Town News
Results of 2024 Amherst Municipal Election
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Amherst’s municipal election saw 15 candidates vying for a seat at the table. With the success of two previous alternative voting elections (2020 and 2023), Amherst once again provided exclusive telephone or internet voting with no paper ballot option.
Intelivote Systems Inc of Dartmouth NS was our provider and advance voting opened on October 10th and ran through to the close of polls at 7pm on October 19th.
After 10 days of polling, the results are in for Amherst’s 2024 municipal election:
| MAYOR | ||
| David Kogon | 1491 votes | |
| Rob Small | 2359 votes | Elected |
| COUNCILLORS | ||
| George Baker | 1413 votes | |
| Charlie Chambers | 2500 votes | Elected |
| Hal Davidson | 2229 votes | Elected |
| Lisa Emery | 1424 votes | |
| Dale Fawthrop | 1419 votes | |
| Nic Furlong | 1443 votes | Elected |
| Leon Landry | 1377 votes | |
| Sharon LeBlanc | 1293 votes | |
| Vaughn Martin | 890 votes | |
| Terry (Mouser) McManaman | 1498 votes | Elected |
| Dwayne Ripley | 2408 votes | Elected |
| Norm Robitza | 236 votes | |
| Kathy Wells | 1637 votes | Elected |
Another Hundred Years of the Amherst Train Station
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Access CTV Atlantic's recent story on our train station here: N.S. town’s historic train station sold privately, building preserved
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Jeff Bembridge is an Amherst entrepreneur who is also a passionate rehabilitator of historic properties.
“I like buying old buildings because they have a soul and I like to fix them up, because I think people need memories,” explained Bembridge. “When I buy a building, one of the first things I do is I go in the basement by myself and I talk to the building; I explain ‘We’re going to help each other here – I’m going to revive you – we’re going to succeed together.’”
One of Bembridge’s most recent acquisitions was the Amherst Train Station, which was the result of a years-long process.
When the intercolonial railway came to Amherst in the 1870s a station was built to serve the community on this critical new transportation corridor. By the end of the 19th century, Amherst had transformed into a major industrial hub and a new train station was required to meet the demands of transporting goods and passengers, as well as to better represent the role of “Busy Amherst” in the provincial and national economies.
“Our current, grand sandstone train station was constructed in 1909, and was one of the largest to be built in the province,” said Amherst Mayor David Kogon. “In the 100 years after the station’s construction, the way that rail service was used in Nova Scotia changed a great deal – particularly passenger service – and there came a point that VIA Rail chose to divest itself of the Amherst Train Station.”
After years of negotiations, a deal was finalized in 2019 that saw the Town take ownership of the structure, while VIA remained as a tenant with access to a passenger waiting area.
Free Ice Time Equals Positive Spin-Offs for Amherst
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The 27th Annual Atlantic Challenge Cup kicks-off today in Moncton, with gameplay through to Sunday night. This popular tournament brings together the top players from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador in the male U-14 and U-15, and female U-14 and U-16 categories. More than 400 players, staff, and officials take part in this event every year.
Amherst’s location means that a number of Newfoundland and Labrador participants travel through our area after landing in Halifax and driving to Moncton. We reached out to the U-14 and U-16 female teams and extended a warm Amherst welcome.
Because these players live in every corner of Newfoundland and Labrador, they rarely (if ever) have an opportunity to practice together. They were provided with free ice time at the Amherst Stadium this past Wednesday and Thursday nights, to practice all under the same roof before the start of the tournament.
Town Facilities Closed on Monday, October 14 for Thanksgiving
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- Category: Public Notices
On Monday, October 14, the following Town of Amherst facilities will be closed for Thanksgiving:
- Amherst Town Hall
- Public Works Garage
- Community Credit Union Business Innovation Centre
- Amherst Stadium (Exception: 2 pm game)
If emergency service is required of the Public Works Garage, please call Amherst Police Dispatch at 902-667-8600.
Amherst Police and Fire services will operate as normal on Thanksgiving Day.
New Initiative Paying Rent for Amherst Food Bank
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The Amherst Food Bank serves more than 350 clients a month from their King Street location. The facility from which they operate plays a critical role in the service they provide, and the monthly rent comes in at $1,800.
A local initiative aims to pay the food bank's rent every month through $10 community donations, and so far it's been a big success. For more information please see a recent story by CTV News Atlantic.
Jeff Marshall and Charlotte Ross in the Amherst Food Bank (CTV Atlantic)
Amherst, Municipality of Cumberland Collaborating on Infrastructure to Support Residential Development
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The Town of Amherst and the Municipality of Cumberland County are collaborating to ensure efficient use of municipal infrastructure and to support residential housing development today and in the future.
A parcel of land in the Brookdale area that straddles the border between the two municipalities acquired by the Shaw Group and has the potential to accommodate hundreds of new housing units, but the municipal boundary makes efficient development of the site complex.
Under the agreement reached by the two municipalities, the full property would become part of the Town of Amherst, allowing for the development of the property under one set of regulations and much less complex. In return, the County will gain new access to the Town’s sanitary sewer servicing capacity to support future development in an expanded service area in Cumberland County just outside the town boundary. The agreement further outlines how costs and revenues, associated with extension of services, and new developments, will be shared between the two municipalities.
