Municipality of the County of Inverness Releases COVID-19 Information Packages
INVERNESS COUNTY, N.S. – The Municipality of the County of Inverness has developed a COVID-19 information package for residents as part of the Municipality’s overall Pandemic Response Plan.
“The handout sums up many important issues related to COVID-19,” said the Municipality’s CAO Keith MacDonald. “It will give our residents a resource to use if they have questions or need to contact someone at the local or provincial level about their particular situation.”
The package contains a variety of information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including government contact information, best practices for hygiene and recommendations on caring for individuals who may have contracted the virus.
The information package is available at various grocery stores and services stations across the County, as well as on the Municipality’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage, which also provides additional news and resources related to the pandemic.
Residents and media are encouraged to contact CAO Keith MacDonald at 902-258-5999 for further information and clarification about the information packages.
Municipality of the County of Inverness Enacts Pandemic Response Plan
INVERNESS COUNTY, N.S. – Municipality of the County of Inverness Council continues to take significant steps to address the COVID-19 outbreak. To this end, Council has enacted the Municipality of the County of Inverness Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Plan. The plan will now guide Council and staff in the continued safe operation of local municipal government services and the ongoing health and safety of staff, local business, community organizations and residents.
Key elements of the plan include, but aren’t limited to:
- The Port Hood Administrative Building and the Infrastructure & Emergency Services Facility are now closed to the public.
- The Kenloch Transfer Station will be closed to the public as of Wednesday, March 25th.
- All recreation and cultural programs offered through the Municipality will be cancelled and rescheduled, if possible.
- Foyer Père Fiset, Inverary Manor, Port Hood Small Options and Koster Huis are closed to visitors.
- All ‘Non-Essential’ municipal government meetings are cancelled, and staff will be working from home when possible.
“We’re continuing to work closely with provincial and local public health officials,” said Warden Betty Ann MacQuarrie. “Our priority is to keep local government, including Inverness County Homes Corporation operations, functioning in a safe and responsible manner. The enactment of the Pandemic Plan will guide our decisions as we go forward.”
Inverness County residents can find the most accurate and current Nova Scotia Provincial Government COVID-19 information www.novascotia.ca/coronavirus. Residents should follow hygiene and social distancing guidelines as outlined by the Nova Scotia Health Authority including:
- Stay home unless you absolutely must go out for supplies.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water and don’t touch your face.
- Stay 6 feet or 2 metres away from others, wherever possible.
Residents and media are encouraged to contact CAO Keith MacDonald at 902-258-5999 for further information and clarification about the Pandemic Plan.
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SAT Service Suspended Until Further Notice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19th, 2020
Following the lead of Province of Nova Scotia and Government of Canada officials, Strait Area Transit and Victoria County Transit will be suspending services until further notice, effective at the end of the business day of March 20th, 2020.
The safety of staff and clients are paramount at this time and although this may cause some inconvenience, the board of directors and executive director feel this is a necessary measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
For any questions, clients can contact Chairperson John Dowling at john.dowling@invernesscounty.ca.
Strait Area Transit is a non-profit community-based transit system which has serviced the Strait region since 2007. This is a safe, reliable and affordable option aimed at improving the quality of life for all residents of the Strait Area (Inverness County, Richmond County and the Town of Port Hawkesbury).
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Strait Area Transit
32 Paint St
Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 3J8
902-625-1475
Municipal Covid-19 Response and Precautionary Measures
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16th, 2020
COVID-19 Response and Precautionary Measures
INVERNESS COUNTY, N.S. – Following the lead of the Province of Nova Scotia and Government of Canada, as of tomorrow, March 17th 2020, the Municipality of the County of Inverness will be closing some facilities to the public. These facilities include the administrative office in Port Hood, the public drop off area at the Recycling Facility as well as the Infrastructure & Emergency Services Building in Strathlorne until further notice.
Residents looking to make payments on water or tax bills can do so via online payment or by mail until the administrative office reopens. For any questions, Municipal staff will be available to contact through phone and email.
More public health measures may yet be taken by the Municipality, but emergency and essential services will continue.
As per public health officials, if you develop a fever with a temperature of 38° C or higher or a cough, call 8-1-1 for assessment immediately. Do not go to a health clinic, emergency room or COVID-19 assessment centre unless 8-1-1 has referred you.
Inverness County resident can find the most accurate information at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/. Residents should follow hygiene and social distancing guidelines as outlined by the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
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Municipality Posts Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant RFP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7th, 2020
INVERNESS, NS – The Municipality of the County of Inverness has posted a Request for Proposals for the Inverness Wastewater Treatment Plant System Assessment Report and Pre-design Study. The request invites proposals for engineering services to complete a full system assessment, an environmental risk assessment, and a pre-design study that would include noise and odour control as well as increase wastewater treatment capacity.
The Request for Proposals in its totality can be found on the Province of Nova Scotia’s Procurement Office website. The deadline for proposals is February 13th, 2020.
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Inverness County to Celebrate Volunteers in May
INVERNESS COUNTY, N.S. – The Municipality of the County of Inverness is calling for residents to nominate dedicated volunteers that deserve recognition during its annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to take place on May 13th, 2020.
Organizations and individuals are encouraged to nominate deserving volunteers who have made a significant impact in service of their community this past year. The early-bird deadline for nominations is February 21st, but nominations are accepted until April 24th. Names of all early-bird nominees will be put in a draw to have a chance to represent Inverness County at the Provincial Volunteer Recognition Ceremony in Halifax on April 27th, 2020.
“Every community across the County has seen volunteers accomplish some extraordinary work this year,” said Betty Ann MacQuarrie, Warden of the Municipality of the County of Inverness. “From selflessly helping others in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, to organizing countless festivals and events that draw visitors from around the globe and everything in between, volunteers make Inverness County such a great place to live.”
55 volunteers were recognized last year, and the Municipality hopes to celebrate as many or more in 2020. To nominate someone today, visit https://invernesscounty.ca/eservices/forms-a-z/ or contact Lisa Organ at lisa.organ@invernesscounty.ca.
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Municipality to Contract Solid Waste Collection
INVERNESS COUNTY, NS – The Municipality of the County of Inverness Council passed a motion at the December 5th regular Council meeting to contract solid waste collection. Green For Life Environmental (GFL) has been awarded the contract based on the company’s detailed submission to the Municipality’s request for proposal for curbside solid waste collection.
“GFL has the experience and capacity to ensure a consistent high level of service,” says CAO Keith MacDonald. “This partnership will be beneficial for both residents concerned about garbage collection and the Municipality.”
Staff completed a detailed review of the proposal submitted by GFL in Spring 2019. GFL is a North American leader in solid waste management and other environmental services. They are known for their commitment to safety, customer service and cost-effective solutions. Along with their 8 regional offices in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, GFL has a bilingual community concerns line, will follow and enforce any Municipal by-law changes, and has in-house maintenance capabilities, among other value-added assets.
Residents should expect the new service to begin by April 1st, 2020. Any modifications to the current pickup schedules will be published in advance.
Full-time Municipal employees affected by these changes will have the option of continuing their work through GFL or being relocated to another Municipal department. The current Municipal fleet will be purchased by GFL at fair market value.
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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: 902-787-3517
Cell: 902-258-7513
www.invernesscounty.ca
Municipality Thanks Dorian Volunteers
INVERNESS COUNTY, NS – Hurricane Dorian passed through Inverness County on September 7th and 8th and had major impact on Municipality of the County of Inverness communications and electrical power infrastructure, as well as widespread property damage. Many residents were left without power for over a week and relied on neighbours and community comfort centres for support.
The Municipality wishes to thank the countless residents who volunteered their time to work at comfort centres, donated food and supplies, checked in on seniors and other vulnerable residents to make sure they were safe and opened their homes for neighbours.
“It’s times like these we really see the strength of our communities and the resilience of the people who live in them,” said Betty Ann MacQuarrie, Warden of the Municipality of the County of Inverness.
“Municipal staff worked diligently to restore water and wastewater services and support the operation of comfort centres that were set up to help residents,” she added.
“The efforts residents made to assist their fellow community members were outstanding and should be commended.”
Please keep in mind those that stepped up in this time of need by nominating them for Municipal Volunteer Awards. Nominations will open in late Winter and the awards ceremony will be held in the Spring.
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La Municipalité et le Partenariat du Cap-Breton lancent un sondage sur le logement à Chéticamp
POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1st, 2019
La Municipalité et le Partenariat du Cap-Breton lancent un sondage
sur le logement à Chéticamp
CHÉTICAMP, N.-É. – La Municipalité du comté d’Inverness et le Partenariat du Cap-Breton ont collaboré au lancement d’un sondage visant à recueillir des données sur le marché de l’habitation et de la location à Chéticamp.
Le sondage, qui s’adresse à la fois aux résidents actuels de Chéticamp et aux personnes susceptibles d’être intéressées à vivre dans le village de pêche rural acadien ou dans les environs, porte sur les préférences en matière de style de logement, les spécifications nécessaires pour le logement des aînés, les données démographiques et plus encore.
La Municipalité et le Partenariat du Cap-Breton croient que les résultats seront utiles pour les projets de logements publics et privés et espèrent réaliser des enquêtes similaires d’autres communautés du comté d’Inverness dans l’avenir.
Le sondage, qui sera ouvert jusqu’au 31 octobre 2019, est disponible en français et en anglais au https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019CheticampHousingSurvey-web-FR.
Municipality & Cape Breton Partnership Launch Chéticamp Housing Survey
CHÉTICAMP, NS – The Municipality of the County of Inverness and the Cape Breton Partnership have worked together to launch a survey looking for data regarding the Chéticamp housing and rental market.
The survey asks questions about housing style preferences, necessary senior housing specifications, demographic information and more. It is targeted towards both current Chéticamp residents and people who may be interested in living in the rural Acadian fishing village or the surrounding area.
The Municipality and the Cape Breton Partnership believe the results will be valuable for both public and private housing projects. Additional surveys will be developed for other Inverness County communities in the future.
The survey, which will be open until October 31st, 2019, is available in both French and English at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019CheticampHousingSurvey-web.
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Media Contact:
Karolyn Aucoin
Spécialiste en communications et engagement communautaire / Communications & Community Engagement Specialist
karolyn.aucoin@invernesscounty.ca
902-787-3519 / 902-258-7513
New Manor Administrator to Begin Duties in August
INVERNESS, NS – The County of Inverness Municipal Housing Corporation has hired a new Inverary Manor Administrator following the retirement of long-time Administrator Joan MacLellan.
Stephen Doiron has over 25 years of proven leadership experience in the public sector, private sector, and not-for-profit sector. As President and Co-Owner of Change Management Professionals since 2000, he has assisted clients in improving service, efficiency, communication and cost management.
Mr. Doiron has led extensive organizational change in the culture change movement in Long Term Care throughout Nova Scotia. He successfully led the design and implementation of business transformation initiatives for seven not-for-profit long-term care homes, including the Inverary Manor, where he prepared leadership, staff and residents for transition to newly designed facilities using resident-centred approaches.
Throughout the past 10 years, Mr. Doiron has worked extensively with Administrators, Leadership Teams, RNs, LPNs, Continuing Care Assistants, Allied Services and Support Services Staff of long-term care facilities supporting the needs of residents and staff. At the 2018 Continuing Care Association of Nova Scotia Annual Conference, he delivered the keynote address ‘Embracing Readiness for Change’ as well as delivering the keynote ‘Becoming a Change Leader’ at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Leadership Conference in 2016, along with many other speaking engagements.
Stephen’s decades of service management and operational experience together with his expertise in People Leadership, Training, Coaching, Performance Management, Change Management and Strategic Planning provide him with the necessary skills to continue the enduring legacy of his predecessor and guide the future of the Inverary Manor and support its residents. He will commence the role of Administrator in late August.
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