Town News
Male Arrested and Facing Multiple Charges
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Amherst Police Department
A 27-year-old Amherst man has been arrested and is facing numerous charges following an incident overnight on March 24th, 2026.
Shortly before 3:00am on March 24th, 2026, Amherst Police were summoned to a residential building in the downtown area concerning a male that had allegedly been making threats and had damaged a door. The male is also currently on court release conditions. When Police arrived, the male was located and allegedly resisted arrest and spit in the face of the one of the officers. He was arrested and lodged in police cells overnight.
Avery Grassing, aged 27, of Amherst Nova Scotia has been charged with:
- Mischief under $5000 – Section 430(4) Criminal Code
- Uttering threats to cause death – Section 264.1(1)(a) Criminal Code
- Fail to comply with undertaking conditions – Section 145(4)(a) Criminal Code (x2)
- Assault on Police Officer – Section 270(2) Criminal Code
- Resist Arrest – 129(a) Criminal Code
Grassing was held in custody overnight and is scheduled to make an appearance in court on March 24th, 2026.
March 23, 2026 Amherst Town Council Highlights
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Amherst Town Council held its regular March meeting on Monday night to address items including:
Volunteers of the Year
In November 2025, a public call was issued for nominations to celebrate volunteers. After thorough review, Council nominated Paul Cormier as the Amherst Volunteer of the Year, Arilynn Menzies as the Youth Volunteer of the Year and the Short family as the Family Volunteers of the Year, to be recognized at the Nova Scotia Provincial Volunteer Awards Ceremony.
The Town thanks all volunteers within our community who go above and beyond to make Amherst a truly special place to live. The Town of Amherst will be honored to recognize all nominated individuals at an event hosted in Amherst on April 21, 2026.
Appointment of Citizens to Boards and Committees
Alex Harrison and Chris Johanneson were each appointed to the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners for a one-year term, beginning April 1, 2026.
Jim Lamplugh was re-appointed to the Planning Advisory Committee for a two-year term, also beginning April 1, 2026.
Policies and Bylaws – Amendments and Adoptions
The Street Light Policy has been amended to better reflect current practices. The updates clarify the purpose of street lighting and how decisions are made, with a focus on safety, accessibility, responsible fiscal management, and long-term asset management.
Recently, staff have been working towards improving the procurement process for both staff and vendors. Changes were approved for the Procurement Policy that include bringing the purchasing threshold limits in line with the limits of the Atlantic Trade and Procurement Partnership and Canada Free Trade Agreement. This change is expected to expedite transactions in the majority of cases and reduce the legal risks to the Town.
Council approved the new Performance Management and Development Policy, which advances an action item identified in the Town’s People Strategy and supports the continued modernization and strengthening of our HR practices.
The purpose of the Inquiries From Council Policy is to ensure that all inquiries or requests for information are consistently directed through the Chief Administrative Officer or, in their absence, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer. Updates were approved that include points of clarification, use of proper pronouns, and adding the Deputy CAO as someone who may receive inquiries or requests for information from Council.
Council approved amendments to the Snow and Ice Management Policy after having directed staff to complete a review, with a focus on road salting service levels. Salting will be expanded to include priority-2 streets, and the term “as needed” has been replaced with “when conditions warrant,” which is now clearly defined in the policy. Overall, the updates provide clearer direction and greater flexibility in managing winter operations.
The Commercial Development Support Program Bylaw was adopted in September of 2017 and allows a property owner who is undertaking a new construction or a significant expansion to phase in the increased taxes over a ten-year period. Amendments include phasing in taxes for the new assessment over five years and capping the maximum payable annual rebate at $100,000. These changes will only impact new agreements from May 1, 2026. Given the significant capital investment in the new business park, these changes will allow the Town to recoup costs earlier and grow the assessment base to the benefit of all taxpayers. The amended bylaw has been adopted.
Public Participation Opportunity - 1 Albion Street
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Development Agreement Application
The Town of Amherst invites you to attend a Public Participation Opportunity regarding an application for a Development Agreement on the property located at 1 Albion Street (PID 25009432) to permit the construction of a 24-unit and 12-unit Apartment Building.
A Public Participation Opportunity will be held on Monday, March 30th, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in Town Hall Council Chambers, 98 East Victoria Street, Amherst, NS.
The purpose of the meeting is to provide an overview of the proposal followed by an opportunity for questions and comments. At a later date, a summary of the meeting will be provided to the Planning Advisory Committee who will consider a recommendation to Amherst Town Council.
Written submissions in support of or opposition to the proposal will be accepted in advance. These should be directed to Natalie LeBlanc, Municipal Clerk at 98 East Victoria Street, or by emailing
For additional information please visit the current application section of the Town of Amherst website (https://www.amherst.ca/development-applications.html) or contact Torben Laux, Land Use Planner at 902-667-3352 or by email to
Natalie LeBlanc
Municipal Clerk
Notice of Adoption: New Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Amherst Town Council, at a meeting held on November 24, 2025, adopted a new Municipal Planning Strategy & Land Use Bylaw which governs all aspects of land use and development within the Town.
The documents are in effect as of the date of publication of this notice. Copies of the documents are available for viewing at Amherst Town Hall during regular business hours, or on the Town of Amherst website at https://www.amherst.ca/planning-economic-development.html
Natalie LeBlanc
Municipal Clerk
Male Charged with Threats, Possession of Weapon and Resist Arrest
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Amherst Police Department
A 26-year-old Amherst man is facing numerous charges as a result of an incident at a local Robert Angus Drive area business.
On March 14th, 2026, shortly after 4:00pm, Amherst Police were summonsed to a local business located in the area of Robert Angus Drive concerning a male who was allegedly causing a disturbance and making numerous threats to harm both staff and customers of the business. The male was located and fled from police, but was arrested and held in custody.
Riley Fillmore, aged 26 of Amherst NS has been charged with:
- Section 175(1) Criminal Code – Causing a Disturbance in a Public Place
- Section 129(a) Criminal Code – Resist Arrest
- Section 430(4) Criminal Code – Damage to Property
- Section 91(2) Criminal Code – Possession of a Prohibited Weapon
- Section 264.1(1)(a) Criminal Code – Uttering Threats (x2)
Fillmore was remanded into custody for the weekend and is scheduled to make an appearance in court on March 16th, 2026.
Two Arrested and Charged With Robbery
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Amherst Police Department
Two adult males have been arrested and charged following a complaint of robbery with violence being received by the Amherst Police Department on March 10th, 2026.
Shortly before 1:00am, Police received a call advising that a vehicle had stopped on Spring Street and suspects had exited and had allegedly assaulted a male and took his backpack. Another male was also allegedly assaulted during the incident.
Police were able to locate two suspects, the vehicle that allegedly been used as well as the alleged stolen items. The vehicle was towed to APD and the two suspects were arrested and held overnight for court.
Brandon Collins, Aged 22 of Amherst NS has been charged with:
- Robbery – Section 344 Criminal Code of Canada
- Assault – Section 266 Criminal Code of Canada
Cody Smith, aged 24 of Amherst NS has been charged with:
- Robbery – Section 344 Criminal Code of Canada
- Assault – Section 266 Criminal Code of Canada
- Operation of a Motor Vehicle over 80Mg% - Section 320.14(1)(b) Criminal Code of Canada
