Ashley Christian is owner of WorkEvolved on Main Street in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
Through the day, the WorkEvolved shared office space in downtown Liverpool is a pretty sedate place, with people holding meetings or working on computers.
But on Friday afternoon, it will be the site of some haunting, hilarious and harrowing tales. Four Queens County authors will be reading from their various works, starting at 4 p.m.
WorkEvolved owner Ashley Christian said she was inspired by a recent visit to Rocky Harbour, NL, as part of a course she’s taking on community development.
“And while I was there, I was so impressed by how that community opens up their privately owned spaces for community use. And it just got me thinking, what can I do differently here at WorkEvolved?” Christian, who is also president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview.
“And I would love for folks of Liverpool and beyond to start to feel like this is a space that they can use, and it’s not just a corporate office space. So that was the inspiration behind trying to kind of change the perception of WorkEvolved. And as a big reader myself, I thought, ‘What better place to start?’”
Christian bought WorkEvolved in June, though she’s used it for office space herself since it opened in 2020.
She said she wanted to get something together as part of Christmas on the Mersey, which kicks off on Friday.
“So what you can expect is an opportunity to mingle with fellow book lovers, hopefully in a more intimate setting. And we’re going to have each of the four authors spend the first hour reading something that’s meaningful to them.
“And then the second hour will be casual conversation, light Q&A with the authors, and an opportunity to speak to them individually, to purchase their books and have a few little snacks and treats.”
The four authors represent an eclectic range of voices.
Oickle is a prolific and award-winning fiction and non-fiction writer known for his ghost stories. Pottie has received raves for his debut farce, The Great Lunenburglary. Horror writer Keating has gotten notice for her short stories and novella, while Miller’s dystopian cyberpunk debut won the Indies Today award for best sci-fi action/adventure.
Christian says this is only the first of more community events she hopes to organize at WorkEvolved.
“I’m trying to think of things that we’re missing here in Queens County. And what can I bring in that adds value to the community? So I think that a self-defence course would be great. I also know that we have some amazing amateur chefs in the area. I would love to be able to help folks to share their passion for cooking, and maybe offer some sort of community dinner.”
Local Voices will be held at WorkEvolved at 154 Main St. in Liverpool, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. It’s a free event.
A look at some Christmas trees from a previous Trees in the Park event. (Liverpool Adventure Outfitters on Facebook)
Freeman Lumber will be taking over Trees in the Park, the annual fundraiser that features Christmas trees decorated by local businesses.
The South Queens Chamber of Commerce had announced in early November that it would stop organizing the event. Freeman Lumber stepped in to ensure it continues.
Businesses, organizations or individuals buy a tree for $75 and decorate it however they like. The trees are displayed outside at the Queens County Museum and on the Liverpool waterfront.
All proceeds go to a local charity. That will be announced shortly, according to a notice from the chamber.
The chamber is still hosting the annual tree lighting ceremony at the Astor Theatre along with the Region of Queens and the South Shore Multicultural Association.
Ryan MacLean with UPLAND Planning and Design Studio explains the options regarding a proposed change to how residential developments are handled in downtown Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
It was a small turnout for the first public engagement session about a proposed change to downtown development in Liverpool.
The Region of Queens land use bylaw allows residential development downtown only in buildings with a primary commercial use.
Three options are on the table for the public to consider: to allow residential developments in the commercial district as a main use by right, to allow them by development agreement which would require council approval, or to stay with the status quo and reject any amendments to the bylaw.
The first drop-in session on Tuesday evening was geared toward the business community. The second session is focused on hearing from residents. That is scheduled for Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. in the community room at Queens Place Emera Centre. There is also an online survey available.
The region hired UPLAND Planning and Design Studio from Halifax to lead the public engagement. Two representatives from that company were at Tuesday’s session, along with Mike MacLeod, the region’s director of land use.
Ryan MacLean, an engagement manager with UPLAND, said they’ve already heard a variety of opinions.
“People have expressed great support for any opportunity to increase residential development, expressing their concerns around the housing crisis, but then we’ve also heard concern around the potential for if you permit more residential uses, then it could erode the commercial character of the downtown.”
Beach Meadows resident Mary White is a member of the region’s planning advisory committee, which recommended having the public sessions.
She doesn’t want the bylaw to change. And she said she’d like to see the region do more to support local businesses.
“I think that we need to maintain the commercial spaces on Main Street and I think that we need to decide as a community what we want the future of our community to be. And if that’s to have a main core then we need to support that. And as a municipality, I would hope they would get together and decide some intitiatives to help the (businesspeople) that are there that have been struggling and hanging on for so long.”
Rigel Jones, executive director of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said she was staying open-minded about any changes to downtown development.
“I know the feedback we’ve gotten from members in the chamber is they’re struggling with foot traffic and that having more residents on main street could change that.”
Liverpool resident Paul Deveau said he’s against the bylaw change, though he’s in favour of more residential development on Main Street.
“I firmly believe that, yes, we should allow some apartments to be built down there under the current use. All across Canada municipality have come up with urban plans for their main streets. … It’s a work-live-play. So they should have apartments on top of these businesses but still have the businesses stay. The moment you start allowing them to be converted into residential that’s the moment that all the street is going to be turned into residential because that’s where they’re going to make the most money.”
He said he’s happy the municipality is “finally” having some public engagement, but said two sessions aren’t enough for such a significant discussion.
The consultants will prepare a report for council by the end of June. The region’s planning advisory committee will then review the report and make recommendations to council.
If there are proposed amendments to the land use bylaw, councillors would vote on those. If they’re approved initially, then there would be a two-week notice period for a public hearing to be held before the final vote.
Horse pull at Queens County Fair. File photo: Doreen Holdright
Eleven community groups have been granted more than $62,000 from the Region of Queens community investment fund.
Non-profit groups from Queens County can apply to the $175,000 fund each year to help offset operational, capital, event, training or travel expenses.
The groups approved for $62,216 in operational funding this week represent only the first stage of grants from the fund. Steve Burns, the region’s community economic development officer, told council that they were time-sensitive.
Any requests from the community investment fund higher than $1,000 have to be approved by council.
Burns said council will be asked to vote on more funding requests now that their 2025-26 budget is approved.
Groups can apply to three different streams for operational funding: up to $10,000 annually if they own their own facility or are in a long-term lease and their programs or services are well-established and open to the general public; up to $5,000 to help community organizations that offer year-round programs or services to Queens County residents and up to $1,000 for groups that offer new, expanded or seasonal programs.
Community groups must submit financial statements, including their current bank balance, what the money will be used for and any other funding sources.
Here is a rundown of what each group received:
CJQC Radio Society, which operates QCCR, for eligible operating expenses up to $5,000
South Shore Flying Club up to $6,047
Friends of Hank Snow Society up to $10,000
Medway & Area Heritage Society up to $2,267.50
South Queens Chamber of Commerce up to $3,750
Mersey Band Society up to $3,121
Milton Canoe & Camera Club up to $2,030.50
Carroll Baker Society up to $5,000
Queens County Fair Association up to $10,000
Seaside Recreation & Community Centre up to $5,000
Katharina Cochrane, vice-president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, says voters seem to be ‘dialled in’ during this election. (Rick Conrad)
Nova Scotia’s South Shore is known for its ocean breezes and waterfront vistas, drawing thousands of tourists each year to relax on its many beaches.
But in the 2025 federal election campaign, there’s nothing laidback about the race to win the riding of South Shore-St. Margarets.
Incumbent Rick Perkins is trying to keep the seat for the Conservatives, while newcomer Jessica Fancy-Landry hopes to win it back for the Liberals. Mark Embrett is running for the Green Party and Patrick Boyd is representing the People’s Party of Canada. Hayden Henderson is running as an Independent.
In the 2021 election, Perkins beat Liberal incumbent Bernadette Jordan by about four per cent, or 1,800 votes. The NDP finished a strong third, capturing 19 per cent of the vote. Turnout was about 63 per cent.
This time, however, with no declared NDP candidate, it appears to be a two-way race between Conservative Perkins and Liberal Fancy-Landry in the April 28 vote.
2025 FEDERAL ELECTION: QCCR INTERVIEWS THE CANDIDATES
Perkins lives in St. Margarets Bay and says this is the most enthusiastic voters have been since he first ran in 2019.
“I’m getting a great response, a lot of people appreciating the job I’ve done for the last four years, and we’re almost running out of signs,” he told QCCR in early April.
Fancy-Landry is originally from Caledonia, Queens Co., and now lives in Bridgewater. The teacher, community volunteer and first-time candidate says it’s been an energetic campaign so far, with lots of great conversations with voters.
“Tariffs and Trump seem to be on the lips of everybody that we are talking to,” she says.
“Affordability. We’re hearing a lot about environmental (concerns), coastal impact, whether it’s fishing, whether it’s Christmas tree farming, whether it’s some of our forestry. People have really been reaching out to see what we can do to help bolster and support the different economies along our South Shore.”
The Greens’ Embrett is an implementation scientist with Nova Scotia Health. This is the Queensland resident’s first full campaign, though he’s had his name on the ballot in previous elections for the Greens.
“I decided to align myself with the Green Party because their values around equity and transparency and government and fairness and policies really echoed my own beliefs and my own values.”
The People’s Party’s Boyd is originally from Vancouver and moved to Sable River three years ago, after spending some time overseas in international banking. This the first campaign for the consultant and hobby farmer.
“We’re sicker than we’ve ever been. We’re poorer than we’ve ever been. We’re more censored than we’ve ever been. And at the same time, you can see the parties that are running, they can really be described as a globalist uniparty. So whether you’re on the Liberal side or the Conservative side, it’s really hard to differentiate or distinguish between policies.”
The riding covers a vast territory, stretching from Head of St. Margarets Bay outside Halifax to Clark’s Harbour at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.
In the 2021 election, it counted just under 80,000 voters. But it lost some of those electors when the boundaries were redrawn in 2023.
People seem motivated this time to get out and vote. About 19,000 people voted in advance polls over the Easter weekend, mirroring early turnout in the rest of Nova Scotia at about 25 per cent.
Katharina Cochrane is vice-president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce.
“I think people are really dialed in on this election this time which in the past people (were) not really that interested, but even younger people, first-time voters, they’re very anxious about the whole situation with America. And in general, it’s not as easy to get yourself in a situation where you can afford a house or get a place, live a middle-class life.
“So I think people are very anxious to see some changes.”
Cochrane says some of the main concerns in the Liverpool area are housing, poverty and rural development.
“There’s a lot of low-income housing that needs to be built. We’re one of the poorest ridings, probably in Nova Scotia, so that needs to be addressed. And then the whole rural development for small businesses, like what can be done to help small businesses to get on their feet when they start up. Come up with maybe tax breaks that would be helpful for the community.”
She said the commercial fishery and the environmental impacts of open-pen fish farming are also among the issues at play.
At a recent candidates meet and greet in Liverpool, voters said the lucrative lobster fishery, the fear of Trump tariffs and the overall tenor of politics were on people’s minds.
Danielle Robertson of Port Joli said she wants to see the federal government enforce fisheries regulations to help protect an industry that generates close to $500 million for southwestern Nova Scotia.
Fishermen are upset with what they see as illegal fishing in the wake of the Marshall decisions that guaranteed Indigenous communities a moderate livelihood in the fishery.
“Where I live I can see evidence of abuse of the fishery and overfishing,” Robertson said.
“And I’ve talked to fisheries officers who feel like they’re not able to do their job. And I think our resources are really taking a hit. I think our fish are being overfished. And I’m really hoping that the federal government will step up and enforce their federal fishing policies.”
Conservative Perkins says he’s been a big advocate for fish harvesters since he was elected in 2021. And he says the Liberals haven’t done enough to crack down on poachers.
“We believe it begins with enforcing the law, and then sitting down once the law is enforced and people are abiding by the law and negotiating for more access for First Nations. As long as there’s no penalty and no enforcement, why would I come to the table to negotiate when the government lets me do whatever I want, whenever I want?”
Liberal Fancy-Landry says that she wants to bring all sides to the table, while acknowledging the Department of Fisheries and Oceans must be allowed to enforce the law.
“Another thing is how many of the fishermen have actually been brought to the table when policy and draft bills have been in place. So it’s that engagement piece,” she says.
“I think a lot of the time people feel disenfranchised or disempowered because they haven’t been asked to be at the table. … The line’s drawn in the sand right now with Conservative versus Liberal versus whatever party. It’s time for us to all come together and actually have some courageous conversations.”
Scot Slessor, a stained glass artist in Liverpool, says this election is an opportunity to tackle interprovincial trade barriers. But he says regardless of the issue, he wants more co-operation among the parties.
“I’m looking for people who are going to be willing to work together,” Slessor says.
“You know, we’ve seen that minority governments get a lot done for our country, but the way people are interacting has been extremely negative. And I’m really hopeful that we can bring that a little bit back to some civility.”
The South Queens Chamber of Commerce is organizing a meet-and-greet in Liverpool with candidates in South Shore-St. Margarets. (Elections Canada)
Voters in Queens County will get a chance to meet some of the candidates vying to be the next MP for South Shore-St. Margarets.
The South Queens Chamber of Commerce and Main and Mersey Dining Room and Coffee Bar in Liverpool are teaming up for a candidate Q&A on Mon., April 21 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Ashley Christian is president of the chamber of commerce.
“The idea is a casual meet-and-greet forum,” Christian said. “What we’re going to be doing is casual networking and then allowing each of the candidates five to 10 minutes to introduce themselves to the group and then we intend to take questions from the floor. So we expect one hour of a more formal question-and-answer period and then another hour of just casual networking.”
Christian said she expects three of the five candidates to be at the event: Liberal Jessica Fancy-Landry, the Green Party’s Mark Embrett and Patrick Boyd of the People’s Party of Canada.
Conservative Rick Perkins, who is running for re-election, could not make it.
Christian did not know whether Independent candidate Hayden Henderson will be at the event. Henderson is the outreach director for the youth wing of the NDP. He was a last-minute addition to the ballot after the NDP’s Brendan Mosher dropped out and has since been endorsed by the NDP.
“We really wanted to give the citizens of Queens County an opportunity to meet everyone, hear their platforms, hear what’s important to them and ask them questions,” Christian said.
The Queens County Museum in Liverpool reopens this weekend with its popular annual event Dickensville and the Festival of Trees. (Rick Conrad)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Liverpool, with multiple events planned for the historic Astor Theatre and the rest of downtown Liverpool this weekend.
Lobster boats leave Port Medway Harbour early Tuesday morning on Dumping Day. (Rick Conrad)
More than 1,400 fishing boats left wharves early this morning along the South Shore as lobster season got underway in southwestern Nova Scotia.
Known as Dumping Day, it’s the day that fishermen set their traps in some of North America’s most lucrative lobster grounds. Nova Scotia exported more than $1.3 billion of lobster last year.
Dumping Day was delayed by a day this year because of weather.
Catches were down overall last year, but still accounted for about $318 million.
Some 680 vessels from Queens County motored out at 7 a.m.
Dozens of family and community members were at the wharf in Port Medway to wish fishermen a safe season, which wraps up at the end of May.
Here are some of the people and sounds from the morning.
Ashley Christian is president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce. (Rick Conrad)
The Nova Scotia government announced this week that as part of a settlement agreement, Northern Pulp will study the feasibility of opening a paper mill in the Liverpool area.
We asked some people at the South Queens Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting on Thursday for their reaction.
Kim Masland, Queens MLA and Nova Scotia’s public works minister, announces $10.7 million in provincial funding for a $21.5-million water and sewer expansion that gives the green light to two new housing developments in the Liverpool area. (Rick Conrad)
The Nova Scotia government and the Region of Queens are teaming up on a $21.5-million project to extend and improve water and sewer services in the Liverpool area.
Queens MLA Kim Masland on Monday announced $10.7 million in provincial funding to expand water and wastewater service to the Mount Pleasant area. The region will pitch in $10.8 million.
The project means that two new private housing developments will go ahead on more than 60 acres of land. About 325 new housing units will be built for up to 1,200 people. It will be a mix of sold and rented space. About a third of those units could be affordable housing.
Masland, who is also Nova Scotia’s public works minister, made the announcement at the region’s municipal offices in Liverpool on behalf of John Lohr, the minister of municipal affairs and housing.
“We need this funding, we know our community’s growing, we certainly need affordable and more housing stock within our community,” she said in an interview after the announcement.
“We’re attracting people to our community every day, there are med professionals that want to come here. This is a great project. This will allow us to build more houses.”
Masland said a municipal housing needs assessment found that Queens County needs 555 more housing units by the end of 2027. She said it’s difficult to recruit health care staff to move to the area if there’s nowhere to live.
“We need people building faster. We need homes up, we need places for people to live. We are in a housing crisis in the province and we’re going to do whatever we can to make sure we can help.”
The funding will also improve existing water and sewer services to more than 1,200 homes and businesses in the area, and help improve the amount of water available for firefighting efforts.
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman emphasized that the funding will do more than help developers build new homes.
She said the current infrastructure is at or over capacity. The project will improve service for residents in Liverpool, Brooklyn and Milton.
“There are some really crucial repairs that need to be made to our system, so it can expand in all directions. This is not case-specific for specific people.”
The provincial portion of the funding comes from the $102-million Municipal Capital Growth Program. The region applied in December for the funding.
Norman said the region’s finance staff are working now to figure out how the municipal portion will be funded. The region is currently working on its 2024/25 budget.
Adam Grant, the region’s director of engineering and public works, said Monday he hopes the work will be finished in 24 to 36 months.
“So work is already underway. Following the feasibility study, we’ve migrated into some design work preliminary and that’s underway right now, looking at having designs rolled out in the fall and construction starting in the next 12 months ideally.”
The developers behind the two housing projects said Monday they were excited by the news. They’ve lobbied the municipality for the past few years to extend water and sewer services to those areas.
Both projects are near downtown Liverpool.
Larry Cochrane plans an 87-unit development on the old Dauphinee Farm property near Queens General Hospital, which would include a 24-unit apartment building.
He said he will soon begin the design phase of the project.
“I wish it was faster of course, but we’ll take that because there’s lots of work I need to do to get ready to start a project like this.”
Graham van der Pas is a partner with Rumclo Developments. They plan a three-stage development on about 30 acres of land farther up the road from Cochrane’s project.
“We’re very, very excited. We’ve been lobbying for this for the past two years. So it’s amazing.”
The Rumclo development will feature The Point, which will have 124, two-bedroom homes for sale, The Curve, with 22 three-bedroom townhouses, and Birchwood Gardens, 82 affordable rental apartments. Van der Pas said the affordable rentals will be 80 per cent of the median market rate. A one-bedroom would be about $800 a month, a two-bedroom $1,000 and a three-bedroom would rent for $1,200.
A section of The Curve will also be reserved for staff from Queens General Hospital to rent.
“I think a community like this needs it,” van der Pas said.
“I think what our developments will bring to the town is … a significant amount of property taxes. The revenue will go up there, the economic revenue of people potentially starting businesses, new patrons for the businesses that are already existing. It’s significant.”
Ashley Christian, president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, said she’s happy that such a big investment is being made in Queens.
“We have been advocating through the chamber of commerce for more housing for a couple of years. So we’re so excited to see this huge investment, especially made by the municipality, really impressed by that.”
Christian said she’s especially happy that half the funding is coming from the province. She said she hopes that means the project won’t be a big burden on municipal taxpayers.
Kim Masland, Queens MLA and Nova Scotia’s Public Works Minister, says chronic ER closures in her riding are worrisome. (Rick Conrad photo)
By Rick Conrad
Queens MLA Kim Masland says the Nova Scotia government is making progress in its efforts to keep the emergency department at Queens General Hospital open more often, but she admits there’s more work to do.
“I know right now we’ve been open pretty much 50 per cent of the time which is very, very concerning,” Masland said in an interview this week.
“We need to make sure that our ER is open and available to people when they need it. We’re 30 minutes away from Bridgewater, we’re further away to the next ER.”
She pointed to efforts by the Queens General Hospital Foundation and Nova Scotia Health recruiters to bring more health care workers to the area.
“We are making progress. We’ve recruited six (ER and family practice) doctors in the last year which is absolutely fabulous. But it’s a staffing issue. We need to make sure that we can recruit and then retain. So we’ll keep working at it.”
Masland and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston were asked about the ER closures during a Q&A session at an event in Liverpool on Wednesday organized by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce.
The ER in Liverpool was closed all last weekend. And this week, it is open most days only from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will be closed all day Saturday. According to Nova Scotia Health, the ER was closed for part or all of the day for 13 days in November, 15 in December and 15 in January. A Nova Scotia Health official told QCCR in January that the Queens General ER needs 10 more nurses to be open more often.
Houston told the crowd Wednesday that the province has made many changes to how health care is delivered. He pointed to the expanded scope of practice for many health care workers, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners and others who are now able to do more of the duties once restricted to doctors.
“Our pharmacies did, since we started opening up this access path, almost 19,000 strep tests over the last three or four months. I can tell you where pretty much every one of those 19,000 people would have went if not for a pharmacy.
“So we’re really trying to mobilize everyone. … Then we can take a little bit of pressure off everyone else. And if we can take a little pressure off everyone else, then we can start to attract more people who want to be part of an innovative, leading edge health care system.”
Houston said that while there’s no quick fix, it’s important that people know that they don’t always have to wait in an ER for treatment.
“So we want to make sure that everyone knows where they can go to access the health care that they need. And it might be the emergency department and we want it to be open, but it doesn’t always have to be the emergency department for everything … when there’s something else that will work just as effectively.”
Masland says the province’s focus is on recruiting more health care professionals to the area.
“We’re very committed to improving health care and that’s where our focus is going to remain.”
Kim Masland, Queens MLA and Nova Scotia Public Works Minister, and Premier Tim Houston take questions at a business luncheon in Liverpool on Wednesday. (Rick Conrad photo)
By Rick Conrad
Opponents of a proposed fish farm expansion near Liverpool got a big morale boost on Wednesday as Premier Tim Houston told a business luncheon that he personally opposes the plan for more fish farms in Liverpool Bay.
“I think some areas are great for aquaculture and I think that some others are maybe not the best place for it.
“On this specific question on Liverpool Bay, if I say some places I think are suitable and some aren’t, I personally don’t think Liverpool Bay is a suitable place for it,” Houston said to applause.
“That’s my personal opinion. I respect the process, an independent review board will do their process and will have hearings. They’ll do their thing. But my personal opinion is that I don’t think Liverpool Bay is a suitable place for it.”
About 80 Queens County businesspeople and others were at the Best Western Plus in Liverpool for the event, which was organized by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce, and featured the premier and Queens MLA and Public Works Minister Kim Masland.
The premier’s comments came during a wide-ranging question and answer session, in response to a question about Kelly Cove Salmon’s application to expand its operations near Coffin Island, and to add two new sites off Brooklyn and Mersey Point.
If successful, Kelly Cove’s operation would grow to 60 pens from its current 14. It would mean about 1.8 million salmon would be farmed in the bay, compared to the current estimated 400,000. Kelly Cove would also farm trout at its operation at Coffin Island.
The Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board has public hearings scheduled for Liverpool beginning March 4.
The grassroots group Protect Liverpool Bay is one of five groups granted intervenor status at the hearing. The others are the Region of Queens, the Brooklyn Marina, a group of 23 lobster fishermen, and Kwilmu’kw Maw-Klusuaqn, which is representing the Acadia First Nation.
In an interview afterward, Houston said he wanted to make sure those gathered for the event knew where he stood personally.
“The review board will do their process and we certainly respect that process, but on a personal level I believe that there are places where aquaculture makes sense and great opportunities in this province. There are other places where it doesn’t make sense. And I don’t think Liverpool Bay is one where it makes the best sense.”
“The hearings will start in March, people will have their chance to have their say. That’s my personal opinion. There will be many other opinions shared through that process and the board will take those all in and look at the science and make their decision. I just thought for this room here, it was important that they knew where I personally stood.”
Masland repeated her opposition to the fish farm expansion. She had spoken against it as an opposition MLA.
“I think my position has been communicated very well from the very beginning,” she told the crowd. “I take this job as your MLAs very seriously and I always take the time to listen to the constituents within the area I represent.”
In an interview, she said she was happy with the premier’s comments.
“We do have a process that needs to be followed. I do understand that. But certainly we have a premier who listens, and understands and respects the value of people’s voices in the community and I think that was shown today by his comment.”
Jeff Nickerson, business development manager for Cooke Aquaculture, which owns Kelly Cove Salmon, was at the event on Wednesday. He did not want to comment on the premier’s remarks. He referred media questions to Cooke spokesman Joel Richardson.
“We’ve been going through the provincial review process for the Liverpool Bay project for many years, since we first submitted the application in 2019 and we look forward to going through the government’s review process,” Richardson said in an interview.
“As the applicant that is bringing the Liverpool Bay project forward, we appreciate that the premier respects the aquaculture review board process.”
Brian Muldoon, president of Protect Liverpool Bay, said he was surprised at the premier’s comments. Protect Liverpool Bay is one of five intervenors at the upcoming hearing.
“I was really impressed. I didn’t expect that he would come out and actually say personally that he is against having open net pen fish farms here in Liverpool Bay.”
Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman said she understands it’s only the premier’s personal opinion, but that it is welcome news.
“It’s wonderful to know that he believes they are not suited for our bay,” she said in an interview.
“I think his personal views and the separation from the ARB are very distinct but it does sort of give you that at least the premier understands and is of our same mindset.”
Members of the public can also have their say on Kelly Cove’s application. The review board is accepting public submissions until Feb. 12.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Queens MLA Kim Masland will be speaking at a luncheon in Liverpool on Feb. 7. (Tim Houston Facebook page)
By Rick Conrad
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Queens MLA Kim Masland will be speaking at a luncheon organized by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 7.
The two-hour event is being held at the Best Western Plus in Liverpool. The chamber says it’s a “prime opportunity” for Queens County’s business leaders and others to talk with the two politicians about the area’s future.
Houston and Masland, who is also Nova Scotia’s minister of public works, will speak about rural economic development. In addition to the speeches, the event will feature success stories from local businesses.
Attendees will get to ask Houston and Masland questions in a Q&A session. The chamber wants questions submitted no later than Feb. 1 to secretary@southqueenschamber.com.
Brian Muldoon protests the proposed fish farm expansion. QCCR file photo
A local environmental group is gearing up to fight a proposed fish farm expansion in Liverpool.
Protect Liverpool Bay was recently granted intervenor status to appear at the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board hearing into Kelly Cove Salmon’s proposed plan to expand their operation in Liverpool Bay.
Representatives from Acadia First Nations, Brooklyn Marina, 23 Fishermen of Liverpool Bay and the Region of Queens Municipality were also granted intervenor status in the hearing set to begin Feb 05, 2024.
The aquaculture board denied requests to intervene from several residents along with the South Queens Chamber of Commerce and the Ecology Action Centre.
President of the Protect Liverpool Bay Association Brian Muldoon argues the pens are too large and the water too shallow to safely operate a fish farm in this location. He says it’s not a question of if but when the farmed salmon will escape into the wild.
“I witnessed from Hurricane Lee three weeks ago, four weeks ago, whatever, that the nets were ripped apart here,” said Muldoon. “The actual feeding barge got ripped right off all the feeding lines and moved. Those fish weren’t even being fed for days.”
Muldoon says there is overwhelming opposition to the existing fish farm and the community has made it clear they do not want to see it expanded.
“You get the lobster fishermen, you get the Acadia First Nations who are saying no, you get Queens County who say no, we don’t want you, you get the Marina for navigational and recreational boating no, you say all of the members of PLB from beachgoers to homeowners all the ones that live in the area say no, so why are we even having this discussion?” asked Muldoon.
Protect Liverpool Bay is being represented at the board hearing by lawyers from Ecojustice. Muldoon says the board will not listen to repetitious arguments, so Ecojustice is working with other intervenors to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak and present evidence.
“You want to have expert witnesses to come forward and you want to be able to make sure that they have all the, you know you may hire an oceanographer, or you can hire someone from the wild salmon,” said Muldoon. “You know, as PLB, we don’t have to talk about the eight deciding factors. You could pick two or three and focus on them.”
In their application, Kelly Cove Salmon explains the change is being requested to “fully encompass existing cages, mooring lines, and anchors within lease boundaries. The lease boundaries will incorporate six (6) additional cages resulting in a 2 x 10 configuration in addition to an increase in production to ensure the long term environmental and financial stability of this site.”
Hearings into the application will be held February 5 through 9 at the Liverpool Best Western Hotel.
The proposed site for the new library at Queens Place lies at the end of the driveway beside the sledding hill. Photo Ed Halverson
Members of the Astor theatre want permission to pursue grants for a new air conditioning system and councillors are concerned about ballooning costs for the new library at Queens place.
The late additions made for an exciting agenda at Tuesday’s Region of Queens council meeting.
The meeting got underway with presentations from the property valuation services corporation or PVSC. The organization explained how they assess properties before providing that information to municipalities to use when collecting property tax.
The next presentation was an update from the recreation and healthy communities department.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, members of the Astor Theatre made their case for why they want permission to install air conditioning. They say climate change has led to uncomfortably high temperatures during the summer months making the space an unsafe work environment. Because the Astor Theatre is a tenant in the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, they need permission from the municipality to make any changes.
During the recommendation portion of the agenda councillors approved the placement, design, and size of the new outdoor pool which is proposed to be built alongside Queens Place. Council also took the extraordinary step of allowing the pool committee to research and write grants on behalf of the municipality. Grants will still need to be reviewed, approved and submitted by municipal staff.
A study on the feasibility of servicing two new proposed subdivisions in Mount Pleasant will go ahead. Councillors approved spending up to $21,000 for CBCL engineering to undertake a six-week study to determine if there is the capacity to handle water and wastewater flow and demand to the proposed developments. The results of that study are expected to come back to council sometime in April.
Next, councillors debated and ultimately approved the Astor Theatre’s request to apply for grants to install air conditioning. We’ll have more on this story in the coming days.
Eight items were on the agenda for the discussion portion of the meeting.
Council received updates on their implementation report and a financial review for the third quarter.
The province of Nova Scotia is conducting an economic study on the ferry service from Maine to Nova Scotia and approached municipalities in southern Nova Scotia for feedback on the evaluation criteria.
Council was informed environmental documents pertaining to the Mersey River wind farm project can be viewed at the regional administration office and the Thomas Raddall library. The project includes plans to install 35 wind turbines on the site.
Council then discussed property tax exemptions and set a date of March 3rd to begin discussing their 2023-24 budget.
The South Queens Chamber of Commerce asked the Region to assume responsibility for the hanging flower baskets on display on posts in Liverpool. Council discussed taking on the project but determined in fairness, it should be expanded to include Caledonia as well. Staff will investigate the specifics of the request and bring a report back to council.
Finally, council discussed the construction of the new library at Queens Place.
Around the table councillors say they’ve been hearing concerns from residents that the Region has not looked for other sources of funding for the project. Some also feel the location at Queens Place was misrepresented as the best option.
Councillors who had opposed siting the new library at Queens Place dropped their opposition when they believed it would be the most cost-effective option. During the discussion it was revealed the construction of the road and other infrastructure leading to the library could add over $900,000 to the cost.
Council will be looking for staff to provide more information and a clearer accounting of all costs when the library is brought back for discussion at the next meeting.
That meeting will take place Tuesday February 28th at 6:00 PM in council chambers.
Performers at the 2022 Liverpool International Theatre Festival. Photo courtesy LITF. Credit Chris LaRocque
Organizers of the 2022 edition of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival are hailing the event as a great success.
Over the weekend, audiences enjoyed performances by seven troupes from around the world.
Festival chairperson Jean Robinson-Dexter said from the outset the community rallied behind the event.
“Opening night and having the block party and sunset market on main street in front of the theatre, the town arts and culture centre. That was the work of our South Queens Chamber of Commerce and just gave a totally different kind of kick off to the festival but really engaged the community and folks are still talking about what a good time they had that evening,” said Robinson-Dexter.
Adjudicator Paul Fowler had a tough job to determine how to allocate the awards but, in the end, named The Italian Movie Factory performed by Avanzi di Scena Cultural Association as the Outstanding International Production.
Robinson-Dexter said it’s an unenviable task to be the one judging such unique talents.
“My gosh, what a difficult experience it must have been for him because the plays were so, so different.,” said Robinson-Dexter. “As he said, it’s subjective. Folks may not agree with the choices that he made but those were his choices on that day, and I would say, he got it pretty correct in terms of the choices and the awards that were presented on Sunday night.”
The festival didn’t go off without some adversity. Three of the scheduled 10 troupes booked to perform couldn’t get into Canada due to visa issues.
Robinson-Dexter said it is something they will need to keep in mind for the 2024 edition.
“I guess it’s the way of the world now in terms of folks getting visas to come to Canada. That’ll certainly be something that we’ll be looking at.”
Robinson-Dexter said the Liverpool International Theatre Festival team will take some time to review what went well, what could be improved upon and what changes they would like to see from this year as they begin to make plans for the next festival in 2024.
Entrance to Region of Queens council chambers. Photo Ed Halverson
A pair of public hearings to determine land-use issues in Milton led into Tuesday’s Region of Queens council meeting.
The first was an application for a development agreement to allow Samantha Corner and Robie Leigh Murphy to establish an automobile repair shop at 16 Edward Street.
Several letters supporting the application were received and no one in the gallery rose to speak against.
In session, Council voted unanimously to enter the development agreement.
The second public hearing involved a zoning change to permit the construction of a multi-unit building on the former Garika land on the corner of Highway 8 and Bridge Street in Milton.
Several people rose to speak in opposition to the project citing road safety issues, loss of a public view of the river and the need for fire departments to have access to a dry well on site to fill trucks.
Mayor Darlene Norman says council discussed the fact the road is already at the lowest speed limit permitted of 50km/h and there are no passing lanes along that stretch of highway.
Norman also indicated Milton already has several public park areas including the outdoor pool and Pine Grove Park and is well serviced in that regard.
Norman says council listened to Planning and Development Director Mike MacLeod when he said fire department and public access to the site would be guaranteed when the sale agreement is finalized.
“Ensuring that there’s access for fire departments to that dry hydrant as well as there’s a public boat launch on that site and public access to that will also remain,” said Norman.
During the session council voted to allow the zoning changes by a margin of 6-2 with Councillors Brown and Fancy voting against.
Council started their session by approving a tender for bulk salt trucking.
They accepted a submission by Van Dyk Excavation and Trucking in the amount of $49.95 plus HST per metric tonne.
Director of Engineering & Public Works Adam Grant said every municipality across the province is experiencing large increases for salt delivery and Queens is no different as the $49.95 approved by council is roughly $8.50 per tonne higher than last year.
Next council voted to send the province the results of the Municipal Electoral Boundary review.
As previously reported, the review recommends keeping council composition the same with 7 councillors and one mayor but realigning the districts so the former Town of Liverpool will now only have representation from two councillors.
Council then approved a request from the South Queens Chamber of Commerce to allow alcohol consumption on municipal property as part of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival opening night festivities.
A review of job descriptions for public works employees was the next item on the agenda followed by a funding request from the Greenfield Community Park Society.
The organization is developing a community recreation area behind the Greenfield recreation centre and school, starting with a walking trail.
Council agreed to contribute $9,400 from the community investment fund to the project.
The two public hearing items were then discussed and decided before council voted on a new deputy mayor.
Councillor Jack Fancy was elected to serve in that role for the last two years of this council’s mandate. Fancy replaces outgoing Deputy Mayor, Kevin Muise.
The Deputy Mayor receives no additional pay and fills in for the mayor when they are unavailable.
In the discussion portion of the session, council received a report from staff on the Lost at Sea Memorial being proposed for Fort Point Park.
Staff raised concerns about disturbing underground infrastructure on the site and the removal of trees from the park.
Members of the Diversity and Inclusion team also recommended that proponents of the memorial consult with local Mi’kmaq regarding their inclusion on the memorial.
Council then discussed a request from Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood asking Region of Queens to forward on to the province a letter of support for the Maine Ferry.
Finally, council added an agenda item to discuss whether traffic safety studies should be included by developers looking for permission to build in Queens.
Staff will contact other municipalities in Nova Scotia to determine what common practices are in place and bring a report back to council.
According to the Region’s Calendar, the next council meeting will be on the road in Port Medway.
The meeting will take place at the fire hall starting at 6:00pm.
Belgian troupe Lucky Leo performing their play, The Raise. Photo courtesy Liverpool International Theatre Festival
The play’s the thing once again in Liverpool.
After four years the Liverpool International Theatre Festival is returning to the Astor Theatre.
Nine acts from around the globe will walk the boards in what is considered one of the top ten amateur theatre festivals in the world.
Chairperson of LITF Jean Robinson-Dexter says given the international nature of the performers, one of the things the selection committee looks for are plays that can be understood whether acted in English or not.
“It can transcend the language barriers. We’ll often look for plays that are less verbal or not language heavy, so to speak, so that they can make that crossover so that folks can understand what’s happening,” said Robinson-Dexter.
The festival has been held every two years since it began in 1992.
The last edition of LITF was scheduled for 2020 but like so many other events, was cancelled due to COVID.
This year the festival will start Thursday October 13 with a parade of flags down Main Street leading to the opening ceremonies in the Astor Theatre.
LITF has partnered with the South Queens Chamber of Commerce to round out opening night with a block party featuring live music and events beginning at 8pm.
The weekend will be jammed with performances followed by social evenings at the Liverpool Curling Club.
The 2022 edition of Liverpool International Theatre Festival will also see the return of the ever popular “Coffee Critique” which is open to all performers and all-access pass holders.
Robinson-Dexter says the critique started as an opportunity for performers to discuss their work amongst themselves but has become one of the most unique and popular components of LITF.
“Our audience very quickly wanted to be involved in that. They wanted to hear it and they wanted to ask questions,” said Robinson-Dexter. “It’s usually a jam-packed room. People are just so engaged in learning about how theatre happens in other countries.”
Sales of the all-access passes ends Wednesday October 5, but Robinson-Dexter says there are still multi-performance packages and individual passes available through the Astor Theatre box office.
The Liverpool International Theatre Festival runs from October 13-17.
Kelly says the profiles were part of a photo project completed ten years ago by Katy Hopkins and Stephen Cooper to showcase some of the businesses.
“All of these businesses are, basically, still operating in Queens County, which I thought was really great too,” said Kelly. “The longevity of it all was a really great piece to highlight.”
Until recently, the photos occupied the walls of South Shore Opportunities office.
When that organization downsized their space, the pictures found a new home with the Chamber of Commerce.
Kelly says most of the businesses she profiled aren’t high visibility, main street style enterprises.
South Queens Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Heather Kelly. Photo Ed Halverson
They’re people who have carved a niche in the market and could work from anywhere and choose Queens.
“It just goes to show, you know, being able to work here in Queens County, work remotely, work from home, that sort of thing and they all love doing business here. [It’s a] great place to live, that’s why they’re here,” said Kelly.
She would like to see the excitement created for the businesses and chamber of commerce by the profiles to continue.
“I would love to do this project again, highlight some new businesses and do this type of thing every year on an annual basis.”
Kelly is pleased to say that going forward, the photos will be publicly displayed at Work Evolved on Main Street.
Mayor Darlene Norman speaking at the South Queens Chamber of Commerce Meet the Mayor breakfast. Photo: Susan MacLeod
Region of Queens mayor says the way for local businesses to enjoy greater prosperity is through cooperation.
Darlene Norman made the comments at a Meet the Mayor breakfast held by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.
“Working together as a chamber, as a way to promote all of you is that, co-opitition word that my co-worker Donna Hatt always used,” said Norman. “Co-opitition, you might be competitors but you also need to cooperate and work together.”
As an example, Norman pointed to efforts being made by the North Queens Chamber of Commerce to partner with Parks Canada to create a Gateway to Kejimkujik campaign. The effort will attract visitors to the national park to spend time in North Queens as well.
She says council has spent the first three months in office learning about the needs of Queens County residents and the 53 communities in the 1,000 or so square kilometers that make up the Region of Queens are a diverse group.
While some are affluent, she says others struggle and are part of the 30 percent poverty rate so there is no quick fix to address everyone’s needs.
Norman said she has heard the arguments from some that tax increases should be linked to economic development, and, that by improving economic development, the commercial base can grow.
“We also have to keep in mind we have a lot of not for profits which are the backbones of our communities, that provide recreational opportunities and training and outreach,” said Norman.
Some in the crowd insisted the municipality should be providing incentives to attract business to Queens and help them thrive.
For legal reasons, Norman was quick to shut down that suggestion.
“We cannot do [that] as a municipality. We cannot give tax breaks, we cannot sell land cheap, we are bound by the municipal government act of the province. We are an unchartered level of government,” said Norman.
But they can provide marketing according to the mayor, and she encouraged attendees to use the Queens Coast branding established by the last council to attract visitors to Queens.
Norman says the municipality bought and paid for the branding so all of Queens could make use if it.
The breakfast attendees were keen to see action and some suggested creating a business directory to make it easier for visitors and residents alike to discover what services Queens has to offer.
The breakfast ended on a cooperative note as Norman agreed to take a plan back to council to look into establishing a group whose goal would be to assist in the development of an economic plan and directory for the region.
