Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman will not be seeking another term in the October municipal election. (Rick Conrad)
Darlene Norman has made it official, announcing she won’t seek re-election as mayor of the Region of Queens.
“I have decided not to reoffer simply because these last four years have made me realize that it was one thing to be a councillor, it’s another thing to be the mayor,” she said in an interview Wednesday.
“When you are a councillor and you vote in a certain way at a meeting and the vote didn’t go your way, then it’s over and done. When you are the mayor and you vote at a council meeting for something that you feel is very important and you lose the vote, … as the mayor you still have to speak on behalf of council for the vote. And I am the type of personality that finds it very difficult to speak favorably about an issue that I think is so wrong.”
Norman’s decision to serve one term as mayor caps a 20-year career in municipal politics, which began in 2000 when she was elected councillor in District 1, which covers the area of Hunts Point, White Point, Port Mouton and Port Joli.
She served as councillor for the area until 2016 when she was defeated by current councillor Kevin Muise.
In 2020, she decided to run for mayor, beating incumbent David Dagley and two other challengers – Susan MacLeod and Brian Fralic.
Norman said she enjoyed her time as mayor.
“I really liked being the mayor, I liked helping people, I liked meeting people. But I just have a very difficult time when I have to as mayor speak on behalf of council and it’s a decision of which I disagreed. Other than that, being the mayor was wonderful.”
In a Facebook post on Tuesday announcing her decision, she said council has achieved many good things over the past four years. But she said there were other things she regrets.
One of those was not building a new library. The Thomas H. Raddall Library has to leave its leased premises in downtown Liverpool by the end of December. After many stops and starts, council couldn’t agree on a new permanent location, so they decided to put it, at least temporarily, in the Liverpool Business Development Centre on White Point Road.
“We could have built a lovely library, it would have been open by now. For one reason or another, things went sideways. Council couldn’t agree on a location.”
Another frustration for Norman over the past four years is the concentration of municipal resources in the Liverpool, Brooklyn and Milton areas. She says council needs to find a way to improve services in other areas of Queens County, such as north Queens and areas outside the so-called urban core of Liverpool.
“Our biggest assessment areas are in rural Queens. … I look around at north Queens, east and west, people are paying incredible tax dollars in those parts of the county, despite people in the town of Liverpool who think they’re paying the biggest tax dollars. I’m just finding it really difficult with the Region of Queens and trying to find a balance with specnding in rural as well as central.”
She said building new accessible washroom and change room facilities at Beach Meadows Beach was council’s way to try to spread some municipal dollars outside the Liverpool-Brooklyn-Milton core.
“Those are good things, those are really positive things for Queens. … There have been so many more benefits than disappointments.”
And even though the region still struggles with staffing shortages, she said she’s very proud of what municipal employees have been able to accomplish. She said the region has only two building inspectors and one planner, at a time when development is on the rise. And she said their bylaw enforcement division is also understaffed, while complaints increase.
“People are so quick to criticize the staff of the Region of Queens and I really wish that perhaps people like that could be the mayor for a week or a month and actually sit in my chair and get a good understanding of how much work they do, because our staff work hard.”
Norman said another reason she won’t be reoffering in October’s municipal election is the abuse she said she’s received on social media.
“The cruel, the unkind, the unjust things that are said. And all people have to do is pick up a phone and they’ll know that all those rumours aren’t true. I tend to bite my tongue and … almost cut off my fingers not to write back some things on some posts that I’ve read. But it’s just not what I was prepared for.
“And I just don’t want it anymore. I’m a really good sleeper and when I don’t sleep at night because of stuff at council or things going on, I have too many people my age dropping dead and I want to do positive things that have positive results and are not attached with any negativism.”
She says she’s not sure what she’ll do after October. But it will include spending more time with her young grandson in Shelburne. And she plans to volunteer in her community of Port Medway and work on some of her art projects.
“I’ll find something to do. … I’m interested in helping my community of Port Medway. … I’m artistic, I might just discover who I am again. But I want to get out and do something that I want to do that doesn’t have the stressors that being the mayor does.”
Regardless of some of that stress, she says she’s grateful for the opportunity to be mayor of the Region of Queens for the past four years.
“I’d just like to thank the people of Queens for poviding me this wonderful privilege to represent Queens County,” she says. “And it is a privilege. We are a wonderful county, we have some of the best people in the world. And we are very attractive to people around the world who want to live here. So let’s welcome newcomers, regardless of what country or what culture they are. Diversity is wonderful for us. It makes us stronger. Thanks to the people of Queens.
“And I’m here for a couple of more months if there’s anything anybody needs any help with.”
The municipal election is set for Oct. 19. Former teacher Terry Doucette and business consultant Scott Christian have already announced their campaigns for mayor. People have until Sept. 10 to file their nomination papers.
For the first time, voters in Queens will be able to make their choices by traditional ballot or by phone or online.
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.
Scott Christian announces candidacy for Region of Queens Mayor. Photo: Scott Christian for Mayor of RQM Facebook page
Scott Christian is first to announce his intention to run for Mayor of Queens in the 2024 municipal election.
The former Chair of the Queens Daycare Association made the announcement in a video released on social media Friday.
During the two and a half minute long video Christian raised concerns about the high levels of poverty, lack of affordable and seniors housing, and under-realized economic development in Queens.
He calls for the municipality to work with the province, grassroots and non-profit organizations, as well as local businesses to address those concerns.
Christian says he intends to change the culture around the council table.
“But the reality is that the current mayor and council have held us back because they’ve failed to work together as a team, and they have no plan in place for the future,” says Christian. “So, what I propose is this, that in our next council defines and commits to a common vision for the future of Queen County, develops a plan to get us there, and supports our administration to follow through on that plan. We make thoughtful, affordable, strategic investments in our community.”
Christian spent several years as the Chair of the Queens Daycare Association before it was recently placed under the care of the YMCA.
He is a business consultant and launched the Work Evolved co-working space in Liverpool.
Christian says Queens has many attributes and much to be proud of including the Universally Designed Play Park and the new long-term care home under construction around Queens Place.
In his video, Christian says Queens Place is still reeling from the loss of their junior hockey team and the canteen has been unable to find a way to stay open. He also criticizes council for not moving fast enough to get a new swimming pool in South Queens.
“There’s clear desire for change within the Region of Queens Municipality and I would be honoured to lead that change,” says Christian. “We can and will do better together.”
At this point neither Mayor Darlene Norman nor Deputy Mayor Jack Fancy have publicly announced if they will run for the position.
There is still plenty of time for candidates to announce as the next municipal election is scheduled for October 2024.
To hear the broadcast version of this story click play below.
Queens Daycare extension under construction, September 2023. Photo Scott Christian
The South Shore chapter of the YMCA will take over operations of Queens Daycare.
President of the Queens Day Care Association Scott Christian says putting the centre in the hands of the YMCA will ensure the sustainability and long-term solvency of the daycare, while offering improved programming by providing more opportunities to professionalize and better support staff.
“It has become so incredibly arduous and challenging to stay apprised of, and responsive to the shifting landscape around early childhood development,” said Christian.
He says the provincial and federal governments have recognized the importance of providing childcare and have really thrown their support into the sector.
Christian says initiatives like $10 a day daycare, better training and increased wages for workers are all very welcome but all those measures come with a level of oversight that is difficult, if not impossible for a volunteer board to meet.
“When you have that type of corporate infrastructure you can just leave the day-to-day of, the on-site director really has to worry about relationships with the families and supporting the staffing compliment right?” said Christian. “Like, the actual day-to-day stuff and not having to worry about maintaining the building, managing the building, you know, and then reporting for funding and budgeting and you know, and then the list goes on and on and on.”
According to CEO South Shore YMCA Yvonne Smith, that is where they come in.
“There’s a lot happening with the, with the changes within the childcare environment and so we were really one of the first if not the first to transition a for-profit childcare to a license not-for-profit and that was the Greenwood transition which we did, and since then we’ve been working on some others,” said Smith.
Christian believes the YMCA is the right organization to lead the daycare in the years ahead.
“They’re really well suited. They are engaged and involved in provision of licensed childcare throughout Southwest Nova Scotia and this just is kind of, for me, it’s the next chapter, the next chapter of Queens daycare,” said Christian. “[It] makes a lot of sense I think that I applaud what we as a volunteer community group have been able to do, but it’s just time to recognize that the best decision for the operation is to allow an organization who’s better suited to be able to take it to the next level.”
Christian says the Queens Daycare Association and YMCA have been working on the deal for months.
They agreed they would wait to make the announcement until the association had an opportunity to inform staff and families of the change.
Now that the details have been worked out and those groups have been notified, Christian anticipates the YMCA will take over the day-to-day operations in early November.
To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.
Queens Daycare extension under construction, September 2023. Photo Scott Christian
Queens Daycare Association has set spring of 2024 to open their expanded childcare centre.
The facility currently provides care for 42 children and 8 infants. Once renovations are complete another 65 childcare spaces will be opened.
President of the Queens Daycare Association Scott Christian says some reconfiguration of classes will be necessary during construction.
“The new side is expected to be complete this winter. We’re aiming for December or January to have the new building portion complete and then we’ll just migrate all the kiddos over there onto the new side so that there’s no sort of disruption to the operation,” said Christian. “Migrate everybody over there and then we’ll be getting the upstairs of the old Mount Pleasant school which the program is currently taking place in and that will be completely renovated.”
The renovations will involve the creation of 13 new toilets and sinks to meet provincial guidelines that dictate the ratio of children to washroom facilities.
Christian says finding qualified Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) has been challenging in the past and he appreciates the work being done by the provincial government to open new spaces to train more childcare professionals.
“It’s really challenging to get the infrastructure and the labour force pieces to kind of move in tandem with one another and so sort of, delays to the construction project have meant that now we’re further along in terms of the province investing and creating more and developing more ECEs.,” said Christian. “So, we’re hopeful that when we do get to a point where we’re able to open up both sides of the new and newly renovated daycare that we will be able to hire and have the type of team that we will be able to pretty quickly ratchet up our program to accept new families into the program because we still are maintaining a waitlist that fluctuates between 40 and 50 kids.”
Christian says the childcare landscape has changed drastically over the past few years as different levels of government try to find a path forward that works for children, parents, and care providers.
“The move to sort of, $10 a day average childcare across the province and across the country has been challenging,” said Christian. “It’s just structurally, is very complex but I have to applaud the government has been, well it’s been challenging and while there’s lots of difficult decisions and what they’ve been very supportive, I would say they’ve been very supportive to the community-based organisations who are trying to navigate it.”
Christian sees more young families in Queens and says the renovations will be key to the Queens Daycare meeting the demands of the community.
To hear the broadcast of this story click play below.
Rendering of Queens Daycare expansion courtesy Well Engineered Inc.
It appears Queens new daycare building will be in place before enough staff are found.
The planning and design phase of the new annex is complete and permits are in place to break ground this fall.
The addition of the 3,800 square foot annex will nearly double the daycare’s existing 4,000 square feet allowing the facility to increase the number of children it can support from 42 to 91.
Chair of the Queens Daycare Association Scott Christian says the $2 million investment from the provincial government will mean a new facility tailored to the needs of a daycare.
However, finding qualified Early Childhood Educators will be more challenging.
Christian says with waitlists in the three streams of infant, pre-primary and afterschool care it will take time to find staff to allow them to reach their capacity.
“There’s going to be a lot of excitement around this,” said Christian. “We have this big, new shiny building. The reality is we’re not going to be able to flip a switch and welcome 90 children into our program.”
Christian says the issue is that many initiatives are only now coming online and it could be several years before today’s students are ready for the workforce.
“The requirement is that two-thirds of your staff need to be certified ECEs and the reality is that the labour force does not exist right now,” said Christian. “The province is doing wonderful things in terms of working with the colleges, working with Mount St. Vincent University to really ramp up those programs and the capacity of those programs to be churning out ECEs.”
The entire daycare project, managed by Well Engineered Inc. out of Dartmouth will be completed in two phases, construction of the annex then renovation of the existing school building.
Christian says they expect to welcome children into a fully expanded and renovated Queens Daycare by December 2023.
Queens County Daycare in Liverpool will more than double the number of available childcare spaces over the next year.
The funding is coming as part of the $29 million being invested in childcare across Nova Scotia by the federal government under the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement that will see the creation of 1,500 new childcare spaces across the province by the end of the year.
Chair of the Queens County Daycare Association Scott Christian says the $2 million they receive will bring big changes including the construction of a new wing, renovating the existing building, and hiring new staff.
Once that work is complete the facility can add 49 new spaces on top of the existing 42 (which excludes the eight infant care spaces).
Christian says he has seen a huge shift in attitude from the provincial government around early childhood learning over the last number of years.
“I’m excited that the province is recognizing that it’s their responsibility,” said Christian. “That the education and development of children doesn’t become the province’s responsibility when they’re five-years-old and enter primary, that it’s earlier than that. They want to be part of the solution and so do we.”
Christian says the funding will bring changes to their home in the former Mount Pleasant School that will make it more suitable to care for pre-school aged children.
He says accessible washrooms and a kitchen are at the top of the list of improvements coming to the daycare.
Managing the timeline is key as the plan is to complete construction on the new 3,500 square foot annex so the children can be relocated before renovations begin on the existing building.
“The whole juggling act is that there can be no disruption of services.”
Christian recognizes from coming up with a design to obtaining permits to hiring a contractor, there’s a lot to do in a very short amount of time.
Still, he is optimistic construction will begin in the fall and a fresh group of young people will be joining Queens County Daycare when the work is done.
Interior of the new infant care facility at Queens Daycare. Photo Ed Halverson
Parents of infants in Queens have a childcare option for the very first time.
The Queens Daycare Association officially opened their infant care centre for children as young as four months old on Tuesday.
Chair of the association’s board of directors Scott Christian says he knows from personal experience how essential the service will be for families who are new to Queens.
“I’m new to the community, I’ve only lived here for five years and I asked people, where do infants go? Where does your baby go when you needed to go back to work? It’s largely, that gap is filled by grandma or an aunt or uncle or a close family friend. But outside of that there’s really no opportunities,” said Christian.
The association began applying for grants in 2017 to build the $400,000 infant care facility.
The work was completed though a $250,000 grant received from the province and $150,000 in private donations.
Toys wait for kids in the new play area. Photo Ed Halverson
Already, three of the eight available infant spaces are filled and Christian expects now that the doors are open the remaining spots will be snapped up.
Queens Daycare Association is also licensed to provide care for 42 children in their afterschool, toddler and pre-school programs and there are almost another 40 on a waitlist to get in.
Christian says the need for licensed childcare in Queens is obvious.
“There were other facilities in the community who got out of it because of how challenging it is to be solvent. There’s really no opportunity for for-profit childcare in rural communities, so it’s up to non-profits like ours in the charitable sector to step in,” said Christian.
Scott Christian (center) cuts the ribbon to officially open the centre as board members and invited guests look on. Photo Ed Halverson
The proverbial paint is barely dry and already Christian says the association is looking to expand.
“We are the sole provider of licensed childcare in the community and with a waitlist like that and with the demographic trends, with so many new families moving to the area and properties being bought up, and whatnot, we know that there’s just going to be an increase in need for it.”
The Queens County Daycare Association is turning to the Region of Queens for help to keep the doors open.
Association Chair Scott Christian appeared at Region of Queens council to ask the municipality for financial help of $50,000 this year and $30,000 over each of the next three years.
Christian says since taking ownership of the building from the municipality the association has burned through much of their cash reserves.
“We need to figure out how to get some revenue injected into the daycare right now so that we can meet our financial obligations and get the projects complete so that we can expand our services on the infant care side,” said Christian.
The daycare has lost most of the four-year olds who would normally be enrolled to the provincial pre-primary program.
In an attempt to make up for that revenue, the association is building capacity to begin infant care for children 18 months and younger.
Christian says the province has identified the need for those spaces and has contributed $250,000 towards the construction of a new infant care building on the daycare site.
Unfortunately for the association, that construction is over budget and they still need to contend with the upkeep on the old daycare building.
The association went from being a tenant to owners of the former Mount Pleasant school when they bought the building for one dollar from the region.
Christian says the list of repairs included the roof, windows and replacing a collapsed septic field.
Prior to buying the building, the association had $130,000 in reserves, and without additional funding, Christian says that money may not get them through the summer.
Christian says the provincial funding model doesn’t make sense for a non-profit daycare in rural Nova Scotia.
A statement from the department of education and early childhood development says private childcare centres in Nova Scotia have been given access to additional funding since 2017 to help them transition their business model to adapt to the introduction of the pre-primary program.
The province spends $11.6 million each year on professional development for early childhood educators and has provided about $30 million in COVID-related funding on top of about $25 million in regular financial support to childcare operators and staff.
Christian says the daycare is grateful for the support but it is not enough to meet their $400,000 operation costs.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” said Christian. “The numbers don’t add up. We receive $98,000 right now in provincial funding and you’d have to increase that by at least $50,000 per annum for it to be sustainable for us.”
Despite the bleak numbers, Christian says the association remains optimistic. He says the community recognizes the importance of the daycare.
Christian has already heard from some members of the business community who are willing to step up but that they are looking to see the municipality come to the plate first.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says council will look into the association’s request as part of their budget deliberations over the next month.
In the meantime, Christian says parents needn’t worry about where they will send their children.
“We’re going to make this work, don’t need to worry about the thing closing. It could close in the summer, but it’s not going to, because the board is going to fight like hell and because something’s gotta give.”
