Min Smale, who chairs the Privateer Days committee, says that because of the funding challenges, organizers decided this year to turn the traditionally three-day event into a two-day affair on June 28 and 29.
“I think this year is actually going to be even better than last year and we’re working with a third of the money,” she said in an interview.
“We’d rather condense the days down and go big than spread it over three and not be able to do as much, so it’s go big or go home. … Just trying to make it still historical, but family oriented and community supported.”
Privateer Days is a mix of the modern and historical, as it marks Liverpool’s history of privateering dating back to 1775. Privateers were private citizens sanctioned by the Crown to attack enemy ships and confiscate their property. The spoils were shared between the conquering crews and the Crown. Privateers were not pirates, and they were highly respected in the community.
Privateer Days features a parade through town, entertainment, craft vendors and food trucks on the waterfront, an historic encampment re-enactment in Fort Point Lighthouse Park, and a traditional colonial wedding.
Privateer Days features historical re-enactments, live entertainment, carnival rides and much more. (Chris LaRocque Photography via Privateer Days)
This year will also have carnival rides for kids and carnival games, inflatable entertainment from Yarmouth Big Bounce Rentals and a street dance on Friday night on Henry Hensey Drive near the waterfront, sponsored by Mersey Seafoods.
This is Smale’s third year on the organizing committee. She says it’s been a struggle since Covid to find people to help with the event.
And board turnover has also affected their ability to look for funding. But she says the new board members are excited for this year’s event and committed to working on Privateer Days into the future.
“Over these last years, the turnout has increased. We’re looking forward to having the encampment back and doing the colonial wedding again and just trying to see with fresh faces, fresh minds, fresh ideas what new things we can bring to the table to make this year different and stand apart.”
She says that Privateer Days isn’t alone in struggling to find volunteers.
“In talking with other not-for-profit and charitable organization in south Queens, it’s not just Privateer Days that’s having issues with finding volunteers. It’s everybody. You kind of find the same people showing up in multiple boards. And we’re all just trying to do what we can.”
Smale said they’re also trying to engage more local businesses and encourage the thousands who attend Privateer Days to visit more businesses on Liverpool’s Main Street.
“Making sure that we’re adequately supporting those businesses and making sure that once the traffic in the park has died down for the day that we’re diverting them into the community so that we’re working hand in hand in supporting Liverpool thrive.”
The organizing committee is teaming up with Rafflebox and with local businesses for various fundraisers leading up to Privateer Days. Hell Bay Brewing is holding one on Saturday night featuring local musicians. They’ll be holding a 50/50 draw and donating $1 from each beer toward Privateer Days.
Smale says she’s learned a lot over the past three years about how important Privateer Days is to the community.
“In terms of South Shore events, people look forward to the Big Ex, people look forward to Privateer Days. It’s the end of the summer, it’s the end of the school year, it’s that kind of pivotal point of the start of summer in Liverpool.”
John Simmonds, chairman of the Astor Theatre Society, addresses a members’ meeting on Thursday at the Liverpool theatre. (Rick Conrad)
The board of the Astor Theatre Society on Thursday clarified who can vote and who can be nominated to its board at its upcoming general meeting.
Some members who signed up in the past two months were concerned that the Astor would not allow them to vote.
About 50 people turned out for the members meeting on Thursday evening at the theatre. Board chairman John Simmonds explained that all members in good standing will be able to vote at its upcoming annual general meeting.
“There’s been controversy over conflicting bylaws and conflicting interpretations and we’ve tried to remain as quiet as we could on those issues. But it was necessary to do a lot of research to make sure we were on good ground in what we were proposing. Every member who is in good standing who is over 18 years of age and a resident of Nova Scotia can vote at the AGM.”
The meeting was held in response to a request from the ad hoc group Queens County Community Theatre Advocates. That group was formed after the resignation of associate artistic director Ashley-Rose Goodwin in March.
The group said it was concerned about recent decisions made by executive director Jerri Southcott and the Astor Board. The group said that as Astor members they wanted to hold the board accountable.
In an April 25 update to the group’s members, one of the founding members of the group Kevin Colwell wrote that the Astor appeared to be taking a “restrictive” approach to voting at the upcoming AGM. He said that in discussions with the Astor, it appeared they were planning to prevent anyone who became a member after Dec. 31, 2023 from voting.
He called on group members to attend the May 2 members meeting and the May 9 AGM.
About 50 people were at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool on Thursday evening for a meeting on voting at the upcoming annual general meeting. (Rick Conrad)
The issue over voting arose because of confusion about which set of bylaws was valid.
Simmonds said Thursday that until the board did a “deep dive” into their archives, even they were unsure of the proper voting procedures. So they hired Marjorie Hickey, a lawyer with McInnes Cooper in Halifax, to look into it and give an opinion.
“It outlines in great detail exactly what all the steps were, how the three sets of bylaws compare and contrast, where we stand legally now. And she has confirmed through case law and others that we are in good position now using the 2017 bylaws.”
As a result of that legal advice, the Astor has also changed the date of the May 9 AGM to June 24.
According to its most recent bylaws, the Astor will appoint people to replace three directors who resigned in the past couple of months.
There will be four open spots on the board of directors at the June AGM. Any member can be nominated to sit on the board.
“So hopefully this will set the record straight on where we stand and where we propose going with all of this,” Simmonds said. “It will be a true democratic process at the AGM in terms of nominations. We look forward to having many of you putting your name forward.”
Some members of the Queens County Community Theatre Advocates were at the meeting. But they didn’t want to comment until they could read the lawyer’s report to the Astor.
Simmonds said after the meeting that he believes it addressed many concerns from community members. He said the board believes it’s on solid legal ground.
“We’re very comfortable that we’re in good shape now with our current bylaws. And that allows us to move forward and alleviates a lot of the issues and controversy brought to us by the community,” he said in an interview.
“It clarified things that we didn’t know ourselves. So it was new to us. So once we digested it all ourselves and came up with a final conclusion verified by the lawyer, … all the rest of what went on in the past is not really relevant now.”
Simmonds said the Astor will announce the new appointed members of the board in the next week. He said it will also send notice about the June 24 annual general meeting to all members and advertise it in local newspapers and online.
Cathie Pincombe and Ray Leger of the Medway Head Lighthouse Society. The group is looking for volunteers to help preserve the iconic light near the end of Long Cove Road in Port Medway. (Rick Conrad)
A local community group is hoping to recruit more people to help preserve a historic lighthouse in what some refer to as the Peggys Cove of Queens County.
The Medway Head Lighthouse Society took possession of the lighthouse in 2014.
Near the end of the picturesque Long Cove Road in Port Medway, the current light has been standing since 1983. But there has been a lighthouse of some kind at the site since 1851, when I.K. Perry was the inaugural keeper.
Cathie Pincombe is secretary of the Medway Head Lighthouse Society and is an organizer of the Medway Head Lighthouse Art and Craft Show. Both are run entirely by volunteers. She says they need more to make sure this piece of Nova Scotia’s heritage survives.
“We are a dedicated hard-working group of people that want to save our iconic Medway Head Lighthouse just like all the other iconic lighthouses in this province. And if not for societies like ours, we would not have lighthouses in this province.”
Like all Nova Scotia lighthouses, the Medway Head Lighthouse was automated in 1983. But it still opens in the summer to tourists, who can learn about the vital part these structures and their hardy, brave keepers and their families played in seaside communities like Port Medway.
The society maintains the lighthouse, doing necessary repairs and upkeep.
Some of the art from last year’s Medway Head Lighthouse Art and Craft Show in Port Medway. (Medway Head Lighthouse Society Facebook page)
To do that, they hold a major fundraiser every summer in the village of Port Medway. The society will hold its 11th annual art and craft Show in August.
“We are the largest art show on the South Shore. And it’s a pretty impressive show. We have anywhere between 70 and 80 artists that are part of the show every year.”
To run the lighthouse and the art show, however, Pincombe says they need more volunteers. The lighthouse is open three days a week from late June to early September. And the art show goes from Aug. 17 to 25.
The show alone requires eight volunteers daily for nine days. And the lighthouse needs enough volunteers to cover 36 shifts through the summer.
Sales at the art show are vital to pay for lighthouse repairs and maintenance. Last September’s Hurricane Lee blew much of the siding from one side of the structure.
“It still is going to require some specialized equipment and we’re hopeful we can get it done in the $10,000 range. So it’s not inexpensive to maintain a lighthouse.”
Pincombe says it’s getting more difficult to find volunteers, even as it becomes more important to replenish their ranks.
The society hopes to hire a student for the summer to help with tours and administration. And she says they’re also on the lookout for a treasurer.
“I think it’s getting tougher because even though there are a lot of people moving into the area, and we try to get to know our new community members and hope that they will get involved, it doesn’t seem to be quite as easy to get volunteers as it has been. And we’ve expanded the locations (of the art show) and the number of days. So we’re giving ourselves a bigger number of shifts to cover. So it’s not as easy.
“We volunteers are getting older, so we need younger people to get involved.”
Pincombe says the lighthouse and the art show draw people from across Canada and around the world. Her partner Ray Leger looks after the building and its volunteers and leads many of the tours at the lighthouse in the summer.
“I think we had something like 800 visitors to the lighthouse last year. And Ray … tracks where everybody comes from. And it’s a wide range of people from all over the place. And you’d be amazed how many local people like to come out to the lighthouse.
“So it’s a great cause. The art show is a fun thing to volunteer with, because it’s busy. You meet lots of people. And the lighthouse is a fabulous place to volunteer because you meet people from all over the world with stories and why they came here. It’s really an exciting thing to do.”
The Queens District RCMP detachment in Liverpool is closed to the public for the next six to nine months. (Rick Conrad)
The Queens District RCMP detachment at 20 Shore Rd. in Liverpool will be closed to the public for the next six to nine months while the office undergoes renovations.
RCMP announced the closure on its Facebook page this week. The office closed April 24.
The Mounties are asking people not to visit the detachment while it’s closed. If you have a requests for a criminal record or vulnerable sector check, RCMP staff will be at the Region of Queens offices at 249 White Point Rd. in Liverpool, on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and on Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
If you need fingerprinting, contact Queens District RCMP at 902-354-5721.
RCMP officers will continue to provide policing services in Queens during the closure. To speak with an officer or to report a crime, call 902-354-5721. For emergencies, call 911.
Jerri Southcott with a small-scale model of the set for Seussical, the first production from the Astor Theatre’s Astor Academy. (Rick Conrad)
The Astor Theatre in Liverpool is launching a new theatre education program for youth with a production set to open in June.
The Astor Academy is designed to give youth aged 8 to 18 access to high-quality performing arts training. Its first production is Seussical, a musical comedy based on the works of Dr. Seuss.
Jerri Southcott is the Astor’s executive director. She said the Astor Academy was the “brainchild” of former interim executive director Jean Robinson-Dexter and some members of the Astor board.
The idea is to give kids and youth some training in the arts at little or no cost.
“The draw really is access to arts education, a creative and safe space to work with theatre professionals, musical theatre, and summer camps, dance and vocals and music at no cost,” Southcott said in an interview Tuesday.
“Too often, families are left in a position where they can’t afford to have private music lessons or private dance classes. We are trying to make it as a accessible as possible to allow everyone in rural Nova Scotia no matter what their economic situation is to this great opportunity.”
Preparation for Seussical is well underway, with up to 18 young cast members from Queens County and other areas of the South Shore. It’s being helmed by a production team of adults experienced in community and professional theatre.
Southcott’s brother Shane is the director, Malcolm Freeman is the assistant director, Kim Umphrey is vocal director, Kristopher Snarby and Michelle Riley are vocal coaches, Kerenza Verburg is choreographer and Cynthia Walker is stage manager.
It will open on June 20 and run until June 23, with two evening shows and two matinees.
“It’s about friendship, it’s about relationships, it’s about community and about treating people with love and respect.”
Southcott says they’re still looking for anybody who might be interested in joining the show. The cast is basically set, but they’re looking to fill some spots in the production crew, including costumes and set building.
“I have experienced and seen the benefits of what this kind of involvement in productions and the camaraderies and teamwork and everything can have on a person. Too often, it’s not just economics, it’s feeling excluded, feeling isolated, not feeling popular enough, not knowing the talent they have inside and creating an environment where they feel welcome and they feel accepted. … We have people who have never been on stage, and we’ve seen some hidden talents.”
Southcott says the Astor will soon announce summer theatre camps offered through the Astor Academy. She said there will be a small fee to help pay the instructors. The Astor has scholarships available for those camps.
The productions through the academy are mostly free with a $20 fee for registration and show T-shirt, though that fee can be waived.
“I do think it’s important for the Astor to offer this opportunity for youth in the area,” Southcott says. “I would love to see more kids come out. We are wide open to anybody who would like to come and see what it’s all about.”
Malcolm Freeman is the assistant director of Seussical and Easton Goodwin plays Cat in the Hat in the musical. It opens at the Astor Theatre on June 20. (Rick Conrad)
Easton Goodwin is playing Cat in the Hat in Seussical. He is a Grade 11 student at Liverpool Regional Regional High School. He’s been involved in other productions at the Astor, including the recent musical Follies, as well as Into the Woods and Peter Pan Jr., all directed by former associate artistic director Ashley-Rose Goodwin.
“Seussical is such a fun musical and it’s so entertaining, especially for younger ones too. I’ve always wanted to play a crazy fun character that moves around a lot. I just love musical theatre so much.”
Malcolm Freeman of Liverpool is the assistant director of Seussical. He has appeared in numerous Astor productions, including Follies. This is his first time behind the scenes.
“It’s fun being on this side of things and getting to learn the ropes on that (side of) the spectrum. I wanted to get involved with this because I’ve never worked with youth and I’ve never actually been a part of making the decisions and bringing a stage production to life. It broadens your horizon on your own skills and your own acting and singing abilities.
“It’s coming together so well. We have a fantastic cast, the kids and the youth are great and we really couldn’t have asked for a better group of people.”
Region of Queens councillors are getting closer to finalizing their 2024/25 budget. (Pixabay)
The Region of Queens is getting closer to finalizing its budget for the 2024/25 fiscal year.
Councillors will go over the draft operating, capital and water utility budgets at their meeting Tuesday evening at 6. It will give councillors a chance to make any other changes before voting on the final package.
They’re proposing to have a special council meeting next Monday at 9 a.m. for that final vote.
Councillors are coming off a 2023/24 budget that ended up with an estimated $650,000 surplus.
So far, the region is proposing a balanced budget for 24/25, with no increases to the base tax rate.
Councillors and staff have worked over the past month to avoid any tax rate increases, even as they added expenditures, such as an extra $126,772 to help the region’s fire departments pay for rising costs to replace trucks.
Also on Tuesday, councillors are set to discuss crosswalk safety at the three-way stop at Main and Market streets in Liverpool, as well as speed limit reductions in certain parts of Liverpool.
The meeting is in council chambers on White Point Road, and it will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Fire trucks at North Queens Fire Association headquarters. (Facebook)
Region of Queens councillors and staff have found a way to help the county’s fire departments with the increased costs of buying new equipment — and all without raising the tax rate.
Councillors are currently in budget deliberations, so the final budget has not been approved. But they headed off a request for an increase to the tax rate to help fire departments pay for new trucks.
Fire chiefs and the region agreed to a new funding schedule in February to replace fire and rescue trucks. The region increased its contribution to $425,000 for pumpers, tankers and aerial trucks from $275,000. That kicks in for the 2026/27 fiscal year.
But as councillors heard on Tuesday, new trucks keep getting more expensive. And higher interest rates mean that borrowing costs for fire departments have skyrocketed.
Fire chiefs made a presentation to council on Tuesday asking for an increase of one cent to the region’s overall tax rate.
The residential property tax rate per $100 of assessment in districts 1 to 12 is at $1.07 and $1.92 in District 13.
Chris Wolfe, chief of the North Queens Fire Association, told council that interest rates for fire departments have risen to 8.2 per cent from 3.45 per cent in 2021. On a 10-year loan of $600,000, fire departments would have to pay $170,000 more over that period than they would have in 2021.
“Basically the $275,000 that we get now for truck replacement would be just gobbled up in interest charges and wouldn’t be going to the actual principal of buying the truck,” he said.
“The interest for that 10-year term is what’s making a big difference for us in the Queens County fire services in purchasing trucks. It’s taken a drastic jump over the last three or four years.”
Wolfe said the cost of trucks has also risen in the past three years. He said a truck builder in Lantz reported that the cost of a custom fire chassis has jumped by about $120,000 since May 2022. The truck builder told Wolfe that his overall supply costs have also gone up by three per cent.
Three trucks are due to be replaced over the next two fiscal years, but at the region’s lower contribution of $275,000.
Wolfe said that a one-cent increase in the tax rate now would help the fire departments cope with the increased costs.
Councillors appeared to be prepared to grant the chiefs’ request.
CAO Cody Joudry, however, suggested that staff might be able to find another way to grant the chiefs’ request without adding to the tax rate.
After a break, Joanne Veinotte, director of corporate services, said that councillors could do what they did last year to help maintain the tax rate.
During last year’s discussions, they budgeted $442,000 from the accumulated surplus to prevent a tax rate increase. Councillors are also eyeing an estimated $650,000 surplus from 2023/24.
Veinotte said the region didn’t actually need any of that $442,000 because they saved money on staffing and delayed capital projects. She suggested they could do the same thing this year, by pulling $126,772 from reserve funds for fire services to balance the tax rate.
“The fire department has their increase of a penny but yet you still have your no increase in tax rate. And that is something I can literally do in two minutes. So if that’s what council feels comfortable with to get this budget done and put to bed, then I can certainly do that.”
Joudry clarified that if they record a surplus in 2024/25, then the region likely wouldn’t have to dip into the accumulated surplus to pay for the fire departments’ increased truck costs.
Councillors will get the final draft of the budget on Thursday. They hope to approve it at their council meeting on Tues., April 23 at 6 p.m.
Kim Masland, Queens MLA and Nova Scotia’s public works minister, announces $10.7 million in provincial funding for a $21.5-million water and sewer expansion that gives the green light to two new housing developments in the Liverpool area. (Rick Conrad)
The Nova Scotia government and the Region of Queens are teaming up on a $21.5-million project to extend and improve water and sewer services in the Liverpool area.
Queens MLA Kim Masland on Monday announced $10.7 million in provincial funding to expand water and wastewater service to the Mount Pleasant area. The region will pitch in $10.8 million.
The project means that two new private housing developments will go ahead on more than 60 acres of land. About 325 new housing units will be built for up to 1,200 people. It will be a mix of sold and rented space. About a third of those units could be affordable housing.
Masland, who is also Nova Scotia’s public works minister, made the announcement at the region’s municipal offices in Liverpool on behalf of John Lohr, the minister of municipal affairs and housing.
“We need this funding, we know our community’s growing, we certainly need affordable and more housing stock within our community,” she said in an interview after the announcement.
“We’re attracting people to our community every day, there are med professionals that want to come here. This is a great project. This will allow us to build more houses.”
Masland said a municipal housing needs assessment found that Queens County needs 555 more housing units by the end of 2027. She said it’s difficult to recruit health care staff to move to the area if there’s nowhere to live.
“We need people building faster. We need homes up, we need places for people to live. We are in a housing crisis in the province and we’re going to do whatever we can to make sure we can help.”
The funding will also improve existing water and sewer services to more than 1,200 homes and businesses in the area, and help improve the amount of water available for firefighting efforts.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman emphasized that the funding will do more than help developers build new homes.
She said the current infrastructure is at or over capacity. The project will improve service for residents in Liverpool, Brooklyn and Milton.
“There are some really crucial repairs that need to be made to our system, so it can expand in all directions. This is not case-specific for specific people.”
The provincial portion of the funding comes from the $102-million Municipal Capital Growth Program. The region applied in December for the funding.
Norman said the region’s finance staff are working now to figure out how the municipal portion will be funded. The region is currently working on its 2024/25 budget.
Adam Grant, the region’s director of engineering and public works, said Monday he hopes the work will be finished in 24 to 36 months.
“So work is already underway. Following the feasibility study, we’ve migrated into some design work preliminary and that’s underway right now, looking at having designs rolled out in the fall and construction starting in the next 12 months ideally.”
The developers behind the two housing projects said Monday they were excited by the news. They’ve lobbied the municipality for the past few years to extend water and sewer services to those areas.
Both projects are near downtown Liverpool.
Larry Cochrane plans an 87-unit development on the old Dauphinee Farm property near Queens General Hospital, which would include a 24-unit apartment building.
He said he will soon begin the design phase of the project.
“I wish it was faster of course, but we’ll take that because there’s lots of work I need to do to get ready to start a project like this.”
Graham van der Pas is a partner with Rumclo Developments. They plan a three-stage development on about 30 acres of land farther up the road from Cochrane’s project.
“We’re very, very excited. We’ve been lobbying for this for the past two years. So it’s amazing.”
The Rumclo development will feature The Point, which will have 124, two-bedroom homes for sale, The Curve, with 22 three-bedroom townhouses, and Birchwood Gardens, 82 affordable rental apartments. Van der Pas said the affordable rentals will be 80 per cent of the median market rate. A one-bedroom would be about $800 a month, a two-bedroom $1,000 and a three-bedroom would rent for $1,200.
A section of The Curve will also be reserved for staff from Queens General Hospital to rent.
“I think a community like this needs it,” van der Pas said.
“I think what our developments will bring to the town is … a significant amount of property taxes. The revenue will go up there, the economic revenue of people potentially starting businesses, new patrons for the businesses that are already existing. It’s significant.”
Ashley Christian, president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said she’s happy that such a big investment is being made in Queens.
“We have been advocating through the chamber of commerce for more housing for a couple of years. So we’re so excited to see this huge investment, especially made by the municipality, really impressed by that.”
Christian said she’s especially happy that half the funding is coming from the province. She said she hopes that means the project won’t be a big burden on municipal taxpayers.
Nick Moase is the acting chairman of the Winds of Change theatre group. (Rick Conrad)
The Winds of Change theatre group is holding a meeting on April 20 to discuss whether to end its year-long merger with Liverpool’s Astor Theatre.
Nick Moase, acting chairman of the Winds of Change, said in an interview Wednesday that he called the meeting in response to concerns about recent controversy around the Astor. Moase is also the technical director for QCCR.
“I really want to make sure the community either wants to rescind this motion to become a part of the Astor Theatre and re-form as a society or if we are still comfortable going ahead and finishing up the merger with the Astor Theatre.”
Winds of Change Dramatic Society members voted to merge with the Astor Theatre Society in February 2023. The idea was that the group would become a subcommittee of the Astor and bring along its $29,000 legacy fund to be used for theatrical productions at the theatre.
But recently, members and former members of the group wanted to re-examine the relationship. Ashley-Rose Goodwin resigned as the Astor’s associate artistic director this March, shortly after the wrap of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies. Goodwin was also the director of that show.
After her resignation, a group of people lobbed several accusations about how the Astor was being run. One of them was a concern about what would happen to Winds of Change and its legacy fund.
“I do want to make it clear, some of the concern that came out of the community was that the Astor took off with our money after the Follies. And that’s not the case,” Moase says.
“I have assurances from the operations manager of the theatre that the money was replenished to what it was. So the Follies up to and just after the production, actually I think was a success in terms of the merger. The name was used properly, the money was used properly, we didn’t have to pay rental for the space.”
The idea of Winds of Change merging with the Astor had been discussed for years.
Moase says the group’s legacy fund was kept in a separate line item on the Astor balance sheet and used for paying expenses in mounting productions at the theatre, such as costumes, sets and securing rights to plays. The Astor would then reimburse the fund from ticket sales and pocket any profit.
The Winds of Change would benefit by no longer having the expenses of running a non-profit society, such as insurance and renting the Astor for its productions.
After the decision to merge with the Astor, the Winds of Change Society stopped operating as a separate entity. It has no bank account, and it is not a recognized society on the Nova Scotia’s Registry of Joint Stock Companies.
Moase says it’s not a problem to relist the society with the registry, if the group’s membership decides to rescind the merger with the Astor.
“This meeting, it is the community telling us, the Winds of Change, what they want. And if they want to re-form as a society, get some names of people who are interested in joining, and then we start the process of getting everything squared away with the joint stocks … and then once that’s done we need to open a bank account again, we need to get directors insurance again. Then we can start (signing up) official members, making motions and getting back to the process of making plays at the Astor.”
Moase says that he planned to work on the terms of reference to complete the merger after Follies was over.
“The merger it’s been a little slow, it has been on my shoulders and due to some things going on in my own personal life, and the fact that I was the lead set designer and builder for Follies, things have been a bit slow so we hadn’t finished all of the merger process, the terms of reference, that sort of thing.”
He says the Astor board has told him they would like to continue with the merger. But that depends on what is decided at the April 20 Winds of Change meeting.
Moase said he also wanted to address two other issues that arose after Goodwin resigned and Follies wrapped.
Some members were upset that the Astor would not pay for a party at the Liverpool Curling Club. And they were irked that the Astor forgot to mention and thank the Follies cast and crew in its monthly newsletter, sent April 2.
“In isolation they’re minor, but as a part of the whole of what’s going on, people have really latched on to it a bit,” Moase said.
“I do think they are things we can work through. This is our first production as a sub-committee under the Astor. Of course we’re going to have things we need to iron out.
“And if you look at the framework that we’ve drawn up for our merger, we never talked about cast parties. So it’s something that we’ve usually had in the past, we’ve usually funded out of our profits that we made out of the shows, but we never mentioned it to the Astor that this is what we do. Again, I think this is something we could have overcome in the future.”
When asked if it could be seen as an honest mistake, he said: “In my view, it is.”
Jerri Southcott took over as the Astor’s executive director on Feb. 5. In a special newsletter to subscribers on April 3, she issued her “sincerest apologies” for the omission of Follies in the newsletter the day before.
“This oversight was in no way intentional, and I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest regret for any disappointment or frustration it may have caused. The dedication and talent of everyone involved in Follies deserved to be celebrated and recognized, and I am truly sorry for failing to do so.”
As for the cast party, Southcott says her personal philosophy is that she doesn’t believe it was an appropriate way to spend donated money, and that in her experience with non-profits, she prefers to see most of the money returned to the organization.
She says she consulted with the board at the time. Because she is new in the job, she says, she hasn’t been making any significant decisions without consulting them first.
Moase says he doesn’t know if he will continue on the board of the Winds of Change. He says he believes the merger with the Astor is still worth pursuing.
“I really have to see how this meeting goes and see how the community feels. I have to admit, everything that’s been going on, it’s caught me off guard. I didn’t expect it and I’ve had trouble keeping up with everything that’s been going on.
“I don’t know what the sentiment is. I’m not even sure what people think of me as part of this because i’ve been working on this merger for so long. Nobody’s messaged me or has messaged me very little directly to confront me about any problems. I genuinely don’t know what direction we’re going, so I really have to see what happens at that meeting.”
The Winds of Change meeting is scheduled for Sat., April 20 at 1 p.m. at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.
Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson
The Region of Queens is expecting a budget surplus of $650,000 for the 2023/24 fiscal year, largely attributed to unfilled jobs, higher property assessments and a higher than expected take from the deed transfer tax.
Mayor Darlene Norman says the surplus isn’t all good news.
“Everyone’s a bit unhappy over that large surplus from last year, because that means we have staffing vacancies which is putting great pressures, especially on our Planning and our Public Works departments,” Norman said in an interview Wednesday.
“They are the two departments that have the greatest effect on people. Public Works we have projects that we were not able to do last year, such as the Liverpool bridge rail. The Old Burial Ground wall is in drastic need of a repair. The staffing vacancy is highly alarming. We hear as elected people from people who are waiting for the building permits, who are waiting for their inspections, who are having subdivision waits. That causes difficulty for our residents when they’re building and planning, be they commercial or residential.”
Queens councillors began their 2024/25 budget deliberations on Tuesday. Staff sent them details of the draft budget a few weeks ago. Councillors had a chance on Tuesday to ask questions about the proposed budget.
The budget process was delayed this year. All municipalities are supposed to have their budgets approved by March 31.
Norman said other municipalities in Nova Scotia have missed the March 31 deadline as well. Now that the region has filled the CAO position, she said she expects a more timely approach next year.
The proposed budget is just under $30 million, with an $8.5-million capital plan. There are no proposed tax rate increases at this time. But councillors are just beginning the process.
Councillors are set to offer additions or deletions to the budget at a meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Next Tuesday (April 16) at 9 a.m., Norman said the region’s fire services are scheduled to make a presentation to council where they’re expected to ask for a boost in funding.
The vote on the final budget is scheduled for April 23 at 6 p.m. All meetings are open to the public and are held at council chambers on White Point Road. And they will also be livestreamed on the region’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The region’s assessment roll increased by about 14 per cent or $148 million. That led to an estimated tax revenue increase of $1.6 million. But that meant that the amount the region pays the province for education services also went up by $500,000, for a net gain to the region of $1.1 million.
The higher-than-expected deed transfer tax revenue was about $340,000.
Staff are also budgeting a $440,000 vacancy allowance to try to account for the difficulty in filling positions.
“The thought is we are not going to be able to staff all those positions right away and there may be up to $440,000 of money that we have budgeted for this year that does not get spent on staffing,” Norman said.
“So we’re actually planning to be able to put that money into revenue rather than see it as an end-of-the-year surplus. It’s a tricky thing to do, because if there’s a miracle and we suddenly fill those vacant positions, then we’re going to be short that money on our revenue line on the budget. However, the last several years have not been conducive to filling some of those staff positions.”
Norman said that a couple of big capital expenses are not in the 2024/25 capital budget. The region is still working on funding for the proposed $8-million outdoor pool at Queens Place. And it is still doing studies and investigating funding for the requested $21-million extension of water and sewer services to the Mount Pleasant area.
The Nova Scotia sportfishing season opened on April 1. (Communications Nova Scotia)
The sportfishing season is now open in Nova Scotia.
The season began on Monday.
More than 70,000 people get out and fish each year in Nova Scotia, which adds about $70 million to the economy, according to the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Sportfishers must follow bag limits and other regulations, which include trout management areas. The department encourages people to practise catch-and-release to help support healthy fish populations. It’s also asking people to report any invasive species they might see in lakes and rivers.
Licences are available online and are also available from vendors around the province.
David White is president of the Queens County ATV Association. (Rick Conrad)
ATV riders in Queens County are hoping to connect off-road trails with public roads and streets in the municipality so that operators can more easily use local services and support local businesses.
David White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, and vice-president Greg Wigglesworth made a presentation to regional council this week outlining various options to make that happen.
“In this case, we’re asking the Region of Queens for assistance with some connection within the township,” he said in an interview after the meeting.
“The whole goal here is to make a trail that connects across Queens County as well as providing economic advantage by bringing off-highway vehicle users to be able to access things like gas and accommodation and restaurants and that sort of thing.”
This isn’t the first time White has proposed a connected network through Queens County for users of off-highway vehicles.
The association spoke to council last July about the idea, shortly after the Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act. That would allow OHVs on provincial and municipal roads, with certain conditions.
Both levels of government must first grant ATV access to those roads. In the Region of Queens, that would require a new bylaw.
White and Wigglesworth presented councillors with various options to create a road trail near Queens Place Emera Centre, the Best Western and businesses around the intersection of Milton Road and Route 3 that would connect with the Trestle Trail. They also outlined options for a road trail to connect the Trestle Trail to White Point Road and from the trail to the lower parking lot downtown.
It’s part of the group’s vision to create a destination riding area in Queens for ATV users. White told councillors it would attract more business to the area from riders in the municipality and beyond.
“Our ultimate goal is to create the connectivity, to be able to go from the Lunenburg-Queens County line to the Queens-Shelburne line. Other ATV groups in other areas are working to make those connections as well.
“We’re looking to do it in a way that has minimal impact on residents. Our ultimate goal is to improve the connectivity, to enhance the trails for everybody, so it’s better quality trail for off-highway vehicles, walkers, cyclists and other users, as well as to make sure we have that economic impact, and to make sure we’re maintaining a safe environment for everyobdy.”
White said the group has been canvassing property owners and businesses. So far, he says, the response has been positive. He said Yarmouth has already allowed access to off-highway vehicles on Water Street in their downtown core.
“It’s very well travelled and they’ve been having a lot of success with that.”
Councillors appeared supportive of the idea. District 2 Coun. Ralph Gidney said he’s excited by the proposal.
“I think this is a very good idea, and what it’s going to do for our community is fantastic.”
District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton said she’s happy to see the group provided so many different options.
“I look forward to everyone coming together and finding a way forward with this.”
Councillors asked for a staff report on allowing the vehicles to use municipal roads.
Carters Beach. Photo from Nova Scotia Provincial Parks Facebook page
The Nova Scotia government has begun work to turn Carters Beach into a provincial park. That means visitors to the popular Queens County destination will likely have more places to park this summer.
But they may have to seek out other beaches nearby depending on the progress of the project.
The province announced in November that it would designate Carters Beach a provincial park. The designation also includes several islands just off shore. Carters Beach Provincial Park will cover about 97 hectares and include the Spectacle Islands, Jackies Island and others.
The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables is spending about $2 million on the project, which includes two new paved parking lots, garbage facilities, signage and accessible outhouses.
It also includes a trail from the new parking lot down to the beach. That trail will be about 500 metres long and is planned to have a gentle slope and made of compacted crusher dust to make it easier to navigate.
Sandra Fraser, a parks promotion officer with the department, said Wednesday that the department hopes to have the parking lots finished by July. But the overall project end date is June 2025.
“Work is underway now to build a new parking lot off the Central Port Mouton Road and that parking lot is going to have roughly 75 parking spaces, including some accessible parking space.
“On the Carters Beach Road, the existing parking lot there is getting some improvements so the parking there will be a bit better defined. So there will be roughly 18 spots down there including some accessible spots.”
Work has begun on Carters Beach Provincial Park. A new parking lot on Central Port Mouton Road will hold up to 75 cars. And another parking lot on Carters Beach Road will hold 18 cars. (Rick Conrad)
Fraser said work is on hold right now because of spring weight restrictions, but it will soon resume.
“We’re trying to get as much done as possible before the peak of the summer. But since the timeline is still 2025, there could be some work going on.
“Definitely want to be much ahead of that. The goal is to get the parking lot done before July this year. But it may take longer to add some of the extra parts, the toilets and just finishing those pieces.”
Fraser said that beachgoers this summer should keep an eye on the department’s parks website and its social media channels before packing for the beach.
She said there are still other great beaches in the area for people to enjoy, such as Summerville Beach or Thomas Raddall Provincial Park.
“There’s so many beautiful beaches in Queens County. So lots of place to go.”
Area residents have been frustrated over the years as Carters Beach became a hugely popular destination. The small parking area at the end of Carters Beach Road was barely big enough for a few cars. So visitors lined both sides of the narrow road, regularly blocking people’s access to their driveways and making it difficult to get in and out of the area.
Residents also complained about garbage and human waste being left on the beach and among the sensitive dunes.
Fraser said the department held an information session with the community in November 2022.
When the work is finished, Fraser says the department hopes it will address residents’ concerns.
“I think this added infrastructure will support people enjoying the beach without leaving as much impact.”
The soccer field at Liverpool Regional High School will be getting a makeover this year, with artificial turf and a new all-weather track. (Rick Conrad)
South Shore track and field athletes will be getting a year-round, all-weather track at Liverpool Regional High School.
The Queens County Track Society has decided to upgrade its original plan. Instead of an eight-lane gravel track, the school will now be getting a rubberized four- to six-lane surface.
It’s part of a $3-million upgrade to the school’s outdoor facilities, which also includes a new artificial turf soccer field.
Kristopher Snarby is president of the Queens County Track Society. He said Liverpool will have the only rubberized track and turf soccer field on the South Shore.
“That means it’ll be able to be used year-round. You don’t have to worry about thawing and bad weather and it’s a lot more accessible for people. So it’s definitely a nice change to the original plan.”
He said the change will add between $250,000 and $300,000 to the cost of the project. The original price tag was pegged at $2.75 million, with funding from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.
Snarby said the group decided the extra cost was worth it to have a year-round facility.
“One of the challenges with gravel, is that when you have the type of weather that we have, it means there’s a lot of upkeep to keep the track surface safe for people to train on. With the rubberized synthetic version, it’s going to be an attraction for athletes all over the South Shore to train on who are doing running events in track and field.”
The 400-metre track will now have four lanes, with an additional two on the straightaways for 100-metre and 110-metre hurdles races.
There are rubberized tracks at Acadia University in Wolfville, King’s-Edgehill School in Windsor, one in Clare and some in Halifax. The closest track to Queens County is a gravel facility at Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater.
Snarby says he’s confident the group can find the money to cover the extra expense.
“We’ve been really fortunate with the funding from the different levels of government. It is a bit more expensive but not crazy expensive like some other versions could have been, I guess.”
He said athletes from around the South Shore will benefit from the upgraded track. He said that because it will be fully accessible, a wider range of people, including para athletes and Special Olympics athletes, will be able to use it.
“It’s going to be a big game changer. It’ll be the only turf filed on the South Shore and also the only rubberized track on the south shore. We’re envisioning soccer teams coming here to use it. When younger athletes from the South Shore that go on to regionals and provincials, they’re always playing on turf fields now. And they’re also running on rubberized tracks. So it will give the South Shore region an advantage being able to train on the same type of track and field that they would be playing higher level games at.”
It will also give people in the community a safe, accessible surface to use.
“It’s going to be a great surface for people to get out in the fresh air and walk or run on a surface where they don’t have to worry about rolling their ankles and tripping. So it’s truly going to be a fully inclusive community space for people to use.”
Snarby said the group plans to launch some fundraising efforts in the next few weeks.
And he said they hope to have the track and soccer field completed by late fall, but he said it depends on contractor availability.
Rae Bonneville is the chairwoman of the newly formed Lunenburg Queens Business Collective. (Rae Bonneville)
Business groups on the South Shore have teamed up to form one large umbrella organization, potentially representing hundreds of businesses.
The Lunenburg Queens Business Collective includes the chambers of commerce and boards of trade from Liverpool, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and Riverport. It also includes the South Shore Tourism Co-operative.
Rae Bonneville is the new group’s chairwoman. She says the group won’t replace the business groups in each community. It will enhance what they’re already doing and give them more voice and visibility.
“It’s just so much more of a pool that everyone can access,” she said in an interview. “If you’re a member of the Lunenburg Board of Trade, for instance, you’re also a member of the collective. And your connections are really extended. … The connections for business are much higher. And also it gives us a much stronger voice for going to council and representing the businesses with a much stronger voice. It’s not just Liverpool on their own, dealing with a challenge. It’s all of us supporting that group. … It just gives us a lot more strength.”
Bonneville, who is also the president of the Bridgewater Chamber of Commerce, said the idea was first hatched by the Bridgewater chamber about two years ago.
“It seemed like a great idea to unite and form a united voice and have a stronger presence and support each other in the whole region.”
She said that although the group is brand new, it already has its sights set on some big issues.
“One of the biggest things we’re trying to tap into is a really good transit system between all of these towns to help with students and seniors and all kinds of shift workers and that sort of thing.”
And it has taken over responsibility for the Lunenburg Queens Business Awards, which are planned for November at the Best Western in Bridgewater.
Bonneville said they hope to hold region-wide job fairs and to create an activity calendar, so that an event in one community doesn’t compete with an event in another.
“It’s pretty exciting, we’re getting a lot of really positive feedback. I think this is going to have a lot of legs as we go along.”
Stephanie Sereda, community development co-ordinator for the Region of Queens, organized the Light Up Queens Winter Night Festival. (Rick Conrad photo)
Hundreds of people flocked to the Liverpool waterfront on Saturday evening for the first Light Up Queens Winter Night Festival.
Organize by the Region of Queens, it was a free, all-ages event designed to showcase local culture and to help people shake off the last of the winter doldrums.
Here are some of the sounds from the evening and some of the people enjoying the festivities.
Listen by using the play button below. And scroll down for more photos.
Diane Warner, Teresa Whynot, Kayla Mansfield and Michelle Roy cook up some lusknikn and blueberry tea at the Light Up Queens Winter Night Festival. It was one of the many activities or cultural demonstrations at the festival. (Rick Conrad photo)
Dozens of families took a chance to fly a kite on Saturday night with TideKite. People could also make their own kites. (Rick Conrad photo)
Hundreds turned out to the Liverpool waterfront on Saturday for the Light Up Queens Winter Night Festival. (Rick Conrad photo)
