Written by: Kevin Latimer, KC. Four years after the consolidation of two Nova Scotia municipalities, it appears as if citizens of the new Regional Municipality of West Hants are reaping benefits. The former Municipality of West Hants and Town of Windsor had existed as neighbouring, but independent, municipalities for more than two centuries. But late […]
Now that two provincial governments have taken steps to streamline municipal decision-making on priority issues, maybe it’s time for municipal governments to consider whether, in the public interest, they themselves should examine ways to streamline other municipal processes. In both Ontario and Nova Scotia, provincial governments have dramatically changed the balance of power, ensuring that, […]
Twelve years after the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment introduced a Canada-Wide Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), it’s time for Nova Scotia to consider shifting the burden of waste management from municipalities to producers. In a traditional waste management system, municipalities are responsible for operating waste collection and management. With EPR […]
A 10 year review of appeals of municipal planning decisions before the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) shows that the UARB rarely overturns decisions of municipal councils and even more rarely if the appeal has been launched by interested citizens. Appeals by developers have been marginally more successful. But it would be wrong […]