Region of Queens councillors have approved an extra $33,272 in work at Hillsview Acres to prepare for elevator upgrades at the facility. (Facebook)
UPDATED 3:55 p.m. Friday
It’s going to cost a little more to upgrade the elevator at a nursing home in north Queens.
Region of Queens councillors held a special meeting on Wednesday to approve an extra $33,272 for electrical and alarm panel work at Hillsview Acres in Greenfield.
The region owns and operates the 29-bed long-term care home.
Joanne Veinotte, the region’s director of corporate services, told councillors that in 2022, the contractor responsible for maintaining and inspecting the elevator told staff “that it was nearing its end of life. Should something happen to the elevator we would not be able to replace it in a timely manner.”
Council had already approved $86,250 in their 2023/24 capital budget for the work on the facility’s elevator.
But when the elevator contractor, TK Elevator, visited Hillsview in the spring, workers found that the existing alarm panel and supporting electrical components needed to be upgraded to accommodate the work on the electrical components of the elevator.
The extra costs break down as follows:
Alarm panel upgrade – $21,913
Basement changes to accommodate new access – $2,077
Electrical work to install new panel $7,914.50
Veinotte told councillors that the elevator contractor is due to be at the facility in the second week of August to do the work.
“All of the panel work has to be done before they come which is why we had this sense of urgency to come and ask for council’s approval for this unbudgeted expense.”
Councillors voted unanimously to approve the extra cost and to fund it from the Hillsview Acres reserve fund, which sits at more than $800,000.
The Falls in Milton under construction on the banks of the Mersey River. (Rick Conrad photo)
The Region of Queens is going to pay the builder of an apartment building on the Mersey River in Milton to connect to the municipal sewer system.
Councillors voted at their meeting last week to compensate Eric and Dawn Fry, the owners of The Falls in Milton at 314 Highway 8 for the costs of running a sewer line from their new 15-unit apartment complex.
That would be for a lateral connection, the section of pipe that connects a private property to the municipal collection system. Ownership and maintenance of the lateral on private property are the owner’s responsibility.
The municipality’s sewer system bylaw states that “all costs associated with the installation, connection, maintenance or repair” of a building connection to the sewer system are the responsibility of the owner.
But because the connection for this property is across the road, the municipality would be on the hook for the work of at least $50,000, according to a staff report.
Adam Grant, director of engineering and public works, says past practice has been for the municipality to pay for the portion of the lateral that would have to cross a road.
Mayor Darlene Norman said the bylaw isn’t as cut and dried as it seems.
“The bylaw is grey,” she said in a recent interview.
“And when we look at what we’ve been doing up until now, the homeowner or developer or anyone is simply told to put their pipe out to the road. And then the region connects to our lateral that’s running. And that’s what that developer was told. When he did his site plan and his permits, he was told and approved to run his pipe directly out to the No. 8 highway which is what he did.
“Now it’s been determined by staff that … the cost to connect him to our lateral because it’s on the other side of the road which was never discussed with them, it’s $50,000-plus because it’s provincial highway, it’s permits, it’s all those items.”
So, municipal staff have been working with the owners to run a pipe on the property parallel to Highway 8 into a manhole at the edge of the property. That would connect the building to the municipal system.
That option would cost up to $27,500, according to the staff report. The developer would do the work and be compensated by the municipality.
“To suddenly say to a person that you have all their approvals in place, they’ve done what they’re told and then to say, ‘Oh, by the way, there’s another $50,000 price tag that you have to pick up,’ that’s a little unfair,” Norman said.
“You can’t tell someone to do something and then a year or two later, say, ‘Oh, maybe we shouldn’t have told you that.’ So the region will pick up the cost of running it to the manhole cover.”
Councillors voted in August 2022 to sell the former Garika Park to the Frys. And in October of that year, councillors also rezoned the land to allow the Frys to go ahead with their development.
Geared toward seniors, the three-storey building is slated for an October opening.
Bob Chouinard, Valerie Wilcox, Carolyn Campbell, Janet Perry, Tony Flint and Roger Wilcox, all residents of Bristol Avenue in Liverpool, were among a group of people who told Region of Queens councillors on Tuesday that they oppose a 24-unit apartment building proposed for their street. (Rick Conrad photo)
Residents on a busy street in Liverpool are concerned it will only get more hectic if a 24-unit apartment building is built in their neighbourhood.
About a dozen people presented a petition to regional council on Tuesday and spoke against the development planned for 48 Bristol Ave., during the meeting’s regular time for public comments or questions.
They say they have 35 signatures of residents upset that the proposed four-storey building is too big for the area. They are worried about increased traffic, motorist and pedestrian safety and increased noise.
They say the design doesn’t fit with the character of the many historical homes in the area. And they’re also concerned that existing water and sewer services can’t handle up to 100 new residents.
Tony Flint, who lives right across from the proposed development, organized the petition. He told councillors on Tuesday that it would be a mistake to allow the development to go ahead.
“I think a 24-unit, four-storey building with the potential of housing as many as 100 people and 50 vehicles is way too much for the footprint of the real estate,” Flint said in an interview after the meeting. “It’s just an inadequate property to handle a building of this nature.”
Bristol Avenue is a busy thoroughfare into and out of Liverpool. The two-lane road is the main access to and from downtown Liverpool. If you live in downtown Liverpool, Western Head or Mersey Point, it’s the most direct route to get to many services like the town’s two grocery stores, Queens Place Emera Centre and gas stations, or to get onto Highway 103.
There is no sidewalk on the side of the road where the development is proposed. It’s currently undeveloped green space with mature chestnut trees. The 6,720 square-foot building would be set back 10 feet from the street, with 24 parking spots behind and on the side of the building. The lot is about 36,000 square feet.
As part of the site plan approval process, residents within 100 feet of the development were notified by the municipality in a letter dated June 19. According to a letter from development officer Mike MacLeod, they had 14 days to appeal.
Mayor Darlene Norman said Wednesday that councillors found out about the development last week when they received their meeting package.
“There’s a process for appealing. They write a letter to the planner stating that they wish to appeal and then they give their reasons of which they’re appealing. And it has to be based on the criteria that the site plan was approved on.
“Unless there are appellants, unless people within the 100 feet of the subject property make application to be an appellant and to appeal the site plan approval then there is nothing council can do at this time.”
Norman said the proposed building meets the zoning requirements. She added that staff take a serious look at new developments to ensure they follow the municipality’s land use bylaws.
“People don’t understand that council do not have the ability to simply shut down stuff just because people don’t like it. We have to live within the rules that we’ve established.”
Flint said he wrote a letter to MacLeod objecting to the proposal. He said that he and his neighbours believed they were getting their appeal on Tuesday, with the petition and speaking to council.
“But we presented the petition and what they do about it, yeah, I would consider that’s a written appeal,” Flint said Wednesday.
“We would like to proceed and continue further if necessary. Whether we’re beating our head against a brick wall, we don’t know. We all feel like we accomplished something by bringing it to the council’s attention. And there were several people that were completely unaware of it.”
Carolyn Campbell is another Bristol Avenue resident who also expressed her opposition Tuesday about the new building.
“I’m concerned that it could possibly be a death trap. As far as I know, there’s only one entrance off of Bristol and they all have to come out the same way. … If there’s a fire or if there’s an emergency vehicle needing to get in there, it could be bad.”
She and others worry about increased congestion caused by this development and a 45-unit building under construction behind Bristol Avenue on Mersey Avenue.
Janet Perry said residents agree with the need for more housing in Liverpool, just not in that location.
“We all live in close proximity to each other and we’re all going to be facing that building. The traffic is horrendous on that street, the noise is horrendous. There’ll be so many other things happening. … Garbage pickup in the mornings, can you imagine how long there are going to be trucks parked on the street? It’s just going to be a nightmare. I’m sure there’s another site (where) it can be built. We’re not opposed to housing, we’re just opposed to that location.”
Norman said that if the development goes ahead, a new council may decide to address any traffic issues that arise.
“It always has been and it always will be a busy street. If these apartments are built and it’s deemed that there’s a need to put a crosswalk, there’s a need to put streetlights to improve traffic flow … then I’m certain that council at the time will do those things. But at this point in time, we are going through the process as it is.”
Liverpool resident Terry Doucette declared his bid on Tuesday for mayor of the Region of Queens. (Rick Conrad)
A former teacher wants to be the next mayor of the Region of Queens.
Terry Doucette retired in 2015 after 37 years as a teacher and school and school board administrator. He declared his intention at a council meeting on Tuesday during the public comments portion.
In an interview afterward, Doucette, who lives in Liverpool, said he’s running because he wants to see a number of concerns and priorities addressed in the next four years.
He said some of those are housing, senior care and the environment.
“In addition to that, we have a new mill being proposed through the province of Nova Scotia. And I’m excited about the potential for that. That will create the need for environmental sensitivity as well as labour-related benefits for our community. I watched Bowater Mersey over my time. … I know people who worked there with good wages. And I think if it comes this way … if they can assure us it’s going to be an environmental plus, I think the community would support that.
“And I realize that housing is the No. 1 concern for our residents. Seniors, young people, the demand for more apartments, the increase in rents has created a crisis.”
So far, the only other person running for mayor is Scott Christian. He announced in November that he was vying for the top elected spot in Queens County.
Christian is a business consultant who is also the former chairman of the Queens Daycare Association.
Another candidate had declared his intention to run, but has since thrown his support behind Christian. James Grant, a former business owner from Milton, said he would drop out of the race if somebody else ran that he could support.
Queens Mayor Darlene Norman has not said whether she will seek re-election.
For his part, Doucette said Tuesday that there wasn’t one single issue that made him decide to run. And he declined to assess the job of the current council.
“I know there are always dissensions when people are in the position to govern locally or provincially or federally. As a mature person, I believe in communication, I believe in moderation, I believe in conflict resolution. I have a lot of leadership skills from my past. People have to come together and share their views and this is a place on the council to share those views. At the end of the day, we’re all here and running for the same reasons, which is to respect what the people want.”
In his time as an educator, Doucette says he’s lived and worked all over Queens County. He’s also volunteered with the board of Queens Manor and run a property management company.
“I’m not running against anybody, I’m running for something,” he said. “I’m running for the people in North Queens, I’m running for the people in South Queens, I’m running because I’ve been into all the communities. I’ve worked with the people, people know me and I’m asking for a chance and some support.”
There’s still lots of time for others to join the race for mayor and the rest of council. The election is on Oct. 19, with the second Tuesday in September, or Sept. 10, set for candidates to file their nomination papers.
This year, for the first time, people will be able to vote in person, online or by phone.
David Trueman, branch supervisor of Thomas H. Raddall Library in Liverpool, speaks to a group this week at a public consultation session on the design of the temporary location of the library. Elise Johnston, accessibility and inclusion co-ordinator with the Region of Queens, is leading the sessions. (Rick Conrad)
It may not be the location that many Liverpool library users want, but they say they’re going to make the best of it.
The Region of Queens has been holding public consultations this week on the design of the temporary location for the Thomas H. Raddall Library.
Region of Queens councillors voted in February to move the library to the Liverpool Business Development Centre on White Point Road by the end of the year.
The current lease at the Rossignol Centre in downtown Liverpool expires Dec. 31. Sherman Hines, who owns the building, also has it up for sale.
The municipality owns the business development centre. It currently houses the Global Empire call centre and Belliveau Veinotte accountants.
It’s supposed to be a temporary location, while the municipality works on a long-term plan.
Councillors set aside $1,050,000 for renovations to the 6,500 square-foot space, though staff said it could cost as much as $1.26 million.
Municipalities look after buildings and furniture for libraries, while the provincial government provides about 70 per cent of overall funding.
Finding a new home for the library has been fraught with delays and controversy since 2022, when the region allocated $3 million from an unexpected budget surplus to its construction.
The library steering committee twice recommended a site near Queens Place Emera Centre, with councillors ultimately nixing that plan both times.
Many residents at a December meeting told councillors they did not want the library at the call centre site, which is outside of town in an area with no sidewalks and very little lighting.
But with a deadline to vacate the current space looming, the region decided the call centre was the best option for now.
This week, about 40 people have attended public consultations so far. The last one is on Saturday at the library at 12:30.
The proposed design includes two large program rooms that can be combined into one, a teen room with soundproofing for a miniature recording studio. That room could also be used as a smaller meeting area. The new space also features an open area for kids, as well as a large kitchen and expanded washroom facilities.
That’s in addition to the large area set aside for the library’s current collection of books and other materials.
Elise Johnston, the region’s accessibility and inclusion co-ordinator, is leading the consultations with David Trueman, the library’s branch supervisor.
Cathie Pearl-Wentzell was at one of the sessions on Thursday. The Brooklyn resident says her family have been library users since she moved to the area in 1977.
“I think it was very informative, I learned a lot, it’s good to have the opportunity to have input,” she said.
She said she’s disappointed in the location, but there are benefits to the new space.
“I’ve come to accept that, vehemently opposed (to the location), let my councillor know, let the mayor know. My question is can they tear this building down and build the library on this site? I don’t know.
“I think it’s going to have a lot of opportunities. Parking being one, it’s going to be much more accessible, much more comfortable climate-control-wise. And everybody has the best interest at heart, so you can’t go wrong with somebody with their hearts in the right places.”
Melissa Swatsenbarg of Liverpool uses the library at least once a twice a week. She said she likes being able to give her input on the design.
“It kind of culminates all the things I’ve been listening to over the past year and a half because I’ve been talking to a lot of people over the past year and a half about it.
“I like the final idea of having a fairly large kitchen and a designated teen space. I like the plans to have a more open children’s section.”
She said she likes the more modern amenities of the new space, even though the location isn’t ideal.
“None of us are really thrilled we have to go all the way through town to get back out of town to go to it,” Swatsenbarg said.
“It’s kind of out of the way. And there are no sidewalks. My kids will bike into the library here. (Out there), it’s a very busy road and it’s not a very safe road trying to get up and around there. So in that aspect, it’s going to change how many kids I allow to take themselves to the library.”
Even though councillors decided to move the library to the call centre space, they also acknowledged that a newly elected council in October could tackle the issue of a new library. But that could still take at least three to five years to happen.
In the meantime, some at the consultations suggested keeping up the pressure on council candidates for a new library in a more central location.
The last public consultation session is at the library on Old Bridge Street on Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30. People can also email accessibility@regionofqueens.com with their suggestions.
Canadian shot put thrower Sarah Mitton throws during the group A qualification round during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July 2021. (Photo by Mark Blinch/COC)
With the Summer Olympics just over a month away, anticipation is building for fans of Queens County Olympian and world champion Sarah Mitton.
And to show support for Brooklyn’s best-known athlete, the Region of Queens is organizing a video tribute to send to Mitton to cheer her on as she goes for shotput gold in Paris.
The municipality is calling on people to record a video that’s 10 seconds or less. They’ll edit all the videos into one and send it to Mitton as she prepares for the Olympics.
The region’s mayor Darlene Norman is organizing her own video tribute on Saturday morning near her home in Port Medway.
“I’m hopeful that many people will show up from Port, neighbouring communities and perhaps some other places,” Norman said Thursday.
Norman’s video will be recorded at the village’s lighthouse park near the wharf at 9 a.m..
“I’d encourage people if they have any of the Sarah signs left from the last Olympics to bring them along. If they want to bring a big poster, if they want to wear bright clothing, just bring your happy spirit to send Sarah some great words.”
She won Canada’s first-ever world medal in women’s shot put with her silver at the Budapest games in 2023. And she is a Commonwealth Games champion and Pan American Games champion.
She recently won gold at the USATF New York City Grand Prix.
Mitton, who turned 28 on Thursday, is getting ready for the Canadian track and field trials coming up at the end of June in Montreal.
“I’ve had my eye on Paris for two years at least,” Mitton said. “And everything we’ve been doing in the last two years is a part of our preparation.”
Norman says Mitton is an inspiration to many people.
“I’ve always admired her. She’s so well spoken and she’s such a good representative for Queens County and Nova Scotia and Canada. And she’s from Brooklyn. Think about it. We had no fancy track facilities, we just had volunteer teachers who coached, and Sarah stood out and shone, found what she loves and pursued it. And I think that’s such an excellent role model for anyone in any walk of life.”
Even if they can’t make it to Port Medway on Saturday morning, Norman encourages people to make their own videos.
“Get together in your own community, get together with your family, your friends, send a solo video. Just take part and send Sarah Mitton a cheer, a hello, a good luck, a ‘we’re so proud of you’, whatever message people like to make.”
The region is accepting videos by email until July 2. You can send them to cheersfromhome@regionofqueens.com. All videos must be no longer than 10 seconds.
Kids play this week at the splash pad at Etli Milita’mk, the universally designed play park in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
UPDATED JULY 20 at 10:30 a.m.
Region of Queens councillors will vote next week on whether to write off almost $51,000 in cost overruns and funding shortfalls at the universally designed play park in Liverpool.
Councillors voted last week to move the issue forward to their June 25 meeting for a final vote. Most of them appeared to support absorbing the cost.
District 2 Coun. Ralph Gidney was the only one against the motion to vote on the matter at their next meeting.
The provincial organization recently asked the municipality to cover $50,962 in unpaid bills on the $630,000 playground. Some $5,988.79 of that is interest on the overdue account.
Joanne Veinotte, director of corporate services, told councillors last week that Autism Nova Scotia told the municipality they believed that the region would cover any shortfalls.
“Fundraising was less than forecasted. The ACOA contribution was less than budgeted and there were cost overruns such as short-term security for surfacing materials, rescheduling of a rubber surface contract and extension of a rubber surface area. This all contributed to the overage.”
Beyond that, however, details about the overdue account were sparse. It was unclear what the outstanding bill is for or to whom, or when Autism Nova Scotia realized that there wasn’t enough money on hand to cover all the expenses of the project.
The playground is named Etli Milita’mk (pronounced ed-a-lee milly-dumk), which is Mi’kmaw for “we are playing here”. It opened last October, after years of community fundraising led by Queens County resident Debbie Wamboldt and others. It’s designed to be inclusive and accessible for everybody, regardless of ability or age.
The community group raised about $100,000 on their own, with the region donating the land near Queens Place Emera Centre and committing $111,773 from its community investment fund. ACOA and the provincial government also contributed to the project.
Autism Nova Scotia issued charitable tax receipts and held the money in trust to pay the region for construction as invoices were submitted. The region also agreed to own, operate and maintain the playground.
QCCR tried numerous times for an interview with officials from Autism Nova Scotia. Last week, a spokeswoman said in an email that they were “unable to provide an interview at this time”.
QCCR asked the municipality this week for clarification on the account. In an email, Heather Cook, the region’s communications and engagement co-ordinator, explained that the municipality has paid all bills related to the park and no suppliers are owed money.
Because of cost overruns and funding shortfalls, she said, Autism Nova Scotia contacted the region in April to say that it would not be paying the full amount of the final invoice, which the municipality issued in January. The group did not pay any interest on overdue invoices during the term of the project, resulting in interest charges which contributed to the shortfall.
Councillors will vote on June 25 “to fund the outstanding interest charges and project overrun that (are) owed to the municipality due to the funding shortfall.”
The money would come from the municipality’s accumulated budget surplus.
District 1 Coun. Kevin Muise said last week that councillors had voted to donate the land and approve funding from the community investment fund. But he said they didn’t vote to cover any overruns.
District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton asked if there was any additional information that staff could share with councillors before their next meeting.
CAO Cody Joudry, who took over in November, said there wasn’t.
“I don’t believe there is any other documentation to provide council. … From Autism Nova Scotia’s perspective, they’re like, ‘Well, it’s not really fair to make us cover the difference because we were just the pass-through and really the region was the one who was managing the project.’
“I think if we were doing this over again, we would have brought this to council a lot sooner, like in the construction phase and talked about these issues. But I can’t do anything about that now. So, unfortunately, Coun. Charlton, I do not believe there is any more information I can bring you.”
Councillors did not want to ask Autism Nova Scotia or the local fundraising group to cover the extra costs.
Mayor Darlene Norman said that it was nobody’s fault. Construction delays and weather last summer contributed to the extra expenses.
She said in an interview Monday that it didn’t help that the region was without a full-time CAO for much of last year. Former CAO Chris McNeill left the job in May.
“Remember, this was a time when we had no CAO last year, directors were shifting and taking those roles. And then we had the boil water situation happening, we had no permanent CAO. I’m not saying that’s any reason why this may have occurred, but obviously there was lack of communication between Autism Nova Scotia and Region of Queens staff.”
Norman said that in future, the region would likely approach projects like this differently.
“It was a lesson that if a project like this should ever be undertaken again there needs to be very firm rules respecting who manages what and conversations and communication between the two partners.”
The June 25 council meeting will be held at the Westfield Community Hall in North Queens.
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.
Region of Queens councillors plan to cover cost overruns and funding shortfalls for the Queens universally designed play park in Brooklyn. (Rick Conrad)
The Region of Queens plans to pick up the tab for almost $51,000 that’s still owed on the universally designed play park in Brooklyn.
The $630,000 playground opened in October 2023. Named Etli Milita’mk (pronounced ed-a-lee milly-dumk), it was the initiative of Queens County resident Debbie Wamboldt, who led private fundraising for the park and who first approached the region in 2015 about supporting it.
It’s designed to be accessible and inclusive of everyone, regardless of age or ability.
The park includes ramped decks, braille and audio elements as well as a spray pad with sprinklers, a fountain, filler buckets and jet spray units.
Wamboldt and other volunteers raised about $100,000 toward the park’s construction. Autism Nova Scotia issued charitable tax receipts and held the money in trust to pay the region for construction as invoices were submitted.
The region initially contributed $111,773 from its community investment fund and it donated the land near Queens Place Emera Centre.
ACOA and the Nova Scotia government topped up funding.
The region also agreed to own, operate and maintain the playground.
On Tuesday, however, councillors were told that project costs exceeded revenue. Autism Nova Scotia said fundraising was lower than expected and the ACOA contribution was less than budgeted.
And there were construction cost overruns with the project such as the material and installation for the rubber surfacing in the park.
Because of that, Autism Nova Scotia asked the region to absorb that extra cost of $50,962. Just under $6,000 of that is the accumulated interest on the unpaid bill.
Mayor Darlene Norman said she and the rest of council were aware of the shortfall only last week.
“It was a dream to have this universal play park,” Norman said in an interview.
“Autism Nova Scotia agreed to be the body that would look after the accounting and the monies as they were collected with the agreement that it becomes the property of the region. It was at that point or sometime later, I’m not certain, that it was evident there may be a shortfall.”
Autism Nova Scotia told the region’s staff that it believed that the municipality agreed to cover any cost overruns or funding shortages.
District 1 Coun. Kevin Muise said he was involved in those negotiations and he doesn’t recall any such agreement. He said he wasn’t opposed to picking up the tab, but that council hadn’t agreed in advance to do that.
Other councillors said they were conflicted about the issue. They said the local fundraising group went “above and beyond” in their efforts to get the park built and councillors didn’t want to ask them to raise more money.
“The majority of council felt it was very unfair … understanding the valuable work that Autsim NS does, it would be very unfair to ask them for another $51,000 because of all they’ve done, and also felt it very unfair to ask the local fundraising committee to raise another $51,000.”
Norman said it’s money well spent.
“I can’t imagine why anyone would question why the municipality should pay the remainder of the cost on something that we own. It’s a lovely play park that as region taxpayers, we paid $161,000 for. And there will always be the dissenters and the naysayers who will say it’s the region’s fault. It’s a beautiful play park, and it’s a lot of money to construct it, however it belongs to the region and the region is paying that outstanding amount.”
The issue will come back to council’s June 25 meeting, where they will vote on taking the money from their accumulated budget surplus.
