The Queens County Advance, a source of local news for 140 years, will cease publication later this month and merge with the South Shore Breaker. “(The Advance) was a very, very small publication from a subscriber standpoint,” said Ian Scott, chief operating officer for Saltwire Network, the paper’s parent company. The Advance had fewer than … Continue reading End of an era as Queens County Advance closes →

The Region of Queens Municipality (RQM) is offering community groups a chance to turn roadside trash into hard-earned cash. Council voted unanimously May 8 to launch a litter collection program that will pay organizations $100 for each one-kilometre stretch of roadway they clean up. The Solid Waste Community Collection Litter Program will be open to … Continue reading RQM to offer cash for trash →

Speak to three Lunenburg County mayors and you’ll get three different opinions on the accuracy and fairness of financial scorecards issued by the province. Financial condition indicators for fiscal year 2016/17 were published earlier this month by the municipal affairs department. Every municipality in Nova Scotia received an individualized report examining revenue sources, expenditures and … Continue reading Flagged. Province hands out financial warnings to South Shore communities →

Higher sea levels, more frequent storm surges and increased coastal erosion have all become facts of life in Queens County. Climate change has well and truly arrived, particularly in the county’s seaside communities. And local government and businesses are beginning to respond, factoring climate science into both current operations and future planning processes. Mersey Seafoods, … Continue reading Queens County deals with climate change →

The Region of Queens Municipality (RQM) has approved modest residential and commercial tax increases to help fund new spending initiatives. The 2018/19 operating budget, adopted by council Apr. 24, includes a two-cent tax hike for every $100 in assessed property value. That translates into a $30 annual increase for homes and businesses with assessed values … Continue reading Taxes up slightly in new RQM budget →