We are having a press conference to announce THE Concert event of the summer in Southern Nova Scotia – hope to see you there!

 Details are here

To view the results of the tax sale that was held on February 16, 2017 please click here.

February 14, 2016; Liverpool, NS: Identifying innovative ways to deliver core services is the challenge for today’s municipalities. Today, the Council of the Region of Queens Municipality approved two shared services agreements at the regular Council meeting on February 14, 2017. The Region of Queens will enter into a shared services agreement with the Municipality of the District of Shelburne (MODS), in which a MODS Building Official will be appointed as a spare Building Official for the Region of Queens Municipality to access on an as-needed basis. As well, the Region of Queens will enter into a shared services agreement on a trial basis in which the Region of Queens Special Constable By-law Enforcement Officer will conduct specific service work in the Town of Lunenburg.

“Shared service agreements are something that Municipalities are beginning to explore, to ensure that services are provided in our communities while reducing the burden on the taxpayer,” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality. “We are very fortunate at the Region Queens Municipality to have great employees who are well trained and experienced in specialty areas. ” Dagley noted that the shared service agreements are a way to have the expertise at hand, without committing to additional full time staff.

The agreement with MODS for a Building Official increases the staff compliment in Queens when the service is needed. At present, the Region of Queens has one full time Building Official, and one part time casual Building Official. Having an additional casual Building Official, ensures this critical service for development and economic growth is maintained.

The Town of Lunenburg has sought cost efficient ways to provide enforcement for a low number of Dangerous and Unsightly files reported by their residents. The agreement with Town of Lunenburg will limit the service provided by the Region of Queens Special Constable By-Law Enforcement Official to 35 hours per year. There will zero impact on the budget or service standard in Queens, as service provision is on a cost recovery basis.

“These shared service agreements are a good opportunity for us to examine whether shared services are beneficial in delivering our municipal services,” said Dagley. “Opportunities to partner and work together, including human resources, information technology, policing, sold waste management, and others, are continuously being explored for the long term sustainability of services.”

February 14, 2017; Liverpool, NS: Visitors and locals alike will continue to enjoy the unique attributes of Fort Point Lighthouse, with a revitalized, innovative flavor. On February 14, 2017, the Council of the Region of Queens Municipality approved the proposal submitted by Lane’s Privateer Inn to operate Fort Point Lighthouse in Liverpool, NS, on a seasonal basis for a three year period, beginning in spring 2017.

“We are excited about the special features, events and attractions that Lane’s is planning for the next three years at Fort Point Lighthouse. We are also fortunate to enjoy local entrepreneurial leadership that is creating exemplary ways to best leverage our local cultural and heritage assets. Folks are going to come from all over the world to experience Lanes at the Lighthouse.” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality.

“We are pleased that the Region of Queens has faith in us and shares our vision of the Lighthouse. It is a very special place to us as we grew up next to it and our Dad told us many stories of his childhood days and playing a the lighthouse. As mayor, he was instrumental in making sure that the lighthouse was restored and opened to the public as a museum. We are honoured to be part of that legacy,” said Susan Lane, Manager of Lane’s Privateer Inn. “We would like to continue with the Lighthouse Lunches and expand on this idea with more activities at the lighthouse making Fort Point a destination for families to want to visit again and again. We would like to incorporate live music, art and artisans at work, celebrate holidays such as Halloween and Christmas. We are also excited to modernize the video presentation so that it is more interactive and expands on the stories that Bert has been telling about growing up at Fort Point.”

In the spring of 2016, the Region of Queens Municipality opened the operation of the facility to proposals for its operation. Lanes Privateer Inn operated the facility as Lane’s at the Lighthouse for the 2016 season, offering picnic lighthouse lunches, ice cream, and tours of the lighthouse overlooking Liverpool bay, as well as dressing the facility up for Halloween, and being the site for a December wedding.

Fort Point Lighthouse is the third oldest standing lighthouse in Nova Scotia. It has stood at the mouth of the Mersey River since 1855, and was decommissioned in 1989. The Region of Queens Municipality opened it seasonally as an attraction, enabling the public to have the unique experience of being able to go inside a lighthouse, access the light, and turn the hand crank to sound the fog horn. There has been an average of approximately 6,000 visitors annually over the past five years.

February 2, 2017; Liverpool, NS: Concerns for safety and a decline in volunteerism has led two long standing Region of Queens Municipality’s volunteer fire departments to take steps to amalgamate. The Charleston Volunteer Fire Department has started the process of filing paperwork to transfer its assets to the Mill Village Fire Department. Both fire departments have seen declining membership for several years; the current level of 10 in at the Charleston Department is not a safe quotient. Public safety and volunteer capacity will be improved in Charleston, Mill Village and District through the amalgamation.

“We are supportive of the difficult choice that the Charleston and Mill Village Fire Departments have made to amalgamate their two forces. Ensuring community safety and the safety of their volunteer fire fighters was the primary concern of the Charleston Department when they approached the Mill Village Department,” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality. “The Fire Departments have been significant to community life in Charleston and Mill Village for generations. The Region of Queens has a great deal of respect for the foresight and community spirit of those who established the departments many years ago. We also thank all the volunteers past and present who gave tirelessly of their time to support the Charleston Fire Department and wish the current members of both departments well as they work through this partnership.”
Once the Charleston and Mill Village Fire Departments determined that amalgamation of the two departments was the route to take, Municipal staff met with the Fire Chiefs to discuss maintaining the current level of municipal funding. Fire trucks will be temporality stored at the Charleston Volunteer Fire Department until renovations have been completed to house them at the Mill Village Department. Assets from the sale of the Charleston Fire Hall and its lands will be used to fund the expansion of the Fire Hall, and applied toward new equipment.
There is expected to be little change in the delivery of fire protection services under the amalgamation, as the two departments are located less than 4 km apart. The total number of structures in the amalgamated fire protection area is 507, which was formerly distributed as 190 for the Charleston Volunteer Fire Department and 317 in Mill Village.

January 24, 2017; Liverpool, NS: Opportunities and challenges may require in-depth discussion that requires more time than allotted in a Regular Council meeting. The Council of the Region of Queens Municipality approved a motion on Tuesday, January 24, 2017 directing staff to start the process of establishing a monthly Committee of the Whole meeting, with the standing agenda to be built based on Council’s Strategic Priorities.

“Committee of the Whole is a means for us to be able to have a discussion on a topic that we want to explore, without having to make a decision on it that day, as occurs when items come to Regular Council Meetings,” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens. “Adding a meeting that is solely for discussion, deliberation and receiving input from residents, will help us advance Council’s priorities and ensure Council has had an opportunity to learn as much as possible about a topic before it advances to Council for a decision.”

A Committee of the Whole is intended to facilitate the decision-making process of Council. The Committee of the Whole is comprised of all members of Council who participate in debate and discussion, and, when necessary, forward recommendations to Council for final decision. Meetings are not considered formal Council meetings, and, as such, are structured as a less formal process. Expected agenda items for upcoming Committee of the Whole Agendas will include strategic deliberation on the municipal role in tourism, as well as attracting residents to Queens, or ways to meet the Region’s recreational needs.

“Not all items discussed in Committee of the Whole will be brought to an upcoming Council meeting. Some items will be to provide background that will enable us to understand other issues, and some items will require a few meetings to determine if there is enough information or a desire to warrant recommending that a motion occur at a Regular Council meeting,” said Dagley.

Committee of the Whole will meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Council Chamber of the Region of Queens Municipality, 249 White Point Road, Liverpool, NS. Agendas for Committee of the Whole will be posted on the Region of Queens Municipality’s website ( http://www.regionofqueens.com/council-governance/council-agendas-minutes-audio )the Friday prior to the meeting. Final minutes will be posted once approved by Council. Similar to Council meetings, an MP3 of the audio recording of a Committee of the Whole meeting will be posted on the Region of Queens website, generally within 24 hours of the meeting.

January 24, 2017; Liverpool, NS: A motion was approved by the Council of the Region of Queens Municipality at the January 24th, 2017 Regular Council meeting authorizing staff to begin solicitation to source a development partner to help formulate and submit a proposal solution for the outdated 29 bed residential care facility located in Middlefield, Queens County.

“In seeking developers, we are working to be proactive about finding solutions for Hillsview Acres, resulting in a modern facility, and keeping the beds and the jobs here in Queens,” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality. During the discussion of the motion prior to Council voting, it was discussed that there is no guarantee that the Province of Nova Scotia or the Region of Queens Municipality will accept any resulting proposal developed as that proposal must fit the needs of the community, as well as that of government.

Once the solicitation is ready to go to market, it is expected to take approximately six months for the successful developer to prepare a proposal vetted by the Region of Queens Municipality to be jointly submitted to the Province of Nova Scotia. The Region of Queens Municipality owns and operates Hillsview Acres Home for Special Care. It is licensed and funded by the Department of Health and Wellness as a Level 1 Residential Care Facility with 29 beds. Employing 30 full time, part time and casual staff, Hillsview Acres is an important employer in Queens.

Recent community feedback through the Queens Care Society’s Housing and Transportation Needs Study portrayed and quantified the need for seniors housing in the community. Residential Care Facilities play an important component of that spectrum of housing needs.

The consulting costs associated with the project will be funded from the Hillsview Acres Replacement Reserve, and there is no impact to the Region of Queens Municipality’s Operating or Project Budgets.

January 24, 2017; Liverpool, NS: The Council of the Region of Queens Municipality voted in support of several motions that invest in tourism, recreational opportunities, arts and culture, and support a vibrant community. A new tenant for the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, development of innovative new technology for the Liverpool Visitor Information Centre, funding for a sporting event and support to bring an international event to the community, were all approved at their Regular Council Meeting on January 24, 2017.

“The motions approved today in Council are the culmination of several months of work by Council, staff and the proponents, and are reflective of our Council’s strategic priorities focusing on attracting and growing our population, and growing our economy,” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality.

A motion was approved to enter into a three year lease with Julie Babin, and her business The Welcome Matte Frame Shop, as a tenant of the facility. The lease provides Babin with space in the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre in exchange for her coordinating with artists and the public to provide art shows, workshops and being a welcoming presence in the Cultural Centre.

“Julie brought forward an unsolicited proposal outlining her solution to fill a gap in service at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre. Council is pleased with how the proposal fits our vision of a vibrant, active Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, which serves as a cultural hub in our downtown area,” said Dagley. “We look forward to seeing even more activity in the building, to have her on site to assist artists with their shows, and to greet and welcome locals and visitors to the Cultural Centre as well as to the community.”

The lease outlines an agreement with Babin to have exclusive use of the workshop room, as well as shared use office space and shared use storage space. There are no additional budget expenditures being made by the Region of Queens Municipality, and the sales and commission splitting in the lease agreement will provide a small revenue stream. The Astor Theatre and the Sipuke’l Gallery are also tenants of the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre.

“The Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre is such a fantastic facility that appeared to be underutilized. I thought I would submit a proposal, and if it was accepted, it would be a great way to contribute to the community while promoting arts and culture in a gorgeous setting. I am very excited to work with the arts community to help this facility reach its full potential,” Babin said.

Innovative new technology from local entrepreneur and recently retired professor of computer science, Rex Woollard, will be embraced by the Region of Queens as a tool to aid those visiting the area in learning about the best Queens County has to offer. Woollard is developing software for an interactive, self-serve visitor information program that will be developed into a touch screen visitor centre kiosk. The prototype will be tailor made for Queens County and located at the Liverpool Visitor Information Centre upon completion.

“We are pleased that Mr. Woollard will introduce his leading edge technology here in Queens and that it is the model that he will be able to replicate this technology for other communities across Nova Scotia,” said Dagley. “It is an exciting project and Mr. Woollard will be breaking new ground in enhancing visitor experiences.”

“Queens has much to offer local residents and visitors from around the world – its cultural richness, its deeply rooted history, its spectacular shoreline, its expansive lakes and rivers, and its diverse entertainment outlets. Queens faces the challenge of promotion. The Visitor Information Centre (VIC) has been a great promotional resource for years, but it is not staffed as an information centre throughout the year,” said Woollard. The kiosk he is developing will be available year round, even when visitor centre staff is not available. He developed similar computer solutions for the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology and Algonquin College, both based in Ottawa, and is eager to apply these skills to celebrate the unique charms of Queens. In the future, the VIC kiosk could be replicated at a very low cost at other important locations in the community.

Council also made decisions that will assist community organizations to make Queens County an active, engaged community pertaining to recreation and entertainment. Council requested that staff prepare a report on the possible direction to be followed after the presentation by the Queens Community Aquatic Society, which summarized the Aquatics survey conducted in the fall of 2016.

As well, Council approved a grant in the amount of $500.00 for the Liverpool Curling Club to host the Under 15 Juvenile Curling Championship from Feb. 10 – 12, 2017. The Championships will bring 29 teams of youth, their coaches, and families from across the province for the three day tournament.

In keeping with drawing visitors to the area, Council also approved support for the Kings Orange Rangers to develop an International Re-enactment Event on August 10, 11, and 12, 2018 in Liverpool, NS. In addition to their own members, the Kings Orange Rangers plan to have representatives from many groups throughout Nova Scotia and North America, which may include the 84th Regiment of Foot (Windsor, NS), 3rd New Jersey Volunteers (Shelburne, NS), Royal American Fencibles (Yarmouth, NS), 2nd Delanceys (Saint John, NB), and a number of American member groups affiliated under the Brigade of the American Revolution. As Council has provided support in principle, the next steps for the Kings Orange Rangers will be to develop a project committee, clarify roles and responsibilities, recruit volunteers, source additional funding and develop the preliminary event schedule.

“Today’s Council meeting saw the approval of several initiatives which will result in increasing the capacity of our community to offer residents and visitors a quality experience while having a positive impact on our local economy. Lively activities encourage people to relocate or visit an area for quality of life, business and recreational opportunities, also supporting a positive lifestyle for current and future residents,” said Dagley.

January 13, 2017; Liverpool, NS: Be prepared to be swept up in the excitement of the 2017 Maritime Broomball Championships which will take place at Queens Place Emera Centre, Liverpool, NS from April 28th through 30th. The three-day tournament will include teams from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island competing for the title of Maritime Champions.

“We look forward to hosting the Maritime Broomball Championship, and extend a warm welcome to the athletes and fans. Queens Place Emera Centre has a reputation for hosting fast paced, exciting sporting events, and Council is pleased that the 2017 Maritime Broomball Championships is coming here,” said David Dagley, Mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality.

“We are proud to announce that Liverpool, N.S. will be host to the 2017 Maritime Broomball Championships “ says Matthew Wainman, President of the Maritime Broomball Association. “This tournament will showcase the best teams and players in the Maritime Provinces in Men’s, Mixed and Women’s divisions and is expected to have participation from 15 or more teams representing Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Queens Place Emera Centre was host to the NS Provincial Championships in 2013. The MBA is pleased to be returning in 2017, as we know the region will do a stellar job in hosting and organizing this tournament.”

Broomball is a sport that is growing in popularity across the world and in 2010 was featured as a demonstration sport in the Winter Olympics.

Those interested in playing, coaching, refereeing, volunteering or wanting more information about this tournament are asked to contact the Maritime Broomball Association at maritimebroomball@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/maritimebroomball.

2016 was an exciting year in tourism in Nova Scotia; the Region of Queens Municipality and the South Shore were popular spots for visitors from outside the province, with nearly 50% of all visitors coming to the South Shore! Check out the 2016 Tourism Review produced by Tourism Nova Scotia for information about what the visitors are doing while here and some interesting facts and figures about trends that are seen in tourism in Nova Scotia. There are quite a few shots that feature Queens, and the information is significant to consider as we position ourselves going into 2017.

** Please note: A winter storm is forecast to take place overnight on February 15, 2017.  In the event that this storm results in the Muncipal Administration Office having a delayed opening, the Tax Sale will be held at 1 p.m. **

To view the following properties for tax sale on February 16, 2017 please click here.