Municipal Partners to Begin Inverness Growth Strategy Study and Engagement Actions

INVERNESS, N.S. – The Municipality of the County of Inverness in partnership with Develop Nova Scotia and UPLAND Planning + Design Studio are beginning the community of Inverness Growth Management Strategy Study, with a first round of stakeholder and public engagement over the coming weeks. This includes the launch of a new portal on the Municipal website that leads to more information as well as an interactive tool to help residents provide input. There will also be targeted engagement sessions with key stakeholders within the community of Inverness, conducted over the phone or online to ensure the health and safety of both participants and facilitators.

The Growth Management Strategy will only be useful if it reflects the desires and priorities of the community. The Municipality of the County of Inverness is looking to stakeholders and citizens in order to fill specific information gaps related to growth potential, find out how changes might affect members of the community, identify opportunities for collaboration and ensure that the final Strategy focuses on real community benefits.

“The purpose of the Growth Management Strategy is to encourage growth that will benefit everyone in the community over the next few decades,” says Keith MacDonald, CAO of the Municipality of the County of Inverness. “This means the Municipality and its partners must take into account the needs and desires of current residents including youth, newcomers and potential future residents, as well as businesses and non-profit organizations that do important work in the community of Inverness.”

Boasting two of the world’s top golf courses with a third slated to open in the near future, Inverness has become a key destination in the country and the world for golfers. As such, the community has subsequently seen economic growth and investment, as well as significant infrastructure pressures and challenges.

Due to these challenges, the Municipality is taking the necessary steps to plan and prepare for a more sustainable future with regards to the community of Inverness’ growth, infrastructure and the quality of services delivered to residents. Complementing the Inverness Growth Management Strategy, other goals include increasing Municipal capacity to treat and manage wastewater, enable compliance with Federal and Provincial standards and ensure continued access to potable water, allowing the Municipality to sustain and encourage residential and commercial growth while improving livability for community residents.

“This concept of livability is the core of these goals and the Inverness Growth Management Strategy,” says MacDonald. “The Municipality and its partners are hard at work so that the community of Inverness will be a great place to live and grow for years and years to come. This is an exciting project that will be replicated in communities throughout Inverness County.”

“Building places for people is at the heart of what we do. When we build places with community, we not only build authentic destinations that people love, we also build community,” says Jennifer Angel, CEO, Develop Nova Scotia. “We look forward to working with our terrific partners and the people of Inverness, to build on the strengths of the region, to come up with some smart solutions, and to shape the future growth and sustainability of Inverness for everyone.”

Work will continue throughout Spring, Summer and Fall 2020. The Inverness Growth Management Strategy web portal can be found at www.invernesscounty.ca/invernessgrowthstrategy.

UPLAND Planning + Design Studio is an award-winning collaborative team of landscape architects, planners and engagement specialists. Their understanding of rural Cape Breton communities, the impacts of a seasonal workforce on an area and the changing nature of coastal villages will be indispensable in the development of the Inverness Growth Strategy Plan. They have partnered with CBCL Limited, experts in environmental services and infrastructure, and Turner Drake, which boasts decades of experience in real estate solution planning and land-use management. The Municipality is confident that together, this team will design a plan for the future growth of the community of Inverness that will prioritize the values and interests of residents as well as the needs of visitors.

Develop Nova Scotia is a provincial crown corporation, working closely with communities and partners to build on the province’s natural assets. They aid in the development of strategic economic infrastructure to support inclusive economic growth and work with communities and partners to make Nova Scotia an incredible place to live, work, invest and visit. For more information, visit https://developns.ca/.

Inverness, Nova Scotia is a coastal community with kilometres of beautiful shoreline, two of the world’s top critically-acclaimed golf courses with a third to open soon, hard-working and kind residents, and a plethora of recreational, cultural and social engagement opportunities. It is one of many vibrant villages within the Municipality of the County of Inverness.

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Media contacts:

Karolyn Aucoin

Communications & Community Engagement Specialist

Municipality of the County of Inverness

902-258-7513

karolyn.aucoin@invernesscounty.ca

Erica Brook

Engagement Manager

UPLAND Planning + Design Studio

erica@uplandstudio.ca

Kelly Rose