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Water utility going up in Port Hawkesbury and Richmond County

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The first water utility price hike in over 20 years is planned for Richmond County and Port Hawkesbury soon.

Town of Port Hawkesbury Director of Finance says inflation is to blame for the first increase in the Landrie Lake Water Utility since 2002.

Brian Luciano shares with us that another public hearing will be held before bills go up for Port Hawkesbury Water Utility customers.

“With inflationary pressures, all costs have risen in general life, which the Landrie Lake utility would not have been excluded from. So just the overall general increase in cost for the utility needed to be taken into account for the price of water that we sell to the customers,” he explained.

“The Landrie Lake Water Utility supplies raw water to the Town of Port Hawkesbury Water Utility, the Town of Port Hawkesbury Water Utility then treats that water and distributes it to the residents and businesses in the region.”

He assures concerned residents that their costs will not subsidize any of the work done by EverWind Fuels. 

The Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board held a public hearing last week to discuss the rate increase.

Luciano says there will be another public hearing before bills go up for Port Hawkesbury Water Utility customers.

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Break-ins at businesses in the Port Hawkesbury area

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Businesses in Port Hawkesbury and the surrounding area were hit by a string of break-ins last night.

Atlantic Cheer Academy says in a Facebook post that a 75-inch TV and cash from an athlete’s wallet were stolen.

They say their door has been repaired and they will be installing additional security cameras.

The owner of OnPar Indoor Golf in Melville also made a post with video surveillance of two individuals who broke into his simulator.

There’s expected to be a police presence in the area as the investigations are ongoing.

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Repairs to Granville Street bridges planned over the summer

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Getting to Port Hawkesbury’s waterfront may become easier this summer.

Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton says the work needed on the Granville Street bridges will hopefully be done over the next few months.

The bridges connecting Granville Street to Reeves Street were closed to motor traffic in several months ago in early October due to structural issues.

“Lots of folks interested on the timeline for the repairs for the bridge, which indicates to me that it’s a very popular corridor to access our waterfront,” expressed Chisholm-Beaton.

“Just for the sheer amount of people who ask, when will the bridges be back in operation? I would love to be able to tell them very, very soon, but at this point, we, of course, have to wait for the tendering process.”

She shared with us the tender deadline is in two weeks to award the company chosen to complete the repairs.

Chisholm-Beaton says repairs on anything over a waterway can be complicated with a lot of factors at play, including environmental and engineering.

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McHappy Day aims to buy medical equipment for local hospital

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Mark your calendar for McDonald’s McHappy Day on Wednesday.

On that day, you can contribute to the cause by purchasing any food items and branded merchandise or making a donation.

Independent franchisee Wayne Kennerknecht says the greatest feeling you could ever have is helping critically sick and injured children, like his own son.

He shares with us that proceeds from the Port Hawkesbury and Antigonish locations will go to St. Martha’s Regional Hospital to help make care local, so patients don’t have to travel to Halifax or Sydney.

“We are buying vital equipment to keep patients from having to travel to other parts of the province in order to get their care taken up. The more that we can do in St. Martha’s, the better it’s going to be,” Kennerknecht states.

He’s set the goal to raise $18,000 towards a bilirubin monitor to help diagnose and manage jaundice for newborn babies.

“I just hope that we get as many people as possible coming into Port Hawkesbury and Antigonish and support that regional hospital and our goal again is to buy specialized equipment that the government will not sponsor that can save lives,” Kennerknecht expressed.

He says McHappy Day is a great cause, and you just never know, someday you might be the one that’s using that medical equipment that they’re purchasing.

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Nominate a Volunteer of the Year for Port Hawkesbury by May 8

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Is there a volunteer from Port Hawkesbury that has stood out to you?

The Town of Port Hawkesbury is collecting nominations for their Volunteer of the Year.

Nominees can volunteer in any field, including for service clubs, schools, coaching, recreation, health, and more.

Candidates have to be residents of Port Hawkesbury and have not previously won the NS Volunteer Representative Award.

Winners must be able to attend the Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony in Halifax on Monday, September 28.

Nominations are open until Friday, May 8 at 4 p.m.

You can nominate a Volunteer of the Year for Port Hawkesbury here.

For more information, you may contact 902-625-2591 or cgillis@townofph.ca.

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Holistic Market brings readers, healers & vendors to Port Hawkesbury

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Are you interested in having your fortune read or healing holistically while supporting wellness and the community?

The 4th Holistic Spring Market will be at the Port Hawkesbury Royal Canadian Legion on Sunday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Organizer Natascha Polomski shares with us why guests should attend.

“It’s really cool because it’s healers, it’s vendors, it’s readers coming together. Some are locally, some are coming from Halifax [and] Windsor way. And it’s just a great opportunity to meet people who do different things,” she explains.

She says there will be card reading, sound healing, massage therapy, reflexology, foot soul reading, jewelry and graphic design.

Previous events were held at the Riverdale Community Hall, which was out of the way, so they switched to the Legion in Port Hawkesbury to be more accessible, according to Polomski.

They are having a raffle of various prizes and collecting monetary and non-perishable food donations for the food bank.

Polomski wants everyone to just come and have fun and reminds guests to, “Be curious, come out, be a kid and be adventurous.”

You can find all the details on their Facebook event for this Holistic Market.

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New apartment building opens its doors in Port Hawkesbury

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Port Hawkesbury now has a brand-new apartment building for the first time in decades.

The 4-storey structure has 16 units with some apartments still available to rent.

The ad promotes each unit features its own laundry and a heat pump for year-round comfort, and the building has an elevator.

The building is located on the MacQuarrie Drive Extension right next to the Port Hawkesbury Curling Club and back entrance of the Strait Area Education Recreation Centre (SAERC) and across from the Port Hawkesbury Community Park, according to Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton’s Facebook post.

She stated, “As a Town, we have been so fortunate to have a new mix of housing from affordable to market to high end – we need all forms of housing to accommodate all of our housing needs!”

“These units are accessible and upscale and modern and in a location that is extremely walkable to many amenities – including the community park and trail system right across the road.”

According to comments on social media, there is frustration from some community members over the cost of rent.

Craig MacDonald from MacQuarrie Place says the remaining 2-bedroom units are $2,000 per month and include cold water and parking, while the tenant will be responsible for electricity and internet.

He confirmed that each unit has its own individual hot water heater, which would be powered through the tenant’s power bill.

MacDonald says they totally feel the pain and understand the frustration that so many are sharing regarding the cost of living.

In a statement, he says “Even as a small developer we had originally hoped our cost to build would have been a lot less so that we could have offered the savings through lower rents, but unfortunately, we’re seeing first-hand the actual cost of building is extremely high. On top of that, interest rates and property taxes also make things challenging.”

He added although this 16-unit building may not suit everyone’s needs, there is definitely a need for all housing types.

For more information or to inquire about renting an apartment, you can email MacQuarrie Place at MacQuarrieplace@gmail.com.

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A new vendor market may start in Port Hawkesbury

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A local produce provider is getting crafty to continue supplying nutritionally healthy food to Port Hawkesbury and the surrounding community.

Square Roots Port Hawkesbury is requesting to use the Civic Centre in-kind on a Wednesday each month to hold a Community Market including artisans and other vendors instead of their Saturday sale on their own.

This solution is their preference rather than raising prices or relying on donations going forward.

One of the Community Managers, Michele Tabensky tells us why they want to have a larger vendor presence after funding for leftover produce was cut earlier this year which caused markets in the Quad Counties to pause for a couple months.

“We have to absorb the cost of anything that’s not sold. So that plays a factor on our bottom line, because we’re not-for-profit, so when we start losing in sales, then it makes it really hard to continue,” she shared.

She explains how the Town will benefit from the market that could start as early as June.

“It will help with increased foot traffic on during the quieter seasons at the Civic Centre. It’ll help not only Square Roots provide nutritionally healthy food to the community, but it will also help vendors within the community get their wares for sale, so help income for their households. It’ll bring some community spirit to the town, as well.”

She’s hopeful by having other vendors selling with them that will raise their visitors and sales to everyone in the community.

Her and the other Community Manager, Yvonne MacDonald emphasize that Square Roots is for everyone to benefit from, regardless of your income or location because everyone deserves fresh and healthy produce.

They say the more they sell, the more they can help local groups and people in need with food security by giving away the leftovers.

Together, they started Square Roots in Port Hawkesbury in March 2025.

People can preorder 10-pound bags of mixed produce for $10 that include 2 pounds of carrots, a large onion, 4 apples, 4 oranges, and the remainder in potatoes.

They also take preorders for bulk items if anyone wants a large quantity of any given produce.

The Community Managers say the produce is grown locally in the valley or sourced by farmers when anything is not available depending on the season.

They announced at the council meeting that they have provided 25,000 pounds of produce to the Port Hawkesbury community since last year.

Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton is confident that the Town will be able to help as the request goes through the motions with council.

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Trustee program supports housing stability in Cape Breton

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If you would like support paying your rent and utilities on time, there is a trustee program that could help you.

New Dawn Enterprises is offering their free and confidential service to Richmond County and Port Hawkesbury residents.

Community Trustee Marguerite Conradie shared with our newsroom how their services are free, voluntary, and confidential.

She says they will receive your money to pay your rent and utilities first and then they disperse the rest back to you.

“It’s open to any adults. I guess the only thing is this person would need to have some kind of income coming in for us to be able to help. It’s open to any adult, who wishes to have support with their finances,” said Conradie.

“One thing I will say is we don’t provide investment advice or handle large sums. It’s really just for basic budgeting and staying housed and finding that stability with what we have coming in.”

She added additional monthly budgeting support and saving funds for bigger expenses are also available.

Conradie says if your income does not cover your bills, they can help you find benefits you may be eligible for or refer you to a community partner.

You can contact New Dawn Enterprises directly if you are interested in their trustee program or find out more information on their website.

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Healthcare recruitment supported in Cape Breton South after cuts

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Richmond County and the Town of Port Hawkesbury are not giving up on a Cape Breton healthcare initiative after a huge cut to its funding.

Cape Breton South Recruiting for Health, Program Director, Gina MacDonald confirmed at a Port Hawkesbury council meeting that annual community funding of $2 million was cut by 20 per cent, which is a $400,000 provincial cut.

She explained their goal is to recruit and retain medical professionals and that this area does not get enough recruitment strategy focus.

Deputy Mayor Todd Barrett explained why healthcare is an important piece of a municipality.

“If you’re going to attract people, people need healthcare, it’s part and parcel to the growth of a community. So, you know, a healthy community, you need that for the future,” he expressed.

Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton says although municipalities aren’t the key drivers for finding and keeping medical healthcare, the Town has put funding behind it.

“In Cape Breton South, so Richmond County and the Town of Port Hawkesbury were happy to roll up our sleeves [and] figure out a way that we can impact positive change on the R&R, which is the recruitment and retention of medical healthcare staff,” she shared.

The Cape Breton South Health Infusion project initiative was also created to lure American doctors and healthcare professionals to Canada.

MacDonald said considering the political situation in the United States, a lot of them have made it clear that they will be to make their move to Canada permanent.

She’s created new recruitment packages that give a first impression and share about the community to attract and retain potential new medical professionals.

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