Hank Snow Museum. Photo Ed Halverson

Organizers are calling this year’s Hank Snow Tribute a resounding success.

More than 1,600 people showed up for the annual event which returned to Queens Place after a four-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over $25,000 was raised at this year’s tribute which will go directly to supporting operations at the Hank Snow Museum.

Administrator with the Friends of Hank Snow Society (and longtime QCCR announcer) Vina Moses says the organizing committee knew after a four-year break they would need to change tactics to raise as much as they could to support the museum.

This year the group got the community to sponsor the names of performers, past and present who have appeared on the Hank Snow Tribute stage and included them in the program.

That sponsorship drive along with some government grants allowed organizers to cover all the concert expenses, leaving the money raised at the event to go directly to the Hank Snow Museum.

Moses says the Friends of Hank Snow Society had to be creative in finding ways to cover their costs through the pandemic. She says they hit upon the idea of hosting weekly barbeques at the museum site to help keep the doors of the museum open.

“That was money that we were able to use to keep the museum going for the last few months. That’s because of those diligent people who worked so hard on the Wednesday shows and the wonderful people who came to the Wednesday shows,” said Moses. “We had folks who came every week and we really appreciate them.”

Moses says the community has come to enjoy the barbeques and the society decided they will continue.

Even though the tribute has just ended, organizers are forging ahead to provide more music.

The group is now preparing for their annual Gavin Whynot memorial event Saturday Sep 9 from noon until 6pm at the Gaven Whynot Gazebo Park. Then they’ll set their sights on another event in December to recognize the many volunteers who help keep the memory of Hank Snow and his influence alive.

To hear the full interview with Vina Moses click play below.

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Region of Queens Administration Building. Photo Ed Halverson

Rezoning of an area to accommodate to construction of co-op housing topped the latest meeting of Region of Queens council.

No one spoke in favour or against the proposed multi-unit co-op development at a public hearing ahead of Tuesday’s council meeting.

Council approved the rezoning to allow the construction in the Lawrence Street/Amherst Street part of Liverpool.

Also receiving council approval was a request from the Medway Head Lighthouse Society to allow liquor to be served at the opening night of their annual art show.

Council then approved the $314,700 + HST purchase of a front-end loader for the Queens solid waste facility. The purchase came in over $70,000 less than the budgeted amount of $385,000 + HST.

Next up was the appointment of Miles Harlow as Fire Inspector for the municipality. Harlow is a building inspector for the Region and will continue in that role as he takes on the responsibilities of fire inspector alongside the municipality’s current sole fire inspector Tim Clattenburg.

In the discussion portion of the meeting, a question was asked during the Council Implementation Report as to what progress is being made to sell off some the Region’s surplus properties.

Planning staff had been tasked with developing a policy for the equitable sale of surplus lands but say there hasn’t been time. They are processing a high number of permits which need to take priority over the policy development.

Next council tasked staff with cleaning up graffiti on municipally owned property in Port Mouton.

The first quarter financial review continues to show high deed transfer tax payments. The deed-transfer tax puts 1.5 percent from the sale of any property in Queens into municipal coffers. Staff had predicted $720,000 in tax revenue for the entire year but has taken in $321,905 in just the first three months of the year, almost half of what they were expecting for all of 2023/24.

Finally, council is looking at installing security cameras in the recreation areas at Queens Place after vandals have been leaving broken glass and graffiti throughout the campus. Staff will explore options and bring a report back to council at the next meeting that will outline possible solutions and costs.

The next council meeting will be held in council chambers on September 12 beginning at 9:00am.

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Rendering of new spray pad at Etli Milita’mk park. Photo Region of Queens

The spray pad in the long-awaited universally designed playpark at Queens Place opens Tuesday.

The water feature includes sprinklers, a fountain, filler buckets and jet spray units and is the first phase of the complete design

Community members raised over $450,000 with the goal of building a universal playpark that includes ramped decks, braille and audio elements as well as a Spray Pad to make it inclusive to everyone regardless of age or ability.

The park is the realization of a dream shared by several groups throughout Queens.

Local resident Debbie Wamboldt first approached the Region of Queens in 2015 about supporting the construction of a universally designed park. Since then, she was the driving force behind the fundraising effort. For their part, the Region provided the land next to the skate park at Queens Place and will own, operate, and maintain the park for residents. Autism Nova Scotia holds the money in trust and releases it as invoices are submitted by the municipality.

The name Etli Milita’mk (pronounced ed-a-lee milly-dumk) is a Mi’kmaq phrase which translates to “We are playing here” and was selected for the playpark after consultation with Acadia First Nation representatives.

Construction of the park has been delayed by supply and staff shortages brought on by the pandemic but if all goes as it should, the park will be fully opened and operational by the end of September.

In the meantime, the spray pad will be open from 9:00am to 8:00pm every day until September.

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Queens Place ice surface. Photo Ed Halverson

The Liverpool Privateers will not be returning to Queens Place in the fall.

The team made the announcement on their Facebook page Thursday afternoon and no reason was given for the sudden departure.

The news comes as a surprise after the Privateers announced on May 30, they would be back in Liverpool to play another season.

Screenshot of Facebook announcement by Liverpool Privateers Hockey Club. The post was taken down shortly after the team announced they would not be returning to Liverpool.

The Junior B hockey club has called Queens Place home for the past eight years.

The Region received notice from team owner Jim Bottomley late Monday night indicating they would be terminating their ice rental agreement effective June 27. Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman was surprised by the decision as the Region had recently come to terms with the team for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Norman says there is plenty of demand for the weekly ice-rental time, but losing Junior B caliber hockey will be felt by the fans.

“It’s an unfortunate loss for the hockey fans that have supported that team. It was good hockey, certainly was well supported,” said Norman. “I think the players have always said they had the biggest fanbase they’ve ever had in this rink. So good luck to the team wherever they go.”

The Liverpool Junior B Hockey Association hosted the Don Johnson Cup in April, welcoming some of the best Junior hockey teams across the Atlantic provinces to Queens Place. By all accounts the event was a great success.

QCCR attempted to contact team officials for comment but did not receive a reply before publication.

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The fitness room side of Queens Place is a potential site for a new outdoor pool. Photo Ed Halverson

Following several months of deliberation, the Region of Queens looks to be closing in on a design for a new outdoor pool.

At their last meeting, council decided to recommend the project manager and engineer develop concept drawings based on criteria established by the Region’s pool committee.

The Region wants to see plans for a six-lane, 25 metre outdoor pool with a zero-entry access located adjacent to Queens Place Emera Centre.

Consideration is also being given to including heat recovery from the ice plant at Queens Place, installing deck lights to extend swim times and inclusive, male, and female dressing rooms.

The pool committee would also like a therapy hot tub, but some councillors were concerned that could put the project over budget.

Councillor Kevin Muise says he wants to have a better understanding of the costs before moving ahead with any additions.

“I have some problems with it because we have no idea of the price. You know if you’re going to raise the money and put that in separately then I don’t have a problem with it,” said Muise. ”But to just sit here and vote on something to say yes I’m in favor of a hot tub and we have no idea price and what it’s going to cost the taxpayers I have a little problem.”

Councillor David Brown shared Councillor Muise’s concern but said he’d rather learn the price and cut it later if needs be.

“I’m in favour of moving ahead with taking it to the next step because I think it’s a lot easier for us, when we get the numbers, to strike a line through it, to cut something out than it is to decide down the road that we want to add something into the design,” said Brown. “You know, then we will be basing our decisions on the knowledge that we’ve got a certain budget, this is the cost, and do the two match up.”

In the end council decided to go ahead with getting designs and pricing including the hot tub.

Interim CAO Dan McDougall says ideally the project manager and engineer will bring designs forward for council to approve over the winter so construction can begin next spring.

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Vina Moses stands alongside a statue of country music legend Hank Snow. Photo Ed Halverson

Organizers of the annual Hank Snow Tribute are calling for help.

For the past 30 years the life and legacy of Liverpool’s favourite son has been celebrated through several nights of concerts, music and memories.

But administrator at the Hank Snow Museum Vina Moses says the annual tribute which acts as their major fundraiser may not be enough to keep the doors open.

Moses who also appears on-air here at QCCR says a three-years long pandemic with little opportunity for fundraising has drained the organization’s accounts.

“The financial situation at the Hank Snow Museum is critical,” says Moses. “We are really looking for sponsors, especially for both of our events but mostly for the Tribute. We really need help this year to get through.”

Moses says the museum has kept the doors open and the lights on over the past few years thanks to the support of several large sponsors including the Region of Queens, Sobeys, Belliveau Veinotte accountants and Heritage Canada.

Hank Snow was Canada’s first major country music star. His career took flight when he moved to Nashville in 1949. Over the next five decades he recorded 140 albums and landed 85 singles on the Billboard Country charts including number one hits “I’m Moving On” and “I’ve Been Everywhere”.

Moses is hoping to see others who are passionate about Snow’s music step forward and support their work.

“There are folks who have already helped, and we are now looking for some more major sponsors as well as folks who will maybe sponsor $50.”

Moses says that $50 will place the sponsors name beside an artist on the festival literature.

Headlining the Hank Snow Tribute this year will be Ruth Manning and the Prospectors on Thursday, a collection of Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees is featured on Friday, the Rhinestone Romeos from the valley and Southern Breeze from New Brunswick will co-headline Saturday and Joyce Seamone will lead the finale Sunday.

Country legend Carroll Baker was scheduled to headline the Tribute, but Moses says due to circumstances beyond their control the Hank Snow Society couldn’t fly her in.

Organizers are working to bring Baker back next year.

The Hank Snow Society is planning several other events this summer including weekly Wednesday barbeques featuring local performers at the Hank Snow Museum.

The Hank Snow Tribute will be held at Queens Place in Liverpool the weekend of Aug 17 and tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 14.

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Site plan for new Queens Long Term Care Home. Photo Region of Queens Council Agenda

The Queens Home for Special Care Society is asking the municipality to sell them more land and help cover the costs of building a road to the new care home being built near Queens Place.

At the recent Region of Queens Council meeting society chair Christopher Clarke and Executive Director of Queens Manor Andrew MacVicar appealed to council to cover part of the $400,000 they estimate it will cost to build a road and underground infrastructure to the new facility.

The society is paying close to a million dollars to buy the land at Queens Crossing from the municipality.

In the past, regional council has reinvested proceeds of land sales at that location back into the site.

The current council decided last month to not extend the Queens Place Road when they voted against building the new library on the site.

That left responsibility for building a road to the new care facility with the Queens Home for Special Care Society.

When addressing council, Clarke said their construction timelines are extremely tight and road construction to the new home site must begin this summer.

“Deputy Mayor, it has to be this year for us. Obviously the first thing that we do is to start pushing dirt to start construction,” said Clarke. “We hope to be doing that in July, August, kind of thing, so yes, we’ve got to do it tout de suite.”

Including the road construction in their plans may mean the society will have to move the entire build closer to the road by almost 70 metres.

Clarke explains the design is planned with residents and staff in mind to enjoy a southwest view that will maximize the light.

Moving the build will allow the construction to proceed without reorienting the building.

“When you’re dealing with seniors in homes is that it will also be facing activity at Queens Place,” said Clarke. “The coming and going, the people going to the skateboard park, even people in the parking lot we know from the Manor that anything happening outside the Manor is a is a key interest to the residents there and so the orientation of that building which had been carefully planned, is important.”

Mayor Darlene Norman says she has heard from the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing expressing their concern that the province is providing a million dollars to pay for the land and the municipality is unwilling to build a road to the new care home.

Norman would like the municipality to be a good partner in this important project.

“In my opinion, we need to do what I believe our area residents feel is right. And I suspect the majority of people in Queens County would expect us, if we’re getting $1,000,000 so the province can build, along with the Queens Care Society, can build this exceptional replacement facility for Hillsview and Queens Manor, that we build them a road to the driveway,”said Norman.

Council will consider the request and make a decision on funding at a future council meeting.

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Region of Queens Council. Photo Region of Queens

Region of Queens Council has rejected a developer’s request to allow short term rentals in all three units they are building in Beach Meadows.

A public hearing on the matter kicked off Tuesday’s Region of Queens council meeting.

The developer will have to stick to the current zoning to permit long term housing which allows only one short term rental on the site.

The council portion of the meeting began with the approval to update the Emergency Management bylaw.

After the development agreement was rejected, council voted to consolidate municipal insurance under one provider.

Much like a multi-line discount for having a car, home and life insurance policy, the Region will save approximately $60,000 by combining all coverage under one provider, AON Reed Stenhouse Inc.

AON requires a significant increase in deductible for fire department trucks, raising the current amount from $5,000 to $25,000 per incident.

The Region agreed to pick up any deductible costs above the $5,000 limit as it is rare for the fire departments to make a claim for the trucks and the move is considered low risk.

Council then approved a tiered system for providing low-income property tax relief.

Anyone with an annual household income up to $20,000 will receive $400 in relief, from $20,000 up to $25,000 will get $350 and between $25,000 and $30,000 will enjoy $300 in property tax relief.

Commercial operators will pay almost $18 more per tonne in residual waste tipping fees going forward.

Council approved a hike to $29.90 per tonne in closure costs effective April 1.

All is back to normal at the South Shore Regional Airport as the municipality has come to terms on a 20-year lease with the South Shore Flying Club.

The club will pay $4,000 plus HST to the Region each year and will be able to continue its activities in exchange for maintaining the site.

The municipality announced earlier this month it had come to terms on a 20-year lease with the South Shore Drag Racers Association.

The two groups will continue to share the airport as they have for years.

During the discussion portion of the meeting council talked about construction of the proposed outdoor pool at Queens Place.

Council put forward the idea that once the scope of the pool is known, that project and the proposed build of the new library alongside Queens Place should be combined and operated by the same project management team.

The next Region of Queens council meeting will be held Tuesday, April 11 in council chambers beginning at 9:00am.

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A lighter than usual agenda was dominated by the proposed new library during the Region of Queens last council meeting.

As previously reported here, council voted to rescind their approval to build a new library at a site in Queens Crossing.

They’ve asked for studies to determine the cost to instead build either directly beside or attached to Queens Place Emera Centre.

The March 14 meeting began with a presentation from Queens Care Building Society updating their progress on the new long-term care home to be built at Queens Crossing.

The group is currently awaiting design approval before they can formally buy the land from Region of Queens.

Next council gave second reading to a Tax Exemption bylaw to support some non-profit organizations by allowing them to forgo paying their municipal property taxes.

Council passed the motion to give up $241,000 in revenue for the Region of Queens.

They also approved the naming of a new road off Shore Road in Western Head as Serenity Now Lane.

Council then rescinded library approval before awarding a community grant of $2,800 to this station, QCCR to update some broadcasting equipment.

Approval was granted to conduct an HVAC investigation at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre.

Council agreed to provide $10,975 to DUMAC Energy to complete a comprehensive heating, ventilation, and air conditioning assessment to determine the needs and find solutions to the heating and cooling systems in the building which houses the Astor Theatre.

During the discussion portion of the meeting council talked about creating a tiered support system for low-income property tax relief.

Anyone with an annual household income up to $20,000 will receive $400 in relief, from there up to $25,000 will get $350 and between $25,000 and $30,000 will enjoy $300 in property tax relief.

Council will vote on that proposal in an upcoming meeting.

Added discussion items included how to reduce the amount the Region’s fire services are paying for insurance.

Council decided they will go with a lower cost insurance provider and pay the higher deductible for any of the five departments as there have been very few claims.

The next council meeting will be held Tuesday March 28 in council chambers beginning at 6:00pm.

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The proposed site for the new library at Queens Place lies at the end of the driveway beside the sledding hill. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Council has cancelled the construction of a new library near Queens Place.

In a recorded 5-3 vote, Councillors Amirault, Charlton, Fancy, Gidney and Muise voted not to build the library at that location, while Mayor Norman and Councillors Brown and Hawkes voted to go ahead.

The motion was put forward by Councillor Charlton who expressed concerns Council wasn’t consulted about building a new road on the site which would extend the existing driveway to accommodate both the planned long-term care home and the proposed library.

In August 2022 council agreed to sell the land at Queens Crossing (the name of the site containing Queens Place, the Best Western Hotel, the skatepark, the planned long-term care home and the proposed library site) to the Queens Care Society for $2 per square foot.

The 479,000 square feet of land would bring in roughly $960,000, which is about what public works staff estimate it would cost to build a road, sidewalks and water infrastructure out to the end of the cul-de-sac to accommodate the library and long-term care home.

Historically, council has reinvested any proceeds from the sale of land on that site back into infrastructure at Queens Crossing.

Charlton says she supports the construction of a new long-term care home, but council was never asked if they wanted to spend that money and since it isn’t a policy, this council is not bound by the decisions of previous councils.

“We did not discuss a road extension when we agreed to sell the land,” said Charlton. “We were selling the land because it was already serviced for water and sewer to the point where it was required.”

Mayor Darlene Norman says if the municipality doesn’t cover the cost of extending these services it will need to come from the Queens Care Society’s construction budget.

“The whole idea that we would not show our support for this amazing facility is beyond comprehensible to me,” said Norman.

Councillor Vicki Amirault chairs the library site selection committee and voted against the committee’s recommendation.

The committee was tasked by council with finding the best location to build a new library.

The Queens Crossing site was put forth as the committee’s unanimous choice for the new build in June of 2022 but was rejected by council in a 5-3 vote.

In January of this year the committee made the same recommendation which council accepted at that time.

Councillor Amirault was contacted to provide a comment for this story but did not reply before publication.

Council is now looking at options to move the library closer to the Queens Place Emera Centre.

They have requested costed studies for two different library concepts.

One will determine the price of a stand-alone library beside Queens Place; the other would examine building an extension on the Centre.

CAO Chris McNeill told council he was warned by the project manager an extension would be more costly.

McNeill says any extension on Queens Place would have to look at the existing capacity of the building to handle additional demands on electricity, heating and water supply among other issues.

McNeill also informed council the two studies could cost in the range of $200,000.

In the meantime, council is aware of the precarious situation the Thomas H Raddall Library finds itself.

In addition to infrastructure issues the building is currently up for sale.

Council is suggesting the library find alternative locations where they could relocate temporarily until a new permanent location can be built.

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