Latest news with #AnnapolisCounty
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
RCMP renew search for remains of Esther Jones in Greenwood
RCMP investigators returned to Greenwood, N.S., this week to resume the search for the remains of Esther Jones, a 55-year-old woman who was killed last August. A man has been charged with first-degree murder. But Jones's body has not been located. On Wednesday, RCMP appealed to the public for help, asking anyone who spots anything unusual to come forward. Cpl. Chris Marshall said more people will be out and about with the better weather. "If you're out in the woods, those kinds of things, you see something that looks a little bit weird, especially if you're in this western end of Kings County or over the border into Annapolis County ... give us a call," he said. The appeal has already generated a possible lead. Someone reported an item found near the Annapolis River. Police recovered the item near Bridge Street, between Kingston and Greenwood, but have not confirmed whether it's connected to the case. Jones was last seen alive on August 31, 2024, at Kingston Bible College, where investigators believe she was killed after a struggle. Her vehicle was later found abandoned in Greenwood. Dale Allen Toole, 54, of Tremont, N.S., was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in September 2024 after attempting to flee to Mexico. He remains in custody and is awaiting trial. "The investigation doesn't stop there, " Marshall said on Thursday. "We don't have Esther's remains at this point." Investigators have conducted over 100 interviews, collected video surveillance from more than 50 locations, and searched multiple sites in and around Annapolis County, according to an RCMP news release on Wednesday. Jones's family is grateful for the renewed search although it is a reminder that the trauma of their loss is ongoing. "Victim's families get a life sentence," said niece Esther Uhlman. "We never get to move past this." Jones's sister, Margery Parker, who lives in Alberta, said the family is thankful the community has donated a burial plot in Tremont, where Jones could be laid to rest beside her parents — if she is found. Marshall urged anyone with information, especially those who had contact with Toole between Aug. 31 and Sept. 7, 2024, to come forward.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
No takers to redevelop Upper Clements Park site
It used to be a bustling tourist attraction boasting one of Canada's only wooden roller coasters, but now the former site of Upper Clements Park is a deserted chunk of land no one is in a hurry to buy. A request for proposals issued this year to redevelop the 26-hectare property has closed without a single official bid. Coun. Jon Welch, who represents the area, said it's back to the drawing board for Annapolis County municipal council. It will likely look to redefine the request for proposals and hopefully drum up new interest six years after the theme park near Annapolis Royal closed its gates for good. "I think we were looking for anything that would help return the land to some form of productive, community-orientated use," Welch told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia. "We were leaning pretty heavily toward some form of housing." Aging infrastructure The theme park opened in 1989 and Welch said he thinks developers could be reluctant to take on the cost of replacing the site's aging infrastructure, including water and septic systems. Demolition of the theme park's attractions and buildings has already taken place, except for a few buildings "that were in decent enough shape," said Welch. He said he met recently with Jill Balser, the PC MLA for Digby-Annapolis, and they talked about how the province may be able to help improve the infrastructure to be more desirable to develop. Welch said there is probably some disappointment and concern within the community over the lack of progress to redevelop the site, but he believes people understand that it takes time to find the right fit. "I think a lot of residents in the area have a very strong emotional connection with the site as it does have a long history as a community landmark," said Welch. Park closed for good in 2019 Upper Clements Park originally cost the Nova Scotia government $23 million to build in 1989. The park was privately operated between 1994 and 1997 before a non-profit society took over. The park received injections of public money over the years amid falling visitor numbers. In 2017, the province agreed to put $300,000 toward maintenance of Upper Clement Park's buildings, rides and attractions. The cash-strapped park shut down two years later. In 2020, Annapolis County council bought the site for $600,000 to be redeveloped as a private boarding school and advanced $1.8 million for the project. The $62-million Gordonstoun school project was described by the warden at the time as a "game changer" that would bring significant spending and employment to the area. But the land transfer and lease decision were ruled illegal in 2021 by the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. The court's decision said the outgoing council disregarded provincial legislation when it voted on the matter after a municipal election and before a new council was to be sworn in. Proposals 'have to benefit the public' Welch said the latest council wants to "do this right, not just do it." "Any projects that we are looking at I think have to be financially viable and they have to benefit the public and they should be sensitive to the site's history and potential," said Welch. "So I think we'll continue to welcome any serious well-developed proposals and we'll explore new pathways forward."
