Small Businesses Are Important

Do small businesses have a fighting chance against today’s challenges?

By Richard Woodbury


Source: Originally published in the October 2010 Nova Scotia Business Journal (Oct. 5) — COVER STORY
Do small businesses have a fighting chance against today’s challenges?

By Richard Woodbury


Source: Originally published in the October 2010 Nova Scotia Business Journal (Oct. 5) — COVER STORY

When a second gas station in Amherst announced it was closing its doors due to the border gas wars with Brunswick, it raised a red flag that could not be ignored by small businesses and communities across Nova Scotia.

John and Kittee Baxter, the owners of Steamboat’s Convenience, blamed the closure of their business on the difference in gas prices between the two provinces. “We really tried to make it work, but when there’s such a huge gap in the price of gas there’s no way we can compete,” told Kittee Baxter in the Amherst Daily News. “I’m really disappointed with what has happened, but more than that I’m pretty frustrated because it appears as though this government really doesn’t care about Amherst.” The Baxters’ decision to close came just a couple of weeks after Co-Op Atlantic announced its gas station on Lawrence Street would be shut down, citing the same issues.

Unfortunately, the challenges which ultimately sealed the fate of these gas stations mirror what many other small businesses across the province are facing today.

Small businesses are an important employer in the province. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees represent 97.4 per cent of the province’s approximately 54,000 businesses and employ almost 29 per cent of the total number of workers in Nova Scotia, according to data from Statistics Canada. StatsCan also reveals that the number of self-employed individuals topped 60,000 in Nova Scotia last year.

Every October, Nova Scotia pays tribute to small businesses and the important role they play in our society and economy during Small Business Week. While it is a celebration of small businesses, it is also seen as an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges they face.

“Creating an environment where small business can thrive is vital, but, quite frankly, we haven’t done all that we can do to make that happen,” says Charles Cirtwill, president and CEO of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.

Cirtwill has been involved in public policy discussions for the last 20 years and he says things are worse today.

“We know our taxes too high, we know our red tape is too intense, we know we are not helpful to our small businesses, yet we continue to do the same things year in and year out,” he says.

With the election of the provincial NDP last year, there was hope for change. The party was elected on the promise of making life better for Nova Scotians. Unfortunately change doesn’t happen overnight and many say the challenges facing small business are an accumulation of things years in the making.

“It’s much tougher, way tougher,” says Lawrence Sawler of Glyda’s Fruit and Vegetables in Western Shore. “There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about that.”

Glyda’s has been in operation for almost 30 years. Sawler says the recent minimum wage increase is only one aspect making it tougher to make a profit. Finding qualified staff is another problem.

And with an aging population, finding qualified labour is only going to get worse.

This will hit small businesses particularly hard for two reasons, says Cirtwill. First, smaller businesses can’t afford to increase salaries the way bigger businesses can to attract and retain talent. The other reason is that small businesses rely on family to a greater degree for their labour pool.

“With families shrinking, so is the labour pool,” says Cirtwill.

One hope for improving the business climate lies with the economic development strategy the provincial government is working on. The strategy should be released “sometime soon,” says Percy Paris, the minister of economic and rural development.

While short on specific details, Paris says the party wants to foster a culture of innovation where people are encouraged to invest in themselves, invest in Nova Scotia and invest in Nova Scotians.

“If there are barriers, we want to know about them and will work together to try to eliminate them,” says Paris.

For many, the tax system is a barrier, especially since New Brunswick started cutting taxes.

“New Brunswick has a far more competitive tax system,” says Leanne Hachey, Atlantic vice-president for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

She says lower taxes allow business owners to keep more of their earnings, pay employees higher wages, invest in better equipment and offer lower prices. Meanwhile, the tax system in Nova Scotia does the opposite, Hachey says.

“I, we as a government, don’t have any control over what New Brunswick does,” says Paris.

In Nova Scotia, the provincial government strives to find the right balance between taxation and services offered, he says.

“We also understand that we have to live within our means and we can’t go further into this financial hole that already exists for us.”

But the news isn’t all bad for small businesses. Hachey says in a survey of members, the CFIB found members maintained a good work life balance for themselves and their employees. There has also been improvement on reducing red tape. Nova Scotia is considered one of the leaders for its efforts to reduce it.

While Cirtwill appreciates the work done so far, he questions how effective the efforts have actually been.

“When you start with a mountain and you remove two feet a year, you’re going to be at it for a while,” he says.

Looking to the future, Hachey has her worries about small businesses. In talks with the CFIB’s members, she says small business owners use words such as frustrated, fed up and helpless. Some even wonder why they even started a business in the first place. 
And worst of all, “some don’t encourage their kids to start businesses in Nova Scotia,” says Hachey.

As we enter Small Business Week (Oct. 17-23), it’s clear Nova Scotia’s small businesses need help.

“Small business week is nice, but we need to focus on small business year round,” says Cirtwill. Nova Scotia’s future prosperity depends on it.

East Coast Airways

NS: Red tape delays launch of East Coast Airways
By Staff, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Cape Breton Post, November 24, 2010

[SYDNEY, NS] — The president of operations for East Coast Airways said an employee accidentally set Wednesday on its website as the launch date for flights between Halifax and four other Maritime destinations.

Jay Hasson said the newest regional carrier will take off from the runway on Thursday instead, despite a final audit by Transport Canada that morning.

“Somebody just put in the wrong date (on the website). It’s a basic error,” he said from Halifax, Tuesday. “We’re correcting that, actually, right at the moment.”

The company is offering flights to and from Halifax from Sydney, Yarmouth, Saint John and Charlottetown.

The airline had been expected to begin operations on Monday, however it’s still awaiting final approval from Transport Canada. It was the second false start for East Coast Airways, which originally advertised November 1 as its official launch date, and had to compensate passengers who had already booked flights on its website.

Hasson said if reservations are made for the Sydney to Halifax flight Thursday morning, he’s confident things will go according to plan.

“We are very confident that Thursday we’re OK,” he said. “If we have any bookings we’d be leaving out of Sydney on Thursday. We haven’t put any word out so we don’t anticipate any new bookings.”

Hasson added that “barring anything unforeseen”, the carrier will have planes in the sky on Thursday.

The carrier will service the Maritimes with about 20 flights a day using five 19-passenger BAE Jetstream 31 turboprop airplanes. The number of daily flights will increase in the spring to 36 or 38, Hasson said.

Municipal Council Agenda

Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Meeting DateNovember 22, 2010Meeting LocationBarton Consolidated SchoolCall to OrderWarden Linda GregoryPause to Seek GuidanceWarden Linda GregoryReading of Mission StatementWarden Linda GregoryApproval ofthe AgendaAdditions/Deletions CouncilStaffSpecial PresentationsPresentationsGloria Banks, GrantThornton 2009-2010 Audited FinancialStatementsMotion to accept 2009-2010 Audited Financial StatementsMinutesApproval/AmendmentsOctober 25, 2010November 8, 2010Special Council
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010BusinessArising from Minutes/Old Business1.Digby GroundSearch and Rescue Funding request $ 40,000 for new vehicle2.3.Deputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillorAmeroCouncillorAdamsCouncillor TudorWarden Linda Gregory
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010NewBusiness# 1Department NaturalResources Requesting permission for DNRstaff to have access toProperty On Line# 2Councillor Amero Provincial decision to moveRegistry Office out of Weymouth# 3Warden Gregory Doctors Nova Scotia-Golden Apple Award# 4Municipal Finance Corp Municipal Finance Workshop# 5Councillor Tudor Environment Screening or FullEnvironmental Assessment# 6Warden Gregory Light at the end of the AirportdrivewayCAOReport# 1Request for Decision or Direction# 2Meeting Dates/Reminders#3Meeting Action Items Update#4Special Project Update#5Payables-October 2010 $ 779,382.31#6Financial Report-Not Available
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Correspondence1.Clean AnnapolisRiver Project Newsletter2.Sport Nova Scotia 2009-2010 annual reportavailable3.RCMP “H” Division 2009-2010 reportavailable4.Partnership forSustainableDevelopment of Digby Neck &Islands SocietyCopy of letter to HonourableSterling Belliveau, Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture Copy of letter to HonourableGail Shea, MP Federal Ministerof Fisheries & OceansCouncil CommitteesRecommendationsto Council fromCommittee of the WholeFundy YMCA Approval to provide funding for capital renovationsin the amount of $ 25,000 for four years beginningApril 2011Tender Loving CareAnimal Shelter Approval to provide grant in the amount of $ 8,000with revenue generated from proposed dog tag feeto be used to cover grant and to provide futuregrantsHerring WorkersAgreement Approval to sign agreementWeymouth WaterfrontDevelopmentCommittee Request for donation of the former Weymouth Library building Request for tax exemption on former Weymouth Library building if ownership transferred to WWDC
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Recommendationsto Council fromBy-law & Policy CommitteeCommitteeAppointment New Committee AppointmentsAppointment of ADEDA alternate memberAdvisoryCommitteesREMO AdvisoryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010Heritage AdvisoryCommitteeCouncillor AmeroCouncillor AdamsPlanning AdvisoryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpineWarden Gregory No meeting since last reportPolice AdvisoryCommitteeWarden GregoryCouncillor AmeroCouncillor Adams Minutes April 2010 There is 1 citizen positionthat needs to be filledTri County HousingAuthorityR FitzgeraldReport June 1 to Oct 31, 2010 The 3 western housingauthorities will be one as of Dec/10. This includes TriCount, Anna. Valley andSouth shore housingauthorities.
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Regional/JointCommittees# 1Airport WorkingGroupDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Adams Minutes July & Nov 2010 Terms of Reference for Approval# 2Annapolis DigbyEconomicDevelopmentAgencyDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010 Managing Director ReportOctober Managing Director Letter of resignation #3Digby AnnapolisDevelopmentCorpCouncillor AmeroNo meeting since lastreport#4Digby Area LearningAssociationCouncillor AdamsMinutes September 2010#5Digby Area TourismAssociationWarden GregoryMinutes September 2010 #6Digby Area Recreation CommitteeWarden GregoryCouncillor AmeroMinutes September 2010Staff Reports October 10#7Digby HarbourPort AssociationWarden Gregory#8Digby LibraryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpine No meeting since lastreport#9FundywebBroadbandDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Amero No meeting since lastreport# 10IndustrialCommissionDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Amero No meeting since lastreport
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Regional/JointCommittees(con’t)# 11Kings TransitAuthorityCouncillor Amero Minutes Sept 2010 Managers Report Oct 2010 Ridership Report Sept 2010# 12Senior SafetyCommitteeCouncillor AdamsWarden Gregory Minutes Oct 2010# 13Tideview TerraceWarden GregoryCouncillor Adams Minutes June and Sept2010 Facility Disposal Policy and e-mail from MattRaymond # 14Waste CheckWarden GregoryDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010 Staff Reports-Oct 2010Regional Chairs Minutes Regional Chairs Update# 15Western CountiesRegional LibraryDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncil Activity Reports/OtherCommitteesDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor AmeroCouncillor AdamsCouncillor TudorWarden GregorySource Water Protection Advisory Committee Oct2010 Minutes
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010In Camera Contractual IssueAdjournment

Municipal Council Special Minutes

Municipality of the District of DigbySpecial Municipal Council MinutesNovember 8, 2010Tiverton, Nova Scotia1Call to OrderThe Council meeting was called to order with Deputy Warden MacAlpine in the chair at 6:00 p.m. AttendanceCouncillors present:Jimmy MacAlpine, Deputy WardenLinda Gregory, CouncillorRandall Amero, CouncillorMaritza Adams, CouncillorDavid Tudor, CouncillorStaff present:Linda Fraser, Chief Administrative OfficerGordon Wilson, Deputy Chief Administrative OfficerCora Lee Bremner, Executive SecretaryPrayerDeputy Warden MacAlpine welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked everyone to pause to seek guidance for the meeting.Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked everyone for coming andread the Municipality’s mission statement.IntroductionsDeputy Warden MacAlpine asked Council and staff to introduce themselves.AgendaMOVED and seconded that the agenda be approved as circulated.MOTION CARRIEDDeclaration ofCandidate Electedfor District 4Deputy Warden MacAlpine turned the chair over to the CAOfor the declaration of candidate elected for District 4.Swearing in of NewCouncillor forDistrict 4The CAO swore in David Tudor as Councillor for District 4.Election of WardenThe CAO asked Council to raise their hand if they wereinterested in running for Warden. Both Councillor Gregory andDeputy Warden MacAlpine were interested. The CAO gave both Councillor Gregory and Deputy WardenMacAlpine a chance to speak on why they should be elected asWarden.A vote was cast by secret ballot for the position of Warden.The CAO declared that Councillor Gregory would be theWarden of the Municipality of the District of Digby.MOVED and seconded that the ballots be destroyed.MOTION CARRIEDElection of Deputy Warden (if required)Not required.
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Municipality of the District of DigbySpecial Municipal Council MinutesNovember 8, 2010Tiverton, Nova Scotia2AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 6:15PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK

Digby Municipal Council Minutes

Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia1Call to OrderThe Council meeting was called to order with Deputy Warden MacAlpine in the chair at 6:00 p.m. AttendanceCouncillors present: Jimmy MacAlpine, Deputy Warden Randall Amero, Councillor Maritza Adams, CouncillorStaff present: Linda Fraser, Chief Administrative Officer Gordon Wilson, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Cora Lee Bremner, Executive SecretaryRegrets: Linda Gregory, CouncillorPrayerDeputy Warden MacAlpine welcomed everyone to the meetingand asked everyone to pause to seek guidance for the meeting. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked everyone for coming andread the Municipality’s mission statement.IntroductionsDeputy Warden MacAlpine asked Council and staff tointroduce themselves and introduced the recently electedCouncillor for District 4, David Tudor.AgendaMOVED and seconded that the agenda be approved ascirculated.MOTION CARRIEDPresentationsPeter Newton, Warden – Municipality of Annapolis – Lifeplex Wellness CentreMOVED and seconded that Warden Newton from theMunicipality of the County of Annapolis come beforeCouncil to make a presentation.MOTION CARRIEDWarden Newton briefly updated Council regarding the capitalcampaign for the redevelopment of the Lifeplex facility in Cornwallis Park. They would like to see it open again and wanta sustainable model. The YMCA is taking a serious look at it.There has been a study done concerning membership which proved good. The plan is to open up the downstairs and bring a wider range of exercise equipment. A representative from theYMCA came before Council and gave an overview of the plansfor the facility provided it was taken over by the YMCA. Athird party did a review and feels that it is not sustainablewithout capital upgrades. The YMCA representative gave adetailed presentation including an outline of the capitalcampaign feasibility study, a summary of the market researchstudy, and outlined the government funding for the project.Warden Newton is requesting $100,000 funding from theMunicipality of Digby which would be used for the capitalcampaign. There will be no operating funds requested. Mr. Mark Phillips from the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia2came before Council to outline the economic benefits of thisproject. Mr. Phillips advised Council that the ABCC hascontributed 2.9 million previously towards this project and hasnow committed $100,000 towards the capital funding. A question and answer period followed the presentation. DeputyWarden MacAlpine thanked them for their presentation andnoted that it will be reviewed at the next COTW meeting.Dr. Bob Maher, Senior Research Scientist, AGRG – CommunityMappingMOVED and seconded that Dr. Bob Maher, SeniorResearch Scientist from the Applied Geomatics ResearchGroup come before Council to make a presentation to Council about community mapping.MOTION CARRIEDMr. Maher came before Council 15 months ago to present thecommunity mapping project he was working on. He currentlyhas three projects on the go, but would like to talk to Council on the Rural Secretariat project. The Rural Secretariat will givehim $200,000 towards the project, but he has to come up withthe rest on his own. He is interested in developing applicationsfor the citizens in this region. He is requesting $5,000 per year for the next two years for the Municipality. In-kindcontributions are also being sought. Anyone who signs on willbecome a partner in the project and is able to have a say in whatwill be included in the mapping project for this area. A question and answer period followed the presentation. Councilmentioned that they would like to see the heritage propertiescatalogued into this map. Mr. Maher indicated that it would bea definite possibility providing the data has been collected tofeed into the project. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked himfor the presentation and noted that a decision would be made atthe next COTW meeting.Larry Brooks – DigbyGround Search and RescueMOVED and seconded that Mr. Larry Brooks come beforeCouncil to make a presentation on behalf of Digby GroundSearch and Rescue.MOTION CARRIEDMr. Larry Brooks, Vice President for the Digby Ground Searchand Rescue came before Council to make a presentation. TheDigby Ground Search and Rescue is a non-profit volunteer rescue operation which is on call day and night. They currentlyhave a vehicle that houses GPS units, radio systems, etc. Thisvehicle is in terrible condition. They are looking to replace thattruck. Mr. Brooks went over the budget with Council and outlined that they only received $6,189.50 this year. Thevehicle has cost $9,351 over the past three years. They feel it isnot worth putting any more money into. They are currentlylooking at the purchase of a new truck which will have to belengthened. If they were able to purchase the new truck, it ishoped to be able to use it for the next 15 plus years. A question and answer period followed the presentation. This organization covers all of Digby County and does Clare and other areas aswell if they are called to assist. Deputy Warden MacAlpinethanked him for the presentation and advised that this will bediscussed at the next COTW meeting.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia3MinutesSeptember 27, 2010MOVED and seconded that the minutes from the Council ofSeptember 27, 2010 be approved as circulated.MOTION CARRIEDBusiness Arising from Minutes/OldBusinessNILDeputy Warden MacAlpine No Old Business.Councillor Gregory Absent.Councillor Amero No Old Business.Councillor Adams No Old Business.New Business#1 Petition – Unpaved portion of Culloden Road It was agreed that this petition for the unpaved portion of Culloden Road be referred to the MLA.AdministrationRequest for decision/directionCAO Report Municipal BuildingSmith’s Cove &Weymouth Sewer ExtensionsCanada PostCrosswalks - Conway The CAO report for October 25, 2010 was included in themeeting package. It is estimated that the municipal building will be completedmiddle to late December. There is still a local crewworking there. The Smith’s Cove and Weymouth sewer extensions shouldbe ready to go to tender sometime in November. There has been a response from Canada Post regarding concerns that had been raised. This was sent as a lateaddition to the package. The CAO will be making contact with Basil Pitts andrepresentatives from Tri-County Regional School Board toset up a meeting regarding crosswalks in Conway.PayablesMOVED and seconded that the payables in the amount of$707,621.92 for the month of September 2010 be approvedas presented.MOTION CARRIEDFinancial Report The financial report for September 30, 2010 was included inthe meeting package.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia4MOVED and seconded that the financial report beapproved as presented.MOTION CARRIEDCorrespondenceWeymouth Cenotaph Unveiling Ceremony There will be an unveiling ceremony for the WeymouthCenotaph on November 5, 2010 at 11 am. Council CommitteesCommittee of theWholeDigby Library –Upgrades & Painting($4,500)MOVED and seconded that Council approve the DigbyLibrary upgrades in the amount of $4,500.MOTION CARRIEDBylaw & PolicyReviewNILAdvisory Committees#1 REMOManagement PlanningCommittee The REMO Management Planning Committee met threeweeks ago. The Coordinator gave an overview of what took place at the Wharf Rat Rally with the hurricane.  The committee has discussed having an alternate person inplace for this position in case he wasn’t available.#2 Heritage AdvisoryCommittee There was no Heritage Advisory Committee meeting sincethe last report. It was noted that the mapping system thatwas presented tonight would be great to tie things togetherfor the heritage properties.#3 Planning AdvisoryCommittee There has been no Planning Advisory Committee meetingsince the last report.#4 Police AdvisoryCommittee There is a Police Advisory Committee meeting scheduledfor November 16, 2010. There is still one citizen position that needs to be filled forthe committee.#5 Tri CountyHousing Authority There is no report available for the Tri-County Housing Authority. The three western housing authorities will beone as of December/10. This includes Tri-County,Annapolis Valley and South Shore housing authorities.Regional / Joint Committees
#1 Airport WorkingGroup There hasn’t been an Airport Working Group meeting sincethe last Council meeting but there will be one in the nearfuture.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia5
#2 Annapolis Digby EconomicDevelopment Agency There is an ADEDA meeting scheduled for October 28,2010. It has been rescheduled so most voting memberscould be there. The working group met this afternoon andis working on a solution to maintain the RegionalDevelopment Agency.
#3 Digby AnnapolisDevelopment Corp The DADC has not met since the last report.
#4 Digby AreaLearning Association DALA met on September 29, 2010. Councillor Adams wasaway for that meeting and will be away for the next one aswell. She will distribute the minutes as soon as they getapproved.
#5 Digby AreaTourism Association  The Digby Area Tourism Association minutes for Aprilwere included in the meeting package.
#6 Digby AreaRecreation Committee The DARC minutes and staff reports for June andSeptember, 2010 were included in the meeting package.The ice is in the rink. It was mentioned that there are anumber of parents concerned with the way minor hockey isnow being run. It has been estimated that it will costparents anywhere from $10,000 to 15,000 per year to travelnow. Hockey has seen a major drop in their numbers. Itwas agreed that this should be taken back to DARC to beproactive and work with minor hockey to come up with asolution.
#7 Digby Harbour Port Association The Digby Harbour Port Association minutes for July 22, 2010 were circulated.
#8 Digby LibraryCommittee The Digby Library Committee meeting notes fromSeptember 27, 2010 were included in the meeting package.Deputy Warden MacAlpine is sitting on the hiringcommittee for a new executive director.
#9 Fundyweb Broadband Fundyweb Broadband has not met since the last report.Deputy Warden MacAlpine talked to the CAO fromAnnapolis County today to see what is taking place. Theyare waiting for a legal opinion to divest Municipal Unitsfrom the board. They are hoping within the next monththey will know something.#10 IndustrialCommission The Industrial Commission has not met since the last report.They are hoping to have a meeting within the next couple ofweeks.
#11 Kings TransitAuthority The Kings Transit Authority has a meeting scheduled for November 4, 2010.
#12 Senior SafetyCommittee The Senior Safety Committee met on October 19, 2010.The Coordinator has been involved with doing a driverscourse for seniors. She also did a workshop with the RoyalBank employees in Digby and Weymouth on financialabuse for seniors.
#13 Tideview Terrace  Tideview Terrace met at the end of September. Councillor
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia6Adams was away. Things are going well with the newTideview.#14 Waste Check The Waste Check minutes for September 2010 and staffreports for October 2010 were included in the meetingpackage. At the last meeting there was a discussion regarding theBylaw Enforcement Officer’s role. He is doing a good jobwith illegal dump sites. He is going to start enforcing and there will be fines levied.  There is a request for proposals being put together for therecycling contract.  Cameras are out there in the community now. The bylawEnforcement Officer will bring a video to the board to seethe quality of the videos.
#15 Western CountiesRegional Library There has been no Western Counties Regional Library meeting since the last Council meeting.Council ActivityReports/OtherCommitteesDeputy WardenMacAlpine Deputy Warden MacAlpine had nothing further to report.Councillor Gregory Absent.Councillor Amero Councillor Amero had nothing further to report.Councillor Adams Councillor Adams had nothing further to report.Comments from thegallery The meeting was opened up to the gallery for questions.Mr. David Tudor commented that he has also been hearingcomplaints in regards to minor hockey. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked everyone for attendingthe meeting.BreakMOVED and seconded that there be a five minute breakbefore proceeding in camera.MOTION CARRIEDIn CameraMOVED and seconded that the meeting move in camera.MOTION CARRIEDRegular session resumed.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia7AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 8:30PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK

Green Conference

Learn how to save dollars.
Weds. Dec. 1, Universite Sainte Anne 1:30 to 8pm. Cost $15. Contact: sife@usainteanne.ca or 769- 3655

Digby Health Services Centre

Info/question/answer sesson Wednesday Nov. 23 at 7pm at Digby Legion. Learn what this idea is about. Ask questions.