Each October, community activities, events, sharing, and showcasing Mi’kmaw people, history and heritage take place across Nova Scotia to more broadly heighten knowledge and awareness of Mi’kmaw communities across the region. October was chosen as Mi’kmaw History Month because it coincides with the anniversary of English settlers signing the inaugural peace and friendship treaty with the Mi’kmaw people. Treaty Day is designated October 1st as the date on which the Mi’kmaw people received a promise of peace along with compensation for appropriated lands, resources, and the impact of conflict on people and communities across Mi’kma’ki. In an effort to assist all Nova Scotians in increasing their knowledge and awareness of Mi’kmaw culture, history and heritage, a Mi’kmaq History Month Committee was established to promote and encourage educational and cultural activities during the month of October. For more information, go to  http://mikmaqhistorymonth.ca  

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed some challenges and raised some questions about what supports our communities will need moving forward. Recognizing this, the 2020-21 Wellness Fund grant process has changed from an application form to a project proposal request.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their respective CHB coordinator if they have any questions surrounding the new proposed guidelines. The Southeastern and Eastern Shore Musquodoboit Community Health Boards annually provides “Wellness Funds” grants to support projects addressing the social determinants of health such as; poverty, food insecurity, healthy lifestyles, early childhood development, literacy, safe/affordable housing, and social isolation. The deadline to apply is Thursday, October 15th. 

For more info, contact:

Monique Mullins-Roberts
SECHB Coordinator
Monique.Mullins-Roberts@nshealth.ca  at 902-460-6869

Denise VanWychen
ESMCHB Coordinator
denise.vanwychen@nshealth.ca   at 902-891-0372 

For full funding details visit:
www.communityhealthboards.ns.ca/wellness-funds  

or check out their Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SoutheasternCHB/
https://www.facebook.com/ESMCHB/

HRM has a grant program for community museums to support core museum operations and build organizational capacity in achieving and maintaining acceptable standards of archival practices in order to encourage the participation of community museums in the Provincial Museum Evaluation Program administered by the Association of Nova Scotia Museums. Here are this year’s grant awards to our local district community museums:

Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society  (Memory Lane) $21,000 plus an additional $5,000 Project Grant for professional graphic design services and materials.

Musquodoboit Harbour Heritage Society  (Railway Museum) $ 8,000

L’Acadie de Chezzetcook    $5,000

Sheet Harbour & Area Heritage Society  (MacPhee House) $ 3,000

For more details, here’s the link to the full report:
www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/200818rc1111.pdf

As of October 16th, (weather permitting) and whether the NS Forest Weather Index (FWI)  www.novascotia.ca/BurnSafe  is at a low or moderate reading, the time of day burning restrictions will be lifted. For more information about winter open-air burning and safe burning practices:  www.halifax.ca/fire-police/fire/burning-permits/burning-rules-regulations   Please be careful whenever burning!

There are four Volunteer Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) teams in HRM that provides assistance to all three levels of government in the event of a missing person search, an evacuation, natural or man-made disaster, or evidence search. HRM Operating Grants are based on an average of three years of core recurring operating expenses and exclude search call-out claims that are reimbursed by the agent of jurisdiction.

Here are the 2020-21 Operating Grant awards:

Halifax Regional GSAR –  $57,644

Eastern Shore GSAR –  $31,627

Sheet Harbour & Area GSAR-  $27,670

Musquodoboit Valley GSAR –  $16,567

Plus a Capital Grant of $7,792 to Sheet Harbour & Area GSAR for the purchase and installation of a heating system for their new facility.

HRM invoices property tax bills to all property owners twice each year. The tax year covers the fiscal period of April 1st – March 31st.  The first tax bill was sent out (either by mail or e-post) in March and was due on the last working day of April. The second and final bill will be sent out (either by mail or e-post) in September and is due on the last working day of October (Friday, October 30th). The first (or interim) invoice is based on 50 per cent of the current year’s estimated taxes but based on last year’s rates. The final invoice is calculated using the current assessment with the current year’s tax rates, less the amount you already paid from the first invoice. The total amounts billed must be paid by the due date to avoid interest charges. Interest is applied daily to all outstanding taxes at a rate of 10% per annum.

For more information; please call 311 or visit HRM web-site:   www.halifax.ca/home-property/municipal-payments/making-a-payment  

Households throughout HRM should have received Voter Notification Letters in the mail related to the upcoming 2020 Municipal, School Board and the Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial (CSAP) – French School Board General Elections that will be held on Saturday, October 17th.

The information cards advise residents of their polling locations as to where and when they can cast their ballot and instructions on how to vote early during the Advanced Voting period.

Between July 20th to October 5th, electors can call 902-490-VOTE (8683) to confirm their information on the voters’ list and make any necessary changes. Electors may also be added to the list if they are not already included.

The Elections Office also has an Online Voters’ List search tool, 
https://votersearch.halifax.ca/hrm/onvoterslist.html  
which can verify if you are on the HRM Voters’ List.

Once again this election year, you can vote early from your place of work, home or anywhere else via telephone or by the internet. Advanced Electronic Voting occurs anytime from Tuesday, October 6th at 8 AM until Wednesday, October 14th at 7 PM.  You must use your Personal Identification Number (PIN) with instructions provided on your Voter Notification Letter.

There are two Advanced Voting dates:

Saturday, October 10th & Tuesday, October 13th at three polling stations (Sheet Harbour, Head of Chezzetcook, & North Preston) with voting from 12 Noon-8 PM.

And there will also be several polling stations throughout District 2 on Election Day where you can vote in person on Saturday, October 17th from 8 AM – 7 PM :

Poll   201 – Samuel Balcom Centre, Port Dufferin
Poll 202 – Wildlife Lodge – East River – Sheet Harbour
Poll 203 – Tangier Fire Hall Station 30
Poll 204 – Ship Harbour Community Hall
Poll 205 – St. James Anglican Church Hall
Poll 206 – Eastern Shore Arena – Bingo Hall
Poll 207 – Chezzetcook Lions Club Centre
Poll 208 – Porters Lake Community Centre
Poll 209 – East Preston Recreation Centre
Poll 210 – Lawrencetown Community Centre
Poll 211 – North Preston Community Centre
Special Poll 212 – Harbourview Lodge, Sheet Hbr
Special Poll 213 – The Birches, Musquodoboit Hbr

More general election information is available on the HRM web-site at  www.halifax.ca   (click on the HRM Elections Icon or call the HRM Voters Help-Line / Elections Office at 490-8683 (VOTE) for more details. Please make the effort to vote.

Due to COVID-19, Halifax Public Libraries (HPL) announced several months ago that they would not collect fines and fees for the remainder of 2020. This was to reduce cash handling and close interactions that could compromise the health of their staff and the public during the pandemic. Over the past few years, the HPL has changed its service approach to be more inclusive, compassionate, and more forgiving of fines. In the past, HPL regularly waived fines, and occasionally offer fine amnesty periods. Now HPL will follow a fine-free model. Removing this barrier gives everyone in our community lifelong access to the library. All existing overdue fines have been forgiven, and blocked cards have been reset. Any items borrowed from the Library will not accrue overdue fines but HPL will continue to send borrower notifications to remind people about upcoming due dates and will continue to charge replacement fees if an item is lost. Items not returned after 30 days from the date they are due back, will result in a replacement fee. Learn more about “Borrowing Basics” www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/membership/borrowing-basics/  . If you have any questions about fines and fees, connect with “Ask the Library” call 902-490-5753 or by E-mail:  asklib@halifax.ca