Your Voice Matters: Two Weeks Until the Nova Scotia Quality of Life Survey Closes

NOVA SCOTIA — The Nova Scotia Quality of Life Survey is still active in communities province-wide for two more weeks. While over 10,000 surveys have been completed online and submitted by mail, Engage Nova Scotia expects there are a number of people who have intentions to fill it out and may need an extra prompt—Survey participation closes on July 5, 2019.

With this survey, you are helping to build a more complete picture of what matters to Nova Scotians. In the Fall of 2019, a Quality of Life Report will be created for your unique region of the province. By filling out the survey you are helping to ensure that issues most important to the health and wellbeing of you, your family and your community receive better attention.

Danny Graham, Chief Engagement Officer of Engage Nova Scotia explains, “Traditionally, much of the information we use to make decisions that affect our daily lives are based on economic data. Those data are not wrong – they are just incomplete.” He continues, “With this survey, you are helping us build a more complete picture of what matters to Nova Scotians.”

If you would like help filling it out, access to a computer, or if you did not receive an invitation and you would like an online code or paper copy, all of these resources are available at your local library. Similarly, the Strait Area NSCC campus has surveys and supports available, as well as La Société Saint-Pierre in Chéticamp, which has French copies.

Engage Nova Scotia hopes people will encourage anyone who has received an invitation to complete the survey to do so before the closing date. If you did not receive a survey invitation and would like to participate, please contact Engage Nova Scotia at 902-407-2582 or survey@engagenovascotia.ca. After completing the survey you can enter for a chance to win one of 25 Sobeys gift cards (valued at $400 each!).

Media Contact:
Karolyn Aucoin
Communications and Community Engagement Specialist / Spécialiste en communications et engagement communautaire
Municipality of the County of Inverness / Municipalité du Comté d’Inverness
375 Main Street, Port Hood, NS B0E 2W0
Ph: 902.787.3519
karolyn.aucoin@invernesscounty.ca

Municipality to Host Regional Early Years Coalition Gathering

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13^th, 2019

Municipality to Host Regional Early Years Coalition Gathering

PORT HOOD, N.S. – The Municipality of the County of Inverness, in partnership with Raising the Villages – Mawiomi w’jit Mijuwajijk, will be hosting a gathering on Wednesday, June, 19^th 2019 at 6:30pm in Municipal Council Chambers in Port Hood for all those who support early childhood across Victoria and Inverness Counties, the Town of Port Hawkesbury, and Wagmatcook and We’koqma’q First Nations. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Raising the Villages – Mawiomi w’jit Mijuwajijk was formed in 2017 as a response to the One NS Coalition’s 2015 report, recognizing the early years – ‘Starting Strong’ – as the number one priority for the province to act on to improve collective health and prosperity. The Municipality of the County of Inverness and Raising the Villages are therefore inviting all who are involved in the healthy development of children, such as family doctors, pre-natal support workers/doulas, midwives, Early Childhood Educators, Early Interventionists, Speech and Language Pathologists and Therapists, and teachers, to join this Regional Early Years Coalition and to discuss the current state of early years support in the area, from pre-natal support onwards to school entry.

The Municipality of the County of Inverness District 3 Councillor, Jim Mustard, has been involved in the Raising the Villages’ movement since its inception and will be present at the upcoming gathering. “What does the One Nova Scotia report mean for children here in western Cape Breton? What’s working, what’s not, and what more is needed?” he asks. Councillor Mustard says the meeting will allow those present to collectively look at what is needed for the future of early childhood support services.

For more information regarding the Regional Early Years Coalition gathering or Raising the Villages, please visit www.raisingthevillages.webs.com or contact Councillor Mustard at 902-295-0974, or by email at jim.mustard@invernesscounty.ca.

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Inverness County Partners Receive Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award

Photo: Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11th, 2019

Inverness County Partners Receive Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award

TRURO, N.S. – During the 2019 Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities Spring Conference, the Municipality of the County of Inverness was awarded the Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award, presented in person by Rick Hansen.

The Inverness Development Association (IDA) and the Inverness Accessibility Committee in partnership with the Municipality of the County of Inverness and the community of Inverness as a whole, has been recognized nationally for its work in making the popular Inverness Beach more accessible, by building ramps, washrooms and parking spaces, installing mats along the beach, and making two beach-friendly wheelchairs available to visitors along with floating chairs that allow people to go in the water safely.

The Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award acknowledges everyday people, organizations or communities who accomplish extraordinary things. They make positive change and a difference in the lives of others. Their efforts change the world, one good turn at a time. The recipient(s) could be anyone in the community who has removed a barrier, shown great courage and determination, and who has made a difference in their community. In doing so, the recipient(s) have demonstrated leadership, determination, courage and teamwork.

The Municipality of the County of Inverness was nominated for the Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award by Gerry Post, Executive Director of Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Directorate for the development of the most accessible beach in Atlantic Canada.

“This is a great honour for the Municipality of the County of Inverness and the community of Inverness,” said District 2 Councillor Laurie Cranton, who accepted the award on behalf of the working group who coordinated the project, and who was also recently named chair of the Province of Nova Scotia’s Built Environment Standard Development Committee, which will focus on the accessibility of buildings and public spaces. “This would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of people like Councillor Jim Mustard, the Inverness Accessibility Chair Callum MacQuarrie, and the innumerable volunteers and supporters of this project. This is something everyone in Inverness and in the County can be proud of.”

“NSFM is proud to highlight the accomplishments of our members and their community partners,” said Waye Mason, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities and Halifax City Councillor. “The Municipality of the County of Inverness exemplifies the great work Nova Scotia municipalities are doing across the province to meet the needs of our citizens. They are one of three municipalities to have been awarded the Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award at the NSFM conference in May. Halifax Regional Municipality and the Town of Wolfville joined the Municipality of the County of Inverness in being recognized as leaders across the province on accessibility and inclusion for all our Nova Scotians.”

The Municipality of the County of Inverness wishes to extend sincere congratulations to all those involved in the Inverness Beach Accessibility project and for being an accessibility leader of in Nova Scotia.

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Contact:

Karolyn Aucoin

Communications and Community Engagement Specialist / Spécialiste en communications et engagement communautaire

Municipality of the County of Inverness / Municipalité du Comté d’Inverness

375 Main Street, Port Hood, NS B0E 2W0

Ph: 902.787.3519

karolyn.aucoin@invernesscounty.ca