Your future, your voice in Inverness County
Want to help shape the future of your community? The Municipality of Inverness County is hosting youth engagement sessions where you can share your ideas, priorities, and challenges. This is your chance to speak up, be heard, and directly influence future projects that impact the youth of Inverness County. Plus, you’ll connect with other local young people, share experiences, and have a say in decisions that affect your life.
Who should join?
If you’re between 16 and 30 and call Inverness County home, we want to hear from you! Whether you live here now, grew up here and moved away, or are a newcomer to the area, these sessions are for YOU.
What to expect
Come ready to share your thoughts in an interactive session. You’ll get to hear about exciting ideas from the municipality, and then take part in brainstorming activities and group discussions to tackle the challenges and dreams of youth in Inverness County. And don’t worry, there will be light snacks and a chance to win some awesome door prizes – just in time for the holidays!
When and where
- Thursday, December 19 – Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, Judique | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Friday, December 20 – Inverness County Centre for the Arts, Inverness | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Saturday, December 21 – Canton Culturel, Cheticamp | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Bilingual session)
How to sign up
The event is free, but we’d love for you to register so we know you’re coming!
This is your chance to make an impact, so don’t miss out – we can’t wait to hear from you and work together to shape the future of Inverness County!
Any questions can be directed to Project Coordinator, Siobhan Beaton: siobhan.beaton@invernesscounty.ca
Sale of surplus equipment
The Municipality of Inverness County is inviting bids on the sale of surplus vehicles and equipment.
Full information about this process, including how to submit a bid, is available at procurement-portal.novascotia.ca/tenders/MCI-TEN-2024-013
The following is a complete list of the vehicles and equipment included in the surplus sale. The municipality is not responsible for any costs relating to the removal of the vehicles/equipment.
| Vehicle / equipment description | |
| 1. 2014 Ford F-150 | 10. Industrial Sandblaster |
| 2. 2015 Dodge Ram 1500 | 11. Build-A-Box Shoring Box |
| 3. 2002 Midland Tandem Pup Trailer | 12. Hydraulic Cooler with Electric Fan |
| 4. 2013 Load Trail Dump Trailer | 13. Grills for International Trucks |
| 5. 2005 Bobcat 5220 | 14. Power Heated Mirror for F-150 Ford (‘11-’14) |
| 6. 2000 Leeboy Asphalt Spreader | 15. Key Making Machine & Key Rack |
| 7. Fisher Spreader | 16. KIP 7170 Multifunction Printer |
| 8. Plate Tamper for Backhoe | 17. 2007 JCB Backhoe Loader (4CX-14) |
| 9. Brush for Bobcat Skidsteer | 18. 2005 International Eagle |
All vehicles and equipment are located at the Public Works Facility at 15109 Highway 19, Inverness, NS.
Viewing will take place Monday to Friday, 9 am-3 pm until close of business on Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Tender bids must be received no later than 2 pm, Thursday, November 27, 2024.
Any questions or inquiries, contact:
Aaron MacDonald, Procurement Specialist
aaron.macdonald@invernesscounty.ca | 902-787-3518
Get involved with Santa for seniors!
The municipal Recreation & Community Wellness department has created a Santa for Seniors program this holiday season.
The municipal Seniors Safety program works with older adults throughout the municipality by providing access to information through Age Well lunch and learn sessions, assisting with grant applications, and other recreation-based programming for older adults. The program lead works with surrounding seniors’ clubs, and seniors serving organizations that address the needs of seniors in more rural and remote communities.
In collaboration with the municipal Seniors Advisory Council, the Santa for Seniors program provides older adults with a special gift handmade by local students during the end-of-year holidays. The aim is to bring some extra cheer at this wonderful time of the year, while fostering an inter-generational connection within our communities.
The holidays are exciting times but can bring feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially for older people. This program aims to provide individuals with a little extra cheer who need it this time of year.
The Recreation and Community Wellness department has partnered with local schools including Bayview Education Centre, Whycocomagh Education Centre, and Inverness Academy. The students will participate in craft making workshops to create cards and crafts that will be gifted to the Santa for Seniors participants.
Register yourself or a friend today, to receive one of these lovely handmade gifts! The program is open to older adults (55+).
Anyone without access to internet call the Seniors Safety Coordinator, Maggie MacDonald at (902)615-3670 to register, or for any questions.
2024 municipal election results
The results of the municipal elections held in the Municipality of Inverness County on Saturday, October 19, 2024 are as follows.
| Candidates | Number of votes | Voter turnout (%) | |
| District 1 Chéticamp / Pleasant Bay / Meat Cove |
Larade, Joeleen | 334 | 62.6 |
| Poirier, Christopher | 282 | ||
| Poirier, Claude | 731 | ||
| District 2 Margaree / St Joseph du Moine |
Phillips, Blair W. | Acclaimed | |
| District 3 Inverness / Glenville / Dunvegan |
MacIsaac, Bonny | Acclaimed | |
| District 4 Whycocomagh / Orangedale / Lake Ainslie |
MacLennan, John | Acclaimed | |
| District 5 Port Hood / Mabou |
Chisholm, Lynn | 811 | 53.6 |
| Oommen Thom | 335 | ||
| District 6 Port Hastings / Judique / West Bay |
Dowling, John | 340 | 53.7 |
| Gillis, Catherine | 857 | ||
| Conseil scolaire acadien provincial | Haché, Philippe | Acclaimed | |
Inverness County Awards for Excellence in Healthcare
Thank you to all of those who submitted their nominations. The winners will be announced in April at a special Gala event. More details to follow.
The Municipality of Inverness County is delighted to announce the inaugural Inverness County Awards for Excellence in Healthcare.
This is a time to express sincere gratitude and thanks to all dedicated healthcare professionals who work so tirelessly and selflessly to serve others. These awards offer everyone the opportunity to highlight those individuals who deserve special recognition for their service. There will be seven individual awards and one team award (see categories below for details).
Nominees can be anyone involved in the healthcare sector in the Municipality of Inverness County in some capacity, which includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, long-term and palliative care staff, and any other allied healthcare professionals such as paramedics, phlebotomists, pharmacists, radiologists, X-ray and lab technicians, physiotherapists, administrators or receptionists, to name a few. (Note that volunteers should continue to be referred to Inverness County’s Volunteer Recognition Program – for more details on that program, email lisa.organ@invernesscounty.ca.)
We hope you will join in appreciating and celebrating the invaluable contribution that healthcare professionals make to our lives every single day. They are all champions, but who stood out for you this year? Use the form below to submit your nomination.
Additional copies of the nomination forms are available at municipal administration building, 375 Main St, Port Hood, as well as Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospital and all libraries in the Municipality of Inverness County.
Nominations must be submitted by noon on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
The awards committee will review and determine the winners, which will be announced at a special Awards Gala in Spring 2025.
To submit a nomination or for more information contact Lynn Carter, Healthcare Navigator:
- lynn.carter@invernesscounty.ca | +1-902-323-0057
- Municipality of Inverness County, 375 Main Street, Port Hood, B0E 2W0
Categories
- Outstanding physician
- Outstanding nurse
- Outstanding nurse practitioner
- Outstanding long term or palliative care professional
- Outstanding mental health care professional
- Outstanding allied health professional – this category includes professions such as paramedics, phlebotomists, pharmacists, radiologists, X-ray and lab technicians, physiotherapists, administrators or receptionists, to name a few.
- Outstanding young healthcare professional (30 years and under)
- Outstanding collaborative care team
Guidelines
- Any organization or individual may nominate one healthcare professional.
- The nominee must be a current or former healthcare professional within the Municipality of Inverness County.
- The healthcare professional must work within the Municipality of Inverness County.
- Nominations must be accompanied by a clearly written or typed description (250 words max.) of the nominee’s activities that have gone above and beyond for our community.
- One outstanding nominee in each category will be chosen as the overall winner(s) and winners will be announced at a special Awards Gala in Spring 2025.
- The final deadline to receive nominations is noon on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Any nominations after that date will be placed on a list for recognition in 2025.
- Eligibility of all nominations is at the sole discretion of the awards committee, which consists of municipal staff and retired healthcare and local professionals.
Read the Participaper online!
Cape Breton’s best loved municipal periodical now has an online home at participaperonline.ca.
Content is posted online when each new edition is published. Read this week’s article here.
Four decades of archives
Delve into the Participaper archives, kindly digitized by the staff of Chestico Museum and Historical Society.
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.