On Wolfville, Digby, and other Towns

AGAR ADAMSON: Wolfville clear, status quo won't do

Published on January 19th, 2011
Published on January 18th, 2011
Agar Adamson Topics : Acadia University , Annapolis Royal , Wolfville council , Wolfville , Nova Scotia , Switzerland BY AGAR ADAMSON

Kings County Advertiser/Register

For many years, smaller communities in Switzerland and certain American states have had a tradition of holding an annual town meeting, at about this time of year, to plan the communities’ governmental program for the coming year. There is much to be said for this form of direct democracy as there is for the initiative, referendum and recall.

Wolfville is on the threshold of direct democracy but, unfortunately, given the town’s and the province’s traditional conservative political culture, it won’t cross over.

Wolfville, like many other towns in Nova Scotia, is an artificial and historic community enriched by traditions - some of which have outlived their usefulness- not based on geographic, nor geological structures. Compare, for example Bridgewater: built at the end navigation for ocean-going sailing ships. Wolfville or, as it once was, Mud Creek; grew up around Acadia University, much as Timmins did around gold mines.

Nothing is static in this world, with the possible exception of death and taxes. Wolfville is not in the best of health, and the taxes (reputed to be the third highest in Nova Scotia) are too high to restore the town to health. Wolfville is not alone: Lunenburg, Kentville, Berwick, Annapolis Royal, Shelburne, Digby and Springhill, to name but seven other examples; are all facing similar situations. Every province and territory is facing the same issues.

One might note Liverpool is not on that list. Some years ago, the residents of Queens County, including the towns, examined their fiscal situation and decided to amalgamate. Now, Kings County and its towns may not be directly comparable to Queens County, but Queens may have taken a lead others may follow.

While Gwen Phillips was mayor of Wolfville, there existed a roundtable of representatives from the towns and the county, plus several non-elected individuals (one of whom chaired the meetings); to examine procedures for working together for the betterment of the entire county. Because of certain difficulties that arose between the county and a town, this attempt at co-operation collapsed.

The advent of the shopping centre, with its “big box” stores and entertainment centres with free parking, improved roads and public transportation; more fuel-efficient automobiles, Sunday shopping, fewer filling stations and fewer full-service banks; and school consolidation have all pushed growth centres like New Minas, Bridgewater, Bayer’s Lake and Dartmouth Crossing. The consolidation of health services in communities like Kentville and Bridgewater has also had a negative impact on surrounding communities. The downloading of services onto towns by various provincial governments over the past decade, without adequate compensation, can be added to this list.

Wolfville council, led by Councillor Keith Irving, has produced, Navigating the Fiscal Challenges Ahead. This report concluded “Wolfville is not fiscally sustainable on its current path.” The first public meeting to discuss this report had to be cancelled because of a lack of electricity. The meeting was rescheduled to January 6, when many citizens where still dealing with various aspects of the Christmas/ New Year’s festivities.

The report contains 19 recommendations. Some of these are, perhaps, questionable. Number #1, for example: “That council develop and implement an action plan to stabilize and then increase the commercial assessment in the Town of Wolfville, beginning in fiscal year 2011/12.” What commercial establishment, other than a boutique or another fast food outlet, is going to open in Wolfville when taxes are lower in the county?

Recommendation #4, on the other hand recommends “Council increase the annual capital budget... to reverse the decline in asset condition and reduce the infrastructure deficit significantly over the next 10 years.... Council shall engage residents in identifying sources of financing from a combination of service reductions, sewer rate increases, debt, tax increases to address the infrastructure deficit.” Engaging ratepayers is something citizens should demand, and it must be meaningful consultation - not just a single meeting, poorly advertised, at a busy time of year.

Perhaps #9 is the most significant recommendation in the entire report, for it impacts not just on Wolfville but also on every town in Nova Scotia: “Council examine the need to pursue any governance or other restructuring to enable it to best respond to the needs of the community as though those boundaries do not exist.” This is perhaps the key recommendation. Globalization, global warming, the growth of cities at the expense of rural communities, a declining population including a declining birth rate; public debt and the need for regional cooperation bedevil us all.

Rome was not built overnight, nor did the municipalities’ situation. Go back and read the Graham Report, left on the shelf to gather dust. Would we be in this situation if previous governments had acted? Liberal John Savage tried and, for his pain, was kicked out of office by his own party. He did give us the Halifax and Cape Breton regional municipalities but, if given the chance, he might have brought about more much-needed regionalization.

Today, Nova Scotia, with a population of about one million, has 30 towns, 21 rural municipalities, three regional municipalities and 22 villages. The provincial government is weighed down with debt reduction, unemployment and an infrastructure allowed to decompose. Yet, the NDP, like John Savage’s Liberals; are a reform government. The Wolfville report should be a call for research, followed by reform. What is blatantly obvious from the Wolfville document is the status quo is not an alternative for Wolfville, nor for the majority of towns of Nova Scotia.