September 21, 2021; Liverpool, NS:  Recognizing the importance of the relationship with the Indigenous community, the need for reflection and education about the importance of reconciliation, and to honour the lives of the survivors and grieve the children who never returned home from residential schools, Region of Queens Municipality will be closing its offices and non-mandatory operations on September 30, 2021 to allow staff to observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“Of the many actions recommended in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, we are pleased to see a day enacted federally to acknowledge the terrible legacy of residential schools, and the mistreatment of Indigenous people over the years.  This is a day to reflect and remember, to grieve, and to take action, ensuring that moving forward, Indigenous people are treated equitably and with dignity,” said Darlene Norman, Mayor of Region of Queens Municipality.

Closure of the municipal offices and non-mandatory operations will enable municipal staff to be able to participate in Truth and Reconciliation Day events and educational opportunities, and to reflect and learn. Queens Place Emera Centre and regular municipal operations will be closed for the day, excluding Queens Solid Waste Management Facility, which will operate as usual.  Waste collection will take place as scheduled.

At the September 28, 2021 Region of Queens Council meeting, a Civic Holiday Bylaw will be introduced, which will make September 30 each year, beginning in 2022, Truth and Reconciliation Civic Holiday throughout Queens County.  Although the federal government created a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in the form of a statutory holiday for all federal public sector workers and federally regulated private sector workers and the Province of Nova Scotia will close provincial government offices, public schools, and regulated child care, neither of these announcements apply to municipalities. 

“Council is pleased to be able to allow municipal staff to have a day of reflection on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and are also pleased to introduce a bylaw to enact a civic holiday in Queens County which, if passed, will be in place prior to the September 30, 2022 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” said Mayor Norman.

September 16, 2021; Liverpool, NS: Accessibility in Queens Coast is moving forward with clear direction, following Council adopting its Municipal Accessibility Plan 2021 – 2030 (QMAP) during the September 14, 2021 Region of Queens Municipality Council meeting.

“Council is pleased to adopt the Queens Accessibility Plan, and to move forward with making changes within our municipal operations and services to ensure inclusion for all our residents and visitors,” said Darlene Norman, Mayor of Region of Queens Municipality. “Some items are easy to address and change now or in the near future, and other recommendations in the plan are bigger projects that will require time, large amounts of money, and planning to implement. We are committed to working towards an accessible Queens County, and will be implanting recommendations from this plan this year and over the next ten years.”

Province of Nova Scotia passed Bill 59, Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act in September, 2017, with the intent to remove and prevent barriers that disable people with respect to participation in the broader community. Public sector bodies, including Municipalities, are required through the Accessibility Act to create an Accessibility Plan to aid in guiding toward an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030.

In July 2020, Region of Queens Municipality hired Elise Johnston as its Accessibility Coordinator with the primary focus of preparing a municipal accessibility plan. An Accessibility Advisory Committee was formed in October, 2020, and meets each month to provide insight and personal experiences of barriers.

In preparing QMAP, a variety of methods were used to get information about the accessibility needs and current level of accessibility in Queens County. Among the methods used to gather information were a public survey with almost a hundred respondents; public outreach to organizations, associations, and businesses; online training for the Accessibility Coordinator and AAT; research of best practices, as well as assessments of municipal properties and services. The draft version of QMAP was approved for public review by Council on April 27, 2021, and was made available for public input and review for 45 days.

QMAP contains specific items for action to work toward improved accessibility in Queens in six categories: built environment, education, employment, goods and services, information and communication, and transportation. Municipal facilities and other municipal properties have been assessed, with specific recommendations made for priority areas to address in terms of accessibility, which are reflective of Nova Scotia’s recommended Standards for the Built Environment.

Over the past year, work has taken place to implement some of the recommendations. A number of municipal properties have been upgraded, including replacement of the exterior path and ramp to Council Chamber at the Administration Building; installation of improved signage at Queens Place Emera Centre to identify accessible features; a power door operator to the arena was installed and improvements have been made in the accessible stalls in washrooms at Queens Place Emera Centre. Further work has been planned and included in the Municipal budget in this fiscal year for Beach Meadows Beach and Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre. Many municipal staff have received disability awareness training, and training to ensure municipally created digital and print documents are produced to improve accessible navigation and information.

Cost estimates of priority upgrades are currently underway for long-term budget planning. Funding partnerships for the work that has been completed and underway have been established, with grants received from Community Access-Ability through Nova Scotia Communities, Culture & Heritage Access Fund, and other grant applications are awaiting approval. Future accessibility upgrades will be made with support from grants when possible, in combination with municipal funding.

“The changes needed for accessibility will ensure all are able to be included and will create a stronger community moving forward,” said Mayor Darlene Norman.

September 16, 2021; Liverpool, NS: A building in Caledonia that is 167 years old was recommended to be designated a Municipal Heritage Property at the September 14, 2021 Region of Queens Municipality’s Council meeting.

The Milton Douglas House (more commonly known as the North Queens Heritage House Museum) was built in 1854 by the Douglas family on a portion of lands granted to John Douglas in 1825. The Douglas family have a long history as business owners and employers. John Douglas, father of Milton Douglas and seven other children, was one of the original seven settlers in Caledonia in 1817. The house is a good example of the architectural style of homes built on the South Shore during that era. Region of Queens Municipality’s Heritage Advisory Committee discussed the application at its August 19, 2021 meeting, and recommended that the property, located at 25 West Caledonia Road, Caledonia, be considered by Council for municipal heritage designation due to the style of the home, but more strongly due to the significance of the Douglas family in the community through Caledonia and area’s history.

The property owners will have an opportunity to speak about the proposed designation at a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, October 26, at 6 p.m. in Council Chamber of Region of Queens Municipality’s Administration Building, 249 White Point Road, Liverpool.

REGION OF QUEENS MUNICIPALITY, on behalf of its WATER UTILITY has applied for approval of amendments to its Schedule of Rates and Charges for Water and Water Services and amendments to its Schedule of Rules and Regulations.

This matter will be considered in a public hearing as follows:

Hearing starts:
Monday, November 29, 2021
10:30 am

Region of Queens Municipality
Council Chambers
249 White Point Road
Liverpool, Nova Scotia

Depending on the circumstances related to COVID-19, this public hearing may be held by GoToWebinar video conferencing.

Board Hearings are open to the public, and you may participate as follows:

• You may speak at the hearing. You must notify the Board by Tuesday, November 23, 2021.

• You may make written comments by sending a letter to the Clerk of the Board at P.O. Box 1692, Unit “M”, Halifax, NS B3J 3S3, or by email at: board@novascotia.ca, or by fax at (902) 424-3919 by Tuesday, November 23, 2021.

• You may request formal standing as an Intervener, subject to Board approval. This will allow you to present evidence or cross-examine witnesses. Your request must be received by the Board by Friday, September 10, 2021 and a copy of your written evidence by Friday, October 15, 2021.

Additional information about the matter is as follows:

• For unmetered customers, the current quarterly water bill is $80.94, and it is proposed to increase to $115.20 (a 42.3% increase) in 2022/23; $116.12 (a 0.8% increase) in 2023/24; and $120.58 ( a 3.8% increase) in 2024/25.

• For residential customers (5/8” meters), the current average quarterly water bill is $75.05, and it is proposed to increase to $84.67 (a 12.8% increase) in 2022/23; $84.96 (a 0.4% increase) in 2023/24; and $88.30 (a 3.9% increase) in 2024/25.

• For all other metered services, the Utility is requesting amendments ranging from 14.8% to 22.7% in 2022/23; 0.4% to 1.5% in 2023/24; and 3.7% to 3.9% in 2024/25.

• The annual fire protection charge paid by the Municipality, currently $197,235 is proposed to decrease to $195,474 (a 0.9% decrease) for 2022/23 and remain at this amount for each of 2023/24 and 2024/25.

Upon reviewing the Application, the Board, in its Decision, may determine that the proposed amendments should be as requested, higher, or lower.

A copy of the Application and any timetable applying to this matter may be viewed on the Board’s website at https://nsuarb.novascotia.ca/, by clicking on “Matters & Evidence”, and in the “Go To Files and Documents”, enter Matter No. M10229.

Sealed bids are now being accepted for the tax tender sale of properties listed below.   Click here to view the Tax Tender Ad. Bid Submission forms must be received at the office of the Treasurer, Region of Queens Municipality before September 22, 2021 at 10:00 am.  Bid Sudmission forms must be submitted by mail or in person.   Click here to download the Bid Submission Form.  For more information on the Tax Tender process and requirements of prospectivce bidders, please click here for Bidder Instructions.

Legal description of the above properties may be seen below, or at the office of the Treasurer, Region of Queens Administration Building, 249 White Point Road, Liverpool, however, we do not guarantee the accuracy of these properties descriptions.

 004-19 Wamboldt

 025-18 Bernd Brauser-Jung

 038-19 Young

 058-19 Mills

 074-19 Nienstedt

 082-19 C Whynot

 096-19 Eagle Rock

 125-16 Ozon

 125-19 Cross

 132-19 Donovan

 050-18 B Whynot

Region of Queens Municipality makes no representations of warranties to any purchaser regarding the fitness, geographical or environmental suitability of the land(s) offered for sale for any particular use and does not certify the legal title, legal description or boundaries.  The lands offered for sale ARE BEING SOLD ON AN “AS IS” BASIS ONLY, subject to any estates or interests of the Crown in Right of Canada or the Province of Nova Scotia.

July 9, 2021, Liverpool, NS: Earlier today, Premier Iain Rankin announced approval for the repair, upgrade, or total replacement of 17 health care facilities throughout Nova Scotia, including an opportunity for replacement of Hillsview Acres and Queens Manor.

 “Council has been advocating for a replacement facility for Hillsview Acres for more than two decades now and to finally see it come to fruition is exciting. We have done our homework and supplied the province with numerous reports and costings from external consultants, which clearly proved our case that replacing Hillsview Acres with a new facility is in the best interests of our community and province. Replacement of this essential facility will ensure we are able to continue to provide health care services locally,” remarked Mayor Darlene Norman.

“We look forward to beginning more detailed discussions with the province and Queens Manor immediately to decide on a final design including resident numbers, building location, and costing for a new Hillsview Acres or a larger joint Hillsview Acres / Queens Manor facility,” noted Mayor Norman.

Current replacement cost estimates for a new Hillsview Acres are $13.6 million. No site has yet been determined.

Hillsview Acres is a 29 bed residential care facility in Middlefield, Queens County, 20 minutes north of Liverpool. The centre part of the facility was a farm house prior to 1893, when it was converted. It has since been renovated twice, making it the oldest continuous operating residential care facility in Nova Scotia. It is owned and operated by Region of Queens Municipality, and one of only a few left in the province still municipally run.