Town Departments
Engineering Services facilitates the Town's Capital Program including the preparation of tender documents and supervision of tenders awarded by Council. Engineering is also responsible for the maintenance and upgrading of major structures owned by the Town and for the maintenance of Town-owned infrastructure information, and all related legal documents and agreements, including private parking lots.
Operations Director: Aaron Bourgeois
Phone: 902-667-3352
Email:
Engineering Technician: Jay Crossman
Phone: 902-694-0081
Email:
Public Works operates from the Town Garage on McCully Street in Amherst. The Public Works staff consists of a director, operations manager, transportation foreman, engineering service manager, clerk, and 24 full-time and seasonal employees who are responsible for the planning, operations and maintenance of the town streets, sidewalks, snow and ice removal, traffic control lights located in the town, sewers, storm drainage, equipment and the water utility.
For after-hours Public Works emergencies call our dispatch center at 902-667-7227.
During major snow storms in Amherst, you may call our snowline at 902-664-6000 for information on street conditions and snow clearing/removal within the Town of Amherst.
Maintaining and Repairing Town of Amherst Roads
Potholes, alligator cracking, delamination, seam separation and frost heaves are all caused by the annual thaw-freeze cycle.
Pothole
Potholes are repaired using hot recycled asphalt
Alligator Cracking
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Delamination
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Seam Separation
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Frost Heave
These cannot be repaired until the thaw-freeze cycle ends
Report potholes and other road defects at 902-667-3352.
Potholes
Potholes are created each year through the regular thaw-freeze cycle, which is the reason they seem to proliferate during springtime.
The temperature rises, snow melts, and water seeps through tiny cracks in the pavement into the street’s subbase. When the temperature drops, the water refreezes, becoming ice that expands, which in turn forces the pavement above it and the ground below it to flex. As traffic drives over the flexing street, the pavement weakens.
Eventually, it weakens to the point where the asphalt pops out and exposes the street’s subbase.
Repairs
Town of Amherst Operations Department crews work to repair potholes during the winter and spring. Repairs are triggered by the Town becoming aware of the potholes. This is done through staff monitoring of streets and citizens reporting potholes.
Citizens are encouraged to report potholes. Doing so creates a work order, which triggers an inspection of the pothole. Based on a number of factors – available resources, damage that could occur, size, location, and traffic volume on the street – the pothole is prioritized and addressed.
The greater the hazard, the higher the priority to fix, however, not all potholes need to be, or can be, repaired right away. Some are addressed in other ways, such as with a pylon or barricade.
What Can You Do?
- Slow down
- Avoid driving in puddles where possible
- Report potholes
Reporting Potholes
You can report a pothole by calling customer service at 902-667-3352 or
Director: Aaron Bourgeois
Phone: 902-667-3352
Fax: 902-667-5409
Email:
Public Works Foreman: Jason McBurnie
Phone: 902-694-5279
Email:
Public Works Foreman: Paul Hawkes
Phone: 902-694-0380
Email:
Operations Director: Aaron Bourgeois
Phone: 902-667-3352
Email:
Engineering
Engineering Technician: Jay Crossman
Phone: 902-694-0081
Email:
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation Foreman: Matt Selig
Phone: 902-694-2276
Email:
Recreation Facilities Manager: Corey Crocker
Phone: 902-694-0001
Email:
Public Works
Public Works Foreman: Jason McBurnie
Phone: 902-694-5279
Email:
Public Works Foreman: Paul Hawkes
Phone: 902-694-0380
Email:
Solid Waste
Solid Waste Education & Contract Coordinator: Brenda Rioux
Phone: 902-667-5141
Email:
In Nova Scotia, poverty is prevalent. In fact, as of 2019, more than 41,230 children in this province are living at or below the poverty line. It should also be noted that Nova Scotia has one of the highest rates of disabled persons, at about 30% of the overall population. Here in Cumberland County, in the towns of Amherst and Oxford, the overall rate of poverty is greater than the provincial average.
Immediate, achievable steps need to be taken to ensure the goals of poverty reduction are met. During the last two decades, many government and not-for-profit organizations have worked individually or in collaboration with each other to deliver services for those living in poverty. These attempts are largely focused on managing poverty as opposed to eradicating it. While many positive initiatives resulted from the hard work further efforts are required if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals as outlined by the United Nations.
