News Archives
St. Margaret’s Bay
Our New Economy Forum
ONE Forum - Charting Our Course in St. Margaret’s Bay
The New Economy Forum was held at the St. Margaret Sailing Club on Saturday, November 15, 2014.
It was a lively and impassioned event with particpation from Bay organizations including:
St. Margaret’s Bay Chamber of Commerce
Hubbards and Area Business Association
St. Margaret’s Bay Tourism Association
St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association
Transition Bay St Margarets
St. Margaret’s Bay Seniors Association
Destination Bluenose Coast Association
Aspotogan Heritage Trust
St. Margaret Sailing Club
Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust
St. Margaret’s Bay Rails to Trails Association
The time to act for building a new economy in the Bay is NOW – this is the lesson of the 2014
Ivany Report. Innovative ideas and approaches are needed to build resilience
into our local economy for the long-term.
The one-day forum concentrated on ways to connect and collaborate across all community
stakeholders, consider bold new possibilities, and together chart a new course for
a vibrant new local economy. Among the many issues raised were senior citizen's housing,
tourism development, small business support, support for our youth, transportation,
fisheries, food production, forestry, new industries, and sustainability
A detailed report of the Forum
Watch a slideshow of the People at the Forum below
MANAGING THE WESTERN CROWN LANDS FOR THE LONG-TERM
Many helpful observations and suggestions were brought forward at the St. Margaret’s
Bay Stewardship Association’s open house on October 20th.
Over two hundred keenly interested citizens attended at the Hubley Centre.
The evening ended with the rallying cry.
Buy Back the Mersey Again
The meeting focused on two main requirements:
(1) tangible and transparent forest use plans;
and (2) meaningful public involvement in the development and management of these plans.
The meeting then considered 5 proposed ‘solutions’ – identifying what has to change to get
back to the commitment to put the continuing health of the forest first, and to pursue
forest plans and use allocations on a collaborative basis.
These proposed solutions, or ‘principles in action’, have been re-cast following the open house
to try to capture key points raised in the discussion. The five recommendations are designed
to provide practical ways the government can better align the policies and practices of DNR Forestry
with the forest management principles and approaches set out in EGSPA
and the Natural Resources Strategy.
A Letter was sent to the Premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil and his Minsiters by Cathy Crouse
of the Stewardship Association which included proposals for moving forward
with these issues of vital public concern;
To read the Letter to the Premier and Proposals. Click Here
An article by Bob Bancroft
Time to Clean House at Natural Resources
Partial Victory: Ingram River Clearcuts
Questions Remain
Thanks to Everyone who signed Petitions and wrote Letters
On Friday February 27th there were two announcements
from the Minister of Natural Resources
1.) The size of the clearcuts at the Ingram were cut back, and their impact reduced, FOR THE TIME BEING.
2.) The release of the Mersey Woodlands Advisory Committee's Report, the "Beanlands-Dagley Report,"
on last fall's contentious clearcut on Panuke Lake on environmentally sensitive lands.
The report makes some excellent recommendations to DNR as to how they might improve
their management process.
Where you can find the report as well as the government's response to it.
On April 15, 2015 The Bay Treasure Chest completed its first full year of operations,and what a year it was!
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Total Proceeds From Draws - $253,388
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Prizes paid out - $126,694
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Total Expenses - $12,437
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Float Retained - $100
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Net Paid to 5 Non-Profit Community Organizations - $114,157
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Watch Slide Show of Bay Treasure Chest Organizations and Work
Watch a short video on You Tube showing how the counting and the
