News
Notice of Public Hearings
- Details
A Public Hearing for the By-law to Amend the Land Use By-law 25-03 and for 25-04 for the Municipality of Cumberland will be held
4:00 pm, Wednesday, April 23, 2025
in the Council Chambers of the Upper Nappan Service Centre.
Note that this meeting may be rescheduled or conducted online, visit cumberlandcounty.ns.ca to verify meeting schedule.
The purpose of the proposed amendments are as follows:
By-law to Amend the Land Use By-law 25-03
- to rezone 15518 Highway 6, Upper Malagash (PID 25182171) from the Agriculture (AG) Zone to the Country Commercial (CCou) Zone.
By-law to Amend the Land Use By-law 25-04
- to rezone the property between 148 Blue Sea Road and Golden Brook, Malagash Centre (PID 25350869) from the Agriculture (AG) Zone to the Residential Recreation (RRec) Zone.
Hearing documents can be viewed at plancumberland.ca/hearings or by contacting our office at 902-667-1142. Public Hearings are open to the public. You may participate by submitting comments by email to:
Municipality of Cumberland has new Joint Accessibility Plan
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The Municipality of Cumberland, Village of Pugwash and Village of River Hebert have come together to create a new Joint Accessibility Plan with the aim to make Cumberland accessible for all.
On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, municipal council approved the municipality's newest Joint Accessibility Plan as mandated by the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act.
Accessible means that something is easy for anyone to use. People with and without disabilities can use or participate in it fully (e.g. flat sidewalks, job benefits, and documents that anyone can read).
The Joint Accessibility Plan has been developed by the Accessibility Advisory Committee, which is a collaboration between the Municipality of the County of Cumberland, the Village of Pugwash, the Village of River Hebert, the Nova Scotia Accessibility Directorate within the Department of Justice, and members of the public.
The plan organizes actions for the municipality and villages to take.
At least one half of the committee’s members are people with disabilities (or employees who work for people with disabilities).
Municipal staff have spoken with Cumberland residents to hear their opinions about what should be included. The Plan will be reviewed and updated at least every three years in accordance with Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act (2017), or more often as necessary.
Municipality of Cumberland approves $41-million operating budget, $14.3-million capital budget
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The Municipality of Cumberland approved a $41-million operating budget and a $14.3-million capital budget at a special online meeting on Monday, March 31, 2025.
It was the first time in recent memory that the municipality's operating and capital budgets have been brought forward for council's consideration and final approval prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.
The municipality’s commercial assessment values remained relatively flat this year, but residential capped assessment grew by about seven per cent. With the Property Valuation Services Corporation setting the assessment cap at 1.5 per cent, real residential assessment growth, or new assessment, was about 5.5 per cent. This growth produced about $1.5 million in additional tax revenue.
News and Notes from Municipal Council's Jan. 22, 2025 Meeting
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Cumberland municipal council receives Active Living & Recreation Strategy
Cumberland municipal council voted to receive a new Active Living and Recreation Strategy during its Jan. 22, 2025, regular meeting.
In 2023, council identified rural recreation as a priority. This direction aligned with the requirement for the municipality to update the existing recreation strategy that was adopted by council in 2018.
Developing and maintaining an active living strategy every four to five years is a requirement of the Municipal Physical Activity Leadership Program, which is a partnership between the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage and the municipality.
To achieve the stated objectives for the development of a new strategy for the municipality, residents and community partners were engaged to understand their preferences and perceptions of active living and recreation in the municipality.
The overarching purpose for this strategy is to remove barriers to participation and maximizing opportunities for as many people as possible to live a healthy active lifestyle and improving their quality of life.
Council approves first reading of land-use by-law regarding undersized lots
During its January regular meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, Cumberland municipal council approved first reading of a bylaw to amend the land-use by-law to amend to requirements surrounding the development of undersized lots.
A public hearing will be scheduled prior to second reading.
At the request of council, staff have reviewed the existing standards for developing undersized lots, with a focus on the undersized lots in the Recreational Residential Zone (RRec) and the development challenges experienced by owners.
It is not the intent of this review and associated recommendations to engage in a wholesale change to any zone, including the RRec zone, but to assist in the reasonable development of properties in the short term.
From discussions with residents and developers over the last number of years, it appears that the greatest concerns surround the development of smaller, undersized lots, is primarily in the Recreational Residential (RRec) Zone along the ocean shorelines.
Although the focus has been on setbacks from property boundaries, feedback previously received from residents suggest that limits on lot coverage, shoreline/watercourse buffers and the challenges posed by very small lots have similar or greater impacts on development.
It is not the intent of these proposed amendments to make wholesale changes to current shoreline and watercourse buffers, but to allow a controlled approach to development on undersized lots, in the specific circumstances in which the impacts on the environment can be mitigated.
Council approves first reading of amendments to land-use by-law to permit salt brine well in Upper Nappan
Council approved first reading of a bylaw to amend the land use bylaw to rezone a piece of property in Upper Nappan from Agriculture to Rural Industrial to permit the development of a salt brine well for Compass Minerals.
A public hearing will be held prior to second reading.
Currently, the property is part of a network of land parcels that are used for cow pasturing.
Compass Minerals has acquired the mineral rights for the subject property and is now looking to obtain a development permit for the development and operation of a new salt brine well. This would allow Compass Minerals to enhance their current operation and provide a backup source for salt brine acquisition.
The proposed development would be essential for the continued operation of the salt plant, as Compass Minerals is in the process of decommissioning one of their salt wells and will need to replace the decommissioned well to meet production market demands.
Council passes first reading of development agreement for Springhill property
Council also approved first reading of a development agreement for 2 King St., Springhill.
A public hearing will be held prior to second reading.
The property is currently zoned Lower Density Residential (RLow) and is located on the outskirts of a residential neighbourhood, adjacent to the Springhill Industrial Park.
The current property owner would like to re-open a commercial business on the property, a tire and auto parts store.
The existing structure was previously a small retail and small engine repair establishment.
Council defeats motion asking for draft by-law regarding operation of food trucks
Cumberland municipal council defeated a motion by District 6 Coun. Scott Lockhart asking staff to draft a by-law regarding the operation and location of food trucks.
Cumberland municipal council approves new hospitality policy
Cumberland municipal council has approved a new hospitality policy for the municipality as required by the Municipal Government Act.
The policy provides direction and guidance respecting hospitality expenses while ensuring hospitality is offered in an accountable, economical and consistent manner while making sure taxpayers’ dollars are used prudently and responsibly.
A hospitality event is a reception, ceremony, conference or other event that involves hosting individuals from outside the municipality – hosting foreign dignitaries; engaging in official public matters with representatives from other governments, business, industry, labour or community leaders; sponsoring or hosting conferences, hosting ceremonies/recognition events and other official functions as approved by the CAO, his or her designate or council.
Municipal council approves new student bursary policy
Cumberland municipal council has approved a new student bursary policy.
In recent years, Cumberland County’s seven high schools have presented bursaries from the municipality amount to $1,000 per school.
Students receiving the bursaries must be residents of the municipality.
The policy establishes consistent guidelines for awarding the bursaries to deserving students. They are aimed a recognizing and supporting academic achievement, leadership potential and community involvement among eligible students.
Christie Blackie approved as new member of municipality’s Accessibility Advisory Committee
Cumberland municipal council has approved the appointment of Christie Blackie, acting clerk of the Village of Pugwash, to the municipality’s Accessibility Advisory Committee.
The committee was established in 2021 and consists of representatives from the municipality as well as the Villages of Pugwash and River Hebert. The committee gives advice to council on removing obstacles for people with disabilities in all the municipality’s programs and services and putting our ideas into action to make life simpler and better for people with disabilities.
At least one half of the members of the committee must have a disability (or represent an organization that serves people with disabilities).
Update on the Public Sewer By-law Process
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In June 2019, council asked staff to streamline all existing Sewer By-laws into a common document. Over the summer of 2019, staff worked to compare and compile the 6 existing by-laws into one. Care was taken to look at the best practices of neighbouring and similar municipalities, and to consider the most common approach in the existing documents.
At the October 23, 2019 council meeting, a draft of the compiled by-law was presented to council and council asked that staff engage the public before moving forward.
Four public information sessions were held in November 2019. At the November 27, 2019 council meeting a report was provided by staff on the comments and suggestions heard from the public. Council directed staff to maintain individual system rates for determining sewer charges and also directed staff to investigate the feasibility of a metered sewer rate in areas that also have metered water services.
It is important to note that by investigating this option, the passing and adoption of a new Public Sewer By-law will be postponed until the new year. This means that the previously announced deadline to advise property owners of their sewer assessment by December 31, 2019, will need to be extended until February 28, 2020.
Council and staff are grateful to the residents who attended the information sessions and provided feedback.
For the pdf staff report to council on the public engagement sessions(214 KB) .