The boil water advisory has ended for the users of the Inverness water system.
The advisory was put in place after five watermain breaks on Tuesday affecting Central Avenue, Church Street and Joe’s Lane.
The Municipality of Inverness County says it ended at 3 p.m., Friday.
A local state of emergency has been lifted for Inverness and Victoria Counties after torrential downpours over the weekend.
“The SOLE was put in place not only to support public safety, but also to enable emergency responders and public works teams the ability to travel swiftly to impacted areas, assess conditions, and support residents,” says the Municipality of the County of Inverness.
But after consultations, they feel it’s safe to lift it.
However, in a statement Tuesday afternoon, the muicipality says the alert does remain in place for Richmond County.
Schools will remain closed, Wednesday, as a result are:
More than 200 mm fell in the hardest hit areas September 4 and 5 and a 46-year-old woman died, prompting a state of emergency in areas that were hit hard.
Inverness County has issued a boil water advisory, Tuesday evening, for those under the Inverness Water System after a water main break.
You are asked to conserve water and boil it before consumption.
The state of emergency for parts of Cape Breton continues after a weekend of devastating floods.
That means there will be no garbage collection, and all SRCE schools in Inverness and Richmond county are closed.
Some CSAP schools are closed, as well. Here is a full list.
Classes are on as usual for Guysborough and Antigonish Counties.
Heavy rain started Friday and dropped more than 200mm over the hardest hit regions of the Town of Port Hawkesbury, Inverness and Richmond counties.
More than 50 roads were closed by Saturday, and a 46-year-old woman was found dead.
Richmond County says their state of emergency will last until about 6 tonight.
More to come…
The Municipality of Inverness County has issued a mandatory water conservation order, Monday, for those on the Judique water supply.
In a post on social media, the municipality says there has been an increase of mud in the system after massive flooding over the weekend.
“The volume of turbid water is currently too high for the Public Works team to properly treat, before it enters the water storage tank,” says the post.
The treatment plant has been shut down as a result.
In the meantime, you are asked to do things like take shorter showers and only run the dishwasher with a full load.
Severe flooding and widespread damage have prompted a local state of emergency, evacuations and road closures.
About 50 roads are currently closed across parts of Richmond County, Inverness and Victoria Counties, according to the latest statement from the Town of Port Hawkesbury.
They say staff are now transitioning to repairs where they can, including driveways and washed-out road shoulders.
Officials are also “monitoring conditions and maintaining operations on backup power at Landrie Lake and the Water Treatment Plant.”
The Emergency Manage Department is advising everyone to stay off the roads unless travel is essential for health, safety or emergency purposes.
A post on social media says, “Do not drive through flood waters or around barricades.”
Residents should continue to monitor social media, 511 for road closures, and official government sources for updates.
The flooding could still get worse, according to Environment Canada operational Meteorologist Samantha Roach.
Their preliminary totals from the official monitoring station in Port Hawkesbury show 118mm has already fallen as of Saturday afternoon.
Other unofficial measuring sources, like data collected in some people’s backyards and sent to Environment Canada, show even more than that in other parts of Cape Breton: 219mm at St. George’s Channel; 178.6mm in Boisdale Hills; 230.1mm in Sampsonville.
More rain will continue into Sunday morning, but then it will taper off, and there should just be some showers after that, says Roach.
Overall, another 40 to 60mm could fall in that time. That is why there are still orange level weather warnings in place, says Roach.
“The possibility exists that there could be some more flooding with the leftover rainfall,” says Roach.
She says we have had quite a bit of rain in the last few weeks, and the ground is already saturated from the rain overnight Friday, which means the ground cannot easily absorb what is left to come.
“Stay inside and delay any travel, if you can. Obviously, if there’s any water on the roads, please do not try to drive through it, and just stay safe.”
A command centre was set up at 10:30 in the morning at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, with the Regional Emergency Management Organization involved, alongside provincial and municipal staff, Nova Scotia Power, and EHS. Additional EHS units have also been deployed to the area.
The Premier spent time with Richmond MLA Trevor Boudreau and other officials on Saturday at the centre, discussing the extensive damage across Cape Breton.
Crews are continuing to assess damage, but the full extent won’t be known until floodwaters recede and the rain stops falling.
“We stand ready to deploy the Nova Scotia Guard when it is determined how they can best help. Thank you to members who have already reached out ready to assist. Once this storm has passed, we will pull crews and equipment where needed from other areas of the province to repair roads and infrastructure as fast as we can,” Houston stated in a social media post.
He added that he remains in regular contact with officials across Cape Breton, the Minister of Emergency Management, and the Minister of Public Works.
A comfort centre has been established, as well. You can visit St. George’s Channel Hall, the Riverdale Community Centre in Lower River Inhabitants.
D’Escousse Civic Improvement Hall has also been added as a comfort centre.
There you can charge devices, stay warm, and find support as the county works through this emergency.
Starting Sunday morning at 8 a.m., there will be a support line available for residents to have a central point of contact where they can report non-emergency issues and concerns related to the situation. It will close at 8 p.m., according to a joint statement for Western Cape Breton.
Anyone in the Inverness, Victoria and Richmond Counties, or the Town of Port Hawkesbury, can use the line. If no one picks up, leave a voicemail and a municipal representative will call back.
Emergencies should still be reported with 911.
More hours of operation will be announced when confirmed, the town says.
Emergency Management says in a social media post that conditions can change quickly. Your best bet is to stay off the roads, but if you have to travel, call 511 and check on the road conditions.
Never drive through flood-covered roads and turn around if you run into any dangerous spots or washouts.
In a social media post, MLA Greg Morrow says crews will attempt to get traffic moving again on Highway 344 in Steep Creek on Sunday morning by installing a new culvert. After that, he says they will try and move to Sand Point and Carr Road to repair that area.
Prince Street in Port Hawkesbury, between MacSween and Embree, is closed to let Nova Scotia Power crews remove a tree. And Sydeny Road in the town is also closed between Granville Street and Bernard because of asphalt damage.
Part of Highway 104 from Basin Road to Sporting MTN, between exit 45 and 47, is closed as well. That is a large part of the highway made inaccessible because of flooding.
Other washouts, according to MLA Trevor Boudreau, include:
Over 5,000 residents in Port Hawkesbury and surrounding areas had lost power at the peak of the power outages on Saturday morning.
As of about 7 p.m., many of those outages have been restored. But some scattered outages are still being reported in the Quad counties.
Residents in parts of Richmond County remain cut off by multiple road washouts following heavy rainfall, with some unable to travel in either direction from their homes.
Wendy Abbott says she and her neighbours cannot leave the area by vehicle because roads on both sides of them have been washed out.
“We can get out of the yard, but we can’t drive down the road,” Abbott told our newsroom.
She says three washouts were found in the area, including one on the St. Peter’s side of the community, and another reported near the Luxury Domes property.
Abbott, who manages the Bras d’Or Lakes Inn in St. Peter’s, says the situation is very frustrating.
“Today, we have a wedding at work, so I’m a little on the stressed side,” she said. “I have full confidence in the staff that I have there that are going to carry it out, but I would have liked to be there.”
Some employees were able to reach the inn by taking lengthy detours through River Bourgeois, where Abbott says there have also been reports of washouts and damaged roadways.
Despite the transportation challenges, Abbott says luckily her home still has power, and they have access to a generator if needed.
For now, she says her family has enough groceries and supplies to get by.
“We’re lucky. We have lots of groceries and the staples, milk and bread,” Abbott said.
She added that many neighbours appear to be in a similar position as they wait for crews to repair the damaged roads and restore access to the area.
A section of the Inverness Shean Trail will be temporarily closed Wednesday, to allow crews to complete underground infrastructure work.
According to the Municipality of the County of Inverness, it will be shut down until 5 p.m.
The closure affects the trail crossing only and is intended to allow construction crews to complete the work safely.
Municipal officials say the crossing is expected to reopen once the work is completed later in the day. However, construction in the area will be ongoing for the project.
The Municipality is reminding trail users that work crews and equipment will remain on site.
“Beginning on August 5th, the construction zone will remain active. Please use caution, obey all posted signage and follow any directions from on-site personnel.”Of
The Inverness Shean Trail is one section of the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail, a popular route used by walkers, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts throughout western Cape Breton.
Once the crossing reopens, users are encouraged to continue exercising caution while travelling through the active construction area until all work is complete.
Inverness County has issued a boil water advisory for everyone on the Mabou water system starting on Wednesday, July 29 at 9 p.m.
This is in addition to the current water conservation directive that was issued on July 28.
Public Works staff are working to resolve the slight discolouration of the water.
As a precaution, residents are advised to boil their water for at least one minute before cooling it for:
The Municipality recommends not washing light coloured laundry at this time.
If you’re on the Mabou water system, you are under a mandatory water conservation directive from Inverness County starting Tuesday, July 28.
They say there is some water discolouration in the production well which has been turned off and will be flushed.
Residents can pick-up clean and safe drinking water from a water storage tank at the water treatment plant.
It is requested that you conserve water by:
• Taking short showers and avoiding baths
• Turning off taps when brushing teeth or washing dishes
• Only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads
• Keeping a bottle of water in the fridge to avoid running the tap for cold water
• Limiting toilet flushing
• Avoiding non-essential outdoor water use
• Promptly repairing any leaks in and around taps and plumbing
The Municipality thanks for residents for their cooperation and apologizes for any inconvenience this causes.
If you live in the Municpality of Inverness County, your property taxes are going up.
Council has approved the budget for the 2026-2027 operating year, and along with it, they have slightly raised the property tax rate.
It is up $0.09 cents per $100 of assessed property value. For residential ratepayers, it is now $1.14. For commercial rates, it is now $2.
“This budget reflects Council’s commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility with the needs of our community,” said Bonny MacIsaac, Warden of the Municipality of Inverness County, in a news release.
“While we recognize that any tax increase affects residents and businesses, it is necessary to ensure we can continue providing reliable services, maintain critical infrastructure and prepare for future growth.”
Overall, the budget totalled $31,153,611.
They say the increase is because of higher mandatory payments to the provincial government for things like education, the RCMP, property value assessment services, libraries, and roads.
“We’ve heard from residents who are surprised to learn that municipalities are required to pay for services such as education and policing, while having no control over how much those costs increase each year,” wrote MacIsaac.
“Over the past three years, mandatory provincial contributions have increased by more than $1.6 million, or 20.4 per cent. Today, nearly one-third of every municipal tax dollar is directed toward these provincially mandated costs.”
Provincial budget cuts have also “significantly reduced funding for municipal programs,” and now other community groups are asking for more funding from the municipality, they say.
On top of that, the municipality’s infrastructure, including recycling and waste removal services, are getting older. Construction costs are going up, and there is more demand for emergency management, disaster response, and climate adaptation initiatives.
Here are some estimates from the municipality of what that tax rate will look like:
The municipality says that, even with these increases, their rate is well below the provincial average, and still lower than what taxes were in 1978. They say the residential rate then was $1.50, and the commercial rate was $2.30.
They add that they will try to maximize external funding, as well, with about 74 per cent of the 2026-27 capital program coming from provincial and federal money.
Residents in Inverness County are being asked to cut back on water use temporarily as crews work on the community’s water system.
The Municipality of Inverness County said one of its wells is being taken offline on Tuesday while maintenance is carried out.
Water service will not be interrupted, but the reduced supply means residents are being asked to voluntarily conserve water until the work is complete, according to the municipality.
Residents can help reduce water use by taking shorter showers, turning off taps while brushing their teeth or washing dishes, and running dishwashers and washing machines only when full.
The municipality also asked people to avoid non‑essential outdoor water use, such as watering lawns or washing driveways.
The well will return to service once the maintenance is finished, and normal water use can resume.