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News release: Residents Asked to Participate in Internet Performance Test

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Published: Thursday, 19 July 2018 09:08

Taking the t­est at  https://performance.cira.ca/southshore  will help provide a basis for regional high-speed broadband planning

July 19, 2018 - Residents and business owners in three municipalities on the South Shore can now use an online test to reveal the performance of their Internet service – a measurement that will aid the region’s broadband development. The project is being cost shared by three municipal units.

The Internet Performance Test (IPT) was developed by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) as a way to collect highly detailed information about the quality of internet service. The IPT measures some 100 different Internet connection factors beyond the speed of the network, to give planners information on latency (how much delay is in a connection) and the ability of your computer to connect with the latest Internet Protocols. The IPT is being administered in Atlantic Canada by the non-profit group i-Valley, which also helped to develop the tool. The IPT will map the ‘digital divide’ for our rural communities, and help municipalities prioritize those areas with poorer service.

Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, Mayor, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, stated that “Access to high-speed internet is of critical importance to the Municipality, and a key priority for our Council. We have been proactive in developing a Municipal Internet Connectivity Strategy, and investing in projects bringing better Internet to our municipality. The Internet Performance Test will give us information that will help us continue to invest in Internet and create a community in which families choose to live.”

“The use of broadband communications is fundamental to improve our economic, environmental and social well-being,” said Allen Webber, Warden, Municipality of the District of Chester. “Broadband is cited as a number one factor in choosing a residence location. Businesses also need broadband in order to compete in the digital economy; if we have world-class standards, we give them a better chance to be world-class businesses.”

Mayor David Dagley of the Region of Queens Municipality added, “The time is right to pursue regional broadband network improvements. Provincial and federal funding will become available to enable Municipalities that are prepared, to support high speed network construction. Our Municipality will continue to source funding towards improving internet service in Queens, which has become an essential service. All residents are encouraged to take the speed test to help ensure that our current networking status is clarified, to enable proper funding applications to be prepared”.

A one-button test

The IPT is community-specific to the South Shore. People in their home or business just click on a URL and launch the test, which only takes 30 seconds. Within that time, the test analyzes more than 100 variables that range from speed to quality - all the factors that could be slowing a resident down or affecting the reliability of their service.

The IPT results are displayed for everyone on a map of the region, colour-coded to highlight service quality. A red zone is poor; a blue zone is good. The IPT ranges from zero to the new national speed goal of 50 Megabits per second (Mbps). 

The further the speed drops below 25 Mbps the redder the map gets; the faster the speed the bluer it gets.

Those without any Internet connection can go to a connected facility, browse to the South Shore IPT Web site, and click on “If you wish to inform us of a location without internet access, click here”.  They will then have the opportunity to place a pin on the map. They can also contact their Municipality’s Economic Development Officer to provide their address by phone.

The tests are location-specific, registering each house or business as the buttons are pressed. People are encouraged to take the test as many times as possible, as speed results may vary over times of day.

In addition to creating a baseline for network planning, the IPT helps communities obtain evidence-based performance data for their community that will provide support for funding applications to governments to ensure sufficient broadband access.

Please click on this link to use the South Shore Internet Performance Test:

https://performance.cira.ca/southshore  

The test will be run continuously over the coming months. Residents of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Municipality of the District of Chester and Region of Queens Municipality will receive reminder notifications to take the test through several methods, including postcards at key locations in the community, flyers, social media posts, website posts, and through newspaper and radio. All residents, regardless of whether they have good internet service, poor internet service or no internet service are encouraged to take part in the test. The higher the rate of participation by residents, the more accurate the final data will be, which will provide a map that shows accurately the areas with substandard internet service.

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For further information please contact:

Sarah Kucharski, Communications Officer, MODL
Phone: (902) 541-1328

Erin Lowe, Economic Development Officer, Municipality of Chester
Phone: (902) 275-2599

Heather Cook, Communications and Engagement Coordinator, Region of Queens Municipality
Phone: (902) 354-5741

News release: Bait Stations Being Installed in Municipality

Details
Published: Thursday, 19 July 2018 09:06

July 19, 2018 / For Immediate Release

BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA – This week, Dr. Robbin Lindsay, Research Scientist with the Public Health Agency of Canada, is in the Municipality installing the first of 18-20 deer bait stations. The bait stations are part of an innovative tick reduction research project, the largest of its kind in Canada.

“The increasing prevalence of Lyme Disease in our community is a serious concern,” said Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson. “Our Council believes it’s vitally important for the Municipality to get involved in trying to reduce tick populations, and in educating residents and visitors on the importance of tick checks. We’ve partnered with the Public Health Agency of Canada on the three-year bait station research project, and with Nova Scotia Public Health on an educational campaign.”

“The bait stations will be stocked by September 1, and will target adult tick populations when they become active again in the fall,” explained Dr. Lindsay. “A common myth is that there are no ticks out in the summer, but that’s actually when there is the highest risk for contracting Lyme Disease. The nymphs are most active in the summer, and they’re more difficult to see because of their small size. It’s important to do a daily tick check after coming inside, and every night before bed. It’s one of the most effective ways of preventing Lyme Disease.”

  • The bait station program will see bait stations set up in a controlled area of the county, designed to attract and treat deer to reduce or eliminate the population of black legged ticks. The bait station rollers will apply Permethrin to the deer’s ears as they feed from the station, killing the adult ticks. If you’re walking in the woods and come across a bait station, please exercise caution and do not touch the bait station.
  • A public education campaign will continue throughout the summer and fall, designed to encourage residents and visitors to conduct daily tick checks.
  • Additional signage in parks, outdoor facilities and on trails has been installed to advise users of the presence of ticks in the area.

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is committed to building a community where people choose to live, work and play.  

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Media contact:

Sarah Kucharski
Communications Officer
(902) 541-1328
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

News release: Southside Road Approved for Paving

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Published: Thursday, 28 June 2018 09:11

June 28, 2018 / For Immediate Release

BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA – The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is pleased to announce a J Class road submitted to the cost sharing paving program with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has been approved. Southside Road, beginning at Stonehurst Road and continuing for 2.37 kilometres, will be paved for a total cost of $275,000, with a Municipal share of $137,500.

“The Municipality recognizes the importance of roads to our residents for safety, to maintain property value and for tourism. Well maintained, good quality roads are essential for our communities,” said Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson. “I am happy to see this first cost sharing project with TIR, and look forward to moving forward with additional projects in the future to improve our roads.”

In the fall of 2017, the Municipality changed the Road Improvement Policy. The previous road improvement policies required a petition from residents confirming that the residents were willing to pay for 50% of the cost of the improvement on a J Class or Municipal Road. These policies did not permit Council to directly invest in paving of a J Class or Municipal Road unless there was a successful petition.

The new policy permits Council to invest directly in paving, without a commitment from residents to pay half. The policy establishes criteria so that Council has an evidence-based approach for selecting road priorities. The new policy retains the petition process in case there are residents who do not wish to wait for their road to come up through the prioritization process. (e.g. White Avenue is being paved this year as a result of a petition). Each year, Council reviews the road priorities and submits a list to the province for consideration for cost sharing. In 2017, several roads in Turner Heights were paved under the J Class cost sharing program.

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Media contact:

Sarah Kucharski
Communications Officer
(902) 541-1328
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

News release: Municipality adopts Municipal Internet Connectivity Strategy

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Published: Tuesday, 26 June 2018 13:35

June 26, 2018 / For Immediate Release 

BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA – The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg adopted a Municipal Internet Connectivity Strategy on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.

“Providing reliable high-speed Internet access is critical to the growth and success of the region,” said Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson. “Providing this access will take time, funding and partnerships with other levels of government, private business, non-profit organizations and the community to develop solutions that will work for our communities. I believe the Municipal Internet Connectivity Strategy provides the direction and framework for moving us forward.”

“In our Five-Year Financial Strategy, we have allocated $500,000 a year in capital and operating funds to Internet projects each year. We expect these funds to be used to leverage much larger investments by our Provincial, Federal and ISP partners, much like recently announcement Internet projects in our community,” said Bolivar-Getson.

The Municipality continues to research and seek out opportunities to further enhance the Internet service to residents and communities. We welcome others to help us identify potential projects as well. Projects could be brought forth by other levels of government, the private industry, individuals or non-profit community groups.

The strategy takes into consideration the provincial government’s Internet strategies and the I-Valley report financially supported by the Municipality, and builds on the knowledge and partnerships the Municipality has developed in pursuing the short and long-term funding opportunities. It is based on Council and Committee discussions, public engagement, research with various partners, Provincial and Federal funding opportunities and reports, and practical experience gained with the Sweetland pilot project.

The complete strategy is available at: High Speed Internet

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is committed to building a community where people choose to live, work and play.  

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Media contact:

Sarah Kucharski
Communications Officer
(902) 541-1328
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

News release: Municipality breaks ground on first straight pipe replacement

Details
Published: Monday, 30 April 2018 12:10

April 30, 2018 / For Immediate Release

BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA – Today, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg broke ground on the first straight pipe replacement in the LaHave Straight Pipe Replacement Program. This project marks an important upgrade to the regional wastewater network, improving water quality in the LaHave River, and contributing to a cleaner environment in the District of Lunenburg.

“The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining clean waterways and a healthy environment across the country,” said Bernadette Jordan, Member of Parliament for South Shore - St. Margaret's, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “I am proud to see the LaHave Straight Pipe Replacement project underway. Together with our partners we are protecting the long-term health of the community for generations to come.”

The LaHave Straight Pipe Replacement Program is a green infrastructure solution that allows residents to have access to reliable water and wastewater services while safeguarding the health and well-being of the local waterway and ecosystem. Work involves removing up to 600 straight pipes that are currently discharging sewage into the LaHave River and replacing them with septic systems.

“The province is proud to collaborate with all levels of government to help restore the beautiful LaHave River to a healthy ecosystem,” said MLA Suzanne Lohnes-Croft on behalf of Municipal Affairs Minister Derek Mombourquette. “This is a great step to building a stronger, healthier place to live here and in Nova Scotia.”

“I am so pleased to see the work commence on the very first replacement,” said Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson. “We have received replacement applications for more than 114 homeowners with straight pipes to date. Through our funding partnership with the Government of Canada, the Province of Nova Scotia, and homeowners, we expect to replace between 75 and 100 straight pipes this year alone. We are well on our way to making the Lower LaHave River straight pipe free by 2023.”

This project is jointly funded by the Department of Infrastructure Canada, the Nova Scotia Department of Environment, and the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg.

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Media contact:

Sarah Kucharski
Communications Officer
(902) 541-1328
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

News release: Municipality to proceed to design stage of new Administration Building

Details
Published: Tuesday, 23 January 2018 19:08

January 23, 2018 / For Immediate Release

BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA – At the Tuesday, January 23, 2018 Council meeting, Council voted to proceed to the design stage for a proposed new Administration Building in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg.

Staff had presented a report developed with Catalyst Consulting Engineers Inc. that outlined a number of potential options for dealing with the 47-year-old Administration building, located at 210 Aberdeen Road in the Town of Bridgewater.

The report outlined numerous deficiencies with the current building, concerns with renovating the building or alternate buildings, such as closed schools, and forthcoming provincial accessibility legislation. Council also reviewed a public engagement report. All reports are available online at www.modl.ca/210Aberdeen and paper copies are available at the Administration Building.

“The condition of the building has been the topic of discussion for nearly a decade, beginning in 2009,” says Mayor Carolyn-Bolivar Getson. “The scope of municipal services has changed substantially over 47 years. Building deficiencies have been identified in air quality, security and work space. In addition, the building does not meet soon-to-be-introduced provincial accessibility legislation. After a thorough evaluation of the options and through extensive public engagement on the issue, Council felt that the construction of a modest building centrally located within the Municipality will be the most effective use of taxpayer’s dollars.”

Designs are expected to be completed for Council and public review in 2018.

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Media contact:

Sarah Kucharski
Communications Officer
(902) 541-1328
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.