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ICE & SNOW WINTER MAINTENANCE.

The NS Dept. of Transportation & Infrastructure Renewal (NSTIR) does most of the snow removal, ice control and winter road maintenance services in District 2. Our local NS Highway Depots are in West Chezzetcook at 902-827-2544 and in Spry Bay at 902-
885-2821. If you want to e-mail any roadway concerns to the attention of the NSTIR Operations Contact Centre, please send it to:
TIR-OCC@novascotia.ca or call 1-844-696-7737. The TIR-OCC will log it, assign a service ticket number and send it to the appropriate supervisor.

The Province also has an on-line “plowtracker” tool that allows citizens to track snowplows by zooming in on a provincial map: https://novascotia.ca/tran/winter/plowtracker.asp or you can see current highway conditions by going on-line to their roadside cameras
website: https://novascotia.ca/tran/cameras/. Drivers can also get up-to-date road conditions across Nova Scotia by calling the SNOW-line: 1-800-307-SNOW (7669) or 511 or 1-888-432-3233 or 902-424-3933 or just go on-line at: https://novascotia.ca/tran/winter  and click on the Road & Weather Report Icon Button. The SNOW-line is updated regularly at 7 AM, 1 PM and 5 PM or more frequently in case of a major storm event.

You can follow them on Twitter @NS_TIR. If you should have any concerns or complaints about snow removal service in your area that is served by NSDOTIR, please contact your respective MLAs offices:

With respect to the communities of North Preston, Westphal, and all of the Lawrencetown subdivision streets, these areas are done under the auspices of HRM with a Performance Base Contracted Out Service provider. If you have any concerns about our Snow and
Ice Control winter road maintenance, please call the HRM Citizen Contact Centre at 311.

For information about HRM Winter Road Maintenance, go to: www.halifax.ca/MunicipalOps/Winter/index.php. Be sure to have proper tires and emergency supplies kit on hand in your vehicle. And please drive carefully this winter season.

GOOD NEIGHBOUR ENERGY FUND

The Salvation Army Good Neighbour Energy Fund is an emergency heating program available to Nova Scotian families who meet their criteria. This program, which is administered by The Salvation Army, receives its funds from Nova Scotia Power Inc., NSP employees
and customers, and the Provincial Government. Applicants are now able to re-apply every 24 months to the program, which runs annually from January 15th through April 15th. If you are in an emergency home heating situation please download the application form
or pick one up from your local Salvation Army church, thrift store, as well as my and our local MLA offices. The 2017 GNEF application will go online in early January. Please check this link: https://www.salvationarmy.ca/maritime/gnef/.

NS HEATING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Provincial Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP) provides help to lower-income Nova Scotians with the cost of home heating. You qualify for this program if you pay a heating bill for either fuel oil, propane, or electricity at your current residence and meet ONE of the following criteria:

• live alone with an income of $29,000 or less;
• live with others and have a combined household income of $44,000 or less;
• receive Income Assistance from the Department of Community Services, OR;
• receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement from Service Canada.

If your personal or financial situation has changed since last year, you still may qualify. Examples of changes include becoming widowed, getting divorced or legally separated, losing your job, or having the custody of your children change.

To find out if you qualify, please contact:

Rebates range from $100 to $200. You must apply by March 31st. Send your completed and signed HARP application form, heating bill or receipt, and any other required documents to:

NS Heating Assistance Rebate
Program, PO Box 641
CRO, Halifax, NS B3J 2T3

or fax it to 902-428-2164.

PROPERTY ASSESSMENT APPEALS

Property Assessment Notices will be mailed out around January 12th. There is a 31 day official Appeal Period from the actual date of the mailed notice whereby property owners can review and perhaps refute their appraisals. If you feel it is not assessed properly, then you should contact the NS Municipality Agency—Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC) and speak with an Assessment Services representative. The PVSC Assessment Office is located at:

Park Place Two
238-A Brownlow Avenue, Suite 200
Dartmouth, NS, B3B 2B4

Telephone: 902-720-7872 or Fax: 902-720-7873 or Toll-Free: 1-800-667-5727.

Property owners are encouraged to call and talk to an Assessor, prior to appealing an assessment. Perhaps this approach
may answer and clear up some questions that you may have, hopefully avoiding the time and expense of an appeal. If not, you have the right to make a formal appeal, (in writing) either by letter or fax which must be received by their office on, or before the deadline date. Appeals by e-mail are not accepted.

For more details, please refer to your notice or go to PVSC Appeal Guide:

www.pvsc.ca/site/media/PVSC/Documents/Appeal%20Brochure%20December%202012_final.pdf

If you should have any further inquiries about property valuation, please refer to their web-site at: www.PVSC.ca  for more information.

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS FUND

HRM supports events that build community, foster good community relations, supports culture, develop local economy and tourism industry, and enrich the quality of life of all residents and visitors.

The 2018-19 Festival & Event Grant Applications are now available for community-based events. Preference will be given to events that are free to the public, are run by not-for-profit organizations, and have a broad appeal. Application deadline is 12 Noon on Friday, January 26th. Application forms can either be mailed to you or download them on-line at:

www.halifax.ca/recreation/programs-activities/events/grants

For further details, contact HRM Civic Events Co-ordinator Paul Forrest at e-mail: forrestp@halifax.ca or call 902-490-6979 or fax 902-490-5950.

FEDERAL ARTS & CULTURE GRANTS

The Federal Department of Canadian Heritage (DCH) has a Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage (BCAH) Program.

Does your community organize a local festival? There are three intake period deadlines for applications under the Local Festivals component of the BCAH program: January 31st, April 30th and September 30th. Is there a significant local anniversary in our municipality or your community in 2018? If the anniversary marks a 100th anniversary or greater, in increments of 25 years (e.g., 125th, 150th) and it commemorates a significant local historical event or pays tribute to a significant local historical personality, consider applying to the Community Anniversaries component of BCAH www.canada.ca/en/canadianheritage/services/funding/building-communities/festivals.html. The deadline is also January 31st.

For details, please contact them via e-mail at: pch.enligneonline.pch@canada.ca  or call 1-866-811-0055 (tollfree).

The Legacy Fund component which provides funding for community capital projects that commemorate significant anniversaries and involve the restoration, renovation, or transformation of existing buildings and/or exterior spaces with local community significance; encourage arts and heritage activities in your community; and are intended for and accessible to the general public.

For more details about the Legacy Program, www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/building-communities/legacy-fund.html e-mail them at: PCH.bcah-dcap.PCH@canada.ca or call 1-866-811-0055 (toll-free). https://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1455310870059/1455310944929

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