MHACCCA

It's time to turn visions into realities

Nature Conservancy of Canada protects wildlife habitat on the Musquodoboit River

In the fall of 2016, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) announced its first conservation project on the lower Musquodoboit River, near Musquodoboit Harbour. The project features 25 kilometres of river frontage near Gibraltor Rock, along with wetlands, intact floodplains, and mature hemlock and softwood forest. The Musquodoboit Valley is an important area for conservation not only because of its rare landscape, but because it provides habitat for threatened species, including two species of turtles and several species of migratory birds.  The Nature Conservancy of Canada is protecting one of the most untouched sections of the Musquodoboit River, which has, in many places upstream, been altered by mining, forestry and agriculture.

In July 2017 NCC conserved an additional 166 acres on the Musquodoboit River, bringing the total area protected to approximately 500 acres.  The areas conserved by NCC connect to Nova Scotia’s White Lake and Ship Harbour-Long Lake Wilderness Areas, creating an extensive corridor ideal for wildlife. From the point of view of nature lovers and visitors to the Eastern Shore, one of the best features of NCC’s new properties is they are located on the well-maintained Musquodoboit Trailway, making these nature reserves an accessible wilderness for hikers and cyclists to enjoy.  As with all NCC-protected areas, the Musquodoboit River nature reserves are open to the public and available for light recreation and traditional uses.

The Musquodoboit River properties were protected with the support of the Government of Canada’s Natural Area Conservation Program, the North American Wetlands Conservation Agreement (NAWCA), the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust, Halifax Regional Municipality/Community Grants Fund, Nova Scotia Habitat Conservation Fund, Nova Scotia Habitat Conservation Fund (contributions from hunters and trappers) and many local donors and supporters.  Along with properties on the lower Musquodoboit River, NCC has now conserved more than 1,600 acres (640 hectares) in the Musquodoboit Harbour area for wildlife habitat and for people to enjoy. 

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is the nation’s leading land conservation organization.  Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped protect more than 2.8 million acres, including 34,000 acres of ecologically-significant sites in Nova Scotia.  As a not-for-profit, NCC relies on government, community partners and private donors to support its land conservation efforts.  To learn more or find out how you can get involved:

http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/nova-scotia/

Kathryn Morse
Atlantic Director of Communications
Nature Conservancy of Canada | Atlantic Region
T: 902.405.4334 Ext. 3304 | Toll free: 1.866.319.5985
[email protected] | www.natureconservancy.ca

 

Ekistics Master Conceptual Plan… What is it?

“It takes a village to raise a plan.”

Ekistics is a process of engagement. Done right, Community Development Plans (also known as Master Conceptual Plans) provide an invaluable road map for communities for years into the future. What were once rural communities on the distant fringes of small urban areas are now becoming bedroom communities and commercial growth centres at the edge of larger growth cores.

With the adoption of the RP+5 Regional Plan, Musquodoboit has become a Rural District Growth Centre for the regional municipality. We have applied to all three levels of Government. Once funding is made available to us, Ekistics will be our partners to conceive, design, and implement a community development strategy for Musquodoboit Harbour and Area. The MHACCCA is hopeful we will receive funding by mid Spring 2016 so we can begin work on the “Ekistics Master Conceptual Plan” for our area.

The Ekistics process harnesses residents’ and business’ big ideas and transforms them into actionable and implementable projects, administrative structures and strategic priorities. This process will allow us to implement tender documents and construction administration for capital works projects. It harnesses actionable ideas from the community. These ideas must be filtered through a professional lens to ensure that the plans don’t just become static artistic visions.

Though the municipal plan was updated in 2006, there have been sporadic updates to the land use bylaws, and there have been some high level visions created for the community.

This project is about drilling down in detail from the vision and policies to identify specific projects and implementation mechanisms that will guide the community and foster economic development over the next 5-10 years or more.

Without the ability to construct, design can quickly become very expensive artwork. Ekistics’ ability to detail, process, and oversee construction on designed projects is unrivaled in Halifax.

The community has already gone through visioning processes over the last few years; however, there may be some aspects of engagement burn-out. Nonetheless, this is the first step in seeing real projects implemented. It will be important that we engage the community one last time in order to confirm priorities and aspirations.

The final product needs to be the result of a carefully crafted process that combines face-to-face opportunities with online engagement. The final product needs to excite the community and potential developers about the what the future holds. Every successful implementation starts with a realistic and achievable vision. Residents and businesses need to be able to mentally navigate from existing conditions to potential future.

Quotes from the Ekistics Plan & Design team:

“Musquodoboit’s strong natural and physical assets, as well as its amazing community spirit assure the success of this project”

“The village center of Musquodoboit Harbour is a regional growth and service centre between Sheet Harbour and Porter’s lake. It is a mecca for naturalists and hikers”

“The old railbed is a signature asset that should be leveraged for
the community.”

​“It takes a village to raise a plan.”

“Community development begins with infrastructure. Sewer, water and accessible, complete streets”

“Community design starts with community but follows with community economic development”

“Leveraging private investment with strategic public investment
will be crucial for this project’s longterm success”

CONSIDERING THE REGIONAL STRATEGY RP+5

The recently completed HRM Regional Plan provides a high level future land use policy for Musquodoboit as a regional growth centre. This allows for special considerations in the Municipal Plan and Land Use bylaws that haven’t yet been updated to match the Regional Plan.

PHASES 1 – 3 requires funding of $30,920.00 + HST.

The initial phase of this project will include a start-up meeting and walkabout geared towards understanding the background issues more fully for this project. The time line for this phase is fluid but can run anywhere from 3-6 months

CULTIVATING A VILLAGE CENTRE

Rural town centres provide unique opportunities for commercial and mixed use centres. Each solution in a Master Conceptual Plan is distinct and customized to the location and climate. Though the community has hosted previous visioning and engagement sessions, we believe that a vision confirmation and design workshop would serve this projects aims well in the long-run.

What people can expect during the consultation process:

The Design Workshop will attempt to confirm the community vision for Musquodoboit and will try to address the guiding principals and design strategy for the plan. The 2014 Community Vision check-up (based on the 2007 and 2010 visioning process) will be part of the discussion in this design workshop.

The first part usually is geared towards understanding what the community thinks of its current assets and liabilities. The second phase is usually geared towards understanding what the community’s vision is for the future. Public gets real input into the planning process, and the designers get real input from the public, especially about alternate futures.

It will be clear, following this exercise, that there are several, and possibly many, shared goals in the group of people in the room. Generally, people will leave this meeting with a sense of direction and accomplishment. Ideally, the final report recommendations will resonate with people that participated in this meeting.

Ekistics will also host a website and provide a web address where we can monitor survey feedback in real time. We will structure the survey to understand the community’s vision and aspirations for the community. We propose to keep the survey open for the duration of the project.

The Final Report and the benefits to our Communities:

The Conceptual Development Plan will create the framework for municipal priorities over a 20 year time horizon.

1) Introduction and Background

  • Community Context
  • Goals of the Conceptual Development Plan
  • History of the Community
  • Condition Analysis
  • Inventory and Analysis
  • Demographics
  • Assets and Liabilities Maps
  • Literature Review of Past Planning & Branding Work
  • Workshop Outcomes
  • Community Feedback
  • Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

2) The Plan

  • 20- year Vision Statement
  • Individual Physical Projects
  • Conceptual Layout
  • Trail Details
  • Infrastructure Improvements
  • Landscape Improvements
  • Streetscape Design
  • Facade Incentive Program
  • Open Space Plan
  • Future Land Use Plan
  • Signage Recommendations

3) Implementation

  • Priorities and Phasing
  • Capital Cost Estimates
  • Next Steps

Results of Phase 1-3:

We will receive a highly graphic report which can be used as a marketing piece. It will include plans/maps, renderings of key projects, examples and photographs of other inspirational projects which might apply to Musquodoboit Harbour.

We will get 2 hard copies of the MCP and a printable PDF copy of the draft.

PHASE 4:  Turns ‘visions’ into ‘actionable realities’. 

Phase 4 requires funding of $20,040.00 + HST to get working drawings on the actionable and ranked items inside the report. Working drawings include current costing and timelines which are key to being ‘shovel ready’ – and ‘shovel worthy’.

NB:  Any membership in our Chamber helps us to fund the Master Conceptual Plan. Show your support by downloading & printing a membership form here.  Membership forms can be mailed in or dropped off at any of our meetings. Forms can also be picked up at Rowling’s Service Station in the harbour.  With much thanks from the MHACCCA.

Silence is not consent.

We on the Shore cannot afford to stay silent anymore. To build a future, we as communities must become the authors of our own destinies.

The Musquodoboit Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs is listening. We want to hear our community’s voice.

​For years our “rural district growth centre” (which we prefer to call a “village”) has been sidelined, our immediate concerns appeased as the various, ever-changing government bodies include us in the “next study”, the next “strategic plan”.  As a result, we have quietly shivered on the benches while the coach focused on the major players. The trouble is, the “coach” has basically forgotten about us. The top players (urban) are shining stars demanding a great deal of their time, and that means the sideliners (rural) will have to wait. Except the clock is ticking, and we’re running out of time. It’s time to grab a mitt and get in the game, folks.

We need you on our team. Check out our website (http://www.musquodoboitharbourchamber.com), come to our January meeting, buy a membership, and help us hit a home run for the Shore.

Musquodoboit Harbour has joined the growing list of “declining rural communities”, overwhelmed by urban planning strategies, tax increases, and urban-centric By-Laws. Who should be the most concerned? Communities east of the Harbour: West Jeddore, Head Jeddore, East Jeddore, Oyster Pond, Ostrea Lake, Clam Harbour, Lake Charlotte, Ship Harbour, Debaie’s Cove, and everyone in between. Those living to the west need not be overly anxious, since their proximity to the city guarantees their growth. But if you live farther east of the economic centres of commerce like Musquodoboit Harbour and Sheet Harbour, the decline means life could get a whole lot more difficult for you and your family. If the gas station, grocery store, hardware store, or lunch spot you use on a regular basis ever closes down, life just got complicated. You might even decide it’s just too expensive and time-consuming to live in this area anymore. Every time that happens, our team loses a player.

We are not alone in this dilemma. Rural communities exist all across Canada, and many are in decline due to the urban-centric political focus. What happens if these towns and villages cease to exist?

If we don’t come together and try to fix our own problems, other people’s ideas of a solution will be imposedupon us. They will take advantage of the lack of direction on our part, and what results might not end up being the best solution for the majority of people.

If we do nothing, we have no right to be shocked or upset when it happens.

So, based on the success achieved by a similar rural community (Sheet Harbour), we have taken solid steps forward. On January 20 2016, we invite you to learn about the future of Musquodoboit Harbour and to be a concrete contributor to that future. We have requested funding from all three levels of government to help us fund an “Ekistics Master Conceptual Plan” (http://www.ekistics.net/). Based on our members’ ideas, Ekistics will put together a full, well planned, well conceived plan for our community, turning our “visions” to projects which are “shovel-ready”. Since these plans will be complete with costing, we will be in a position to move to the front of the governmental funding line.

​Rob LeBlanc from Ekistics will be at our meeting on January 20 to answer all your questions.

So far, our Municipal Councillor, David Hendsbee, has committed to contributing $10,000 to this plan. We await commitment from our Provincial and Federal representatives and are optimistic they will see the benefit in supporting our rural way of life. In our first year of existence, our Chamber has raised $4,800 solely from membership dues, donations, and good stewardship. As memberships renew (January 2016) and increase, and we add in community fundraisers, the Chamber could feasibly be able to write a cheque for $10,000.

By speaking up for ourselves and taking responsibility through this plan, we no longer consent to being put on hold. Armed with the Ekistics plan, its details clearly stated in black and white, our government representatives will have what they need to make the prosperous future of our area a reality. We will create an atmosphere worthy of increased economic investment, cultural diversity, and social well being. We will not be “passed over” anymore, because every question will have been answered.

The MHACCCA represents the voices of the people living between Ship Harbour to the Gaetz Brook line. That incorporates a whole lot of voices. Everyone within those boundaries has suggestions for the betterment of our area, and it is up to the MHACCCA to capture those ideas. We are responsible for providing fact based information and garnering more support for our community. While “shop local”, “buy local”, “hire local” are still obvious themes, they are not enough. 82,775 currently live in rural HRM—21% of the total HRM population.

Another alarming statistic: 45% of all Nova Scotia’s population lives in close proximity to towns and villages of 5,000 people or less. That’s almost half.

Rural planning must encourage and assist our way of life. It must offer a true rural living experience to all potential newcomers to the area. Instead of losing our infrastructure to potential plans to build west of us, we must enhance and expand on our own core services.

We are rural Nova Scotians. We chose to live this way. That does not make us better or lesser than urban Nova Scotians, but it does make our needs different. Our greatest strength is our people, and we cannot do it without you.

“Musquodoboit’s strong natural and physical assets, as well as its amazing community spirit assure
the success of this project” – Ekistics

Article by the Board of the MHACCCA / December 2015