The Town of Bridgewater's autumn pavement renewal projects are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 12.

Work will include both planing off the old street surfaces and putting down new pavement. Generally, planing is done by the contractor at all work locations throughout Bridgewater, followed by paving at all locations.

The autumn work schedule includes:

 - Dublin Avenue (Duke to Regent)

 - Olympiad Avenue (Smith to Cresthaven)

 - Dufferin Street (King to Pleasant)

 - LaHave Street (North to Silvers Hill)

 - King Street (South to Town Line)

 - Alexandra Avenue (George to Cornwallis)

 - Wentzell Drive (North Park to Cook)

The duration of the project is expected to be about two weeks total, depending on weather. Each street will take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete.

The work will include traffic being controlled with Traffic Control Personnel. As such, motorists should anticipate delays when travelling through work areas. Every effort will be made to minimize the disruption to residents and businesses and to complete the work in a timely fashion.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Traffic delays, dust, noise and heavy equipment are common elements of planing and paving. We are committed to providing a work site that is safe and orderly.

Working hours are generally 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. It should be anticipated that the contractor might choose to work longer hours and weekends to complete the work, on schedule.

SPECIAL NEEDS
Individuals with special needs who may be uniquely impacted by this project should contact the Project Manager as soon as possible to make them aware of your situation. We will work with you to minimize your inconvenience as much as possible.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact the following:

Project Manager Sandi Larkin
Town of Bridgewater - Engineering Department
Office Phone: (902) 541-4370
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Regularly scheduled waste collection will continue. Residents are reminded to have items to the curb prior to 8:00 a.m. Collection calendars are available from the Engineering Department and on the Town's website, www.bridgewater.ca.

The Town of Bridgewater regrets any inconvenience caused to residents and businesses, during this work.

WASTE COLLECTION ON NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH & RECONCILIATION

For those in the Town of Bridgewater whose waste collection typically takes place on Thursdays, please note that waste collection will take place as usual on Thursday, September 30, 2021.

>>> Town Hall and Bridgewater Transit notices

Town Hall and Town of Bridgewater public offices will be closed in observance of the first National Day For Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday, September 30, 2021.

Bridgewater Transit will run reduced hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bridgewater residents may wish to consider taking the bus to the ceremony of remembrance scheduled for 11 a.m. at Pijinuiskaq Park in Downtown Bridgewater.

A free six-week classroom-based program focusing on safety topics that are important to older adults will be taking place beginning on Tuesday, September 28, in Bridgewater.

The Flourish Centre, in partnership with the Lunenburg County Seniors' Safety Program, are pleased to present this program geared for residents who are 55 and older.

Topics will include: legal matters, medication safety, fall prevention, scams and fraud, Life Account, elder abuse, Caregivers NS, Efficiency NS, technology, emergency preparedness, nutrition, and more.

The deadline to register is September 17. To reserve your place or for more information please contact:

>> Chris Andrews at Flourish Centre at 902-527-7697; or

>> Chris Acomb/Carole Hipwell of the Lunenburg County Seniors' Safety Program at 902-543-3567

Classroom sessions will be hosted at the Flourish Centre location at 678 LaHave Street.

SKATE OF THE ART 2021
As a result of the INCREDIBLE interest in Skate of the Art 2021, and to take full advantage of the anticipation and to ensure they do it up right, the organizing team behind this year's Skate of the Art auction have announced that they are pushing the event out by two weeks to Saturday, August 28, at 2 p.m. at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre (LCLC) and online!

The additional time will give even greater exposure to the remarkable works from participating artists, who have been so generous with their time and skill. As before, all bidding will be online, but bidders are welcome to attend the event in in the LCLC Galleria in person to check out the artwork -- and bid online from there!

THE BOARDS
You can see the artwork online RIGHT NOW by visiting https://www.32auctions.com/skateoftheart.

SIGNING UP TO BID
Remember -- while we're having our event at the LCLC, the ONLY way to bid on these unique pieces of art is online! In order to get in on the online auction and the bidding that will ensue, you have to sign up for an account with the online auction house! So, don't wait until Saturday to get your name in the system -- sign up NOW by visiting https://www.32auctions.com/users/new to make sure you're positioned to get into the bidding on the board you want the most!

Get ready to feel refreshed - the O'Regan's Subaru Outdoor pool is scheduled to open for the season on July 1! And the best part? The first swim of the season will be FREE as part of the Town of Bridgewater's Canada Day on the LaHave celebrations this year!

We are also excited to offer daily open/public swims seven days of the week during the 2021 season. Pool memberships can be purchased in advance by calling the Community Development Department at 902-543-2274. Cash will be accepted on-site at the pool, but no debit or credit cards.

SWIMMING SAFELY
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in some changes to swim times and how we enter, exit, and move about the pool facility.

There will be no access through the facility - swimmers will access the pool through the side gate and should come dressed to swim. Swimmers should also limit the number of personal items as safe storage will not be provided. Masks will be required on the pool deck and/or when not in the swimming pool and physical distancing should be maintained.  

SWIM TIMES
Canada Day: 12:00 - 3:00pm

Monday - Friday:  12:00 - 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday:  1:30 - 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Private Rentals: 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. 

Public Swim fees:

ALL-ACCESS POOL PRIVILEGES!
Beat the heat in Bridgewater by using one single membership for two pools!

It's back again - an agreement between O'Regan's Subaru Outdoor Pool and the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre (LCLC) will mean that folks of all ages in Bridgewater and the surrounding area can enjoy two public swimming pools with a single pass!

The agreement gives swim pass holders at each facility "reciprocal pool access privileges" - meaning that pass holders can make use of the outdoor pool at O'Regan's Subaru Outdoor Pool and the indoor pool at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre.

So, if you purchased a summer pool pass for the Outdoor Pool, you can swim at the LCLC at no extra cost. If you are already an LCLC member, you can swim at the Outdoor Pool for free!

Show your membership card at either pool to enjoy all-access pool privileges.

Bridgewater Transit is set to hit a major milestone next week and the Town of Bridgewater and Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce are ready to celebrate.

On either Tuesday or Wednesday, based on projections, Bridgewater Transit will provide its 100,000^th passenger ride in just under four years of service.

"It's an accomplishment that underscores just how much the service means to the community and how desperately it was needed," explained Mayor David Mitchell.

"When we started the transit service, we believed that our community would embrace it as a way of accessing services - grocery shopping, medical appointments, getting to and from work.  It's become part of people's daily routine," Mayor Mitchell said. "But when you hear the stories from people whose lives were fundamentally changed for the better because of access to transit, you really start to understand how much it means to our town."

Launched in the fall of 2017 as a six-month pilot project to test the viability of transit in Bridgewater, it quickly became apparent that there was significant need for transit service in the community.

Prior to launch, a transit feasibility study had estimated that the service might achieve 16,000 rides per year, but in its first full year of operation transit, in fact, provided approximately 25,000 rides.

Since then ridership levels have remained high, hitting 31,000 in 2018-19 and 28,000 in 2019-20, even with service impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We started out averaging around 50 riders a day, but now we're in the range of 125 per day," Mayor Mitchell noted. "And there's such an important social component - people aren't just using the bus to get to services. They're using transit to visit friends, to go to parks and playgrounds, and to build relationships with other folks in our community. You can't put a price on things like that."

CELEBRATION
In celebration of the milestone and in support of the local business community as Phase 2 of Nova Scotia's reopening plan gets into full swing, the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) is excited to partner with the Town of Bridgewater to sponsor FREE bus rides during the milestone week.

Residents and visitors alike can use the bus as often as they want at no cost between June 21 and 26.

"The Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate the Bridgewater Transit on this historic milestone in its service," said BACC President Jim Brown. "We are honored to be able to support and celebrate this achievement and, as we enter our next phase of reopening, we encourage everyone to enjoy a trip on us, and enjoy our beautiful town and support our local businesses."

QUICK FACTS
▪ Bridgewater Transit's service began with two surplus buses donated by Halifax Regional Municipality
▪ In 2020, Bridgewater secured two new buses with the support of the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada
▪ Bridgewater Transit runs an hourly 16-km loop of Bridgewater
▪ In total, the buses have travelled more than 13,000 loops of the town, totaling over 215,000 kms, in almost 1,200 days of service
▪ You can follow the bus online through our transit tracker in real time; visit www.bridgewater.ca/bus

A NEW DRAFT WASTEWATER BETTERMENT CHARGE BY-LAW
Did you know that new development, including adding a second dwelling unit to your current residence and changing a commercial use, may be subject to a development charge? Next month, Bridgewater Town Council will be debating the implementation of Wastewater Betterment Charges for new development, whether the development is residential, institutional, industrial, or commercial.

In 2009 the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) introduced a requirement for all municipalities to have no wastewater overflows resulting from development and the elimination of overflows by 2039.

WHAT IS A WASTEWATER OVERFLOW?
A wastewater overflow is when stormwater from a rain storm overwhelms our sewer system, resulting in rain water and sanitary sewer water mixing together. This causes sewage to enter the environment through our storm system and rainwater to go into our sewage treatment plan. This occurs because of older combined sewer-stormwater systems that were designed and built many decades ago.

The Town of Bridgewater currently experiences significant wastewater overflows during wet weather events. To try to address this and achieve the national target to eliminate overflow events while permitting new and continued development, the Town of Bridgewater is proposing a new Wastewater Betterment Charge By-law.

WHY A BYLAW?
The Wastewater Betterment Charge By-law will establish a new fee that will be collected from anyone adding a new unit to their residence, as well as any new construction (residential or commercial).

These fees will be collected at the development stage of the construction and will be used to fund wastewater offsetting projects, studies, etc., that will assist the Town in reducing overflows within the wastewater system.

The new draft by-law will be brought to Town of Bridgewater Council for consideration in May 2021. Prior to Council review, this new draft by-law is being introduced to the public and both residential and commercial developers for their review and comments. Feedback received will be considered and potentially incorporated into the draft by-law before it is considered by Town Council.

We encourage the public to review the draft Wastewater Betterment Charge By-law and FAQ Sheet and provide input on the proposed by-law using the contact form below by no later than May 10, 2021.

You can download the draft by-law by clicking here: Wastewater Betterment Charge DRAFT By-law

You can download the FAQ sheet on wastewater betterment charges that was shared with the community during the engagement phase by clicking here:  Wastewater Betterment Charge FAQ Sheet

TOWN 0F BRIDGEWATER >>> PUBLIC NOTICE OF ADOPTION

CHAPTER 206 - WASTEWATER BETTERMENT CHARGE BY-LAW

TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to Section 168 of the Municipal Government Act, Town Council for the Town of Bridgewater, by resolution, on June 14, 2021, gave second and final reading to

and adopted the Wastewater Betterment Charge By-law.

This by-law will direct fees from this initiative to upgrading projects which will improve infrastructure to reduce or eliminate overflows.

TAKE NOTICE that the above-noted draft by-law may be inspected by members of the public on the Town's website (https://www.bridgewater.ca/.../2173-june-14-2021.../file) or a copy obtained on request via e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

DATED at Bridgewater, in the County of Lunenburg, Province of Nova Scotia, this 15th day of June, 2021.

UPDATE: MR. ASHLEY HAS BEEN LOCATED. THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.

>>>

Original post

Per Bridgewater Police Service
MISSING PERSON - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE REQUESTED

File 20211845737

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Bridgewater Police Service is asking for the public's assistance in locating a missing 93-year-old man.

Hardy Ashley was reported missing from a residence in the south end of the Town of Bridgewater earlier this morning.

Mr. Ashley suffers from dementia.

Bridgewater Police Service and the K-9 unit are currently searching the south end of Bridgewater (in the vicinity of Jubilee Road and Woodland Gardens) as well as other parts of the community in an effort to locate Mr. Ashley.

If you believe you have seen Mr. Ashley please call the BPS main line at 902-543-2464.

The public is advised that starting on Monday, June 7, Town Hall will begin a limited re-opening to the public for in-person services.

The entrances at the main lobby on the Third Floor (Finance Department) and on the First Floor (Engineering and Community Development Departments) will be unlocked and front-counter service will be accessible during regular business hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, Monday to Friday.

All COVID-19 requirements set out by Nova Scotia Public Health are to be followed at Town facilities, including wearing masks for those medically able to do so and maintaining six feet of physical distance where possible.

Meetings between staff and members of the public are to be made by appointment only and drop-ins are discouraged. Visiting members of the public will still be required to complete a COVID-19 check-in form for the purposes of contact tracing. In ongoing support of public health measures, we strongly encourage virtual contact (by e-mail, phone or by virtual meetings) when possible and practical in lieu of in-person meetings.

Town Council and Committees of Council will continue to hold virtual meetings until provincial regulations permit larger in-person meetings.

DESBRISAY MUSEUM & WILE CARDING MILL MUSEUM
Staff are in the process of preparing DesBrisay Museum and Wile Carding Mill Museum for opening during Phase 2 of the Province of Nova Scotia's re-opening plan. Details on when these sites will re-open to the public will be shared in the future as we receive the greenlight from the Province.

TOWN OF BRIDGEWATER
TAX SALE NO. 2021-01

NEW DATE

PLEASE NOTE: The tax sale scheduled for June 7, 2021, has been postponed and is now scheduled to take place on July 12, 2021, at 10 a.m.

The tax sale is subject to Provincial directives around gathering sizes/limitations due to COVID-19 at that time. Pre-registration is required by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone: 902-541-4360. Only one representative from any party is permitted to attend the tax sale. Public Health guidelines and procedures, such as contact tracing, social distancing, hand sanitizer upon entry and wearing of masks will be mandatory. The venue is subject to change based on pre-registration numbers.

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with the Municipal Government Act of Nova Scotia that the following properties, situated within the boundaries of the Town of Bridgewater, are liable to be sold for arrears of taxes due to the Town of Bridgewater as described below. Unless such taxes and all allowable interest and expenses are sooner paid, I shall proceed to sell the property at Public Auction, Council Chambers, Town Hall, 60 Pleasant Street, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia on the 12th day of July 2021 at 10:00 in the forenoon. (Amounts shown include taxes, interest, and expenses to May 5, 2021. Additional interest and sale expenses will accumulate to the date of the sale).

Assessment Account# 03658201
Assessed To: Parker, Shirley A.
Description: 210 Pleasant Street, Bridgewater, Land, Dwelling, Garage
Amount Owing: $10,528.56

Assessment Account# 00141283
Assessed To: Hanley-Lunn, Shannon Dawn
Description: 505 York Street, Bridgewater, Lot IP-8B, Service
Amount Owing: $45,798.43

More detailed descriptions of the above property may be viewed at the Town of Bridgewater, Finance Department; however, we do not guarantee the accuracy of the property description. It is advisable to consult with a lawyer and/or surveyor before purchasing a property.

Terms of Sale: Taxes and rates, interest and expenses shall be paid immediately at the time of sale by cash, money order, bank draft, certified cheque or lawyer's trust cheque. Failing immediate payment, the auction shall be considered live and shall continue with the previous bid. The balance of the purchase price, if any, to be paid within three days of the sale by one of the same methods as above. Where the balance of the purchase price is not paid within the three business days, the property shall be advertised and put up for future sale.

Kim Hopkins, CPA, CA
Director of Finance
Town of Bridgewater