Queens District RCMP are looking for the public’s help finding a Caledonia man wanted on a provice-wide arrest warrant.
Nolan Conway, 21, faces five counts each of assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, two counts of uttering threats and one count of mischief under $5,000.
Conway is described as five-foot-nine, 165 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
RCMP say they’ve made several attempts to find him.
Anyone with information about Conway is asked to call Queens District RCMP at 902-354-5721 or their local police detachment.
People can also leave anonymous tips by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
A Liverpool man is accused of impersonating an RCMP officer. (RCMP)
A Queens County man has been charged with several offences, including stealing a dump truck and impersonating a police officer.
Christopher Allan MacLeod, 43, of Liverpool was charged after incidents on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
RCMP say that on Dec. 26 at about 9:20 p.m., a man approached an RCMP officer outside the Cookville RCMP detachment in Bridgewater and said he was an RCMP sergeant who had just been transferred from another province.
He drove to the detachment in a black Dodge Ram and was dressed in civilian clothes, according to an RCMP news release. He said he didn’t have any RCMP identification.
The officer confirmed that the man was not a fellow officer and arrested him.
Lunenburg District RCMP charged MacLeod with impersonating a peace officer and breach of a recognizance. He appeared in Bridgewater provincial court on Dec. 29 and was released on conditions.
On Jan. 1, at 11:45 a.m., Queens District RCMP got a call about a stolen dump truck from a garage on Devonshire Road in West Caledonia.
While officers were on their way to the scene, they saw the vehicle on Highway 3 in Liverpool.
They stopped the truck and safely arrested the driver, whom police identified as MacLeod. They allege that MacLeod entered the garage on Dec. 31 and stayed overnight before taking the truck.
Queens District RCMP have charged MacLeod with break and enter with intent, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime and two counts of failing to comply with an order.
MacLeod appeared in Bridgewater provincial court on those charges on Jan. 2 and was remanded into custody. He appeared again on Jan. 7 and was ordered back to jail until his next appearance on Feb. 4.
RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Carlie McCann asked people to contact police or Crime Stoppers if they have any information about either incident.
“At this point I don’t anticipate there being further charges related to either of these two files, but we will continue to investigate if new information is learned.”
MacLeod is listed in Nova Scotia property records as the co-owner, with Charles King, of 27 West Berlin Wharf Rd. in West Berlin. A house, truck and several outbuildings were destroyed in a fire there on Dec. 22. RCMP said at the time that one man was arrested at the scene but later released and not charged in the fire. They have not said what caused the blaze, but said they had reports of fireworks before it began.
RCMP say that anybody worried about the identity of a police officer should ask the officer for identification or contact their local detachment’s non-emergency line. In an emergency, call 911.
“Nova Scotia RCMP regularly reinforces with all of our officers the importance of self-identification,” McCann said.
“If you are in a situation where you suspect that someone might be using or planning to use real or replica police equipment or if you’re in a situation where something is concerning or seems off, please don’t hesitate to call local police or if you believe you may be in immediate danger, call 911.
“In a situation like a traffic stop, you can ask to see an officer’s badge and ID card and that will have their regimental number and the ID card will have a photo. We always want Nova Scotians to be aware of suspicious behaviour, and don’t hesitate to reach out to police to report it.”
A fire off the West Berlin Wharf Road on Monday evening seen from the beach in West Berlin. (Rick Conrad)
A house was razed in a suppertime blaze in West Berlin on Monday.
Queens District RCMP and firefighters from Liverpool, Port Medway, North Queens, Greenfield, Mill Village, Italy Cross/Middlewood, Bridgewater and Dayspring responded to the fire at about 5:50 p.m. on the West Berlin Wharf Road. There were more than a dozen emergency vehicles on scene.
The building was fully engulfed shortly after fire crews got there, with flames seen shooting into the sky from across Blueberry Bay. Cars lined the Eastern Shore Road near the small beach in West Berlin to watch the fire from across the bay and take photos.
“At the scene, there were reports of gunshots or fireworks,” RCMP spokesperson Cindy Bayers told QCCR on Tuesday.
“No firearm was located in the area and no injuries were reported. One man was safely arrested. At this time, he’s not facing any charges and the investigation is ongoing.”
The oceanfront property down a long lane is a good distance away from West Berlin Wharf where lobster fishermen have their boats tied. One woman parked near the beach said she was worried her father’s building at the wharf was in danger, but said she soon realized the fire was far enough away.
Along with the house, a truck was also destroyed in the blaze and at least two outbuildings sustained damage.
Crews were on scene most of the night and into the early morning. They were called back to the scene around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday after reports of hot spots possibly reigniting.
The fire was fully extinguished by Tuesday afternoon.
The Liverpool fire chief could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
RCMP are looking for Shaun Clarence Cunningham (RCMP Nova Scotia)
Queens District RCMP are asking for the public’s help in finding a man wanted on a province-wide arrest warrant on sexual assault charges.
Police are looking for Shaun Clarence Cunningham, 46, whom police say is known to travel between Shelburne and Queens County.
He faces charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, two counts of invitation to sexual touching and failure to appear in court.
He’s described as five-foot-nine, 175 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes.
RCMP say they’ve made several attempts to find him. They’re asking anyone with information to call the Queens District detachment at 902-354-5721 or their local police department. Anonymous tips can be phone into Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or by using the P3 Tips app.
The Region of Queens wants ‘clear, enforceable provisions’ around e-bike and e-scooter use. (Mercea Iancu via Pixabay)
The Region of Queens wants to figure out how to regulate e-scooters and e-bikes in the municipality.
And that could include allowing them on sidewalks.
District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault said that at the Nov. 13 police advisory board meeting, Queens District RCMP Const. Andrew Winsor reviewed the Motor Vehicle Act provisions around e-scooters.
“We discussed the uses of these devices on all roads, but the most challenged road was Bristol Avenue,” Amirault told her fellow councillors at Tuesday’s regular council meeting.
“ The board discussed sidewalk versus roadway use for the e-scooters. Due to the narrow lanes and heavy traffic in this area, it was suggested sidewalk use for limited areas, such as these supported by signage, with expectations for reductions in speed.”
Residents told councillors at their recent town hall sessions that it’s become too dangerous as a pedestrian in some areas, with the rise in popularity of the devices.
They reported people riding e-scooters and e-bikes at high speeds and not paying attention to what they were doing.
Councillors asked staff to develop “clear, enforceable provisions regulating e-bikes and e-scooters as recommended by the police advisory board”.
They also want staff to come up with amendments to a bylaw that restricts skateboard use in downtown Liverpool.
Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton said the 1998 bylaw prohibiting skateboards at Fort Point, on Main Street, park of Market Street and near the Visitor Information Centre is too restrictive.
“The police advisory board wanted to remedy that since we have a lovely skate park and we’re promoting activity and further engagement with our youth. So that doesn’t jibe with the council of the day.”
She said Winsor told councillors that they can’t do anything about reckless e-scooter and e-bike use without a municipal bylaw.
“Where the municipality doesn’t have bylaws with e-bikes and e-scooters, he can’t do any ticketing. So once we have a bylaw in place that covers that, if someone is going excessive speed on Bristol, he actually would be able to ticket them.”
The Motor Vehicle Act does extensively regulate the use of e-scooters. It explicitly says they should be treated like bicycles, and are not allowed on sidewalks.
Users of bicycles, e-scooters, skateboards and other similar devices are also supposed to wear helmets.
“Where a roadway has a bicycle lane for bicycles travelling in the same direction that a cyclist is travelling, the operator of an electric kick-scooter shall ride in the bicycle lane unless it is impracticable to do so,” the act says.
“An operator of an electric kick-scooter who is not riding in a bicycle lane shall ride as far to the right side of the roadway as practicable or on the right-hand shoulder of the roadway.”
The Nova Scotia government recently passed a new Traffic Safety Act, which is due to replace the Motor Vehicle Act. It has not been proclaimed yet, so the current Motor Vehicle Act stands.
Under the new act, however, much of the responsibility for regulating the use of bicycles, e-scooters and e-bikes would fall to municipalities.
Mayor Scott Christian said he’s unsure why provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act aren’t being enforced. But he said he hopes the staff report will help clarify who’s responsible.
“It seems to me that some other municipalities will have already tackled this one. So I’ll be interested to see what approaches to regulating the appropriate and safe use of those devices within a town context where there is sidewalk infrastructure in place.”
Councillors also asked staff to investigate traffic calming measures in the town of Liverpool to respond to residents’ concerns about speeding by motor vehicles.
Jason Scott Rudderham of Hunts Point. (RCMP Nova Scotia)
A Queens County man wanted on a provincewide warrant has been arrested in Halifax.
Nova Scotia RCMP said Monday in a news release that officers with the Halifax detachment safely apprehended Jason Scott Rudderham of Hunts Point.
The 50-year-old faces charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation and exposing his genitals to a person under 14.
Jason Scott Rudderham of Hunts Point is wanted by RCMP on a province-wide arrest warrant. (RCMP Nova Scotia)
Queens District RCMP are looking for a Hunts Point man wanted on a province-wide warrant, facing various sex charges.
Jason Scott Rudderham, 50, is charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation and exposing his genitals to a person under 14.
Rudderham has brown hair and brown eyes, stands 5-foot-11, and weighs 234 pounds.
RCMP say they’ve made several attempts to find Rudderham and are requesting the public’s help.
Anyone with information on where Rudderham is can call Queens County District RCMP at 902-354-5721. You can also call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian speaks to residents before a town hall meeting at the Liverpool Fire Hall on Thursday. (Rick Conrad)
Community safety and downtown development dominated the first of seven town hall meetings held by Queens County councillors.
About 30 people attended the two-hour session at the Liverpool Fire Hall on Thursday evening to hear about council’s plans for the municipality and to ask some questions of their own.
Safety for people of all ages was a big concern.
Some residents said their grandchildren stay away from the Mersey Skatepark at Queens Place Emera Centre because of violence and bullying there.
Others said they were worried about reckless riding of e-scooters and other vehicles on sidewalks.
And the owner of the Subway restaurant said she and her staff are dealing with problems from some students at the neighbouring Queens Adult High School.
Kim Moulton told councillors that her staff regularly witness drug use in front of the restaurant. She said they’ve called the RCMP, who take the students away but then bring them back.
“Most times it’s pretty good. And then sometimes, when the new school year starts it starts over again and then we have to put our foot down,” she said in an interview.
“It’s not a very nice sight to sit and eat your lunch when you have a group of people hanging around loitering, smoking, cursing and swearing, spitting. It’s very unsightly.”
Other people told councillors they’re concerned about the lack of enforcement of e-scooters on sidewalks.
Nova Scotia’s Motor Vehicle Act clearly defines limits on e-scooter use, similar to bicycles. But Mayor Scott Christian said that Queens District RCMP have told the municipality that they can’t do anything about people riding them on sidewalks or recklessly on the road.
“Some of the stuff that was raised here, it’s not safe for pedestrians and it’s intimidating for some pedestrians when they have users on electric vehicles bearing down on them,” Christian said after the meeting.
“We see a lot of youth, a lot of young kids, riding these scooters. They’re going quite quick. A lot of them aren’t wearing helmets. Something I’ve raised to the (RCMP) staff sergeant and they’ve identified as something that they need to do some public education around. When we raise it to them they say the municipality has to do their part and get effective bylaws in place as well.”
According to the Motor Vehicle Act, which the RCMP usually enforce, riders of e-scooters or electric kick scooters are supposed to wear helmets at all times, just like users of bicycles and skateboards. They also must ride on the road or in designated bike lanes.
Municipalities can make their own bylaws governing their use, in addition to what’s in provincial legislation.
Region of Queens councillors held the first of seven town hall meetings Thursday evening. (Rick Conrad)
People also raised concerns about the state of downtown Liverpool.
Sylvia Hurley said much of Main Street looks rundown.
“It needs to be revamped,” she said in an interview after the meeting.
“It needs upgrading, those buildings. I mean, you go downtown and look at the old Stedman building. Just look at it. It’s not attractive. It’s not attractive. The old Scotiabank, not attractive. You know, it’s just not welcoming anymore.
“I was born and brought up here and I remember when on Friday or Saturday night you came into town, and there was no place to stand on the sidewalk and talk because there would be other people standing and talking, and you don’t get that anymore.”
Christian and Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton pointed to council’s recent decision to amend the land use bylaw to allow more residential development downtown, specifically at the old Stedman’s site at 194 Main St.
“Coming up with a winning strategy where we can get more vibrancy in the downtown core, that’s a big priority,” Christian said.
For the first part of the meeting, Christian took people through council’s vision for the municipality and the priorities they plan to work on in four areas – governance, economic development, community wellness and environment and infrastructure.
People were asked to choose one part of each of those areas that was most important to them. They could also write suggestions on Post-It notes. The Top 3 concerns appeared to be transparency and accountability, coming up with an economic development plan, and repairing and replacing aging infrastructure.
Residents said afterward they appreciated the chance to air some of their concerns, though they said they wanted more time to ask questions.
Christian encouraged people to come out to one of the remaining six sessions, to be held over the next week and a half at locations around Queens County.
“I think it’s an opportunity to hear about the direction we’re trying to take the municipality in Queen’s County and then an opportunity to bring your questions forward.
“You want to come out to speak to the issue or ask your question directly to your elected officials, this is your opportunity to do it.”
The town hall meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Here are the dates and locations of upcoming sessions:
RCMP were called to a residence in Beach Meadows on Sept. 13. (Vlad Vasnetsov via Pixabay)
Two people were found dead in a home in Beach Meadows on Sat., Sept. 13, according to Nova Scotia RCMP.
Queens District RCMP officers responded as part of a well-being check, a spokeswoman told QCCR in an email on Monday.
Officers found the two residents already deceased. The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service was contacted, and “criminality is not believed to be a factor in the deaths,” according to the email.
Fire, police and other emergency vehicles could be seen at the property for much of the morning on Sun., Sept. 14, with officers in white forensic identification suits entering the home.
Because of privacy concerns, the RCMP won’t be releasing any further details, though it’s believed an elderly man and his daughter were living in the home.
“Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this difficult time,” the RCMP statement said.
Region of Queens councillors want more traffic enforcement in places like Liverpool and Summerville. (Rick Conrad)
Region of Queens councillors want the RCMP to crack down on traffic violations and drug crime and they say they’re willing to put up the money to hire extra officers.
Staff Sgt. Dan Archibald is the commander of the Queens District RCMP detachment. He recently provided a quarterly police report to council.
He said that having a dedicated street crime enforcement team of two officers to investigate drug complaints would free up other officers to address longstanding irritants like traffic.
“I feel that it’s too easy for individuals to sell illicit drugs from their residences with the lack of enforcement or capability in doing enforcement on our behalf. A designated street crime team or general investigations team would not only give us the resource power to do it, but it would come with the knowledge and experience that would be required to do it.
“To me, it would make (Queens County) that much better of a place to live to be able to enforce those on a routine.”
There was one charge under the controlled drugs and substances act from April to June this year. Last year, there were four in the same period.
The detachment is currently staffed with 10 constables, which includes one community policing officer. Two corporals act as shift supervisors and operations manager, in addition to Archibald himself. There are also two civilian employees.
The Region of Queens spends just under $3 million a year on policing.
District 4 Coun. Vicki Amirault said council decided more than 10 years ago to pull funding for an extra officer. And she said another officer left the area soon after that and wasn’t replaced.
“I’ve been getting a lot of complaints lately of drugs, needles, within Pine Grove Park,” she said.
“I think council has to tackle that right away. … I think now we do have the need to support that extra officer without a doubt, with what’s going on now in today’s world. And I really hope that council will support this initiative. ”
Overall, Archibald said there was no big spike in crime in Queens County over the same period last year.
But calls for assaults, extortion, harassment or threats were up to 48 from 32. There 42 calls related to intimate partner violence. Twelve people, nine male and three female, were charged in those incidents.
RCMP also dealt with 388 traffic violations, up from 250 the year before.
Archibald said the increase in traffic-related charges is the result of targeted enforcement.
“We’ve been doing some proactive traffic enforcement throughout Queens County,” he said.
“ For the two months of that first quarter, we’ve focused on North Queens, Caledonia area, and rural roads off of Caledonia, which has been great. And what that looks like is a day designated with some extra members coming in, doing strictly traffic enforcement, road safety things. People are happy to see us in places where they haven’t seen us previously. We’re looking at keeping that up every month at the very least focusing one day in various areas throughout the community.”
Some councillors want more of it.
Coun. Courtney Wentzell said he regularly gets complaints from residents in his downtown Liverpool district that they never see police.
“The lack of police presence in this community, I find quite appalling. I never see a cop. Privateer Days, I think I’ve seen five of them in the tent, but I don’t see them. And I live on the west side of Main Street, which is a drag strip. They start around around the fire hall or Cameron’s Corner, and it is a drag strip, and you can talk to anybody on that street, and they’ll tell you. And we never see a cop. We never see a radar set up.”
Archibald said that covering a large area like Queens County can be challenging.
“Policing has changed over the last however many years, (and) the demand for police presence has grown. Every time someone calls the police, whether it’s North Queens, West Queens, East Queens, wherever it is, if we have two members on during a day shift or two on night shift, a call in North Queens drags two members, whether it’s mental health, whether it’s a mischief, whether it’s a domestic, whether it’s a traffic complaint, that drags the only police officers out of Liverpool to a different area which takes them away from town for two hours. So it’s harder to designate police to the town of Liverpool when there’s other needs.”
But Archibald said they’re trying to address those kinds of concerns with their monthly traffic initiative. And he said installing more digital speed signs in some areas would also help, especially during tourist season.
Archibald told councillors that residents should report traffic violations to the detachment as soon as they see them.
“If they call us in real time, and we’ve got some new recruits here … who are gung ho on getting out there and if someone gives information as to who these people are, what they’re driving, like, they are out of the office to go look for them. So now’s a good time to report those people as well. You don’t always get that in certain detachments, but we have some young folks who who are enjoying traffic enforcement.”
RCMP have charged two men in after a break-and-enter in Pleasant River. (Vlad Vasnetsov via Pixabay)
Two men are facing multiple charges after a break-in at a home in Pleasant River on May 31.
Queens District RCMP say they’ve charged Devon Matthew James Kanne, 34, of Danesville, with breaking and entering and committing. He has been released on conditions and will appear in Bridgewater provincial court on Aug. 13.
Michael Gerald Wentzell, 32, of Italy Cross, is charged with:
Breaking and entering with intent
Uttering threats against a person
Assault with a weapon
Possession of property obtained by crime less than or equal to $5,000
Three counts of failure to comply with probation order (three counts)
Two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon knowing its possession is unauthorized
Two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon for dangerous purpose
Wentzell appeared in Bridgewater provincial court on June 2 and was released on conditions. He’s scheduled to be back in court on June 25.
Police say they responded to a break-and-enter at a home on Old Chelsea Road at about 8 p.m. on May 31. They were told a man broke into the home wielding a knife.
The homeowner confronted the man, who threatened the owner. The homeowner then left the residence and called police.
The suspect fled the scene in an SUV driven by another man.
About 45 minutes later, Lunenburg District RCMP stopped the vehicle in Hebbville. The driver, who was the only person in the vehicle, was arrested.
The other man alleged to have broken into the home was found walking along Hwy. 208 near Crouse Road and arrested at about 9:30 p.m. by Queens District RCMP.
RCMP say they recovered the stolen property and nobody was injured.
A Queens County man is the latest victim of intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia, RCMP say. (RCMP)
RCMP have charged a man with second-degree murder in a domestic assault in Queens County in late March.
On March 28 at 3:30 a.m., Queens District RCMP and paramedics responded to a weapons call at a home in Mill Village.
They found an 84-year-old man with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed. Another man fled earlier in a vehicle.
Officers arrested a suspect later that morning, at about 7:45 a.m. at a home in Voglers Cove.
Derek Dominix, 60, of Mill Village was charged then with attempted murder.
The 84-year-old man died on April 11 in hospital, where he had been since the attack.
The Nova Scotia medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide, according to an RCMP news release.
Police say it’s a case of intimate partner violence.
The Southwest Nova RCMP major crime unit took over the investigation and upgraded the attempted murder charge to second-degree murder on April 22.
Dominix remains in custody and will appear in Bridgewater provincial court on May 15, at 9:30 a.m.
This is the ninth person killed because of intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia since Oct. 18, 2024. Seven women have been killed in cases linked to their male partners. In one of those cases, a woman’s father was also killed.
An RCMP spokeswoman said they won’t be releasing the victim’s name.
Anyone experiencing, or at risk of, intimate partner violence can seek help anonymously by calling 211 or 1-855-225-0220.
RCMP have charged a 60-year-old Mill Village man with attempted murder.
Queens District RCMP were called to a house on Hwy. 3 in Mill Village on March 28 at about 3:30 a.m.
Officers and ambulance personnel found an 84-year-old man with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed.
Another man had fled the scene before police arrived, according to an RCMP news release late Wednesday afternoon.
Both men knew each other, and no one else was in the home at the time of the assault.
Police arrested a suspect at a home in Voglers Cove at 7:45 p.m.
Derek Dominix, 60, has been charged with attempted murder and taken into custody. He’s scheduled to appear in Bridgewater provincial court on April 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Students and staff at Liverpool Regional High School were under a hold and secure order for a short time on Wednesday morning. (Rick Conrad)
An incident at Liverpool Regional High School on Wednesday forced officials to secure the school and students.
Parents got an email at 10:50 a.m. telling them the school was in a “precautionary hold and secure”.
“Everyone is safe and this measure has been taken out of an abundance of caution, due to a potential safety concern in the community,” the email said.
“During the hold and secure classes will continue as normal, access to the building will be limited, and students will remain inside the school for breaks.”
The email told parents that the hold and secure would remain in place until “police confirm normal activities can resume”.
The hold and secure order was lifted around lunchtime, according to a spokeswoman with the South Shore Regional Centre for Education, who also provided QCCR with a copy of the email.
She told QCCR to contact the RCMP for further details.
RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Carlie McCann said police are still investigating and would likely provide an update in the next few days.
“I can’t provide any further information at this time,” she said Thursday.
Students heard on Wednesday that another student brought a pellet pistol to school.
“I think some guy flashed a pellet gun at someone,” Logan Sarty, a Grade 12 student at LRHS, said outside the school on Thursday. “That’s the main thing I’ve been hearing around.”
Sarty said everybody appeared OK afterward, but there was speculation in the halls about the alleged incident.
“A lot of people thought that it shouldn’t be hold and secure because there was a lot of talk of it being a rumour.”
Another, unrelated incident occurred at South Queens Middle School on Wednesday. A school board spokeswoman said that was “more common”, as staff dealt with a disruptive student.
Some of the drugs seized in RCMP raids in southwestern Nova Scotia earlier in February. (RCMP Nova Scotia)
UPDATED Feb. 25 at 5:20 p.m.
RCMP have charged 21 people, including three from Queens County, with more than 50 offences after raids on Mi’kmaw-owned cannabis businesses in Queens, Kings, Lunenburg and Annapolis counties.
Southwest Nova RCMP called the operation Project Highfield. It began in October 2024 and involved 13 dispensaries throughout southwestern Nova Scotia.
RCMP said Tuesday it involved officers from various units, as well as police services in Kentville, Bridgewater and Annapolis.
Police raided the retailers between Feb. 4 and 13. Two of those were on the Wildcat and Ponhook reserves of the Acadia First Nation.
RCMP held a news conference in New Minas on Tuesday afternoon to announce the charges and items seized.
They conducted raids on dispensaries on- and off-reserve, Supt. Jason Popik of Southwest Nova RCMP told QCCR on Tuesday, including in Acadia, Glooscap and Annapolis Valley First Nations.
Police seized:
141.4 kg of dried cannabis
189.29 kg of cannabis edibles
46 kg of liquid cannabis
23.4 kg of hashish
9.5 kg of psilocybin, or magic mushrooms
958 cartons of unstamped tobacco
18 firearms (17 long guns and a handgun)
$16,143.14 in cash
3 ATMs
7 shed-like structures
Supt. Popik told QCCR in an interview on Tuesday that organized crime is using indigenous communities to undercut the legal cannabis market, with unregulated product.
“I see them infiltrating the legal cannabis market and they’re really exploiting the indigenous communities,” he said.
“They’re trying to utilize the treaties to find a rational way for them to sell their drugs. And they’re doing it through the people running the different dispensaries. Organized crime will exploit any opportunity they have. … They’re making a lot of money, the dispensaries are the ones taking the risk and the dispensary owners are the ones being arrested.”
Supt. Popik said the wholesale value of all the drugs seized is about $1.25 million, while the street or retail value is between $2.5 and $3 million.
The Micmac Rights Association is protesting the RCMP action. Many of those charged belong to the organization.
The group says Mi’kmaw have a right under the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752 to sell cannabis at truckhouses on reserve.
They say officers desecrated sacred objects, destroyed personal property and traumatized Mi’kmaw men, women and children. The group plans a protest on the Angus L. Macdonald bridge in Halifax on March 10. On June 21, a 15-year-old boy will lead a 111-kilometre march from Annapolis Valley First Nation to the Dartmouth RCMP headquarters.
Twenty-one people are facing 52 charges under the Cannabis Act, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Excise Act and the Criminal Code, including:
Possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling
Unauthorized sale of cannabis
Possession for the purpose of trafficking (psilocybin)
Possession of unstamped tobacco
Possession of unstamped cannabis
Careless use of a firearm
Possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition
Service Nova Scotia’s alcohol, gaming, fuel and tobacco division, and the federal Public Prosecution Service, also assisted in the investigation, RCMP said.
Those charged will begin to appear in court in June, RCMP say. They say their investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.
An asbestos abatement crew cleans up the site at 89 Main St. in Liverpool on Wednesday. (Rick Conrad)
An abandoned property in downtown Liverpool destroyed by fire in the spring is finally being cleaned up.
The historic and unoccupied Hendry house at 89 Main St. was leveled in the May 13 blaze.
The Liverpool Fire Department referred it to the RCMP for investigation. The RCMP declared it suspicious and asked the public to come forward with any information.
An RCMP spokesman told QCCR in July that officers have closed the file for now, because there was insufficient evidence to keep the investigation open.
Fire services from around Queens County and RCMP officers responded to the fire at 4:40 a.m. on May 13. Nobody was injured.
On June 11, the Region of Queens declared the property dangerous and unsightly and ordered owner Rosemarie Jacob to clean it up, or the region would do it at her expense. Jacob didn’t appeal the order, so the region began the process to clean up the site.
Mayor Darlene Norman said Wednesday that initial testing found that there was asbestos in the siding of the house.
The region hired Asbestos Abatement Limited in Dartmouth to do the work. Norman said the company expects to have everything cleaned up by the end of the week.
“They say they’ll be finished by Friday,” Norman said. “The material is being deposited at another facility in Nova Scotia that accepts this material.
“The company indicated that they would have both the asbestos-containing materials removed, other debris on the property removed and the building foundation removed. … It is being done so that’s the important thing.”
Norman said the company has assured municipal officials there is no danger to nearby residents from the asbestos on site.
The cost of the cleanup isn’t known yet. But the mayor said it would be added as a lien to the owner’s taxes this year.
“(It) would be payable in 2025. And if at that time, the taxes are not paid in full, including the lien, then you would go to our policy regarding uncollected taxes. I believe one year of unpaid taxes and then the tax sale process would start.”
The property had been unoccupied for some time before the fire. And the owner had been difficult to reach, but Norman said the municipality was finally able to find her.
Norman said she’s happy to see the cleanup underway. And while she won’t be running for re-election, she said a future council may decide to try to do something with the property once it’s cleaned up.
“I know many people have been wanting that corner widened. There are some people who want it left historically the way it is. But there’s lots of vocies from people who work at Queens General (Hospital), from people trying to get 18-wheelers around that corner, there’s going to be a huge amount of housing development that’s going to require vehicles going that way, but that will be future decisions by a future council. But at this time, our main goal is to have that corner cleaned up so people can be free of the black tarps and the fencing and the things that are there at this point in time.”
Norman added that because the cleanup cost will be applied to the property owner’s taxes, the region likely won’t release the figure because of privacy concerns.
A house on Wolfe Street in Liverpool was gutted by fire on Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured in the blaze. (Rick Conrad)
Emergency crews were busy in Queens County on Tuesday as a house fire in Liverpool left a family homeless, and a motor vehicle collision snarled traffic in the Brooklyn area.
The Liverpool Fire Department was called to 61 Wolfe St. shortly after 2 p.m. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the house was fully engulfed, according to Liverpool Fire Chief Trevor Munroe.
“We encountered heavy fire conditions on arrival. No one was injured. We did check the homeowner but he seemed fine.”
Munroe said the home’s residents and their pets were outside when firefighters arrived.
Fire crews clean up after a house fire in Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon. (Rick Conrad)
Six fire departments from Liverpool, Port Medway, Mill Village, Greenfield, North Queens and Italy Cross were at the scene.
Munroe didn’t have many more details on Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ll do a preliminary investigation and then turn the home back over the homeowner and they’ll bring in their insurance company.”
Also on Tuesday afternoon, traffic was being diverted in Brooklyn after a motor vehicle collision in the Sandy Cove area.
Few other details were available late Tuesday afternoon. RCMP could not be reached for comment.
QCCR will publish more details as they are available.
Queens District RCMP plan to step up patrols in North Queens after complaints of underage off-highway vehicle use. (RCMP NS Facebook page)
RCMP in Queens County are cracking down on underage ATV operators in North Queens.
Queens District RCMP officers will be stepping up patrols in the area after getting numerous reports from residents over the past several weeks of minors illegally operating off-highway vehicles at high speeds and often late at night.
RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Carlie McCann says it’s all about safety.
“Members are making sure that there are police officers who are out there in order to enforce these laws, but also to ensure that people are being safe,” McCann said in an interview Monday.
“The big reason that laws like this exist is to make sure that people are safe when they’re out operating their off-highway vehicles and using the trails in our communities. So the biggest reason is to make sure that we aren’t seeing peple doing things that are unsafe on their OHVs.”
McCann did not know how many calls the RCMP received or in which specific areas of North Queens this is happening.
“Any type of report like this is too many when it’s unsafe behaviour, like driving too fast and at night. The number of calls that have been received have been enough to promote some concern.”
RCMP say that Queens County has no designated roads or highways yet listed under the Nova Scotia Off-Highway Vehicles Act. And operators must have a valid driver’s licence and wear helmets. Children between the ages of 6 and 15 must be supervised by a parent or guardian.
“I think the biggest thing to remember is that you have to be thinking about safety all the time on things like this,” McCann said.
“It’s really important to use common sense, so making sure that all riders have helmets, making sure that people are using (the vehicles) safely and know how to use them properly, making sure that your vehicles are well maintained and making sure that you are having common sense when you’re picking areas you’re riding in and picking who’s going to be driving the vehicles.”
Under the Off-Highway Vehicles Act, offenders can be fined up to $2,000 and have their vehicle seized by RCMP.
A 24-year-old Sable River man is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after fleeing an RCMP checkpoint early Saturday morning. (File photo from RCMP NS Facebook page)
An early-morning checkpoint and a flight from police have left a 24-year-old Sable River man in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
About 1 a.m on Saturday morning, Queens District RCMP officers had a checkpoint set up on Milton Road near Liverpool. A Volkswagen Golf approached and then made an abrupt U-turn to head north on Highway 8.
According to a news release, an RCMP officer immediately left the scene to try to stop the Golf.
RCMP spokesman Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay told QCCR on Monday that the cruiser was not involved in the crash. The officer found the car off the road and on its roof.
Along with the driver who was sent to hospital with life-threatening injuries, the car’s passenger was also injured. She is a 25-year-old woman from East Green Harbour. Her injuries were not life-threatening.
Cpl. Tremblay did not have an update Monday on their conditions.
“Our officers will do checkpoints at random times throughout the day. From my experience, 1 a.m. is not abnormal. We often do checkponts through the night to conduct traffic enforcement such as impaired drivers that might be out there,” he said in an intervew.
“Oftentimes, there could be many reasons why someone may conduct a U-turn before a checkpoint. It could be a legitimate reason, but it could also be a reason because the person could be impaired, it could be because they don’t have a drivers licence, it could be because they’re wanted. And oftentimes our officers will then get in their vehicle and try to pull over the vehicle that proceeds with the U-turn.”
Cpl. Tremblay did not know exactly where on the Milton Road the checkpoint was set up.
Highway 8 was closed for several hours, while a collision reconstructionist visited the scene.
Cpl. Tremblay says officers continue to investigate.
“The investigation remains ongoing. That could involve criminal charges such as flight from police. The same goes for any impairment level. Our officers would be looking to obtain search warrants or warrants to seize any blood … just to determine if the person was impaired at the time of the crash or not.”
Queens District RCMP have charged two people with multiple charges after a break and enter in East Berlin that led to a drug seizure.
Officers responded to a call in progress on April 23 at 6:40 p.m. at a cottage on East Berlin Road. Initially, police were told the owner had gone to the cabin and found an unknown car in the driveway and at least one person inside the building.
RCMP arrested two people in the cottage: a 37-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, both from Brooklyn.
They seized the pair’s vehicle, an Audi S4, and released the suspects while they investigated.
Officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle on June 4 and found bear mace, a knife, a machete, and drugs believe to be cocaine and crack cocaine, as well as drug paraphernalia.
James Mathew Stewart is charged with:
break and enter with intent
mischief under $5,000
possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking
three counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
Angel Dawn Patterson is charged with:
break and enter with intent
mischief under $5,000
possession of a controlled substance
Both Stewart and Patterson are due to appear in Bridgewater provincial court on Aug. 28, at 9:30 a.m.
The house at 89 Main St. in Liverpool before fire destroyed it on May 13. RCMP say the fire was suspicious. (Top photo: Google Streetview; bottom photo: Rick Conrad)
Queens District RCMP are asking for the public’s help in investigating a ‘suspicious’ fire at 89 Main St. in Liverpool in May.
“In this case, because the investigation is ongoing, I can’t provide additional comments without jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation,” RCMP spokesman Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay told QCCR on Wednesday.
“But I can tell you from the information gathered, it does indicate it is suspicious in nature. And we are looking for tips from the public to advance the investigation.”
Fire services from around Queens County and RCMP officers responded to the fire at 4:40 a.m. on May 13. The historic house, known as the Hendry House, was abandoned at the time. Nobody was injured.
The Liverpool Fire Department referred it to the RCMP for investigation.
The blaze destroyed the house, which local historian Tim MacDonald said was built around 1893 and was owned by former Liverpool mayor, ship owner and businessman A.W. Hendry.
Firefighters tore down the remaining structure. The Region of Queens erected a fence around the property.
And on Tuesday, regional councillors voted to declare the site dangerous and unsightly. They gave the property owner seven days to clean it up.
According to Nova Scotia property records, 89 Main St. is owned by Rosemarie Jacob. It’s one of 14 properties she owns in Liverpool, Brooklyn, Italy Cross, Lunenburg Co., and East Baccaro, Shelburne Co.
If Jacob does not appeal the municipal cleanup order by June 18, the municipality will do it and charge the cost to her as a lien on the property.
There are two mailing addresses listed for Jacob in property records. One is a post office box in Brooklyn. The other is a PO box in Liverpool.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman said Tuesday that Jacob is hard to find.
“Staff have used every avenue they have to contact the owner. However, unfortunately, that owner leaves very little contact information. We have simply been unable to contact the owner.”
RCMP are asking anyone with information about the fire to contact Queens District RCMP at 902-354-5721. If you want to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
This is all that’s left of the historic Hendry House at 89 Main St. in Liverpool after a fire in May. (Rick Conrad)
The owner of an abandoned house on Main Street in Liverpool that burned down in May has seven days to clean up the site.
If she doesn’t clean it up or appeal the order within seven days, the Region of Queens will do it for her and charge her for the cost of the cleanup.
Councillors voted on Tuesday to declare the property dangerous and unsightly and to clean it up.
According to Nova Scotia property records, 89 Main St. is owned by Rosemarie Jacob, who owns 13 other properties in Liverpool, Brooklyn, Italy Cross, Lunenburg Co., and East Baccaro, Shelburne Co.
Only two addresses are listed for Jacob in property records. One is a post office box in Brooklyn. The other is a PO box in Liverpool.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman said Tuesday the owner is hard to find.
“Staff have used every avenue they have to contact the owner. However, unfortunately, that owner leaves very little contact information. We have simply been unable to contact the owner.”
The house at 89 Main St. caught fire overnight on May 13. The Liverpool Fire Department eventually got it under control, but the structure had to be torn down.
It was unoccupied at the time of the fire.
Since then, the municipality has fenced off the property. But none of the debris from the fire has been cleaned up.
There’s still a slight acrid, charred smell around the property from the fire.
A screenshot from Google Streetview from 2014 of 89 Main St. in Liverpool.
According to local historian Tim MacDonald, the historic house was built in 1893 and was once owned by former Liverpool mayor, ship owner and businessman A.W. Hendry.
Liverpool Fire Chief Trevor Munroe told QCCR on Tuesday that they’ve finished their initial investigation and passed it on to Queens District RCMP.
He said there was no power at the property, so it’s unclear how the fire started. That’s why the RCMP are investigating.
“It could be suspicious, it could not be suspicious,” he said in an interview. “But it could be something as simple as a cigarette if someone was moving the grass or something like that.”
An RCMP spokesman said Tuesday the investigation is still ongoing.
Mike MacLeod, the director of planning and development for the region, told councillors on Tuesday that the municipality has received a number of complaints about cleaning up the site.
QCCR is trying to find the owner for comment. If we are able to reach her, we will update this story.
According to property records, Rosemarie Jacob bought the house in 2002 from Erwin Keller of A & I Keller Investments Limited.
Before that, it was owned by the McConnell family from 1973 to 1999.
Council voted on Tuesday to give Jacob seven days to clean it up. Unless she appeals the order by June 18, the municipality will do it and charge the cost as a lien against the property.
Norman says it’s an issue of public safety.
“In the absence of an owner, we are moving ahead with the motion made today. Seven days to file an appeal and if we do not hear from the owner by June 18, then we will be moving ahead and cleaning up the property.”
Another property owned by Jacob that appears to have been abandoned is on Court Street. That’s just off Main Street and behind the former Mersey Hotel, which is itself in bad shape but is currently occupied by various residential tenants.
Jacob also bought the Court Street house in 2002 from A & I Keller Investments.
Norman said she couldn’t comment on the Court Street property or any other Queens County properties owned by Jacob.
“Our bylaw officer has many files that she is presently working on. I cannot comment on the one you’ve made, however, there are various properties that are going to be coming forward to council.”
If Jacob appeals the order, the municipality will schedule a public hearing.
Emergency crews clean up the scene of a two-vehicle collision near Tim Hortons in Liverpool on Friday morning. (Rick Conrad)
Emergency crews responded to two separate collisions in Liverpool on Friday.
The first occurred near the Tim Hortons shortly after 10 a.m. A Subaru Forrester and Hyundai Elantra collided as one was exiting onto Bristol Avenue and the other car was turning at the intersection.
An RCMP spokesman said nobody was injured, but both cars were towed.
The second one happened at about 11:45 a.m. at Henry Hensey Drive and Bristol Avenue. RCMP, EHS and Liverpool fire crews were on scene. Three vehicles were involved in that incident. Nobody was injured, RCMP said.
A spokeswoman said it appeared one car ran into another car, which then bumped another vehicle.
It snarled traffic for about an hour.
Traffic was snarled around lunch time on Friday on Bristol Avenue after three cars were involved in a collision at Henry Hensey Drive. (Rick Conrad)
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.
