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Mahone Bay is proud to be a successful recipient of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF2), a transformative $400 million initiative from the Government of Canada, delivered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The HAF is designed to remove barriers and encourage local action to build more homes, support affordable housing, and create diverse, climate-resilient communities across the country. Through the second round of HAF funding, Mahone Bay is receiving over $400,000 to move forward with its Housing Action Plan, which includes five key initiatives:
As part of this agreement, the Town aims to permit 36 new housing units by April 2029. Town staff highlighted several important achievements supported by HAF funding, including:
To date, Mahone Bay has permitted approximately 20% of its overall housing growth target in the first six months of a four-year commitment. The Town has launched a new online engagement platform, Get On Board Mahone Bay (www.getonboardmahonebay.ca), inviting stakeholders, community members, and potential new residents to join the conversation on priority projects, including housing. “The concrete actions taken by Mahone Bay show what’s possible when all levels of government work together toward a common goal,” says Jessica Fancy, Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margarets. “This project is another important step forward in our bold and ambitious plan to build a stronger Canada.” “As we look ahead, we know that housing happens when the right people come together,” says Mayor Suzanne Lohnes-Croft. “The Town is opening up more ways to connect, and we’d love to talk with you about how we can work together to bring more homes to our community and make the most of your property. Whether you’re just starting to think about possibilities or ready to take the next step, our team is here to listen, answer questions, and help you explore what’s possible.” With growing demand for housing driven by regional growth; the twinning of Highway 103; and Mahone Bay’s appeal to families and retirees, the Town is ready to grow. Mahone Bay welcomes developers, builders, investors, and landowners to be part of this exciting momentum.  Please be advised that the public washrooms on Edgewater Street will be closed starting this Sunday, November 2 at 7:00 PM. They will reopen on Saturday, November 8 at 8:00 AM. This temporary closure is needed so we can install a new accessible entrance and finish the surrounding walkways. These improvements are part of the Edgewater washroom renovation project and will help make the facilities easier and safer for everyone to use. Thank you for your patience while we complete these upgrades.  Thursday, November 13 is a dedicated training day for the Town team, reinforcing our commitment to leadership in workplace and community health, safety, and emergency preparedness. Through in-depth Joint Occupational Health and Safety training, the Town team gain the knowledge and tools needed to foster a safe, supportive, and accountable work environment. This includes best practices in communication, confidentiality, safe work procedures, enforcement of standards, and effective response and follow-up for workplace incidents. In addition, most Town staff are certified in First Aid and CPR and trained in Emergency Management through REMO. These skills ensure we are ready to support each other, our community, and the wider region in times of need. A well-prepared team builds a resilient community and we are committed to continuing our investment in safety, skill-building, and leadership for our Town.  Town Hall will be welcoming Trick-or-Treaters this Friday, October 31 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Stop by for sweets, smiles, and a little spidery Halloween magic. We can’t wait to see your costumes! And speaking of costumes and creativity… the Halloween spirit is alive and well here at the Town! Our team has been getting into the spooky season with our annual pumpkin decorating and carving challenge and trust us, the creativity… and friendly competition… has been fun. From late-night carving to crafty masterpieces, these pumpkins give a charming peek into some of the personalities that make up our Town team! Boo to you!  Water stewardship is our shared responsibility, and our shared future. Water sustains every one of us: our families, our homes, the land. And right now, our watershed is struggling, and every drop truly matters. Each small act of care like turning off the tap when brushing or soaping hands, shortening a shower to 5 minutes, placing a brick or filled water bottle in your toilet cistern to reduce flush water, and collecting rainwater helps protect the source we all depend on. Be a water steward. Protect our water source, Mahone Bay!  Planned water shut offs impacting residents, businesses and churches this week. Water upgrades and testing of new systems continue on Edgewater Street. Please note there will be upcoming water shut offs affecting these areas: • Parish and Orchard Streets: Tuesday, October 28, from 4 - 8 p.m. • Edgewater Street: Wednesday, October 29, from 4 - 8 p.m. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we complete this work.  The Town extends heartfelt congratulations to Mahone Bay United (MBU) on receiving the 2025 Recreation Nova Scotia Event and Program Excellence Award! Nominated by the Lunenburg - Queens recreation community and directors, this award is a testament to the dedication, passion, and teamwork that define the club. Accepted this week by Juliette Kouwenberg-Haughn, Tim Merry, and Francis Kangata in Sydney, Cape Breton during the Recreation Nova Scotia Conference, this well-deserved recognition highlights MBU’s outstanding commitment to affordable, accessible, and community-driven soccer programming for youth and adults alike. This award shines a light on the incredible community support and volunteerism that benefit so many in Mahone Bay and surrounding areas, both behind the scenes and on the field. The Town is so grateful to everyone who gives so generously of their time and energy. We’re so fortunate to have this incredible club rooted in our town, and as proud partners, we look forward to seeing MBU continue to grow from strength to strength.  The Edgewater Landscaping Working Group met on Thursday, October 23rd for a great follow-up meeting to finalize design details and start planning for Spring! Back in August, Council approved the draft landscaping plan developed by Gordon Ratcliffe with helpful input from community members and partners. Since then, staff and engineers have been fine-tuning the concrete design work, set to be completed this Fall by Harbour Construction, to make sure everything is accessible and fits smoothly with the rest of the project. During the meeting, the group reviewed updated design plans, talked about Spring plans like planting, benches on the trail, picnic tables, bike racks, signage, and plantings, as well as potential small modifications to create more green space and traffic calming on Edgewater Road. A big thank you to all the community members and partners who keep bringing their ideas and enthusiasm to this project.  Council visited Edgewater Street on Tuesday to check on the project’s progress and meet with the Construction, Engineering, and Project Management teams. The visit was a chance to talk more about what defines an active transportation route or multi-use trail, and to look at possible small design changes, such as slightly wider medians in some areas to allow for more trees and traffic-calming features along Edgewater between the trail and the road. It was a valuable opportunity to see where community ideas might be included, and to consider how these changes fit with engineering standards, construction plans, funding rules, and overall costs. Council appreciate all the feedback received and are working quickly to keep the project on track and deliver the best outcome for the community.  The Town of Mahone Bay Water Utility regrets to inform all residents that current water conservation efforts are not enough to support the recovery of our critically low watershed. With very little rainfall forecast, immediate and collective action is essential to protect our community’s water supply. We urge every resident and water user to strictly follow the mandatory water conservation measures previously listed. Every drop counts and every effort matters. Ask yourself this: Could your household manage on only 4 litres of water per person per day? Many of your neighbours just outside of town, living with low or dry wells, are managing thanks to the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg’s Temporary Water Relief Program, which provides 4 litres of bottled water per person per day (up to four x 4L jugs per household) for residents experiencing clean water shortages. Let’s act now to avoid reaching that point in our own community. Together, we can protect this vital resource.  |
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