In order to follow the NS Health Protection Act order and its directives to limit the spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus, the 2020 Natal Day events and the Annual Clam Harbour Beach Sandcastle Competition are cancelled for this year. The safety and security of our residents is a priority. We look forward to hosting the annual event in 2021 and celebrating Natal Day 125 & 42 ^nd  Sandcastle Day. Be safe & stay well !

Everywhere in the world, August 15 ^th  is recognized as National Acadian Day. This is a time of celebration for the Acadian community which is also the religious feast day “The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – the patron Saint of the Acadian people. Be sure to drop by L’Acadie de Chezzetcook Museum and Information Centre at 79 Hill Road in West Chezzetcook. Check out their Facebook Page or web-site:  www.acadiedechezzetcook.ca  for more information and hours of operations.

Back in May 2020, HRM Regional Council adopted a report with respect to developing a social policy lens through which to assess future municipal initiatives.

A Social Policy formalizes a way of thinking about and responding to the social impact of changes in a community. It can guide decision making, set future direction, identify important connections, and support the alignment of policies and practices both inside and outside an organization. In doing so, a Social Policy defines the role of the municipality in responding to current and future social issues.

Although the primary responsibility for health and social services in Nova Scotia rests with the Province, local governments have the potential to significantly affect the health and wellbeing of citizens at the community level. While HRM is not mandated to deliver health or social services directly, it has an important role to play in building healthy, inclusive and vibrant communities and creating the conditions for citizens to thrive by working with partners to promote health and well-being.

Social policy strives to strengthen communities by enhancing the quality of life for all residents, which in turn contributes to attracting and retaining youth, promoting tourism and business development, and creating places where everyone belongs.

To learn more about this approach, here’s the link to that HRM Council report on this subject:   www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/200512rc813.pdf

HRM Council is considering amending all of its’ Regional Municipal Planning Strategies and their respective land use bylaws to allow secondary suites accessory to single unit, two- unit or townhouse dwellings and backyard suites accessory to single unit dwellings.

An On-line Virtual Public Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept.1st at 6PM with Thursday, Sept. 3rd reserved for any potential overflow of public participation and/or debate.

If you wish to be a participant, then you must register before 430PM Monday, August 31st. Contact the HRM Clerks Office by phone 902-490-4210 or by e-mail  clerks@halifax.ca  or write in by regular postage to HRM City Hall, P.O. Box 1749, Halifax, NS B3J 3A5. Any other Correspondence must be received by 3PM – Sept. 1st.

More information on how the scheduling and management of this virtual public hearing will occur can be obtained from the HRM Clerks Office at the addresses and phone number mentioned above. And there will be other advertisements and social media announcements made by HRM prior to the Public Hearing Date. Monitor HRM Twitter, Facebook & website:  www.halifax.ca  for details.

Secondary suites are additional dwelling units, typically located within single unit dwellings. Both secondary and backyard suites are considered accessory to the principal dwelling and often include additional land use regulations such as floor area restrictions or height requirements. The floor area of a secondary suite shall not exceed 80 square metres (861.11 sq.ft).

Backyard suites are additional dwelling units that are located within an accessory building like a detached garage. A backyard suite is only permitted on lots of at least 371.0 square metres (3,993.41 sq.ft.) The floor area of a backyard suite shall not exceed 90 square metres (968.75 sq.ft)

There are several benefits associated with secondary and backyard suites such as increasing the overall density of an area without affecting the overall built form of the neighbourhood (hidden density); providing opportunities for affordable home ownership; providing rental opportunities in areas where there is traditionally little to no rental supply; and providing an additional source of income to existing landowners, including seniors looking to age in place.

For the latest details on this subject; Case#21162, go to:  www.halifax.ca/sites/default/  files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/200707rc11111.pdf 

The 2020 HRM Community Grants Program received a total of 88 applications plus 2 late ones for a combined total of 90 applications accumulating into $1,048,223.10 in requests.

This year’s program’s uptake is slightly lower than the 2019 program (115) but higher than anticipated given constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The usual review process via the HRM Grants Committee was bypassed due to public health orders of not having public meetings, therefore staff’s recommendations were taken directly to HRM Council that approved 41 awards for a combined total of $370,804 in Community Grants. 

The full HRM Community Grants report can be found at:  www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/200707rc1117_0.pdf   .

Here is a list of local organizations that were successful with their applications:

Petpeswick Yacht Club  – East Petpeswick – A grant of $2,097 to enhance accessibility and fire safety at their facility for the public good.

Chezzetcook & District Lions Club  – Head of Chezzetcook – A grant of $3,220 to fund the installation of a water purification system.

L’Acadie de Chezzetcook Association  – West Chezzetcook – A grant of $5,200 to fund the installation of a heat pump in the Le Grange.

Royal Canadian Legion: Marine Branch #161  – Gaetz Brook – A grant of $7,300 for the installation of an exterior door equipped with an automated opener for access to their facility as a community comfort centre.

Lake Echo Fellowship Baptist Church  – Mineville – A capital grant of $25,000 for the  installation of a propane generator for their facility as a community comfort centre.

With another hot summer and little rainfall, the level of ground water supply is being more challenging for rural residents with on-site wells to access.

HRM can offer some assistance to help in rectifying the problem. There is a bylaw whereby landowners that are experiencing inadequate water supply on their properties can now apply to the municipality to assist with the financing of drilling a new well or seek other water supply alternatives such as adding a cistern for a storage reservoir. Basically, you are taking out a loan from HRM that places a lien on your property like any other local improvement charge (LIC). This is a similar arrangement for the Solar City Program.

More information about this program  can be found at:  www.halifax.ca/home-property/property-taxes/inadequate-water-supply-program  . 

Here’s the link for an application form to this program:  www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/home-property/property-taxes/HRM-By_Law-C-1000-Dry-Wells-Application-Form.pdf  .

If you need further help completing the application form, you can e-mail:  bylawc1000@halifax.ca  or call 3-1-1 or 902-490-4000.

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) uses three external Student Conveyance providers; Southland Transportation Ltd. (  www.southland.ca/halifax/  ) , Student Transportation of Canada (STC) Inc. (  https://ridestc.com/  ), and Stock Transportation (   www.stocktransportation.com/  ), to provide its pupil transportation services.

The overall student population of the HRCE is increasing each year, as is the number of students who qualify for transportation. On June 15 ^th , the Province announced a new School Transportation Policy that will be effective as of September 1 ^st.   

One of the highlights of the new policy includes a lowered distance criterion for bus eligibility. Students will now receive transportation if they live 1.6 km or further (Grades Primary–6) and 2.4 km or further (Grades 7–12) from school.

Students wanting Bussing if they live within those prescribed distances will have to wait. The availability of any unassigned seats for students who are not eligible for busing will not be determined until after September 30 ^th , once all bus eligible students are routed. There is no unassigned seat request process or waitlist for unassigned seats.

To learn more about school bussing eligibility, go to the HREC “BusPlanner” site:  https://hrcetransportation.mybusplanner.ca ”.

More information on this subject can be found at:  www.hrce.ca/about-our-schools/student-transportation  or e-mail  HRCE Transportation Team:  transportation@hrce.ca  or call 902-431-4723