Dave White is the president of the Queens County ATV Association. (Rick Conrad)

ATV operators in Queens County will soon be able to ride their vehicles on some municipal roads in Liverpool.

Region of Queens councillors adopted a new road trails bylaw on Tuesday, paving the way for off-highway vehicles to use some roads to access trails and services.

• READ THE BYLAW HERE

The rules take effect Feb. 1. But Dave White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, says there’s still some work to do to get the trails ready for riders.

“It’s really important for people to note that, although it’s passed second reading today, it will not become officially open. … Things that have to be done is we have trail signage to go up as well as the region has some signage for where the trail crosses streets. So they’ve already done some preliminary work.”

White said the association, the ATV Association of Nova Scotia and the municipality will update users on when the trails are ready to use.

The bylaw designates five routes around Liverpool that riders can use to access services or other trails.

It’s been about two and a half years since the association and the Queens Rails to Trails Association approached the region to create a connected trail network similar to those that exist in neighbouring Lunenburg and Shelburne counties and in other parts of Atlantic Canada.

ATV groups say that the changes will bring more economic activity to Queens County. In 2022, ATV users said they spent $454 million in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act in 2023, which allows off-highway vehicles on provincial and municipal roads with certain conditions.

“It’s been a major development and a lot of work with the municipality, over the last six months, but really over almost two and a half years at this point,” White said .

“So we are exceptionally pleased with it.”

White says motorists won’t see much of a change once the rules go into effect, since the vehicles won’t be allowed everywhere.

“You will see off-highway vehicles on defined streets. That’s important, it is not all of town. It’s very specific.”

The routes are behind the municipal offices on White Point Road and at various points from the Trestle Trail that would allow access to the Visitor Information Centre, downtown shops and services like the gas stations and grocery stores around Queens Place Drive. 

The association also signed an agreement with a local landowner so riders can access the former rail bed to get to the Milton Road. 

“And then you’ll travel like any other vehicle down to the light, and have all of the options open to you, including the yield lane to the right to access Irving, Shell and Hank Snow Drive, which will allow us to have combined tourism events with the friends of the Hank Snow Society, which we’re very excited for, and we’re hoping to do an event with them in February.

“You will also be able to turn left at the light to access businesses like Sobeys, Superstore, McDonald’s, Dollarama, Queens Place, Best Western, which is a major win because people will be able to come in and do expanded tourism opportunities. So we’re very excited.”

White says once the trails are open, they should bring in business from off-highway vehicle users from around the province.

He says people can get more details about the routes by downloading the ATV Association of Nova Scotia’s mobile app. 

Here are the routes outlined in the bylaw:

• West Street from civic number 181 to the intersection with Harley Umphrey Drive, then to the intersection with White Point Road.
• King Street from civic number 56 to the intersection with Lawrence Street, then to the intersection with Wolfe Street to civic number 16.
• Main Street from the intersection with Central Boulevard to civic number 741.
• Brunswick Street from civic number 63 to the intersection with Main Street, then to the intersection with Henry Hensey Drive to the pump station at civic number 4 Henry Hensey Drive.
• Milton Road from civic number 31 to the intersection with Bristol Avenue, west to the intersection with Hank Snow Drive and east to the intersection with Queens Place Drive. Included is Hank Snow Drive to civic number 38 and the entirety of Queens Place Drive and Old Cobbs Barn Road.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Work is underway on the $8.1-million outdoor pool at Queens Place Emera Centre. (Rick Conrad)

The dream of an indoor pool for Queens County was likely sunk on Monday night.

Two weeks ago, Region of Queens councillors asked CAO Cody Joudry to investigate the feasibility of turning the outdoor pool now under construction at Queens Place Emera Centre into an indoor facility.

At their meeting on Monday night, councillors heard that it’s not so straightforward, or cheap.

Joudry said the $8.1-million outdoor project would likely balloon to at least $30 million if councillors decided to change it. He said the cost to taxpayers of the current project is less than one cent on $100 of assessment over 20 years. For an outdoor pool, that could go up to five cents.

“Council needs to either pick an indoor pool or an outdoor pool, but you can’t really convert an outdoor to an indoor pool,” he told councillors.

The region secured $3 million from an anonymous donor and $2.2 million from the province for the current project. It’s picking up the remaining $2.9-million tab.

Joudry said if the region changes or stops the project now, it could be on the hook for “sunk costs” of up to $2 million — in penalties or work that’s already done. And the municipality may also have to look for new funding, which would further delay the project.

The region would also have to come up with a whole new design.

Adam Grant, the region’s director of engineering and public works, said the current design is not easily adapted. He said some of the work already done could be salvaged, but much of it would have to be abandoned.

“When you start adding heating systems and take a facility that was deisgned to operate three months of the year conducive to the climate and turn it on its flip side and tell it it’s got to operate nine more months of the year, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, as well as condensation control. You start adding structural steel known to support a roof or with roof loads or snow loads. It’s not a simple matter of just putting a roof over it.”

District 3 Coun. Courtney Wentzell said he wants the region to consult with community members. He said it was a big issue during the recent election campaign, and most people who were in favour of a pool wanted an indoor one.

Mayor Scott Christian campaigned on getting an indoor pool. But on Monday, he told QCCR that changing it up would be a big burden to taxpayers.

“The total bill for the residents is about 3 million bucks with that project completion. 
And so incurring $2 million in sunk costs without any assurances about the extent to which we’ll actually be able to repurpose any of what has already been done, I think we can’t go there right now.”

Christian said he’d like to get the Queens Community Aquatic Society involved again and re-form the region’s pool committee.

Councillors decided to stick with the status quo and allow the outdoor pool project to continue. The heated, 25-metre pool is expected to open by 2026.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Thomas Raddall Provincial Park. (Tourism Nova Scotia)

Campsite bookings at provincial parks in Nova Scotia are now open.

Reservations for parks in the western part of the province opened on Wednesday. 

Campers can book spots at Thomas Raddall Provincial Park in Port Joli, Rissers Beach, The Islands in Shelburne, Blomidon, Ellenwood Lake in Deerfield or Valleyview in Bridgetown.

Reservations for other areas of the province, including the Eastern Shore and Cape Breton open on Thursday and Friday.

You can book a spot by calling 1-888-544-3434 or online at parks.novascotia.ca.

Carters Beach public information meeting November 26, 2022. Photo Susan MacLeod

A new plan is in the works that walks the line between protecting the environment and enjoying the shore at Carter’s Beach.

The once hidden gem has become exceedingly popular over the years causing a range of issues for locals.

Parked cars line country roadways making it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through, and the fragile ecosystem is being strained as litter piles up and beach-goers head into the fragile dunes to answer nature’s call due to a lack of washroom facilities.

In recent years, temporary garbage receptacles and port-a-potties have been put in place by the Region of Queens to alleviate stress.

Carter’s Beach is a provincial responsibility and was originally included in the parks and protected areas plan as a nature reserve but is now designated to become a provincial park.

Parks promotion and development officer Sandra Fraser says changing the designation is key moving to forward.

“Having it under the provincial parks program allows for the Department of Natural Resources to support operations there,” said Fraser. “Future plans include providing some basic infrastructure at some key access points so we can manage the usage there and allow for some recreational use while also protecting the ecological values.”

In 2021 the province went through an online consultation process to hear from the public and received over 150 responses.

Officials with Nova Scotia Parks held an open house in late November to present a broad overview of the plan to make Carter’s Beach a provincial park and to answer questions from the community.

Several priorities were identified including conserving sensitive habitats, addressing traffic concerns, providing washroom and waste disposal facilities, installing wayfinding and interpretive signs, and maintaining community partnership.

It was noted that management of the beach should also include establishing sustainable visitation levels.

One of the objectives presented at the meeting was to have vehicle and pedestrian counting equipment installed to track usage at Carter’s Beach.

Fraser says the concept plan also proposed alleviating congestion on Carter’s Beach Road by adding more parking on Port Mouton Rd across from Lake Drive.

“We may keep the small lot that’s there and then add to that and then have a defined path from that parking lot down to the beach.”

Fraser says funding has not yet been secured and plans still need to be finalized before the Carter’s Beach project can go forward.

She says anyone wishing to provide additional feedback can do so by e-mailing the department at: parkinfo@novascotia.ca

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Queens Place Emera Centre. Photo Credit: Ed Halverson

The Region of Queens has announced a new program to remove barriers for people to be physically active.

The Recreation for All initiative will lower the cost for people who want to use municipal facilities but may not be able to afford it.

Mayor David Dagley said since council passed the motion in March, staff have been speaking with community members about making donations to support the program.

“And they have found businesses that are willing to donate and have donated to this program. So we have received about $20,000 from generous companies and individuals,” said Dagley. “We’re able to at least provide supported services at a very minor price to participants who are financially in need.”

Money from one of the major corporate donations was earmarked for a particular group.

Dexter Construction insisted the first 100 memberships to Queens Place were to go to Special Olympians from Queens County training for competition.

Dagley expects the first round of funding will support around 100 residents this year. He’s optimistic the program can continue to grow.

“We’ll raise more money as we go and hopefully we can increase the number. We may have funding to double that amount. We’ll find out as the program unfolds,” said Dagley.

While regional staff is soliciting donations and running the programs, Dagley said all the money in the program is coming from the community. The funding will enable better access to all the facilities at Queens Place as well as the North Queens Aquatic Centre and the Milton Centennial Pool.

Dagley said council recognizes the link between physical activity and improving one’s mental and social well-being and he and his fellow council members were glad they could open up the resources to more people.

“It will certainly broaden the ability of who we can serve in the Region of Queens in our recreation facilities,” said Dagley.

Anyone wishing to donate to or apply for a recreation for all grant can do so on the Region’s website.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson