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BACK TO SCHOOL – BE CAREFUL!
I would like to welcome all students back to school. Your education is important for you to succeed in life. Our schools can be very safe places if we all follow hygiene protocols as advised by our health care professionals. Also all motorists need to be extra careful with students walking, cycling or travelling by school bus.

APOLOGY TO ACADIAN SCHOOLS
As a result of an engagement through the NS Human Rights Commission Restorative Board of Inquiry process; HRM has signed an agreement with Mr. Lucien Comeau, an Acadian parent who had filed a human rights complaint in 2003 regarding the absence of supplementary education funding for Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) in the Halifax region. This led to a discrimination allegation because these funds were collected from all HRM ratepayers for programs like music and art and given only to English-speaking schools operated by the Halifax Regional School Board (HRSB). CSAP is the board responsible for French-speaking schools in the Halifax region.

HRM resolved the funding issue in 2006; however, in his initial complaint, Mr. Comeau also took issue with the municipality’s relationship with the Acadian community and how their interests are represented within the municipal government framework. To help address this concern, HRM invited a number of its francophone staff to sit on a joint committee with the goal of enhancing and advising on the relations of the Acadian and francophone community. Under this agreement, the municipality has committed to:

  • Contribute a grant of $75,000 to a charitable trust or foundation that will support students studying in French in the geographic boundaries of the municipality at the secondary and post-secondary level;
  • Continue the work of the joint committee by the framework of the processes forming part of the restorative agreement, including; Linguistic and cultural development; Awareness and education; and Employability. This agreement will go a long way toward restoring and building the municipality’s relationship with the broader francophone community.

APP ADVISES WHAT GOES WHERE
The new ‘Halifax Recycles’ App is a handy resource to help residents keep track of solid waste / resource collection schedules, and to help determine what goes where for garbage, recycling and organic materials. Simply enter a type of material and the App will tell you if it goes in the clear garbage bag, blue bag, paper recycling or green cart. The App features a calendar that highlights special events, such as mobile special waste depots, organic green cart collection, as well as alternate holiday collection dates. A notification feature is also included that will remind you the night before your collection day and identify if it is garbage or green cart week in your area. Remember, all waste must be roadside no later than 7 AM to ensure collection. This ‘Halifax Recycles’ App is free to mobile phone users by downloading from the iStore or GooglePlay (search ‘Halifax Recycles’), and a web-based version is also available at www.halifax.ca/whatgoeswhere .

In addition to the new App, residents are encouraged to visit: www.halifax.ca/clear or www.halifax.ca/recycle/index.php for more information and frequently asked questions (FAQs) about
the solid waste resource collection changes that went into effect August 1st. Additional questions can also be sent to wasteless@halifax.ca or call 311. Also, remember the next Roadside / Curbside Give Away Weekend will be on October 17th & 18th.

FACILITY MASTER PLAN REVIEW
The 2008 HRM Community Facility Master Plan (CFMP) provided strategic direction and recommendations related to community recreation facility development, and shaped the protocol for budget and project development.
( www.halifax.ca/facilities/CFMP/documents/CFMPFINALMay08.pdf )

The 2008 CFMP is currently being updated, and will be presented to Regional Council in early 2016. It will be utilized as the strategic guiding document to enhance the quality of life of citizens through the provision of sustainable, planned, accessible and appropriate community facilities. The revised and updated CFMP is expected to provide continued strategic direction for the required investment, resources and decision-making processes related to provision of community recreation facilities. The updated document will build on the recommendations in the 2008 CFMP report and will include several facility types not previously considered such as playgrounds, tennis courts, and splash-pads.

You are invited to participate in the planning process through one or more of the following opportunities:

  • Sport user-group and service providers focus group meetings and stakeholder surveys;
  • Public meetings in eight community locations for in-person information sharing;
  • Web-site survey at www.Halifax.ca ;
  • Empirical phone survey for data collection;
  • Provide email address for personal comments and submissions at: CFMP@Halifax.ca ; and
  • Provide telephone number to enable personal conversation and comment at 902-490-5713.

There will also be some local CFMP Public Meetings: Wednesday, Sept.16th – Musquodoboit Harbour Rink and Thursday, Sept. 17th – Cole Harbour Place.
35th ANNUAL TERRY FOX RUN
This year will mark the 35th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run. Back in 1980, Terry took his Marathon of Hope through our communities along Highway #7. Now we can keep his dream alive that cancer can be beaten. There will be 3 local runs on Sunday, September 20th. Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Trail at Park Road from 10 AM – 2 PM, at the Sheet Harbour Lion’s Centre from 1-4 PM. or Lake Echo Community Centre from 1-3 PM.

This year Lake Echo will also be hosting a Community Brunch and Silent Auction starting at 10:30 AM. If you can’t make it to a run, please sponsor someone who will be participating, or you
can text “terryfox” to 45678 to donate $5. It will also be Terry Fox National School Run Day on Wednesday, September 30th.

If your school wants to get involved, please check out this link for more information: www.terryfox.org/SchoolRun/index.html

CRAIG’S CAUSE 9 th ANNUAL TREK
Craig’s Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society is proud to announce the 9th Annual NS Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Walk – Run – Bike Trek, in support of Pancreatic Cancer education, awareness
and research. Come out to the Porters Lake Provincial Park on Saturday, September 26th.
Registration opens at 8 AM and event starts at 10 AM.

This bike tour trek event is for all ages and abilities. There are various distances and routes to choose from. Routes consist of: 1) Social Ride – through the Park; or 2) 3 km & 6 km walk/run through the Park; or 3) a 25 km route – half way around Porters Lake; or 4) 38km – around Porters
Lake; or 5) 55 km – around Porters Lake and Lake Echo; or 6) 100km – tour of the Eastern Shore. For more details, go to  www.craigscause.ca.

NEW LOT GRADING BYLAW
Finally after many, many years of review and consultation, HRM has consolidated former County and City bylaws into a new one piece of legislation. On Tuesday, Sept. 8th at its Regional Council
meeting, HRM will be introducing a new Lot Grading Bylaw to deal with Storm-water Management & Lot Grading drainage issues. To see the proposal, go to: www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/cagenda.php

I`m sure this topic will generate a lot of debate. Back in 2013, citizens were invited to provide their opinions on the subject. Thanks to those that have provided input and advice. Please stay tuned as this matter unfolds.

DEMOLITION OF TWO OLD SCHOOLS
HRM has awarded Tender 15-177 for the demolition of the old Lakeview School in West Chezzetcook and Harbourside School in Owl’s Head – Clam Bay to Fred M Dunphy Excavating & Construction Ltd for $181,707.93 .

For your information, four other bids were received from :
Capital Demolition $215,845.95
Vector Demolition $259,588.71
Dexter Construction $282,959.20

Soon these two old schools will be gone from our landscape but not from our memories.

GIRLS UNITED PROGRAM
Girls United is an outreach project of the Halifax Youth Advocate Program targeted for young females ages 12-14 years.  www.halifax.ca/youthadvocateprogram/GirlsUnitedProgram. It provides young girls a series of learning modules that will help build self-reliance and resilience. The strategy is to use a wide range of learning activities and strong positive relationships to support girls who have experienced or have been exposed to gender specific risks.

If you know a girl who displays two or more of the listed risk factors, the Girls United Program can help:

  • Alcohol or drug use
  • Frequently in trouble with the law
  • High commitment to friends involved in criminality
  • Friends and family who are gang members
  • Conflict between home and school life
  • Gangs in or around school/neighborhood
  • Lack of adult role models; parental criminality/violent attitudes; siblings with anti-social behaviors

or do you know a young girl dealing with:

  • Harsh discipline;
  • Family conflict;
  • Frequent family moves;
  • Multiple caregivers;
  • Long periods of time with single parent care-giver;
  • Poverty; or
  • Early maturation.

To make a referral please complete and submit a program application form that you can receive via a community partner. For a complete list of community partners, please go to:
www.halifax.ca/YouthAdvocateProgram/PartnersandSupporters.php  or go to an On-line Referral Application Form at :  www.halifax.ca/forms/girls_united_referral.php

Please help to support young girls in achieving their goals for personal change and achievement.

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