News
Voluntary water conservation measures advisory
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Due to the prolonged period of minimal precipitation, the Cumberland County Water Utility is requesting that customers follow voluntary water conservation measures until further notice.
The Utility operates three municipal water systems in Springhill, Parrsboro and Pugwash. The Springhill system is surface water fed while both Parrsboro and Pugwash are ground water fed. Utility staff are monitoring all three systems. The Springhill system is supplied by Leamington Brook in Rodney. While the brook is not at extremely low levels, staff have observed a reduction in flow. Staff are also monitoring pumping volumes in all three systems.
We are putting these voluntary measures in place out of an abundance of caution, in the hope that we can voluntarily reduce volume consumed thereby reducing the draw on all three systems and preserving the resource.” CAO Greg Herrett said.
Cliffs of Fundy Geopark hosts UNESCO evaluation team in Cumberland and Colchester
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Dr. Artur Sa is a first-time visitor to Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark in Cumberland and Colchester counties, but he plans to come back to experience the international park again.
Sa, a native of Portugal, and Iceland’s Dr. Sigurdur Sigursveinsson spent several days in both counties recently doing an evaluation of the Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark’s status as a UNESCO attraction.
“We’ve already experienced many other geoparks around the world and this is really beautiful. It’s my first time here and the Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark has been a wonderful experience,” said Dr. Sa during a stopover at First Beach on Parrsboro Harbour on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. “I put myself in the shoes of a tourist who came from Canada or abroad and I know they would really enjoy this natural beauty.”
The Cliffs of Fundy Global Geopark stretches from Lower Truro in Colchester County and extends along the Fundy shoreline to Apple River in Cumberland County. The area was awarded its official status as a UNESCO global geopark in 2020.
Part of the process includes periodic validations or evaluations that either approves of the park’s progress or suggests ways to improve and maintain its status as part of a growing network of global geoparks.
Parrsboro millennium time capsule offers a glimpse back to July 2000
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In mid-July 2000, then U.S. President Bill Clinton welcomed the president of Israel and the head of the Palestinian Authority to Camp David for a peace summit in an effort to end strife in the Middle East.
At the same time, a group of people in the former town of Parrsboro were coming together to place a time capsule in town hall in celebration of the new millennium. A quarter century later, a few of those people came together once again to reopen the capsule at its new home in the Parrsboro Service Centre.
“It’s a real walk down memory lane,” Gleneida Canning said while watching the box containing numerous items from July 2000 be opened by Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy. “The millennium committee wanted to do something special to mark the occasion and the idea of a time capsule was something that was quite popular. A lot of people participated. It was a great community project and a way to help mark the new millennium.”
Canning was a member of town council at the time and served on the millennium committee with the late mayor Doug Robinson, teachers Norma Collison and David Skidmore, Alice Patterson and April Strong.
A centrepiece of the time capsule was a small chest of letters students from Parrsboro’s schools wrote to themselves in 2000. The goal of the millennium committee was for those letters to be returned to students in July 2025 after the capsule was opened.
Collison, a teaching vice-principal at Parrsboro Elementary at the time, remembers the project as if it were yesterday.
“We were all excited about it. We got all the students to write letters to have them involved in it,” she said. “I didn’t know if we’d see it again with everything that’s gone on. I am so happy to see it again. I haven’t seen it since it was sealed.”
Collison is hoping those who wrote the letters are able to get their copies so they can learn what they wrote to themselves at the turn of the millennium.
“I remember everyone of those names. Quite a few of them are still here in the area, but sadly, some have passed away,” she said.
News from Cumberland municipal council's July 16 special meeting
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Cumberland municipal council approves its 2025-26 priorities
Cumberland municipal council adopted its 2025-26 priorities during a special council meeting on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
The 2025-26 priorities document was created through combining the information that council generated through your priority setting exercise, with a similar exercise that senior staff completed.
The five priorities council determined as most important for 2025-26 include plan for the hub fire service model, options for River Hebert water, improving infrastructure for new development, develop an approach to tourism and community capacity planning.
There are also several operational priorities, arranged by department.
Municipality of Cumberland Provides $913,000 in Grants to Community Organizations
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Each year the Municipality of Cumberland supports numerous organizations through County General Grants and 2025-26 is no different with the municipality providing in excess of $910,000 to close to approximately 70 organizations in support of programs and events with the aim of promoting arts, culture, tourism and recreation.
Mayor Rod Gilroy was joined recently by Deputy Mayor Fred Gould and Councillors Marchel Strong, Jennifer Houghtaling, Scott Lockhart and Angel McCormick in presenting cheques to representatives of various organizations at the Upper Nappan Service Centre, the River Hebert-Joggins Community Centre, the Pugwash Farmers Market, the Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre in Springhill and Ship’s Company Theatre in Parrsboro.
“We’re extremely pleased the municipality is able to provide support to many community organizations every year,” Mayor Gilroy said. “These organizations are made up of volunteers who provide a valuable service in their communities, including museums, recreational organizations and community centers and many non-profit organizations.
“These are valuable services that we could not replace.”