Is your business or organization interested in smart energy solutions?

The Bridgewater Energy Partnership will offer practical workshops, information, and project opportunities related to everything from renewables to energy efficiency, to emerging markets. Be part of the solution, and realize the benefits of smart energy for your organization and your community.

The Partnership launches on Tuesday, September 27, at NSCC, so join the Partnership today! RSVP required to attend the workshop. See www.EnergizeBridgewater.ca/partnership for more info or contact Leon de Vreede at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 902-541-4390

REMO: Positive response to dry well challenges in Lunenburg County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 21, 2016

A friend in need is a friend indeed, and there's perhaps no better example of that than the response to the recent near-draught conditions seen across the five partner municipalities under the umbrella of Lunenburg County's Regional Emergency Management Organization (REMO).

While three municipalities within REMO (the Town of Bridgewater, Town of Lunenburg, and Town of Mahone Bay) do not have a shortage of water supply, many residents in the two other partners units - the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL) and the Municipality of the District of Chester (MODC) - are coping with dwindling water supplies resulting from the extremely dry conditions.

In keeping with its "neighbor helping neighbor" policy, REMO has worked to help established some self-serve water refilling stations and free shower facilities for residents of rural areas who may find themselves with dry wells and challenging conditions.

Heather MacKenzie-Carey, the Lunenburg County REMO Coordinator, said that the response from all three towns, a number of businesses, and provincial bodies to supply help to rural neighbors has been a beacon of community spirit, cooperation, and hope.

"This has been a really great example of government and business partnerships working well to quickly address community issues," she said.

For a list of available resources go to: www.modl.ca and www.chester.ca, or follow @RegionalEMO on Twitter, or see the attached list below.

You can also help REMO to track dry wells by filling out the survey on the MODL and MODC websites or by calling your local municipal office.

For more information, contact:

Heather MacKenzie-Carey
Regional Emergency Management Coordinator- Lunenburg Co.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
902 543-8650

List of Resource Sites

Mahone Bay Marina and Wharf
684 Main St. Mahone Bay water container refill at wharf tap
Showers 9am-9pm (bring personal soap, towels etc)

Grave's Island Provincial Park
230 Graves Island Road Chester
Sunday thru Thursday 10am-8pm
Water refill & showers available (check in at registration office)

Rissers Beach Provinical Park
5366 Hwy 331, Crescent Beach
Water refill tap & showers available
Sunday thru Thursday 10am-8pm
(check in at registration desk)

Sites Added Sept. 16, 2016

Lunenburg County Lifestyle Center (LCLC)
135 North Park St.
Showers & drinking water bottle refill
7am-9pm
(Register at guest services counter)

Shipyard's Landing
210 King St.
Self-serve water bottle refilling station
7am-7pm

TIR Hebbville Base
469 Jubilee Road
Monday- Friday 7:00am-4:30pm
Water container refilling

Lunenburg Board of Trade Campground
11 Blockhouse Hill Road
Town of Lunenburg
Self-serve water container refilling

Michelin Social Club
221 Logan Road Bridgewater
Showers & drinking water bottle refill
During normal hours of operation www.michelinsocialclub.com

Please note, for all sites, water refill is for residential use only (no bulk trucks). Residents must supply and fill their own containers and bring any personal care shower supplies required.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2016. WE ARE PLEASED TO ADVISE THAT THE VOLUNTARY WATERING BAN IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

***************************************************************************************************************

NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY WATERING BAN

From the Public Service Commission of Bridgewater

Due to water system upgrades currently underway and excessively dry conditions, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF BRIDGEWATER requests residences serviced by the Westside Boosted Zone limit water consumption to essential usage, and specifically refrain from watering lawns and washing cars.

The voluntary water ban is requested for the month of August if you live in the area of:

- Desbrisay Drive

- Olympiad Avenue

- Pinecrest Boulevard

- Sunset Avenue

- Cresthaven Court

- Jubilee Road, from Desbrisay Drive to Olympiad Avenue

- and Smith Avenue, from Desbrisay Drive to Olympiad Avenue

The voluntary watering ban is needed in order to relieve demand on the system to reduce the possibility of an interruption in water service.

The Public Service Commission regrets any inconvenience this may cause our customers.

Proposed BID initiative for King Street defeated

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2016

BRIDGEWATER - The votes have been tabulated and a proposal to establish a Business Improvement District in Bridgewater has been defeated.

Town Council had formally greenlit the voting process on a proposal to introduce a levy on commercial properties and establish a Business Improvement District in the King Street area on May 30.

The request came from the Business Improvement District (BID) Steering Committee, which has been working with the Bridgewater Development Association and Town staff for more than two years on a BID proposal.

A total of 68 ballots were received, with 23 ballots cast in favour of the BID proposal and area rate levy, while 45 were cast against the proposal.

Voter turnout was approximately 40 per cent, as some 170 commercial property and business owners in the downtown core were eligible to vote.

A report from Town staff will go to Bridgewater Town Council at the August 8 regular Town Council meeting.

Bernadette Jordan, the Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margarets, would like to invite you to any of the public consultations/town halls that are being hosted in the upcoming weeks. Each town hall has a particular area of focus, and discussions and questions about any of the work under the Federal portfolio will be welcomed. Topics include Climate change, Employment Insurance Services, Electoral Reform and Canada Post.

For more information on location, dates and times, please see the attached poster.

Energize Bridgewater is pleased to host a town hall meeting on climate change at Discover Bridgewater, located at 557 King Street, on Thursday, August 4.

The event is open to residents of Lunenburg County and surrounding area.

There are two sessions scheduled, the first at 4 p.m. and a second at 5:30 p.m.

Drop on by and, while you're in the neighbourhood, support some of our local King Street businesses!

We invite you to share this message!

Please see the notice below from the Bridgewater Public Service Commission on water rate changes, effective as of July 1, 2016.

SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS scheduled for Board discussion and decision on May 19th, and May 24th have been CANCELLED at this time.

The South Shore Regional School Board has decided to pause the Bridgewater and Park View families of school School Review Process.

The Board will work with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, to appoint an external consultant to review the process to ensure policy and procedures have been followed in the School Options Committee working sessions.  It is hoped that the work of the consultant will be completed in a timely manner and that the board can resume discussions and make a decision in the fall.

For further updates/information please visit www.ssrsb.ca or follow ssrsb on twitter @southshore RSB.

There will be an Information Meeting held on Thursday, May 5, regarding the Town of Bridgewater's newly announced commitment to the creation of a Façade Improvement Program.

The meeting will take place beginning at 8 a.m. and run until 10 a.m. in the Committee Room of Town Hall, located on the second floor at 60 Pleasant Street in Bridgewater.

Recently, Bridgewater Town Council endorsed the concept of a Bridgewater Façade Improvement program, designed to augment buildings in the King Street Architectural Control Area, located in the community's downtown core.

Pending Council's official budget approval for the project in May, the program will be administered and overseen through the formation of a Façade Improvement Society. The Society's Board of Directors will be responsible for reviewing applications and selecting the projects that best fit the objectives of the program.

Anyone with questions about the Façade Improvement Program or an interest in serving on the Society's Board of Directors is encouraged to attend the meeting.

Take Back The Riverbank - Project update

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2016

BRIDGEWATER - Town Council for the Town of Bridgewater officially awarded the contract for this year's major King Street redevelopment project, known as the Take Back The Riverbank, to Mid Valley Construction (1997) Ltd. on Monday night.

The total value of the bid submitted by Mid Valley Construction is $4,143,293.21 (net HST). Mid Valley Construction was the lowest of five bids, which ranged as high as $7.99 million in value.

The project components include the installation of new water, sanitary, and storm water lines in the block of King Street between Champlain Bridge (the Old Bridge) and Dufferin Street; the reconstruction of the street, including new sidewalks, with traffic-slowing curb bump-outs and reverse-angle parking stalls; and a riverside public space.

With the contract awarded, Town staff will now begin working with the contractor to develop a detailed construction plan for the project, which will take place beginning later this spring and run through the fall.

It is estimated that the construction plan will take approximately one month to develop. In addition to detailed planning, a great deal of pre-construction work must be undertaken as well.

One of the key pre-construction elements will be pre-condition assessments of every building in the work zone carried out by a third-party company. Pre-condition assessment professionals will study and record the building structures and basements of each building in the work zone as a requirement of the contract.

It is expected that work on the Take Back The Riverbank project will begin on King Street by mid-May.

Mayor David Walker said that it's exciting to see nearly two years of planning from the Town's end finally coming to fruition.

"The hard work is really just beginning, but we're making a major public investment in downtown Bridgewater and we are confident that private investment will follow. We're going to have a healthier downtown in the long run because of the vision our Council and our community share," Mayor Walker said.

Larry Hood, the project manager for the Town of Bridgewater, said the priority is to get the street and below-street work done, and that work on the riverbank park element will likely be the second component.

Once the detailed construction plan is developed, the Town's project management team will be reaching out to the merchant community and the general public to provide key timeline information.

Patrick Hirtle, the Town of Bridgewater's communications coordinator, said that communicating construction information and helping businesses through the disruption that will be caused by the work is a priority for Town Council.

"It's really important that our businesses know that they can count on the Town for information prior to and during construction. If we don't have the answers, we'll get them," Mr. Hirtle said. "It's all part of helping to make sure that the public knows all of King Street is staying open for business during the project."

For more information, please contact:

Mayor David Walker
Town of Bridgewater
902-527-6312

Patrick Hirtle, Communications Coordinator
Town of Bridgewater
902-541-4388

The Town of Bridgewater is initiating a planning process to develop an Open Space Network Plan (OSNP), and we want you to help us!

Town Council has recently created an Open Space Plan Advisory Committee (OSPAC) to work with Town staff to develop an Open Space Network Plan for the Town. We are looking for three residents of Bridgewater and four representatives of stakeholder organizations who are passionate about their community, healthy living and open space to sit on our Committee!

If this sounds like you, please fill in the application form and send it to Jamy-Ellen Klenavic (Planner and Plan Lead for the Open Space Network Plan) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or drop it off in the Planning Department at Town Hall (60 Pleasant Street in Bridgewater). If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with Jamy-Ellen at (902) 541-4386.

If you would like to be involved in the planning process but don't want to sit on the OSPAC, there will be lots of opportunities to engage with the Committee and Town staff as we develop our plan together. If you would like to be on our email list, drop Jamy-Ellen a note at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will make sure you know what the Committee is up to, and how you can be involved.

OSPAC meetings will take place monthly, on Friday afternoons between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, and will be open to the public.

TO DOWNLOAD THE OSPAC TERMS OF REFERENCE, CLICK HERE.

TO DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION TO SERVE, CLICK HERE.

What is "open space"?
"Open space" is not just parks! Our working definition of open space is "any public or private space not built upon and open to the sky." Using this definition as a starting point will allow the planning process to include sidewalks, trails, streets, surface parking lots, plazas, parks, outdoor recreation facilities, brooks and the LaHave River as open spaces.

The Role of Open Space in the Community
In addition to recreational and active transportation uses, public open space is critical for providing opportunities for users to socialize, both actively and passively. Open spaces that encourage sociability are most successful at drawing a wide range of users. As it turns out, the most attractive thing about an open space is other people, even if the main purpose of the space is recreation or physical activity.

Insufficient access to social activity can easily lead to loneliness and isolation, conditions not normally considered illness but that can have health consequences similar to those associated with high blood pressure, smoking and lack of exercise. Sociable open spaces that are attractive to a wide variety of users are safer, and help build so-called "social capital" by making the community more resistant to crime and other social problems, by helping residents develop an attachment to their community, and by building community pride. Residents of towns with attractive, welcoming public spaces are happier.

The Case for an Open Space Network Plan
The Town does not have a plan for how to allocate resources to the existing and future assets, even though there are at least three significant new open space projects (the new riverfront open space on King Street, Generations Active Park and Grinders Square) in development.

We also have not heard from our community. What do our residents value most about our open spaces? What are our frustrations? Are there parts of our community that are underserved for open space? Do all of our neighbourhoods have equitable access to the open spaces that they need?

Open space can mean many different things to different people - a place to play organized sports or a pick-up game of soccer, a place to enjoy an exciting play structure or a place to sit and watch the water. Some people use open spaces for exercise, but many more use them to socialize, a critical function for a healthy community. How can we support these different uses? How do we make sure no one feels squeezed out? As a community, we need to have these conversations. We need to understand our collective vision and how we get there from where we are.