Latest news with #ColchesterCounty
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Pictou, N.S., man charged after allegedly stealing vehicles, fleeing police
RCMP and other police units worked together to arrest and charge a man who allegedly stole a truck in Truro, N.S., on Wednesday. RCMP charged Jarom Merriam, 41, of Pictou, N.S., with the following: flight from peace officer dangerous operation of a conveyance (motor vehicle) uttering threats mischief (two counts) possession of property obtained by crime assaulting a peace officer (two counts) Additional charges from Truro Police Services are associated to the initial robbery, said an RCMP news release. Colchester County District RCMP learned from Truro Police Services that the truck reported stolen was in Colchester County at approximately 10:40 a.m. Police deployed air services to assist in the search. Police learned the stolen truck was abandoned in Carroll's Corner, N.S., and the suspect was believed to be in a GMC Sierra after it was reported stolen. RCMP found and monitored the Sierra until they disabled it using a spike belt. The driver allegedly fled on foot until he was found and arrested in Belmont, N.S., with RCMP police dog services and RCMP air support. The man suffered 'non-life-threatening injuries' during the arrest, said RCMP. He was transported to hospital by EHS. Merriam appeared Thursday in Pictou provincial court. He remains in custody pending future appearances. The investigation into the Sierra theft is ongoing but police said additional charges are expected. The investigation is ongoing across several police services. Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crimestoppers if they wish to remain anonymous. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
09-07-2025
- CBC
Months-long closure of Portapique bridge frustrating locals and tourism operators
The months-long closure of a well-travelled bridge — and a detour that means 10 minutes driving over a dirt road — is causing concern among residents and tourism operators in Nova Scotia's Colchester County. The Lower Portapique bridge has been closed since April, after public works staff found damage to the vertical poles that support the river bridge, known as piles, during an inspection. The detour skirts the scenic route along Highway 2 and takes locals and tourists alike down a gravel stretch. Portapique resident Ashley Fletcher said the closure came as a surprise to many in the community and communication has remained an issue. There is no firm timeline for the bridge's reopening. "Updates have been really minimal to non-existent, and I find that creates fear and confusion and worst-case-scenario thinking," said Fletcher. "Having this process be a little bit more transparent would be really helpful — like a timeline, educational information about what's actually wrong with the bridge so people could understand." Adding to the concern is how the bridge closure has affected tourism and business operators in the area, said Laura Schwarz, manager of the Bass River Heritage Museum. The museum off Highway 2 had expected a banner year for tourism as fewer Canadians travel south to the United States, but it has instead seen a 43 per cent decline in visitors year over year. Schwarz said area businesses are reporting a similar slowdown because of the bridge closure and detour. "We ourselves were gearing up for a boom in tourism this year at the museum … but yet here we are facing the lowest numbers we've seen, frankly since COVID," she said. Schwarz said the society that operates the Bass River museum decided to not hire two summer students in anticipation of a slower season. Design work complete Gary Andrea, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, said design work to repair the damaged piles on the Portapique bridge is complete. He said a tender for the work has not been issued. "Once a contractor is retained over the coming weeks, the remaining work required to repair the bridge and reopen Trunk 2 in this location will take place during the summer construction season," Andrea said July 3. Andrea said staff determined the "short detour" and "relatively high-traffic volumes" were not suitable for a temporary bridge — something residents have asked about. MLA hopes for July reopening Colchester North MLA Tom Taggart had hoped the work would be complete by Canada Day, when traffic grows heavier with tourists. In an interview, Taggart said he would be "upset" if the work is not complete this month. "Getting the equipment here is the biggest challenge. And the tender process is a long, long drawn-out process for a lot of reasons," he said, adding the province could select a qualified contractor through a non-competitive alternative procurement process. "I believe I've made the case to please look at that," he said. Public Works has graded the detour, and added products that have reduced the amount of dust and loose gravel. Still, many have damaged windshields, are worried about the additional wear on their vehicles, and are concerned about the impact on emergency response times, according to Fletcher. "There's lots of concern people have," she said. 'Save that stop for next year' At the Bass River museum, Schwarz is hopeful the public will turn out for an open house later this month and support local businesses while they're in the area. So far, however, indications are that visitors would prefer to keep to the main roads. "Other museums are telling me that people are hesitant to come out to the Bass River Heritage Museum due to the detour and how rough it is," Schwarz said.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Colchester selects design for pedestrian bridge at Fundy Discovery Site
A historic route across the Salmon River in Colchester County is being restored with the addition of a multi-million dollar pedestrian bridge at the Fundy Discovery Site, which is part of the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark. A decade ago, the Municipality of Colchester acquired the former motel property in Lower Truro. Since then, amenities such as a playground and an amphitheatre have been built. A tidal bore viewing platform is also under construction this summer. Colchester Mayor Christine Blair said there have long been plans for a bridge across the river, but two previous tenders were over the $11-million budget. The suspension bridge design yielded price tags between $17.5 million and $27 million. To lower costs, the municipality instead pursued a design-build tender and received federal approval for pier installation in the river. On June 25, council voted seven to five to pursue a $7.9-million, three-pier, wooden bridge with a curved design. The municipality will be responsible for just over a quarter of project costs with funding for the remainder secured from the federal government. "I've had people stopping me in the grocery store ... saying what a great looking bridge this will be," Blair said in an interview. "Now it'll probably take a couple of years to get it in, but you know, it's going to be there and I think it will be great for the walkers and the bikers and so on." The submission by builder WRD & TRS estimates construction will be completed as early as January 2027. When it opens, it will reinstate pedestrian crossing at the location. According to a staff report, a bridge was established in the 1850s linking Onslow to Lower Truro. The crossing was removed after the construction of Highway 102 in 1970. Even after years of consideration, not all taxpayers agree with the plan to spend millions on a pedestrian bridge. "There's people on both sides of the fence or both sides of the bridge," Coun. Laurie Sandeson, who represents Lower Truro where the Fundy Discovery Site is located, said ahead of the council decision. "And some really want it and some know that we need our roads fixed. We need housing to be a priority." Blair said the pedestrian bridge, which will be closed to motorized vehicles, will advance active transportation in the municipality by connecting Onslow to the Cobequid Trail. She said the infrastructure in view of Highway 102 will also be a valuable tourist attraction. "It's very important for our Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark, for tourism, for economic development," she said. WATCH | Atlantic Canada sites could lose status as UNESCO Geoparks: The bridge plans come as the UNESCO Global Geopark evaluators are expected to assess the Cliffs of Fundy sites this month. The geopark, which stretches along the coast in Cumberland and Colchester counties, was first designated in 2020, but received a yellow rating in its most recent evaluation. In response to recommendations, both county governments have committed to annual funding for the geopark through to 2028. A new website was launched last fall, promotional material was created and trilingual interpretive panels are being installed in preparation for the evaluation. "We're hoping that the improvements that we have made will be nice for them to see and to recognize that we have taken the recommendations seriously and have followed through," said Blair. MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
27-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Stewiacke slows development pending new water treatment plant
A Colchester County town has created new rules intended to curb a development boom, citing concerns over its aging water treatment plant. Stewiacke Mayor Doug Glasser said the capacity of the current system is unknown. He said the plant is at the end of its lifespan and the measures are needed to uphold the water supply for customers. "We want our community to continue to grow, but we have to do it responsibly," said Glasser, who was acclaimed as mayor of the town of more than 1,500 people in October. Previously, the municipal planning strategy said there was "significant capacity" to support future development. Water advisory However, that has not been the case in recent summers, including this week. On Thursday, the town issued a water-use advisory recommending residents take shorter showers and avoid watering lawns, among other conservation measures. The St. Andrews River, the town's water source, is currently low and when it does rain, silt is stirred up in the river, according to Glasser. "The water that's coming into the system is so murky that we can't treat it fast enough. And the machines that are treating that water, we don't know if they're going to last for another week, a month or a year," the mayor said. Following a public hearing on June 9, council approved amendments to temporarily slow the speed of residential development. There are also new restrictions for commercial uses that are water-intensive, such as car washes and laundromats. Under the rules billed as temporary until a new facility is built, development permits for apartment buildings cannot be issued in the serviced area. There are also new limitations in unserviced areas of the town, with only three lots able to be created from an area of land each calendar year. Joely Killen, owner of Ruby's Way Developments, said she was surprised the slowdown of development was the only option the town considered. The developer has about 10 lots that have been grandfathered in under the old rules, but the changes have curtailed a second phase of nine lots and a third of up to 50. "If the town doesn't have growth, then it starts to die and Stewiacke has just in the last few years started to see that development and is ready for more," said Killen, who also owns Winding River Homes and the local Home Hardware store. "As a developer I'm gonna move outside of Stewiacke into other areas that we own land and maybe I don't invest my money back in Stewiacke," she added. Killen said the move by town council feels contrary to priorities of the provincial and federal governments, which have been fast-tracking construction to deal with the national housing crisis. New facility years away Scott Armstrong, the PC MLA for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, said he supports the interim measures, which will have to be approved by the minister of municipal affairs. "One of the issues around growth is you have to have the infrastructure in place, water and sewer being part of that, in order to have new housing, new developments. And we want our communities to continue to grow," he said in an interview. Armstrong said he will voice support for a new water treatment plant once the town makes an application for funding. The town is applying to the Environment Department for a permit to drill a well, rather than continue to rely on the river. Glasser hopes the federal and provincial governments will each contribute a third of the project costs. Still, he said it could be three to five years before a new water treatment plant comes online.
CBC
17-06-2025
- CBC
Nova Scotia RCMP investigating 2 fatal fires
Nova Scotia RCMP are investigating two fatal fires that happened on Sunday and Monday. The first, a house fire in Shelburne County, happened Sunday. Police said first responders were called to the scene at 1:35 a.m. AT on West Head Road in West Head, N.S. When they arrived, the house was engulfed in flames, said a news release. A 74-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said a dog that lived with the man was found dead inside the home. Police do not consider the fire to be suspicious. Second fire The second fire was reported in Colchester County at 6:30 a.m. on Monday near the 4000 block of Alton Road in Alton, N.S. First responders arrived to a residence that was also fully engulfed, said a separate news release. Once the fire was out, human remains were found inside the home. Police did not provide further identifying details about the remains. While police do not consider the fire to be suspicious, they are looking to talk to anybody who may know more about it. Colchester County District RCMP can be reached directly at 902-896-5000. Anonymous tips can be shared with Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
