Amherst Town Council held its regular January meeting on Monday night (Rescheduled from January 26) to address items including:
North Tyndal Wellfield Land Acquisition
Council approved purchase of a 120-acre parcel of vacant forest land for $90,000, to be paid from the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change Nature Agreement. Over the past five years, the Town has been acquiring land in and around the North Tyndal Wellfield through programs aiming to protect Canada’s land and fresh water.
Christie Foundation Donation
A request was approved for the Town to receive a donation from the Dr. & Mrs. H.E. Christie Foundation in the amount of $10,000, which the Town will then issue as a donation to Cumberland County Minor Hockey Association, to assist with player and coach development programs. The Town has accepted donations of this nature in the past and provided a donation acknowledgement letter to the donor, and disbursed funds to the requested recipient.
Write Off Uncollectable Accounts Receivable
Staff have identified a listing of accounts as being uncollectible after all reasonable collection efforts were exhausted. In most cases the account owners have declared bankruptcy, have no assets, or are deceased. Council approved the proposed list of write off uncollectible accounts in the amount of $44,334.07.
Decisions Regarding Policies
Council repealed the Joint Councils Terms of Reference Policy, which was originally created to help facilitate cooperation and collaboration between the Town of Amherst, the Municipality of the County of Cumberland, and the Town of Oxford. Since the implementation of the Policy, only a handful of Joint Council Meetings have been held. Repealing this policy will not remove the ability for the Councils to work collaboratively together and to meet as needed.
Amendments were approved to the Requests for Proclamations and Flag Raising Ceremonies Policy. The Town conducts a large number of flag raisings every year which include hosting formal outdoor ceremonies. Due to weather, street noise, sometimes low attendance and other factors, holding outdoor ceremonies is not always ideal. The new policy has most ceremonies held in the newly renovated Town Hall lobby which is accessible and more conducive to speaking and gathering. Our three signature flag raisings – African Heritage Month, Pride Month, and National Indigenous Peoples Day – will continue to be held outside at the flag poles as these are the most attended events and are core to our accessibility, inclusion, diversity and equity strategy. When requested, these three events may also have an indoor component.
Financial Support for Community Organizations
In May of 2025 Amherst Town Council awarded a community support grant of $8,000 for improvements to the Amherst Curling Club, specifically for the installation of new siding. The Amherst Curling Club contacted several contractors in early 2025, however were unable to secure anyone to do the required work, making it not practical to proceed with the project in 2025. Town Council approved a carryover of these funds into fiscal year 2026/27 so the work can be completed this year.
Council approved a funding request from the YMCA of Cumberland in the amount of $9.000, to assist with phase one planning of a potential facility expansion. This study will bring the YMCA, Amherst and Cumberland closer to determining how best to utilize the current and potentially adjacent space at the YMCA for recreational and community services.
pdf A PDF version of this media release is available for download here(188 KB) .
