How can this website serve you better?
Use the survey below to let us know what you’d like to see on a new, improved website for the municipality.
Scroll down inside the survey area to access all 12 questions.
Create your own user feedback survey
Do you need support with storm recovery?
Operating assistance to arts organizations
Registration is now open for a in-person discussion about Operating Assistance to Arts Organizations in Cape Breton on Friday, November 10 from 2-5pm at Eltuek Arts Centre, Sydney NS.
Register here
This event is aimed at professional arts organizations and artists who work as part of collectives. Please feel free to pass on the invitation to others who you think may be interested.
This registration is for the Cape Breton gathering only. Further information will be sent out about a Halifax gathering and an online gathering soon.
About the Event
Arts Nova Scotia has a long-running Operating Assistance to Arts Organizations program, which was designed to enhance stability within established arts organizations that develop and sustain Nova Scotia’s arts community.
We are currently reviewing the program and are seeking input from members of the professional arts community in Cape Breton.
Arts Nova Scotia board and staff will be in attendance and the three-hour session will be facilitated by Eryn Foster.
Tea and snacks will be provided.
Where and when?
We will be at the Eltuek Arts Centre on Friday, November 10 for a facilitated session from 2-5pm.
Who should come?
This session is meant for organizations and artists who have accessed Operating Assistance to Arts Organizations from Arts Nova Scotia in the past or wish to in the future. Including:
- Staff, board, or volunteers from professional arts organizations
- Artists who work as part of a collective or ad-hoc groups
Will there be other opportunities to participate?
Arts Nova Scotia will be hosting three sessions so if you are unable to participate on this date, there will be other opportunities.
- November 10 – Sydney
- November 17 – Halifax
- TBA – Online
About the Facilitator
Eryn Foster is an interdisciplinary artist who also works as a filmmaker, educator, curator, community arts organizer and arts consultant. For the past three years, she has been working in close collaboration with ISANS (Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia) and the arts organization Nocturne, to offer free programming to members of the newcomer community in Halifax. In previous years, Foster has worked as the program Director/Administrator for the Yukon School of Visual Arts, and the Director of the artist-run centre, Eyelevel Gallery.
Background
The 2023-2024 provincial budget included a $1.4 million increase to Arts Nova Scotia’s budget for operating grants. With this increase, Arts Nova Scotia committed to reviewing the Operating Assistance to Arts Organizations fund to ensure it remains responsive to community needs and supports the long-term sustainability of sector. Previously, the structure of the operating assistance program did not allow for meaningful changes in funding levels for established organizations or the welcoming of new and emerging organizations.
The review of this program takes into account the learnings from the Building Back Better Report as well as the Arts Nova Scotia’s 2023-2025 Strategic Priorities established by the Arts Nova Scotia board that were outlined in the 2022-23 annual report.
The review is divided into three phases:
Phase 1: Board and Staff Planning (completed)
- Jurisdictional scan of operating programs across Canada
- Informational interviews
- Establishing board priorities
Phase 2: Community Engagement (October – December 2023)
- Sector-wide survey
- Drafting of new guidelines
- Targeted in-person and online engagement sessions with professional arts organizations
Phase 3: Implementation (January – March 2024)
- New guidelines to be available in early January 2024
- Application intake for all organizations March 1, 2024
Contribute to improving Nova Scotia’s environmental assessment process
Environmental assessment is a planning and decision-making tool used by governments around the world. It supports sustainable development by allowing consideration of overall project impacts at an early stage.
Large industries and companies complete environmental assessments to identify all potential impacts of their work on the environment, along with approved plans to mitigate those impacts. This process ensures Nova Scotia’s environment is protected while economic opportunities are developed. The government is seeking ideas from all Nova Scotians on how this process can be improved.
There are several ways you can share your views:
- through the consultation website: https://novascotia.ca/environmental-assessment-engagement
- email: EAmodernization@novascotia.ca
- phone: 902-424-0991
- a do-it-yourself workshop kit; details on are on the consultation website.
The last major update to Nova Scotia’s environmental assessment regulations was over 15 years ago (in 2008). The world has changed in the last 15 years, and it continues to change quickly. This is why, as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, the provincial government has committed to modernizing environmental assessment in the Province, by 2024, taking into consideration:
- cumulative impacts
- diversity, equity and inclusion
- independent review
- netukulimk
- climate change
Public engagement runs until October 6, 2023.
For more information, visit https://novascotia.ca/environmental-assessment-engagement.
Inverness County housing survey 2022
The Municipality of Inverness County conducted a public survey to gain insight into current housing needs between May and July 2022. The survey was available in both English and French. 879 responses were collected.
The data has been reviewed and analyzed, and a report was presented to council on April 6 2023.
View the highlights report [pdf]
The survey results have been shared with the Government of Nova Scotia to inform the province-wide assessment of housing needs which is currently underway.
The provincial government will develop municipal housing profiles for each of Nova Scotia’s 49 municipalities.
Municipal staff will work with the Cape Breton Partnership to create packages that housing developers can use when considering or building a new housing development. These packages will include housing survey results, census data, a list of local contractors, associated bylaws, and any incentives a developer may be eligible to receive.
Housing is a pillar of the Cape Breton Local Immigration Partnership. It is integral to attracting new residents to live and work in Inverness County. Housing, population growth, economic development, and immigration are closely intertwined.
Municipal staff will continue to work with the Cape Breton Partnership, using survey results to inform mutual priorities.
Beach Clean-Up Bingo!
Plastic Free July is a global movement of millions of people who are working – and playing – to be part of the plastic pollution crisis. Every year, 8 million metric tonnes of plastic enter the ocean – that’s the equivalent to 1 garbage truck full of plastic every minute!
Inverness County Waste Services Department has created Beach Clean-Up Bingo so residents can have fun while keeping our beaches clean and pristine. Plus you have the chance to WIN a $25 gift card to spend at Mabou Farmer’s Market.
Next time you’re at the beach, take a bag with you and pick up any litter you see. Every bit of litter counts.
Download the game rules and the bingo cards [pdf]
Submit your bingo cards to waste@invernesscounty.ca before August 2nd for a chance to win 1 of 3 $25 gift cards to the Mabou Farmer’s Market.
Tackling the effects of cognitive and physical decline
New sensory equipment available to loan at no cost
Notice of Phone Service Interruption | Inverary Manor June 26, 2023
For enquiries relating to clinical health of a resident:
For all other enquiries:
Jajiktek – the Seawall Trail
A unique and challenging wilderness hiking experience is coming to Inverness County
Running for roughly 50 km along spectacular, rugged Cape Breton coastline, once completed the Seawall Trail will be the only multi-day coastal hike of its kind along the Eastern Seaboard of North America. The Seawall Trail will be located primarily in the Pollett’s Cove-Aspy Fault Wilderness Area, which boasts unique and impressive attributes for outdoor recreation. Canyons that transect the coastal mountains create exceptional topographic and ecological diversity.
In addition to the multi-day experience, connecting day-use trails will weave through cliffs and coastal canyons on a similar scale to Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland.
Credit: Live Life In Tents
Championed by the Seawall Trail Society – a local volunteer-based community group – and supported by an engaged group of stakeholders for the past 9 years, the project has strong support from surrounding communities and partners. It will enhance Cape Breton’s reputation as a 4-season tourism destination.
The province of Nova Scotia has now announced funding and support for the trail to be constructed.
The Seawall Trail project is led by the Municipality of Inverness County. The project steering committee, co-chaired by the Seawall Trail Society, will include community and government representatives and provide guidance as the project progresses. The Municipality of Inverness County and the Seawall Trail Society will work alongside Build Nova Scotia, a Crown Corporation newly launched to drive economic growth in the province.
A shared undertaking
One of the unique aspects of the Seawall Trail project is the close collaboration between indigenous and non-indigenous stakeholders in the project team.
The indigenous name for Cape Breton Island, where the Seawall Trail is to be built, is Unama’ki – land of fog. The island is part of Mi’kma’ki, the unceded ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people which includes all of Nova Scotia and PEI, part of the Gaspé Peninsula, Newfoundland and most of New Brunswick.
Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network (NSITEN) has been a key partner in the Seawall Trail for several years. A Mi’kmaq engagement group has been set up to facilitate meaningful engagement with the community. This has enabled the project to benefit from the knowledge and experience of Mi’kmaq Elders.
This level of collaboration between indigenous and non-indigenous groups so early the project lifecycle is new in the province of Nova Scotia, and is another way in which the project is a ‘trailblazer’.
The trail concept
The Seawall Trail has the potential to become one of Canada’s iconic wilderness attractions and a world class tourism differentiator for Nova Scotia.
Outdoor enthusiasts taking on the multi-day hike will explore some of Northern Cape Breton’s pristine coastal wilderness while hiking from hut to hut over 5 days. Hut-to-hut hiking has become increasingly popular over the recent decades, including with international travelers.
“Of those travelers who participate in hiking, 1/3 of respondents said a multi-day hike would be the main reason for them to travel to Nova Scotia.”
Source: Tourism Nova Scotia (2019)
The trail experience will last 5 days with 4 unique hut locations along the trail. The hut system will provide a reward for hikers after the challenges of the trail, allowing them protection from extreme weather and significantly lightening their packs.
Meat Cove: Trail’s end
The 5-day wilderness adventure will terminate in the remote and beautiful community of Meat Cove, at the northern tip of Cape Breton Island.
Nova Scotia’s most northerly settlement, Meat Cove has been called ‘360° of beauty’. The village is surrounded by jagged peaks and interconnected mountains where eagles soar above. Its residents are known for their warm welcome as well as their deep love of the unique and fragile natural ecosystem that is their home.
Committed stewards of the land, local residents know that magic surrounds them in Meat Cove, and they are happy to share it with nature enthusiasts from near and far.
Credit: Destination Cape Breton
Nature-based tourism appeals to Nova Scotians and visitors alike
The international hiking market is large, and has shown strong growth in the past decade. It is currently one of the hottest trending activities through the adventure travel trade.
Nature-based tourism is increasingly important coming out of the pandemic and its potential contribution to local and regional economic development is significant. Aside from attracting adventure seekers from across Canada and the world, the Seawall Trail will have the appeal to keep Nova Scotians and their dollars local instead of travelling outside the province for this type of experience.
In addition to direct tourism revenue, operation of the Seawall Trail is expected to create jobs and stimulate private investment and business opportunities including guides, tour companies, accommodations, restaurants, transportation, and other adventure tourism operations.
The Seawall Trail is in an ideal location for the development of experiences and activities that will keep people in the area longer. It may also help entice people who’ll want to live and work in rural Cape Breton.
Sewer and water main replacement: Strathlorne and Inverness
The Municipality of the County of Inverness and its contractor, Zutphen Contractors, have returned to work on the Highway 19 project site between Strathlorne & Inverness.
The work will include
- setting the sanitary manhole frames and covers to grade
- landscape restoration to the properties disturbed by the infrastructure replacement construction last season
This work will be occurring between of the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works (NSDPWs) maintenance garage and the intersection with Broad Cove Banks Road.
The manhole work has begun and is expected to be completed in approximately 3 weeks (weather dependent).
Asphalt resurfacing of the roadway is planned. The roadway is provincial infrastructure and the resurfacing will be managed by NSDPW.
Work hours will be from 7am – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.
What to Expect
- Crews will be working on the shoulder of the road. Required traffic control procedures will be in effect.
- Speed fines double in work zones.
- Crews will require access to private properties as the landscape reinstatement work is carried out.
- For the safety of work crews, residents and staff, please do not approach work crews in the field.
Useful numbers
- Municipal 24-hour emergency line: 1-902-258-5048
- NS Department of Public Works: 1-844-696-7737