ABOUT BRIDGEWATER'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Town of Bridgewater was incorporated on February 13, 1899. Our community has grown significantly since the first days of settlement in the early 19th Century. What began as an inland trading post at the tidal head of the LaHave River today is a bustling community of nearly 9,000 residents with hundreds of businesses and personal service shops, large and small.
While our community is situated in Lunenburg County, the Town of Bridgewater is its own local municipal government. We are proud to work collaboratively with our closest municipal neighbours, the Towns of Mahone Bay and Lunenburg, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, the Municipality of the District of Chester, and the Region of Queens.
Bridgewater's Town Council consists of seven total elected members -- a mayor and six councillors. Unlike some of our municipal neighbours, there is no ward or district system in Bridgewater. Rather, our six town councillors are elected "at large," allowing them to represent the interests of the entirety of our community effectively. The Deputy Mayor is elected by Town Council members by vote every two years.
Like all municipalities in Nova Scotia, we are required to hold elections every four years. The most recent election was in October 2020.
ATTENDING TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS
Generally, Town Council holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at Town Hall, located at 60 Pleasant Street in Bridgewater. These meetings are open to the public and anyone may attend them (save for any in-camera agenda items). Regular meetings of Council are also livestreamed on the Town's Facebook page (@BridgewaterNS on Facebook).
Council also generally holds a Discussion Session monthly on the first Monday of each month (a chance for them to discuss priority items and receive information from staff or the public on topical and timely matters) -- no motions are passed at Discussion Sessions. Meeting dates may change subject to holidays or storms, and additional meetings may be called as required by the business of Town Council.
BRIDGEWATER TOWN COUNCIL
If you have correspondence that you wish to send to the Mayor or a member of Town Council, it can be mailed to:
60 Pleasant Street,
Bridgewater, NS
B4V 3X9
The current sitting members of Bridgewater Town Council are:
Mayor David Mitchell
Office: (902) 541-4364
Cell: (902) 521-2177
Deputy Mayor Cheryl Fougere
902-523-4186
Councillor Stacey Colwell
902-930-3021
Councillor Mike Conklin
902-930-3025
Councillor Jennifer McDonald
902-930-2835
Councillor Andrew Tanner
902-529-0081
Councillor Wayne Thorburne
902-930-3019
COMMITTEE/COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS
Members of Bridgewater Town Council do more than attend regular meetings a couple of times each month. Each member of Town Council is required to serve on a number of different committees to provide direction, input, and insight. Generally, a Councillor will be required to sit on at least a half-dozen committees or commissions.
Council also made its committee and commission appointments for the next two years in October 2022. These appointments will extend to the conclusion of the current term. Those appointments are as follows:
Accessibility Committee – McDonald (Alt: Conklin)
Audit Committee – All Council members
Bridgewater Active Transportation – Colwell
Bridgewater & Area Chamber of Commerce – Fougere
Bridgewater Anti-Racism Committee – Mitchell
Canada Day on the LaHave – Colwell, Thorburne
Christmas on the LaHave – Fougere, Tanner
Civic Engagement (ad hoc) – All Council members
Construction Engineering Squadron Advisory – Thorburne
DesBrisay Museum Commission – Thorburne
Downtown Planning Advisory Committee – Colwell, Fougere
Energize Bridgewater – Mitchell
Events Lunenburg County – Conklin
Fire Department Liaison – Thorburne
Grants to Organizations – Conklin, Tanner
Heritage Advisory Committee – Fougere, Thorburne
Lunenburg County Multi-Purpose Centre Board – Colwell, Mitchell, Tanner (Alt: McDonald)
Municipal Joint Services Board – Conklin, Mitchell, Tanner (Alt: Thorburne)
Parks, Recreation & Culture Advisory – McDonald, Thorburne
Police Commission – Conklin, Fougere, Tanner
Public Service Commission – Conklin, McDonald, Mitchell, Tanner
Regional Emergency Management Organization – Mitchell, Thorburne
Region 6 Inter-Municipal Advisory – Thorburne (Alt: Colwell)
School Advisory Committee – McDonald
Senior Safety Advisory – McDonald
South Shore Housing Action Coalition – Colwell
South Shore Regional Library – Colwell
Youth Engagement – Conklin, Fougere, Mitchell