On May 17, Region of Queens Municipality will fly the Progress Pride flag on the Special Purpose Flagpole at Town Hall Arts & Cultural Centre, 219 Main St., Liverpool, NS in support of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.  The Progress Pride flag represents the racial diversity within 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and gives representation to trans individuals as well.

On May 17, pledge to end discrimination, and work toward a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect.

Learn more: https://www.unfpa.org/events/international-day-against-homophobia-transphobia-and-biphobia .

The Administration Office, Queens Place Emera Centre , and Municipal Solid Waste Facility will be closed for Victoria Day, Monday, May 19, 2025. The Municipal Solid Waste Facility will be open regular hours 8 am – 2 pm, on Saturday, May 17. Waste collection will take place as usual on Victoria Day.

If you experience a water or sewer related emergency on the municipal utility system during this time, please call the after hours pager at 902-354-4749.

Have a safe holiday weekend!

May 13, 2025; Liverpool, NS: Region of Queens Municipality has hired a Director of People and Culture. Holly McConnell will join the Municipality on May 26, 2025, in the newly established human resources position.
“Holly’s experience in leading workplace teams through periods of transition was recognized as a significant asset in the recruitment process, and she is someone with a genuine warmth and caring for the well-being of staff,” said Dan McDougall, Interim Chief Administrative Officer at Region of Queens Municipality. “Her background of 16 years in corporate human resources management has given her significant experience and skill in employee relations and workforce engagement.”

With nearly 130 full time and part time employees, recently, it was identified that employee engagement and retention would benefit from a full-time human resources position, a new position for Region of Queens Municipality. The Municipality has employees in a number of different worksites providing services and programs, with union and nonunion positions. Among the worksites and varied responsibility areas include the Municipal Administration Building, Department of Infrastructure’s Public Works sites, South Queens Water Treatment Facility, Queens Place Emera Centre, and Hillsview Acres Home for Special Care.

“The position is called Director of People and Culture to reflect our administration and Council’s commitment to an uplifting work environment that embodies inclusion, safety, and mutual respect,” said McDougall. “Holly is proficient in these areas, and will focus on strengthening employee engagement by way of leadership development, human resource planning, and recruitment and retention plans.”

McConnell was born in Liverpool, and has spent most of her life in Queens County. Her related experience includes 16 years of senior leadership and management roles in human resources positions. She is a graduate of the Institute of Professional Management (IPM) and has a Canadian Management Professional (CMP) designation.

“I am very much looking forward to beginning this new Director of People & Culture role with the Region of Queens Municipality and am proud of my ability to partner with people offering support to assist with individual, departmental and organizational goals. My specialty is employee relations; I derive great satisfaction helping people successfully grow in their roles and always work towards those ‘win-win-win’ situations to help drive a positive work culture,” said McConnell.

Update Tuesday, May 13, 2025; 8:45 am

The Queens Place Walking Trail will be closed to the public from Tuesday, May 6, 2025 to Thursday, May 22, 2025, to accommodate the installation of underground communication and power lines to the new Long Term Care Facility, Queens Home for Special Care.

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Update Monday, May 5, 2025; 3:50 pm

The Queens Place Walking Trail will be closed to the public from Tuesday, May 6, 2025 to Saturday, May 17, 2025, to accommodate the installation of underground communication and power lines to the new Long Term Care Facility, Queens Home for Special Care.

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Monday, May 5, 2025

The Queens Place Walking Trail will be closed to the public from Tuesday, May 6, 2025 to Thursday, May 15, 2025, to accommodate the installation of underground communication and power lines to the new Long Term Care Facility, Queens Home for Special Care.

May 12, 2025: Please note that the Hillsview Acres Home for Special Care has been declared officially out of the outbreak of April 30. No further masking required.

Just a gentle reminder: if anyone is exhibiting cold/flu symptoms or feeling unwell to delay visiting until feeling better.

April 30, 2025:  Hillsview Acres Home for Special Care currently has a respiratory virus outbreak.  The home will be closed to non-essential visitors until the outbreak is declared over by Nova Scotia Public Health.  When Hillsview Acres Home for Special Care has been cleared to re-open, there will be a post made on the Region of Queens website and social media pages.

We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time.

May 6, 2025; Liverpool, NS: Region of Queens Municipality’s Council has hired a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). At the Special Council meeting held on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Council unanimously approved the appointment of Willa Thorpe as its new CAO, effective June 16, 2025.

“Willa rose to the top of a highly competitive field of candidates due to her specialized expertise in leading a high functioning organization. She is well equipped to be our CAO, with progressive accumulated experience as a leader in various organizations, and in the volunteer and public sectors, much of which is in Municipal government,” said Scott Christian, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality. “The obvious next step in her career is to be a CAO; our Council is confident Willa is the staff leader we need to guide the Municipality to be a progressive community that Council, staff, and the whole community can be proud of. She will support our organization to provide the level of service to our residents that they deserve.”

Highlights of Thorpe’s related experience include 20 years of senior leadership experience, over 10 of those years in local government, most recently as the Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture at the City of Port Alberni, BC. She has a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, as well as a Masters in Leadership, a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Health Studies degree, and a Board Certified Coach designation. 

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Region of Queens Municipality and can’t wait to get started working alongside staff and Council to progress the municipality’s strategic goals and objectives,” said Thorpe. “As a long-time resident of small waterfront cities, I’m excited to settle into Queens County and immerse myself in the community.”

Mayor Christian and Region of Queens Municipality’s Council members are excited to welcome their new CAO, with Christian saying that, “Willa demonstrated throughout the selection process that she will not only be a strong leader for the staff, and a valuable support for Council, but she is also committed to being “in” the community by getting involved, engaged, and living here in Queens.  Willa is an active volunteer, a coach, an engaged community member, and values giving back to her community.  Council is proud to have her join Region of Queens Municipality.”

Since January 2025, the CAO position has been held by Interim CAO Dan MacDougall, who was contracted to assist Region of Queens Municipality’s Council with the operations of the municipality as well as to assist in the search for a new CAO.  

“While we are excited to have Willa joining the team, I would be remiss to not take this opportunity to also note Council’s gratitude to Interim CAO Dan McDougall.  Dan’s experience, breadth of municipal knowledge and strong leadership skills have moved Council’s goals forward, he has been a positive support for municipal staff over the past few months.  The best interests of the Municipality and our residents have been his priority. Thank you, Dan,” said Mayor Christian.

Thorpe will serve as Region of Queens Municipality’s sixth permanent CAO since amalgamation 29 years ago. 

It’s open and ready for you to serve up the fun!

The Beach Volleyball Court located on the grounds of North Queens Aquatic Centre, has opened for the season! If you are planning an event there, please complete the Request for Facility Use Form ( click here for the webpage) and send the completed form to publicworks@regionofqueens.com

The net is up, lines are down, and the sand has been thoroughly checked for hazards (and weeded) – thank you to our Municipal staff for their care in this!

Recently, discarded sharps (used needles) have been found in shrub gardens on Market Street  when staff were spring cleaning in Liverpool. They also discovered drug paraphernalia on Henry Hensey Drive.  Region of Queens Municipality reminds park users to remain on the trails when using parks, and to be aware of your surroundings and those of children and pets. Keep safety in mind.

The Municipality has properly disposed of the sharps and illegal drug item that were found and would like to take this opportunity to remind the public if you find sharps in our parks, graveyards or public areas please call 902-354-7170 to report the location and municipal staff will safely and properly dispose of them.

There are safe ways to dispose of used sharps, and disposing of them in other ways puts other people, pets, and wildlife at risk of injury. Used sharps (syringes, needles, and lancets) can be harmful if they are not handled and disposed of properly. Nova Scotians can access a proper container for disposing of sharp needles in a safe manner, at no cost. Once the container is full, it can be returned to the local pharmacy.

• DO NOT put needles, syringes, or lancets into plastic bottles or jugs,
• DO NOT put needles, syringes, or lancets in garbage or recycling bags,
• DO NOT flush needles, syringes, or lancets down the toilet,
• DO NOT burn them.

On behalf of The Council of the Region of Queens Municipality, I would like to say that our hearts go out to the Filipino community in the wake of the tragic event during the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver this weekend. 

Across Canada, and here in Queens County, the effects of devastating act have been felt.  The Region of Queens Municipality is a welcoming community and will continue to welcome and embrace all. As a sign of respect and support, the flags at Region of Queens Municipality’s Municipal building will continue to fly at half mast until sunset on April 29.

Mayor Scott Christian

A sure sign that spring and summer have arrived (well, aside for the warm weather and sunny days!) is that earlier today, the MOBI mat was installed at Beach Meadows Beach! 

Thank you to Municipal staff on our groundskeeping team for their work in installing it.

On a sunny day like today, having the MOBI mat in place helps to ensure that anyone can access the cool ocean breezes, beautiful view, and get a dose of Vitamins D and Sea 😉 at Beach Meadows Beach!  The MOBI mat is located at Boardwalk 2, and goes from the boardwalk to near the hard sand.

As well, the washroom/changeroom facility at Beach Meadows Beach is open, and having a washroom onsite makes it easy to linger longer at the beach.

#beachseasonstartsnw #seeknaturesrewards #AccessForEveryone #SeaYouAtTheBeach

The Special Council meeting has one item on the agenda: 2025 -2026 Budget Deliberations. Topics to be reviewed include:
* Overview
* Capital Improvement Plan
* Water Utility
* Wastewater/Sewer
* Solid Waste (Landfill, recycling, organics)
* Transportation Services
* Roads & Streets

The meeting will be in person, in Council Chamber at the Municipal Administration Building, 249 White Point Road, Liverpool, or watch the live stream on Facebook page or the our YouTube channel. the agenda is online, click here.

A second Special Council meeting has been scheduled at 6 pm, Monday, April 28, 2025 to discuss the remaining items. If required, a third Special Council will be held May 6, 2025 at 6 pm regarding budget deliberations.

Region of Queens Municipality’s Council has started its budget discussions for the 2025 – 2026 fiscal year. Residents are invited to attend to learn about the budget process, and where Council is considering making investments in the coming year.

Thursday April 24, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Staff present draft budget to Council. Discussion of preliminary draft.

Monday, April 28, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Discussion of preliminary draft.

Tuesday, May 6, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm (if required) – Discussion of preliminary draft.

It is anticipated that Council will vote on the final budget at the Regular Council meeting to be held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, May 13, 2025 (subject to change).

The meetings will be held in the Council Chamber, Region of Queens Administration Building, 249 White Point Road, Liverpool, NS and live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. All are welcome to attend.