The Record Ep. 67

Port Hawkesbury Town Council held its monthly public meeting in September. After the meeting, Deputy Mayor Iaian Langley, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Terry Doyle, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Brian Luciano fielded questions from the media.

The CAO informed council that the new CFO is settling into his role after replacing former CFO Erin MacEachen, who left in June to become the Director of Finance for the Strait Regional Centre for Education.

Concerns had been raised in June about a sailboat and a fishing vessel that were placed on town property near the Port Hawkesbury pier without permission. When asked by Councillor Blaine MacQuarrie, the CAO said there are no new updates regarding the vessels.

Doyle also announced that the town has entered into a two-year agreement for waste collection. Deputy Mayor Langley noted that the agreement could save the town money while helping reduce waste.

Council then reviewed correspondence from the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office regarding the risk wildfires pose to homeless encampments.

The next item of correspondence was from the provincial Justice Minister concerning the future of policing in Nova Scotia. Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton said municipalities will be consulted, and Port Hawkesbury will provide its input.

Finally, the Municipality of the County of Inverness will make a presentation to Port Hawkesbury Town Council regarding the former Mabou asylum.

After seven years of consultation and study, the provincial government announced that the Goldboro gold mine has received industrial approval. Work on the mine, owned by Canadian company NexGold Mining Corp., is expected to begin in 2026, the province noted.

The Goldboro mine project has a 15-year timeline, including development, 11 years of operation, and remediation. The province said 779 hectares of Crown land have been leased to NexGold, with part of the mine on Crown land and part on company-owned land.

The mine is projected to create 735 jobs and contribute $2.1 billion to Nova Scotia’s gross domestic product. Over 15 years, it is also expected to generate $1.1 billion in direct and indirect household income and about $528 million in tax revenue—$274 million provincial, $44 million municipal, and $209 million federal. The company has signed benefits agreements with the Municipality of the District of Guysborough and the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs.

Guysborough Warden Paul Long said the project will provide significant socio-economic benefits to the municipality and surrounding areas during both the construction and operational phases. Benefits include direct and indirect job creation, community benefit agreements, growth in Nova Scotia’s GDP, and additional municipal tax revenues.

The province noted that the project received environmental assessment approval on June 2, 2022, and that the industrial approval comes with stringent terms and conditions.

The Nova Scotia Liberal Party plans to introduce legislation limiting social media use by young people. Liberal House Leader Iain Rankin said the party is introducing a landmark bill to protect children online.

As students return to school, the Liberals are committed to tabling the Social Media Responsibility Act, which would set a minimum age of 16 for social media use, following examples in Australia and Norway. The legislation responds to growing concerns from experts and parents about the mental health crisis among youth, citing a 2023 U.S. Surgeon General study that found youth using social media more than three hours a day face double the risk of depression and anxiety.

The bill aims to prevent children under 16 from exposure to harmful content and interactions that could impact mental health. Last year, the government implemented a cell phone ban in schools to reduce distractions and support student well-being. Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said the new legislation would provide clear protections for families and position Nova Scotia as a national leader in child safety.

The independent 2025 Electoral Boundaries Commission released its interim report, recommending three scenarios for a new Acadian riding in Inverness County.

One option is to retain the current Inverness riding, which includes the Town of Port Hawkesbury and the Municipality of the County of Inverness.

Another scenario would create a riding encompassing Chéticamp and the Margarees, with 3,924 voters, 35.98 per cent of whom are considered Francophone.

A third scenario, called Doyle’s Bridge, would move the eastern border of the Chéticamp and Margarees riding to include mostly uninhabited areas historically considered part of the Chéticamp community. This riding would have 2,805 voters, with 47.18 per cent designated as “Francophone weight.”

The commission was appointed in April by an all-party select committee of the House of Assembly to recommend electoral boundaries for effective representation of the Acadian region. The last review took place in 2018-2019. This review follows a Supreme Court of Nova Scotia order, which ruled the previous commission’s decision not to create an exceptional electoral district for Chéticamp violated Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Commission Chair Kenneth Deveau thanked participants in public consultation meetings in Chéticamp, Port Hawkesbury, and Inverness on July 23 and 24. He encouraged residents to attend fall meetings or submit written comments. A second round of meetings is planned for October 4–6 in Mabou, Chéticamp, Margaree Forks, and Whycocomagh before the commission submits its final report to the Premier in early 2026.

Amy MacNeil, Senior Manager of Victim Services, and Dean Goudie, Indigenous Victim Case Coordinator, both with the Department of Justice, spoke with Civic Journalist Jake Boudrot following the provincial government’s announcement of a renewed partnership with the Government of Canada. The partnership provides additional support to families of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

The agreement increases funding for Nova Scotia’s Family Information Liaison Unit, coordinated through provincial Victim Services, and supports the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association for community outreach and prevention. The funding enables the unit to hire a full-time case coordinator for Victim Services and a full-time community outreach position at the association.

Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan said Victim Services strives to provide culturally responsive, accessible support, helping families access justice and move toward healing. The Family Information Liaison Unit offers family-centred, trauma-informed services, gathering information about loved ones and connecting families with cultural advisors, Elders, and other supports. The funding comes from Justice Canada’s Federal Victims Strategy Victims Fund.

Minister of Justice Sean Fraser noted that access to information about missing or murdered loved ones is a critical part of healing for many families. Minister of L’nu Affairs Leah Martin emphasized that many Mi’kmaw families in Nova Scotia face barriers when seeking answers about missing relatives.

The provincial government also announced funding for upgrades at École Beau-Port in Arichat. Richmond MLA Trevor Boudreau announced on September 2 that $1.2 million will be allocated for heating plant upgrades at the school.

“This substantial investment demonstrates our government’s commitment to supporting francophone education and ensuring students have modern, comfortable learning environments,” Boudreau said. “These heating upgrades will create optimal conditions for student success while reducing energy costs for years to come.”

Provincial funding was also provided to community groups, municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations to build and improve recreational facilities. Recipients include $30,000 for the Richmond Boxing Club and $100,000 for Tamarac Education Centre in Port Hawkesbury through the Strait Regional Centre for Education. The province noted that the next application period will begin in December.