The new courtroom at the Kentville Justice Centre (Province of Nova Scotia) The Province is closing the Windsor satellite court and transferring all matters to the nearby Kentville Justice Centre to ensure people have access to justice in safe All Windsor court matters will transition to Kentville by July 1 “Nova Scotians deserve to attend court in facilities that are safe “This change reflects our commitment to improving the justice experience for everyone – whether you are participating in a case supporting a loved one or working in the system.” which is fully accessible and equipped with modern technology The condition of the Windsor satellite court building was an important factor in the decision An inspection in January deemed the holding cells unsafe criminal matters involving people in custody went virtual The Windsor satellite court operates part time The Department leases the space from West Hants Regional Municipality Information about court services in Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/just/Court_Services/ Access by Design 2030: https://novascotia.ca/accessibility/access-by-design Janice Landry will be the keynote speaker at the Volunteer Leadership Symposium taking place May 14 in Kentville She is known for her 35-year journalism career in radio and television she has turned her talents towards writing is that we all have gifts to share in order to lift up others and spread light.” Landry said in a news release and they are the backbone of every community Subscribe now to access this story and more: Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience Other presenters at the symposium include Mandy Morgan on volunteer management for special events Kym Hume on creating and supporting inclusive environments for neurodivergent volunteers and information sessions provided by Hike Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Guard said the annual event features a full day of workshops planned to inspire volunteers and non-profit leaders we wanted this year’s theme to inspire everyone with positive stories,” he said “We are offering several practical workshops – from using AI for grant writing Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page The British Virgin Islands is an explorer's dream with more than 60 isles and cays to discover Expert-backed tips and a step-by-step breakdown to ward off these pests We tried it: Filtrete Smart Tower and the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09 transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Chris McNeill is moving up the Annapolis Valley to become Kentville’s next chief administrative officer (CAO) McNeill has been the CAO with the County of Annapolis since the spring of 2023 after five years in the Region of Queens Municipality’s top administrative position McNeill will be with the county until the end of June and begin with the town in July “He has a very strong background,” Kentville Mayor Andrew Zebian said April 24 “All of council felt that he’s what the town needs He’s going to move us in the right direction who has an undergraduate degree from Acadia University and a master of public administration degree from Dalhousie University has worked with municipal and provincial governments for more than 30 years “Chris brought an immense amount of experience to the position and has been a thoughtful responsible leader who worked well with council and staff,” Warden Diane LeBlanc said in a news release “He demonstrated a solid understanding of local government and placed great value on partnerships with citizens Kentville’s six councillors and the mayor were all part of the CAO hiring committee I wanted to make sure that we were all involved in the process because it’s such an important part of the municipality,” the mayor said Council is expected to formalize the hiring at May’s meeting who has held the position on an interim basis since Feb Zebian said he has and will continue to provide stability for the town until McNeill arrives “He’s been a tremendous help the last couple of months as we navigated through this whole process,” the mayor said McNeill will be the eighth person to be Kentville’s CAO since Mark Phillips left to become the CAO with the new West Hants Regional Municipality in 2019 Zebian said it is very important to have some continuity and stability in the position as the town is working on some large projects A couple hundred applications were received narrowed down and sent to the hiring committee The town of about 6,600 people has an annual operating budget of about $19 million The county had about 19,000 people in the 2021 census and has a $27.3-million operating budget this year The county will initiate a recruitment process for a new CAO in the near future “We are fortunate to have an efficient and skilled workforce,” LeBlanc said “Council will continue to support the efforts of staff as they carry out the municipality’s daily operations to the highest standard.” McNeill took over for interim chief administrative officer Douglas Patterson who filled the role after David Dick’s contract was terminated in August 2022 after 15 months on the job manager of the Tiny Meadows shelter village in Kentville stands outside the Pallet shelters Tuesday The interior of one of the units at Tiny Meadows (Communications Nova Scotia) Tiny Meadows manager Debra Large poses in the eating area at Tiny Meadows The shower and washroom facility (Communications Nova Scotia) The village's laundry unit (Communications Nova Scotia) Each unit has its own lock with a unique code Tiny Meadows manager Debra Large talks about the different units People will move into the units on Wednesday The Town of Kentville has agreed to sell 45 hectares of land north of the Cornwallis River between West Main Street and Brooklyn Road Councillors approved the sale at their March 31 meeting The land was part of the existing 200-hectare site “There will be no changes to management of the land except for a change in land ownership,” Environment and Climate Change Canada spokesperson Samantha Bayard wrote in an email to the Annapolis Valley Register gates or other infrastructure are anticipated to be placed on the property.” “The migratory bird sanctuary is an important area for regional waterfowl populations including species like American black duck blue-winged teal and green-winged teal,” Bayard said The federal department’s Canadian Wildlife Services branch approached the town in August 2023 looking to purchase two pieces of land They were both classified floodway under the municipal planning strategy and are not eligible for development “The small parcel to the east is adjacent to the public works building parcel and is of interest to the public works and engineering department for potential future expansion or land use,” says a town staff report penned by former chief administrative officer Jeff Lawrence Council directed staff to respond to the offer for only the larger parcel The federal department’s independent appraisal of the property was $216,000 with no option for negotiation while the town’s independent appraisal was $220,000 Bayard said the federal department has made contact with other landowners within the sanctuary but was unable to comment on the status of the communications The community room at the new mental health and addictions day hospital in Kentville (Communications Nova Scotia) A new day hospital in Kentville is offering intensive mental health and addictions care for people in the western health zone provides individual psychiatric treatments and therapeutic group programs Patients are at the hospital during the day and return home in the evening “We are committed to providing Nova Scotians with better and easier access to mental health and addictions services while matching them with the right level of care from the most appropriate professionals,” said Brian Comer “Mental health day hospitals are an important part of the system and are helping people get better care closer to home and their support networks while being able to keep up with their regular routine.” The ’zen den’ at the new day hospital (Communications Nova Scotia) The Kentville hospital is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m and can expand to seven days a week as the staffing complement increases People are referred to the hospital through community mental health clinics and emergency departments People discharged from inpatient psychiatric care may also be referred to the day hospital for followup care The music room at the new day hospital in Kentville (Communications Nova Scotia) Kentville is seeking another chief administrative officer (CAO) 19 that Kevin Matheson was its new interim CAO without saying what happened to Jeffrey Lawrence “Council just wanted to go in a different direction,” Mayor Andrew Zebian told the Annapolis Valley Register Lawrence was at the council advisory committee meeting on Feb our first objective is to take care of the staff,” Zebian said “We sought some advice and we found a great interim to come in and fill the seat.” Matheson is the eighth person to hold the position since Mark Phillips left to become the CAO of the new West Hants Regional Municipality in 2019 Lawrence replaced interim CAO Louis Coutinho in January 2024 who stepped in for interim CAO Rachel Bedingfield who replaced interim CAO Brian Smith in January 2021 who was the interim CAO after Phillips left Zebian would not discuss if the recent decision had a financial impact despite being reminded he questioned the CAO’s salary following a previous change he noted the financial statements showed a CAO was paid more than her salary for the four months she worked before her departure “I will dig deeper to figure out what the total cost was to you the taxpayers,” Zebian wrote on Facebook at the time Despite the turnover in the town’s top administrative position Zebian said he wanted to assure residents Kentville is heading in the right direction “We have a tremendous group of people there that are putting their best foot forward And we have a brand-new council that is very eager to get to business We have a lot on our to-do list over the next four years.” Council created an ad-hoc committee on Feb It is comprised of the seven members of council sometimes there have been fewer members on the hiring committee “It’s probably one of the most important things we’re going to do and that relationship is super important,” said Coun Council decided against hiring a consultant to lead the process It directed Matheson to create and release a job posting No timeline is available for when a new person would be hired and Zebian asked residents for patience “We’re going to make sure that we have the right fit.” This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Work is anticipated to begin soon to complete the first phase of the Donald E Hiltz Connector Road that is expected to stimulate Kentville’s growth Town councillors awarded the $6.74-million contract to Howard E The Cambridge company’s submission was the lowest of the six bids received while the highest was an additional $3 million more “It’s exciting for Kentville,” said Mayor Andrew Zebian “It’s going to open a whole new part of town of untapped land up there.” The three levels of government announced the $9.8-million project in May 2023 that will see the connector extended from the Kentville Business Park to Prospect Avenue opening up hundreds of acres of land for development “It should be quite a big boost for the town when it’s all said and done,” Zebian said The town is paying 26.67 per cent of the total project costs with the federal and provincial governments covering the remaining 73.33 per cent Phase 1 of the work will include cross culverts stormwater retention ponds and water system extensions The town is in the process of purchasing land for the project so that it can avoid Ron Cousins’ old-growth forest Zebian said he anticipated the land acquisition will be heading to council in the near future Top picks for what to watch this month in Canada The collision occurred on Park Street near Veterans Lane and Glenview Avenue The bus was taking students from Kings County Academy home after school the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education’s communications officer said 911 was immediately called and Emergency Health Services (EHS) and Kentville Police responded The school’s principal and one of its vice-principals also went to the scene and a new bus and driver were dispatched to continue the run,” Loyst said in an email “The principal also stayed on the bus with the students for the remainder of the ride home.” The school communicated with families about the incident and counselling support will be available to the students on Monday Injuries sustained by the cyclist are unknown at this time rink repairs and construction of the Donald E Hiltz Connector Road are key components of Kentville’s $12-million capital budget Council approved the 2025-26 plan April 7 during a special council meeting Rob Baker was the lone councillor to vote against the motion which are roads and our facilities that do need the repairs right away,” Mayor Andrew Zebian said He called it an “effective” plan that hit on everything he would have done The work includes paving sections of Main and Bridge streets in and near the downtown core Zebian said the Main Street section is near the intersection with Chester Avenue where motorists have been crawling along for weeks due to the deteriorating condition of the road “I acknowledge that there’s other roads that need to be repaved,” Zebian said A new condenser will be installed and electrical upgrades completed at Centennial Arena which was forced to close a few weeks earlier this season due to failed equipment including replacing the footbridge behind the Walter Wood Playground sidewalk work on Prospect Avenue and the addition of batting cages at Memorial Park The Kentville Minor Baseball Association has secured 80 per cent of the cost for the cages with the town contributing the remaining $15,000 Council also approved the $151,817 sanitary sewer capital budget and received the five-year capital plan which can be revisited once strategic priorities are determined The tax rates won’t be set until an operating budget is approved A proposed budget is expected to be presented to council in the next few weeks Director of finance Wanda Matthews presented a draft five-year capital plan to council in late March The 2025-26 component was reduced by about $5 million by deferring projects to future years before the April 7 meeting Deferred projects included a drone for the police department benches and bike racks as well as a public washroom on Station Lane “I understand that we’re trying to shave this down as much as we can,” Coun really important to have some public washrooms.” She said there was a good discussion at the police commission about the need for a drone “There’s all kinds of things we could really utilize,” Chief Marty Smith said Zebian said there was also work at the arena deferred as the town needs to decide what it wants to do with the facility long-term which doesn’t have to be approved until next year is showing nearly $15.7 million while the five-year plan totalled $49.4 million Baker said he was uncomfortable putting things off to future years noting significant debt service rate increases are in the proposed five-year plan “We’re up against the wall next year,” he said “I think we’re just putting off into the future what we’re afraid to look at right now.” pointing to the condenser going from about $50,000 to $220,000 in a few years Other councillors said they need to go through a strategic planning process to set priorities who was the town’s director of finance for 25 years before retiring in 2022 said such an initiative hasn’t occurred in at least eight years Interim chief administrative officer Kevin Matheson said a long-term discussion “We have streets that are 60 years old that haven’t been resurfaced And we don’t have a master plan of how we’re going to deal with it,” he said we have to see what our infrastructure deficit is and start planning to put money aside the impact of climate change on infrastructure and growing requests due to deferred maintenance and purchases The town has secured about $5 million from external sources and is hoping to be successful in other grant applications A look at how Kentville’s $12-million capital budget for 2025-26 will be spent by department Councillors voted 5-1 to spend $500,000 for the repairs at the Memorial Park facility at a special council meeting March 10 “We have been patching and patching and patching for decades instead of doing repairs that needed to be done.” The decision comes a month after council asked staff to look for ways to have required work done and the pool open on time this summer Parks and recreation department staff had recommended the pool be closed this season and the town build a new $3.1-million facility to replace it The approved work includes replacing the pool deck A contingency was added to the quote to guard against potential tariffs for a component of the repairs The work will be done by Ground Force Property Services which reviewed the previous reports and conducted an on-site visits Feb the town’s manager of parks and recreation facilities said the firm is confident it can complete the work by early June barring any unforeseen circumstances and beginning the project immediately “They want to break ground this week,” he said at the March 10 council advisory committee meeting Councillors normally discuss issues at the council advisory committee session and then vote on motions at the council meeting held on the last Monday of the month the work won’t get done in time,” interim chief administrative officer Kevin Matheson told councillors The town’s policies also permits it to non-tender a project under emergency or urgent circumstances There was some opposition to the expenditure Samantha Hamilton was the lone councillor to vote against the motion citing the list of issues that need to be addressed around town including flooding and deteriorating roads called it the largest renovation in the pool’s history “It’s probably the biggest amount of money in 70 years that’s been put into that facility,” she said While pleased to see the project move forward she said it should have been done in bits and pieces during the previous few years She also stressed the need for a longer-term plan as the renovations may only extend the facility for five to 10 more years “I don’t like the idea of just patching and fixing and patching and fixing until we have a crash,” she said The town has applied for a provincial grant and officials have discussed the possibility of the County of Kings providing funds towards the project with its representatives The town has received no confirmation from either party about supporting the project Councillors voted 6-1 in favour of a one-time $5,000 grant to the program following a 40-minute debate on March 31 “Good learning does not take place on empty stomachs and we all know that,” said Coun While councillors spoke in support of the program issues were raised around tying it to the conference “I don’t think the two should be linked together,” said Coun “I really struggle with these two being interconnected,” added Coun “We’re making a personal sacrifice for the health and welfare of students in our community.” “It’s really about choices,” added Mayor Andrew Zebian “Show me a conference that is going to be more meaningful than this or more impactful on the town of Kentville.” Zebian said it was the proudest moment of his five-year municipal career The school was facing a $10,000 funding shortfall with its breakfast program The parent-teacher association (PTA) runs the school cafeteria at the pre-Primary to Grade 8 school “We wouldn’t be coming here if we weren’t in need,” said PTA president Joey Feith The students using the program has doubled from 200 two years ago to 400 this year and grocery costs are increasing The association also started offering a pay-what-you-can option for lunch in 2023-24 It required the school to earmark more of the funds raised for food programs to the lunch program Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education communications officer Kristen Loyst said in an email “Funding raised during the current school year has helped to cover these costs,” she said A provincial pay-what-you-can program replaced the school’s lunch program Oct schools are not responsible for any shortfall The breakfast program costs about $4,000 a month to run Feith noted the 2024 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Nova Scotia showed 23 per cent of children in Kings County are experiencing poverty “There’s no doubt that the kids need it,” he said “My first question to a kid who walks through my door is Savage said she intends to recommend a line item be annually included in the budget for the breakfast program during budget deliberations The breakfast program does receive annual funding from the school healthy eating program and needs to find other sources to cover the rest of its cost The group applies for grants and hosts fundraisers Feith said it has communicated the situation with the parents “People are feeling pinched right now financially,” he said With the town’s assistance and other funding sources Conference attendance has been raised as an issue by some councillors in the past Council approved a policy earlier in the evening that permits the mayor and two members of council to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference each year The early bird registration is nearly $1,200 per person Zebian estimated it would cost $4,000 or more per person to attend the event who noted some neighbouring municipalities don’t attend them “I personally don’t recall anything that came back that was groundbreaking,” Zebian said of the past term “I just think it’s a lot of money that we don’t necessary have to toss away.” Savage and Baker expressed the importance of professional development and learning from others I think it makes us better as a council,” Savage said we’re doing a disservice to the community,” Baker added Maxwell said she agrees with education but councillors can find out information from the directors the town has on staff Kentville’s council is comprised of a mayor and six councillors so each of the six councillors will still have an opportunity to attend a conference before their four-year term ends Zebian left the door open a crack when asked if he would ever attend one If there’s something really good on the docket Details about Kings County Academy school breakfast program • Of the 689 registered students at the Kentville school 400 participate daily in the universal breakfast program The number of students has doubled in two years • It costs $3,766 per month to run the program which is close to $40,000 during the school year CentreStage Theatre’s latest production is billed as a show “guaranteed to tickle your funny bones and get you all set for St Wake in the West will hit the stage at the Kentville theatre 10 times beginning Friday “Written by celebrated Irish playwright Michael J Wake in the West is a laugh-a-minute romp filled with great characters and a mixture of tears for sorrow and laughter,” said Mike Butler vice-chairperson of the board of directors The play is set on the West Coast of Ireland during the wake of Tom Healy who drank himself to death and now wishes his grave to be a watery one by requesting a cremation and the scattering of his ashes at sea “The fun begins when a neighbour decides Tom is not entitled to take it all with him,” Butler explained “You’ll have to come see the show to figure it all out.” whose recent directorial efforts – Waiting for the Parade and Separate Beds – received great reviews and receptive audiences 14 and 15 in the evenings starting at 7 p.m CentreStage is also hosting matinees on Sunday Theatre officials encourage patrons to reserve a spot by calling 902-678-8040 Wake in the West is the latest production at CentreStage Theatre The Mousetrap and James and the Giant Peach A man found dead in a tent at a Kentville park Wednesday is being remembered as having a kind heart even as he struggled with his personal demons was discovered in his tent off a trail in the Miners Marsh park in the town The park is a popular walking trail and Ducks Unlimited site Kentville Police and paramedics were called shortly after 10:15 a.m. Police said in a release Thursday morning that foul play is not suspected The park was closed much of Wednesday while investigators worked at the site The man’s tent was set up not far off the trail in an area where people experiencing homelessness have set up encampments for several years The area is hidden by dense underbrush most of the year It’s not an area where people have generally stayed over the winter John Andew is a Kentville town councillor and also runs Valley Connect Outreach a street ministry and outreach organization that provides shelter and said his understanding is that one of the man’s friends made the discovery after going to check on him Temperatures had dropped to about -5 C overnight Andrew said the man has roots in the area and has battled severe addiction and mental health issues for years He said the man was in a situation where it was not possible to find a place for him to stay The man was receiving disability benefits and not working “It’s obviously tough for friends and family,” Andrew said Andrew’s group had provided shelter for the man earlier this year but because of behavioural issues they were unable to continue to do so he was in here as recently as the end of last week and we made sure he had warm things,” Andrew said He said the man was a regular around town “but a bit of a loner.” He said he has not heard any indication about the circumstances around the death 21 Andrew’s group had provided housing for 35 people which is on top of people staying at a shelter in the town run by Open Arms another organization helping people living on the street Open Arms also manages the 20 units at Tiny Meadows a Pallet shelter community that opened just outside the town near Valley Regional Hospital The man found is the second homeless person to die in a week in the Annapolis Valley after a deceased man in his 50s was found outside his tent on Tregothic Drive near the Hants County Exhibition grounds RCMP spokeswoman Cindy Bayers said the death was determined to be not suspicious Andrew said the two deaths show that the homeless crisis and people living rough is not just a Halifax-Dartmouth issue A comedy with music and dance is coming to Kentville “Spring makes me feel like dancing and so will the latest show to hit the stage at the Little Theatre with the Big Heart,” said Mike Butler also addresses the serious issues of ageism and intolerance who hires dance instructor Michael Minetti to give her private dance lessons – one per week for six weeks – in her gulf-front condo in St What begins as an antagonistic relationship blossoms into an intimate friendship as these two people from different backgrounds reveal their secrets It stars Carolyn Landry and Owen O’Brien as Lilly and Michael and the show is directed by Candy O’Brien Candy is a longtime Annapolis Valley performer who has acted in and directed many shows with CentreStage Theatre She last appeared on stage in Marion Bridge and Cinderella attention to detail and love of character studies she felt this show was a great fit to direct and she is so excited for audiences to experience it,” Butler said What – The latest production at CentreStage Theatre in Kentville $15 for students and seniors and $7 for children under 12 It is recommended people call the reservation line at 902-678-8040 to hold a spot The show has been performed in 24 countries and translated into 14 languages The legal battle between the Town of Kentville and a businessowner The property matter was due in court in early December but the sides reached an out-of-court resolution with all claims being dismissed without costs to either party It ends a three-year dispute and paves the way for the town to do something with the two vacant lots on Main Street I reached out to the town and decided that it would be best if we could come to some kind of resolution,” Andrew Zebian told the Annapolis Valley Register “I didn’t want a new council to be faced with that situation.” They are located on the west side of Church Avenue next to the King’s Arm Pub who was elected as a town councillor in October 2020 and mayor four years later planned to build a two-storey building and lease the ground floor for commercial space with residential units upstairs There was a clause in the sales agreement where the town could buy the property back for $71,000 plus HST if construction deadlines weren’t met The town applied to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to have the property returned The company argued in court documents the town denied its request for an extension of construction deadlines in bad faith The parties had agreed to extend construction deadlines three times with the last being in June 2021 when the following clause was included in the amended agreement “The dates agreed to herein are critically important and (Mike’s Clothing) shall not request any further extension thereof and (Mike’s Clothing) specifically understands and agrees that the town may buy back the property pursuant to the agreement if (Mike’s Clothing) does not strictly comply with the terms of the agreement Zebian said in court documents he received the permit for the footings in August 2021 and provided the town with a letter from the general contractor outlining the projected completion dates A motion to extend the deadline was defeated in October 2021 “He asserts that the decision of council to buy back the property constituted retribution against him for pursuing the ‘Kelly Rice issue,’” a Sept The town denied Zebian’s freedom of information request for a copy of the then chief administrative officer’s 2020 letter he received a copy from an anonymous source in June 2021 Rice accused the mayor and some councillors of creating an unsafe and unhealthy work environment and of abusive and disrespectful behaviour,” the 2022 court document said Zebian said he met with then mayor Sandra Snow and then chief administrative officer Dan Troke about the letter “He says that the conversation became volatile Troke began yelling at him and that the mayor said that she would be calling the police to retrieve the envelope that the letter came in,” the court document said Zebian tried to call a council meeting to discuss the issue but the following day he received a letter from the town’s legal counsel demanding he not speak publicly about the letter or face legal action How much the town has spent on legal costs on the case was not available Zebian said both parties lost during the three-year dispute and added it is time to move forward “It was time to turn over a new page and I didn’t want to have that situation still pending,” Zebian said “The main thing is the town thrives – that’s my main goal.” He said the town has a “great new council” and he is very optimistic for the town’s future Zebian said the town hadn’t discussed what it would do with the property but he anticipated it will soon be back on the market but we’ll go through with the formal process,” he said “I am just very optimistic something great will show up there A Kentville chiropractor facing a sexual assault charge is now facing two more allegations Kentville police said Tuesday that they were contacted in October of last year by someone who alleged that Philip Louis Lapierre sexually assaulted them on two occasions in 1983 when he was working as a chiropractor in the town The offences allegedly happened between July 1 and Dec police laid the two new charges of sexual assault on March 12 is scheduled to appear in Kentville provincial court April 22 to be arraigned on the charges police in the town charged Lapierre with one count of sexual assault for an alleged offence earlier in 2024 Police said then that they started an investigation in June after receiving a complaint about an alleged incident during an appointment at Lapierre’s practice is free pending his next court appearances He is scheduled for trial on the original charge in October and November Last fall the Nova Scotia College of Chiropractors said it became aware of the original allegation when it was contacted by police Because the complainant was also willing to talk to the college it opened an investigation through its complaints committee That investigation was suspended when the original sex assault charge was laid LaPierre voluntarily agreed to stop seeing patients while the investigation was underway His name was then removed from the college’s list of practitioners Executive director John Sutherland said police referred the new complainant to the college and they filed a complaint with the organization It has opened a new file on the matter but will not be conducting its own investigation in this case until all the criminal matters have been concluded in court Lapierre has been charged with sexual assault on two previous occasions 2007 after trial in Kentville provincial court on the first charge the college’s investigation at that time resulted in LaPierre having restrictions placed on his practice that he have an observer in the room during appointments for a period of five years A CP-140 Aurora aircraft from 14 Wing Greenwood will conduct a flyby over a celebration of life service Saturday The Aurora will fly over the White Family Funeral Home on Bridge Street around 10:45 a.m Russell (Russ) Francis Payne will take place at 11 a.m Payne joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1983 completed basic training in Cornwallis and began his training as an air weapons systems technician in Borden He had several postings within 14 Wing Greenwood during his 40-year career Payne was released from the regular forces in 2017 but continued his service as a reserve officer He was promoted to major and assumed duties as the 404 Squadron operations officer He held the position until 2019 when he assumed the position of RCAF academy detachment commander at Camp Aldershot The Aurora will be at an altitude no lower than 500 feet above the highest obstacle over ground level “Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fly pasts are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure public safety at all times,” said a public service announcement issued May 1 “The RCAF is honoured to participate in this service with a ceremonial flyby paying tribute to the distinguished life and four decades of dedicated service of retired Maj A variety of topics were discussed at the March 31 Kentville town council meeting The timing of paving work beginning in Kentville around the same time as a possible festival is strictly a coincidence Mayor Andrew Zebian said there’s a misconception paving is tied to the Apple Blossom Festival The parade draws thousands of people to the town at the beginning of the tourist season “The (pavement) plants don’t open until May and Apple Blossom is in May,” he said during the March 31 council meeting Zebian said he knows the roads are in rough shape “We have made many attempts to cold patch them but they get washed away and washed out very easily,” he said “We’re trying our best and that will be a priority of council in this upcoming budget.” Kentville taxpayers will be paying more for transit this year and that doesn’t sit well with one councillor Kentville approved Kings Transit Authority’s 2025-26 operating budget on March 31 The other municipal partners will also vote on it Kentville’s share of the $3.39-million budget is $392,569 – 13.5 per cent more than 2024-25 The authority is also forecasting a deficit for 2024-25 with the town’s share expected to be about $40,000 “I really struggle with this budget,” Coun noting transit costs continue to eat up more and more town funds Interim chief administrative officer Kevin Matheson said the big driver of the deficit was running a fleet of old buses with maintenance being $207,000 over budget Fares were also $34,000 less than projected The County of Kings is the largest partner with its share of the 2025-26 budget being $1.18 million Kentville councillors have asked staff to look at the site of the dog park Cate Savage said she heard from a number of residents of Miners Landing who weren’t happy with the location of the park during the election campaign in the fall There are more than 500 residents living in the 210 units at the four-building development on the east end of town Some residents wrote the town earlier this year and proposed moving the park located along the Harvest Moon Trail that runs behind Miners Landing They suggested a property next to the skate park Interim chief administrative officer Kevin Matheson said the park was a shared project with the Village of New Minas “It would be a very substantial cost to remove that fencing,” he said Staff will report back to council in April Kentville councillors have turned down a proposal to study the feasibility of creating a community solar garden for a second time Councillors voted against the proposal in February and it was brought back to council March 31 by Coun a member of the town’s environment and energy task team said in a March 26 letter to the town a community solar garden would generate revenue for the town while lowing residents’ utility bills Mayor Andrew Zebian said he wasn’t against the study or the project but worried what the cost to implement a solar garden would be given the large projects the town is facing “Sometimes you have to make tough choices and you have to cut back.” Firefighters from departments across Kings County were on the scene of a fire burning in a commercial building in downtown Kentville on Tuesday afternoon Kentville firefighters were called at 11:45 a.m to the Purple Peacock on Aberdeen Street and found fire blowing out front windows on the bottom floor of the two-storey building Heavy black and grey smoke blanketed the downtown and fire hoses connected to hydrants cut off traffic through much of the core Firefighters and police evacuated several neighbouring buildings Deputy fire chief Randy Hill said there was heavy fire throughout the main floor when firefighters arrived “Used clothing and other items created a significant fire load that fed the flames,” Hill said There is significant damage to the building which also housed an office for Kings Point to Point but Hlll said firefighters from Bewick to Wolfville kept the fire from spreading to the bank or the Masonic Lodge “There was a lot of hard work pulling down ceilings and getting to fire in the walls,” he said One firefighter was taken to hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation while two others were assessed on the scene for heat exhaustion but not transported Two staff and about a dozen customers were inside the thrift store when the fire broke out and got out safely The cause of the fire is under investigation with the assistance of the office of the fire marshal Aberdeen Street will remain closed to vehicle traffic until sometime Wednesday is being performed eight times in November and December at the Kentville theatre It is written and directed by Lesley Chapman who has been knee-deep in British pantomime’s her entire life is a hilarious chaotic twist on a classic fairy tale,” said Mike Buter “Cinderella is packed with slapstick humour ridiculous puns and plenty of ‘it’s-behind-you’ moments to keep the audience laughing Cinderella swaps her rags for a more glamourous look but she is left scrambling home at midnight before her pumpkin carriage turns to soup Prince Charming and his sidekick Dandini embark on a quest to find the foot the glass slipper fits Traditional British pantomimes are audience interactive flashy costumes and a chorus to move the action along and involve the audience The show will be performed Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. It will be performed upstairs in the Upper Performance Centre What – The latest production getting ready to hit the stage at CentreStage Theatre in Kentville Schedule – The show has Friday and Saturday performances at 7 p.m $15 for students and seniors and $7 for children under 12 years old Nova Scotia Health will host its annual provincial career fair taking place in 11 communities across the province.  representatives from various departments will be in Halifax Antigonish and Baddeck to discuss career and volunteer opportunities across the organization “All Nova Scotia Health team members and volunteers make valuable contributions to improving healthcare,” said Anna Marenick “The now annual career fair is one of the many ways we attract new talent to different opportunities with Nova Scotia Health whether they’d like to stay in their hometown or explore a new part of the province.” Talent can connect directly with hiring managers learn more about how their skills and interests match Nova Scotia Health departments and share their resumes quickly using a QR code “By continuously working to grow our teams we’re also working to meet the growing healthcare needs of Nova Scotians across the province Our first career fair last April resulted in hiring more than 200 people and generated over 1,700 leads We can’t wait to see who we’ll meet this year!” Questions about the provincial career fair? E-mail recruitment.services-nsha@nshealth.ca  Much of Nova Scotia's healthcare program and service information is now available on the YourHealthNS mobile app Download for free on the Apple Store and Android Apps for Google Play There are many ways to access primary care even if you're not currently attached to a primary care provider Answer a few quick questions to receive personalized instructions for accessing Nova Scotia Health's primary care options near you including in-person Get Started                Share Your Feedback   reaches capacity for first timeAll units at Tiny Meadows expected to be full by Dec A shelter village in North Kentville was expected to reach full occupancy for the first time just before the holidays The Pallet shelter village at 136 Exhibition St known as Tiny Meadows is managed by the Open Arms Resource Centre executive director Leanne Jennings said they’re aware of the urgency and are moving guests in as quickly as possible The staggered intake that began in late August continued with 13 of 20 individual shelters occupied as of Dec there were 15 people occupying the shelters Jennings said they expected all 20 units to be full before Christmas 18 that as part of “an organizational effort,” two guests at Tiny Meadows had already found housing and moved on Another three are expected to move out in February The Pallet company didn’t have a communal building that would be appropriate for the Annapolis Valley climate so one was built by local contractor Roscoe Construction Open Arms received the keys to the building on Nov 18 and began setting up the space so that residents could occupy it they were waiting for an electric range and dishwasher to be installed in the kitchen One of two offices for staff had been set up in the building A large tent had been used as a temporary communal space and dining area for shelter residents while a couple of unoccupied shelters served as temporary office space for staff The tent was removed after they gained access to the communal building the communal building is much more comfortable than a tent this time of year,” Jennings said “The guests seem to be very happy with the space.” The Nova Scotia Department of Community Services announced in January 2024 that four Pallet villages would be established across the province Pallet is a North American leader in rapid-response shelter villages designed and built by people with lived experience Department of Community Services communications advisor Alyse Hand said that the 200 shelter units that the provincial government purchased from Pallet have all been allocated to shelter villages across Nova Scotia She said 115 are now operational at sites in North Kentville Another 85 units were scheduled to open in HRM within the next few weeks Hand said there are no plans to purchase more at this time She said the department continues to work closely with partners including municipalities and service providers to respond to the unique needs of communities and support Nova Scotians experiencing homelessness “Our work is backed by generational investments in infrastructure like public housing and supportive housing and in programs like diversion support and rent supplements that help people get and keep housing,” Hand said There are currently 60 supportive housing units across the Annapolis Valley with more opening in Kentville and Truro over the next few months The interior of one of the units at Tiny Meadows shelter village in Kentville (Communications Nova Scotia) Ninety-six transitional housing units for people experiencing homelessness will open in the province over the next few weeks at shelter villages in Kentville “Shelter villages provide more than just a roof over people’s heads They also provide the services and supports people experiencing homelessness need to get on the path to permanent housing,” said Jill Balser “These new communities are one innovative solution to addressing homelessness in Nova Scotia.” Residents begin moving into the Tiny Meadows shelter village on Exhibition Street in Kentville on Wednesday The 20-unit community is operated by the Open Arms Resource Centre which co-ordinates on-site services and supports for residents The other shelter villages that are opening soon are on Atlantic Street in Dartmouth (41 units) and in Pine Tree Park in Sydney (35 units) through the Atlantic Community Shelter Society which will provide housing for older adults and seniors New Dawn Enterprises and the Ally Centre are the site operators and the village is expected to open to residents by mid-September Supports for people experiencing homelessness: https://novascotia.ca/supports-for-people-experiencing-homelessness/ A Kentville man whose case dragged out for more than a year after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two women in 2021 and 2022 has finally been sentenced for one of the incidents But when he appeared in Kentville provincial court Jan still hadn’t done what a judge demanded of him she told him to call every name on a list of lawyers provided by Nova Scotia Legal Aid who might be willing to represent him on a certificate provided by the agency I think I told you to go through the list and call every lawyer on the list and make sure that even if you had to go knock on the door of law firms,” the judge said She also told him then that if he didn’t do so she would be proceeding with the sentencing anyway but his subsequent appearances were before different judges Rayworth said he had consultations with two lawyers but then admitted that those happened last year He said he tried to call one of them that morning who had represented Rayworth before being released when Rayworth tried to withdraw his guilty pleas in October made a call and learned that the lawyer Rayworth was talking about was not able to represent him during which Rayworth’s mother could be heard saying that his hesitancy in proceeding to sentencing was because he had trepidations about going to jail Brownell told the court that Rayworth was ready to proceed to sentencing on the joint recommendation that had been proposed more than a year ago He told van der Hoek that he had a brief discussion with Rayworth — not as his lawyer but in his limited role as duty counsel that day — to provide guidance to him on the procedure of the sentencing and that he had agreed to finally proceed Crown attorney Nathan McLean told the court that Rayworth had multiple interactions with the victim at her workplace he showed up at her house uninvited in the late afternoon She saw him from across the house at the side door which he opened and entered through even though she made it clear he was not welcome “He then went into her bedroom and pushed her onto her bed Rayworth tried to take off the woman’s pants and put his hand down her shirt “They rolled onto the floor where she struggled with him and was eventually able to break free,” McLean said She ran into the kitchen and got a pot to try to use as a weapon but he grabbed it and she was struck by it instead McLean said the woman was knocked down again and the struggle went on with various items being knocked over or onto the floor as she fought back and continued to scream for help She saw a woman outside and was able to run out and yell for her to call 911 but Rayworth came out and kept the attack going on the front lawn before he finally gave up “He asked her why she was embarrassing him when she was shouting for help,” McLean said The victim told police in her statement that she tried to reason with Rayworth suggesting they go for a drive or drink as a way to try to talk him down and that “he didn’t need to do this,” but he he ignored her “She said she was trying to say anything that would calm him down a bit but he kept saying that he ‘needed to’ and threw her on the floor,” McLean said “She said he would not take no for an answer.” assault and break and enter to commit an indictable offence The judge sentenced him to the joint recommendation that Rayworth agreed to a year ago The sentence of the minimum federal term of two years was recommended to give him access to more counselling but also to allow for the addition of three years of probation at the end of his sentence that includes conditions he stay away from victims An offender assessment determined that Rayworth’s risk of committing another sexual offence is twice as high as the average person In her victim impact statement filed with the court the woman said that she has been scared in her own home and that the attack has had significant impacts on her sense of safety and well-being and said that it has affected her ability to trust others The woman said that the morning after the attack she woke up feeling like she’d been “hit by a truck My entire body ached deeply and I was peppered with bruises on my arms My throat was raw from screaming and I felt nauseous.” She didn’t feel physically or mentally well enough to do anything for several weeks and kept hearing Rayworth’s voice and reliving the attack van der Hoek told Rayworth that it was “extremely aggravating that this took place in the home of a young woman who should have expected that she wouldn’t have an unwanted visitor come into her home let along to engage in the actions that you did. Fortunately there was a stranger who heard her calls for help so the situation didn’t go further.” His sentencing was scheduled for February 2024 but his original legal aid lawyer left the service and a new lawyer was appointed to the file Jan The sentencing at that point was rescheduled for March 7 and then again until the first week of September to wait for the report Brownell said the assessment report had arrived at 11 p.m the night before and requested an adjournment so he could review it He later abandoned that plan without filing an application Two other court appearances didn’t resolve anything as he asked for more time to find a new lawyer While the victim has finally received closure Rayworth has denied some of the details of a second sexual assault he pleaded guilty to in August 2023 forcing that victim to have to go to court later this month to testify rather than have the matter concluded at the same time as the other sentencing The second victim worked at the same business as the other woman has been handed a conditional discharge with probation for committing an assault Judge Angela Caseley handed Oxner a conditional discharge with 12 months of probation Oxner committed the offence in Windsor on Jan Charges of attempting to induce an individual by threats to participate in sexual activity and repeatedly following them from place to place were dismissed on Jan Judge Ronda Van Der Hoek handed Hupman a conditional discharge with eight months of probation Hupman committed the offence in Kentville on April 1 CentreStage Theatre in Kentville is turning back the clock for its first production of 2025 an enthusiastic cast brought this work to life Leigh has now stepped into the director’s chair for this current production and is thrilled to bring their love of this show to the stage.” The Mousetrap was first produced as a radio show before being turned into a stage production in the early 1950s It debuted at London’s West End and became the longest-running play in history having been performed more than 27,000 times before closing due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 The show re-opened in 2021 and has not stopped Mousetrap is an audience-pleasing whodunit that never grows old always surprises and delivers,” Butler said What – CentreStage Theatre’s first show of 2025 Tickets can be purchased at the door using cash Theatre officials recommend patrons call the reservation line (902-678-8040) to reserve seats The story sees a group of seven strangers snowed in at a remote countryside guesthouse as news spreads of a murder in London the guests soon realize there’s a murderer in their midst The production is the first of eight announced for the first half of the 2025 season – CentreStagte’s 41st year The Mousetrap is the only one that the theatre has previously produced “All other shows are brand new to our stage which fills us with great excitement,” Butler said “Our volunteer board of directors decided that opening the year with a classic was the best way (to begin the season).” The new year will bring a couple of changes for the theatre Here is what people can expect for the next few months from CentreStage Theatre in Kentville March 5-7 – The Booker School Presents: Beauty And The Beast Jr March 10-15 – Anne of Green Gables (March break camp) April 25-May 10 – Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks