News

Solid Waste Pick-Up Sept 23 postponed due to weather

Due to the expected weather, solid waste collection in the Municipality of Cumberland regularly scheduled for September 23 will occur September 26.

Weather Statement for Sept 22 -23, 2020

Environment Canada has issued a special weather information statement for Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020 and Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Residents in the Cumberland Region may face heavy rain and strong winds.Cumberland Regional Emergency Management officials are urging citizens to prepare a 72-hour emergency kit, have potable water on hand, charge their cellphones and ensure generators are fueled and operating properly.

Job Posting: Junior Accountant

The Municipality of the County of Cumberland currently accepting resumes for a Junior Accountant.

News from the Cliffs of Fundy - The Cliffs Are Growing

Business is booming at the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark! September has been a busy month already as we moved into our permanent office in Debert and welcomed a new member to our team.

Park on Mechanic Street to honour important citizen

Municipal Council approved naming the park on Mechanic Street in Springhill the Sharpe Splash and Play Park, in honour of Bev Sharpe. Sharpe was vital in fundraising for the initial construction of the park. A recent fire resulted in a renovated park with the addition of a splashpad.

Major Rural Broadband Network in Cumberland and Colchester

One of the largest optic fibre-based high speed internet networks in rural Canada is being built in the Municipalities of Colchester and Cumberland. An Agreement between the Municipalities and Xplornet Communications Inc. was signed on August 21st following unanimous approval of both Councils.

“This considerable investment paves the way for a bright future for our region” said Cumberland Warden Al Gillis at the online signing event. Colchester Mayor Christine Blair pointed to the value of municipal collaboration: “Our work together on broadband and the new Geopark should be celebrated.” The Cumberland-Colchester project was selected for funding by Develop Nova Scotia in its first round of approvals under the Internet for Nova Scotia Initiative. A Joint Internet Improvement Committee made up of Councillors and staff is overseeing the municipal component of the project.

Xplornet will invest $34 million toward the $61.1 million project. The Province will contribute $21.1 million from the Nova Scotia Internet Funding Trust. The two Municipalities will pay a combined $6 million over the next three to five years. Cumberland’s share will be $3,327,600 and Colchester’s $2,672,400, reflecting the amount of fibre in each jurisdiction. The network infrastructure will be Open Access for other internet service providers to rent wholesale capacity.

The network will consist of 19 fixed-wireless towers and approximately 670 kilometres of optic fibre, including over 500 km. of new fibre. It will have capacity to serve 100% of civic addresses in the combined Counties, including 24,400 addresses currently not covered. Wireless services require line-of-sight. Xplornet will offer up to 100 Mbps service to 22,500 of these currently underserved addresses and up to 50 Mbps satellite service for the remaining 1,900 addresses. As many as 3,500 civic addresses will have access to fibre-to-the-home service. Unlimited data packages priced at $99 will be available.

A unique aspect of the project is acquisition by the Municipalities of Cumberland and Colchester of use of two pairs of ‘dark fibres’ (optic fibres for exclusive use) on the entire new network. This will position the Municipalities to partner on innovative ventures in coming years. “At Xplornet, we have been proud to take the lead in expanding high-speed Internet to rural homes and businesses in Nova Scotia,” said Jeff Burlock, Executive Vice-President and Co-Founder of Xplornet, “ Colchester and Cumberland believe in a bright future for rural communities, and we’re excited to be working with them.”

The project is well underway, with new wireless service offered in many areas. Network completion is expected within three years.

Media contact:
Mark Austin, Economic Developer
Municipality of Colchester
902 956 2711

Parrsboro Wastewater System Treatment Plant Overview

A overview of the Parrsboro Wastewater System & Treatment Plant project has been published here: https://cumberlandcounty.ns.ca/parrsboro-wastewater-system-treatment-plant.html

The information provided in the overview is intended to give the residents of the community of Parrsboro a summary of the wastewater collection and treatment plant project, from conception to present day.

Springhill Water Utility Customers - Water Conservation Advisory

The prolonged hot, dry weather has resulted in low water levels in Leamington Brook, which supplies the Springhill Water Utility.

In order to conserve water, the Springhill Water Utility is instituting mandatory water conservation restrictions for all residents and businesses supplied by the Springhill Water Utility, until further notice.

The water conservation measures include:

No lawn, garden, plant watering or other outside water usage
No car/RV or other vehicle washing at home.
Commercial car washes remain available for the time being.

Other measures residents can do to help conserve water include:

Repair leaking plumbing fixtures
Take shorter showers
Install low flow shower heads and appliances
Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
Turn off the water while brushing teeth

These water restrictions are being implemented to maintain essential water service for all customers and protect the Leamington Brook watershed. Conserving water will help avoid a potentially serious situation involving boil water orders or future water outages.

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