Judique Water Conservation Update

January 29, 2026

PSA: Judique Water System Transitions to Voluntary Directive

Municipal staff and contractors have completed an infrastructure repair on the Judique water system, allowing users to move from a mandatory conservation directive to a voluntary one. The municipality appreciates residents for conserving water while the issue was addressed.

This critical work was completed during the recent winter storm. The municipality thanks Zutphen Contractors and the Judique Volunteer Fire Department for their support during the repair, and helping make sure the work could be completed safely.

While the water conservation is no longer required by mandate, it remains strongly encouraged to help ensure the long-term sustainability of our water supply. The voluntary directive is expected to remain in place for 48 hours while the tower refills.

Water Conservation Tips:

• Take short showers and avoid baths.

• Turn off taps when brushing teeth or washing dishes.

• Only run dishwashers and washing machines with full loads.

• Keep a bottle of water in the fridge to avoid running the tap for cold water.

• Limit toilet flushing.

• Avoid non-essential outdoor water use.

• Promptly repair any leaks in and around taps and plumbing.

To learn more about water conservation, visit invernesscounty.ca/services/infraemerg.

Municipality Asks Residents to Keep Roads Clear for Snow Removal

The Municipality of Inverness County is asking residents for their cooperation in keeping roads clear of parked vehicles during and following snowfall events to help crews safely and efficiently remove snow.

Snow removal equipment requires full access to roadways to properly clear snow and ensure safe travel for motorists, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. Vehicles parked on the road can significantly slow down operations and may prevent crews from clearing snow.

The municipality thanks residents for their patience and cooperation as crews work to maintain safe road conditions throughout the winter season.

Quick facts about snow removal:

Roads owned and maintained (including snow removal) by the Municipality of Inverness County can be found here: Municipal-Roads-October-2025.pdf .
All other roads are owned and maintained (including snow removal) by the Province of Nova Scotia’s Department of Public Works or are privately/owned maintained.
Should you have a question or concern about snow clearing, please contact:
- Provincially owned roads: Call the provincial Operations Contact Centre toll-free at 1-844-696-7737
- Municipally owned roads: Call toll-free 1-866-258-0223, select option #4 or email public.works@invernesscounty.ca .
If interested in learning more about plowing service times for provincially owned roads, visit WinterMaintenanceStandards.pdf .
You can also check out other Nova Scotia Department of Public Works resources that may help during a winter storm:
- Call 5-1-1 for road conditions
- Road Conditions Map
- Winter Maintenance Standards
- Provincial Snowplow Tracker
- Highway Cams
- X (formerly Twitter)

Have Your Say! Municipality Introduces The Feedback Loop

The Municipality of Inverness County understands the importance of resident input and is pleased to introduce a new community engagement initiative launching in January 2026.

The Feedback Loop is a monthly survey designed to gather resident feedback on a variety of municipal topics throughout 2026. Surveys will be released on the third Thursday of each month, inviting residents to share their perspectives and ideas.

“The Feedback Loop is about listening,” said Warden Bonny MacIsaac, Municipality of Inverness County. “By providing residents with a consistent and accessible way to share their feedback, we can better understand community priorities and make more informed decisions that reflect what matters most to the people we serve.”

The first survey launches today, Thursday, January 22. and focuses on the Municipality’s winter recreation programming.

Each survey will include targeted questions related to the monthly topic, as well as opportunities for residents to provide general feedback about the topic. Surveys are designed to take no more than 10 minutes to complete, and all responses will remain anonymous.

Surveys will be available online, with paper copies available at the Municipal Administration Building, 375 Main St., Port Hood and a variety of sites throughout the County.

Each survey will close the day before the next survey is launched.

As participation grows and feedback is collected, the Municipality will compile and share summary reports highlighting key themes and insights provided by residents.

For further information, including locations where paper copies will be available, visit The Feedback Loop | Municipality of the County of Inverness .

Residents are encouraged to take part and help shape the future of their community.

Grants Readiness Clinic Recap

January 21, 2026

Municipality Hosts Grant Readiness Clinic to Help Community Groups Access Provincial Funding

On Friday, January 16, Municipality of Inverness County staff hosted a Grant Readiness Clinic in Chéticamp to help community organizations prepare to apply for provincial funding to support local facility improvement projects.

Led by the municipality’s Culture and Community Development team, the clinic focused on helping participants view their organizations’ facilities as vital community spaces and describe why improvements matter for the community as a whole.

The session was held at Club de Retraités in Chéticamp and drew 20 participants, including 13 in person and seven online. Volunteers represented 15 community organizations from across Inverness County.

“It was great,” says participant Helena Aucoin, who attended the session on behalf of Le Manoir Saint-Pierre Housing Cooperative. “We appreciated that the municipality came to Chéticamp. The session was well organized and thought out, and we feel like we’re in good shape.”

The clinic was built around the province’s Community Facilities Improvement Program, a competitive funding program offered through the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. The program supports community-led projects that improve public-use facilities, including building repairs, accessibility upgrades and interior and exterior improvements.

The municipality plans to expand the clinic model to support volunteers applying for other funding programs in the future, as part of its broader capacity-building work with community groups.

“Inverness County is powered by volunteers,” said Shannon MacLean, a project coordinator with the Culture and Community Development team. “People bring different skills and experiences, and they know what their communities need. Our role is to help them tell their story clearly and access the tools they need to succeed.”

Participants received customized workbooks to help organizations collect and keep important project information, so it remains with the facility even as volunteer boards and leadership change. Each group will also receive a one-on-one session with municipal staff to refine their project narratives ahead of the provincial application deadline of Feb. 14.

About Culture and Community Development

The Culture and Community Development team works with community groups, volunteers, newcomers and youth to better understand local priorities and strengthen communities across Inverness County. Organizations or individuals seeking support can contact the department at ccd@invernesscounty.ca.

2026 Excellence in Healthcare Awards Nominations Now Open

January 20, 2026

Municipality Opens Nominations for 2026 Excellence in Healthcare Awards

The Municipality of Inverness County is proud to announce the second annual Awards for Excellence in Healthcare.

Following the success of last year’s awards, this is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the dedicated healthcare professionals who work tirelessly and selflessly to serve others. The awards offer everyone the opportunity to highlight individuals who deserve special recognition of their service.

Nominations are now open, available online at invernesscounty.ca. Paper copies of the nomination forms will be available at the Municipal Administration Building (375 Main St., Port Hood) as well as Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital, Sacred Heart Community Health Centre, and at all East Coast Regional Library branches in Inverness County.

Award categories have been created to recognize everybody involved in the healthcare sector in Inverness County. Including but not limited to doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health professionals, volunteers, and more.

Nominations must be submitted by end of day Saturday, February 28, 2026. An awards committee made up of municipal staff and a mix of practicing and retired healthcare professionals will select winners, which will then be announced at an awards gala in Chéticamp on April 22, 2026.

For guidelines, a detailed list of award categories, and the online nomination form, visit invernesscounty.ca/awards-for-excellence-in-healthcare.

For more information, contact Healthcare Navigator Ocean Phi Long Le: ocean.le@invernesscounty.ca | 1-902-323-0057, Municipality of Inverness County, 375 Main Street, Port Hood, B0E 2W0.

The awards are made possible by support from the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment & Doctors Nova Scotia.

Council Repeals Bylaw 36

January 12, 2025

Municipality of Inverness County Council Repeals Bylaw 36

At the Regular Meeting of Council on Thursday, January 8, the Council of the Municipality of the County of Inverness voted to repeal Municipal Bylaw 36—Pensions. The decision to repeal the bylaw was made as part of an ongoing bylaw modernization process.

Bylaw 36 outlined a former pension plan for municipal employees. Current pension arrangements are now covered under updated Human Resources and Personnel Policies. The bylaw is outdated, inaccurate, and does not reflect current municipal operations or values. Bylaw 36 was repealed and not replaced.

Copies of all municipal bylaws are available online at invernesscounty.ca/government/bylaws/ and in print at the Municipal Administration Building during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday).

This notice is published in accordance with the Municipal Government Act, Section 169.

Climate Risk Assessment Survey

December 22, 2025

Municipality Encouraging Residents to Complete Climate Risk Survey

The Municipality of Inverness County is inviting residents to participate in a short survey that will help inform a climate risk assessment and adaptation plan currently underway across several municipalities in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador.

The survey, developed by McAllister & Craig Disaster Management Inc., asks residents to share their perspectives on climate-related risks in their communities, such as storms, flooding, wildfires, and other potential emergencies. The feedback collected will help ensure the assessment and resulting adaptation plan reflect local concerns and priorities.

The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and is an important opportunity for residents to contribute to planning efforts that will strengthen community preparedness and resilience. To complete the survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/HazardSurveyDecember2025.

The survey is open until January 7, 2026.

About the project

The climate risk assessment and adaptation plan is funded through the Green Municipal Fund, administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Led by McAllister & Craig Disaster Management Inc., the project involves identifying climate-related risks across Inverness County, evaluating how climate change may impact local communities, and developing strategies to address these risks.

McAllister & Craig are engaging with municipal staff and the public to gather data which will be used to create a plan that ensures climate risks are identified and communities are prepared and protected.

Holiday Waste Collection Schedule

December 16, 2025

Public Service Announcement: Holiday Waste Collection Schedule

The Municipality of Inverness County is advising residents of the waste collection schedule for the upcoming holiday season:

Thursday, December 25: there will be no collection on Christmas Day. Instead, there will be a makeup collection for Thursday routes on Tuesday, December 30.
Friday, December 26: there will be no collection on Boxing Day. Instead, there will be a double collection on Friday, January 2.
Thursday, January 1: no collection on New Year’s Day. Instead, there will be a double collection on Thursday, January 8.

Collection will not be impacted on December 24^th or December 31^st.

For reminders and updates, download the Recycle Cape Breton app or visit https://invernesscounty.ca/services/sortitout/.

Holiday Collection Calendar

Municipal Housing Corporation Announces New CEO

December 8, 2025

County of Inverness Municipal Housing Corporation Announces New CEO

The County of Inverness Municipal Housing Corporation, which oversees the operation of two long-term care homes and two small options homes in Inverness County, is pleased to announce the appointment of Frank Nelson as its incoming Chief Executive Officer. He will succeed Stephen Doiron, who has served in the inaugural CEO role since September 2022.

A resident of South Lake Ainslie, Nelson brings 15 years of senior administrative leadership within a large long-term care organization. He also has more than ten years of management experience with a not-for-profit healthcare organization that provided medical insurance counselling and client advocacy services to older adults and persons with disabilities.

“I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to share my experience and knowledge so close to home and look forward to advancing the County of Inverness Municipal Housing Corporation’s many initiatives to improve care for residents, their caregivers, and the dedicated staff in each of our facilities,” said Nelson.

Frank Nelson will assume the CEO position on December 8, 2025, beginning a transition process alongside the outgoing CEO.

About the County of Inverness Municipal Housing Corporation
The County of Inverness Municipal Housing Corporation (CIMHC) is a not-for-profit corporation comprised of four separate entities: two long-term care homes; Inverary Manor, (Inverness) and Foyer Père Fiset (Chéticamp) and two small option homes; Koster Huis (Mabou) and Port Hood Small Options (Port Hood).

Council Repeals Bylaw 50

December 4, 2025

Municipality of Inverness County Council Repeals Municipal Bylaw 50

At the Regular Meeting of Council on Thursday, December 4, the Municipality of the County of Inverness Council voted to repeal Municipal Bylaw 50: Bylaw Amending Bylaw 30 – Capital Cost of Sewer and Water. The repeal comes as part of an ongoing bylaw modernization process.

Bylaw 50 was originally created to amend Bylaw 30 by adding a frontage rate (connection charge) for Maple St. residents in Inverness who were connected to the water and wastewater system. However, in October 2025, Council adopted a Municipal Fees Policy that included the same fees found in Bylaw 50, making Bylaw 50 redundant.

Council voted to repeal Bylaw 50 and not replace it.

All municipal bylaws are available online. Print copies are available at the Municipal Administration Building (375 Main St., Port Hood) during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday).

This notice is published in accordance with the Municipal Government Act, Section 169.