Darlene Norman, mayor of Region of Queens. Photo Credit: Darlene Norman

By Rick Conrad

Voters in the Region of Queens may be able to cast a ballot online in October’s municipal election.

Mayor Darlene Norman says she’s confident the region will be able to introduce electronic voting as an option this year.

Councillors asked CAO Cody Joudry at their first meeting of 2024 to prepare a report on the feasibility and costs of introducing electronic voting to Queens, while keeping the traditional paper ballot.

“I expect the cost to come back much more than pure paper voting, but it may not,” Norman said in an interview after the meeting. 

“But a combination (of voting options) would be good. … Younger people say that it’s the thing that we need, but it would be interesting to do it.” 

Twenty of 49 Nova Scotia municipalities offered an electronic voting option in 2020. Elections Nova Scotia used electronic ballots in the July byelection in Preston. And it plans to allow e-voting in the 2025 provincial election.

District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton said it’s time that Queens offers an electronic option in addition to the traditional ballot, to make it easier for people to make their choice.

“I think it’s important for us to move forward with this.”

District 6 Coun. David Brown said it would also help encourage people in more rural areas of the municipality to vote.

“With our widespread rural areas, it’s hard for people to get out to the polling station. Having the electronic option will get more people involved.”

The Kiwanis Club of Liverpool is closer to taking over the canteen at Queens Place Emera Centre.

The region would lease the facility to the club for one year rent-free. The club would be responsible for ensuring food safety and insurance compliance. Kiwanis volunteers would operate it along with members of the Queens County Blades and the Queens County Minor Hockey Association.

The three organizations would share proceeds from concessions sales.

Because of the Christmas holidays, staff couldn’t have a final agreement ready for councillors to review at their Tuesday meeting. They voted to wait until they see the contract before giving their final approval.

David Schofield, president of the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool, said Tuesday that his group is excited about running the canteen.

“I think it’s a good opportunity not just for the Kiwanis Club but also for the figure skating club and Queens County minor hockey who we’ve asked for their support as well, because we don’t have enough volunteers in our organization to do it. … A lot of people have made comments about not having a canteen available (at Queens Place), so I think it’s win-win-win-win.”

Steve Burns, manager of events, promotions and sponsorships, told councillors that it would likely take a couple of weeks after the contract is signed to get all the necessary permits in place for the Kiwanis club to take over.

In other news from Tuesday’s meeting:

Councillors want to try to address garbage pileups in Queens County cottage country.

District 6 Coun. David Brown asked staff for recommendations to address the problem.

He said the 40 so-called “grey box” sites on private roads throughout the county consume half of the region’s garbage collection budget.

“These are places that have large tax revenues for us that we don’t provide a lot of services for,” Brown said. “And nobody wants to see a mountain of garbage every time they drive into beautiful, pristine wilderness.”

Mayor Darlene Norman says it is a “huge problem”.

“And people in the Labelle and Molega area, some people are paying $10,000 property tax out there for no services. It is an issue that has to be dealt with.” 

Councillors asked staff to prepare an inventory on burnt out streetlights in the region, and press Nova Scotia Power to fix them more quickly.

District 1 Coun. Kevin Muise said many residents have complained that several streetlights haven’t been working in some areas for up to three months. He’s concerned about safety for motorists and pedestrians.

There are six streetlights out on Shore Road in Mersey Point alone, council heard. Many are out for longer than the 60-day service guarantee.

Nova Scotia Power is supposed to maintain the lights, but the region pays for them, even when they don’t work, Norman said.

“We are paying for a tremendous amount of street lights which are burnt out.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Region of Queens administration building. Photo Ed Halverson

By Rick Conrad

The Queens Place Emera Centre canteen contract and electronic voting are among the topics on the Region of Queens council agenda on Tuesday.

Staff are recommending that the Kiwanis Club of Liverpool be awarded a one-year contract to operate concessions at Queens Place. Councillors had previously agreed that the Kiwanis Club would be a good fit to operate the canteen, rent free, for one year. 

Under the proposal, the club would be responsible for ensuring food safety and insurance compliance. Volunteers from the club, Queens County Blades and the Queens County Minor Hockey Association would operate it.

The three organizations would share proceeds from concessions sales. The groups have joined together to operate the canteen at some previous events. 

The Kiwanis Club also told council that it would step aside if another operator came forward during their one-year term.

When Queens Place opened in December 2011, the region operated the canteen. Since 2016, however, either private businesses or community groups have run it.

Electronic voting may not be possible for the 2024 municipal elections, according to a report from Cody Joudry, Region of Queens chief administrative officer.

Twenty of Nova Scotia’s 49 municipalities offered online voting in the 2020 elections by contracting with a private company, he says. If the region wants to follow suit, it is probably too late to join with those other municipalities. It would have to issue a tender on its own and find a service provider, he said.

The possibility of e-voting in Queens came up at a previous council meeting. And Joudry is recommending that council ask for a staff report on the feasibility and cost to implement it in time for the October 2024 election.

Staff is recommending that council approve two requests to name private roads. Terry Whynot of Kent Fields Estates and the Quarterdeck Resort made both applications.

The first is to name a private road off Cobbs Ridge Road in Liverpool Lingley Lane. The other application is to call a new road off Willow Lane in Summerville Centre Audrelyn Lane.

Councillors will hear a presentation on Pemsik Conservation Mosaic. It is a proposed conservation area that would connect the Tobeatic Wilderness Area to the lands and waters around Port Mouton, Port Joli and Port l’Hebert, as well as Broad and Sable rivers.

The Pemsik project partners want to protect the cultural and natural values critical to the livelihoods of Mi’kmaq and rural communities throughout southwest Nova Scotia.

The council meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the council chamber at 249 White Point Rd., Liverpool. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to an audio version of this story below