Town News

AYTC meets with Amherst Town Council
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Mayor Small and members of Amherst Town Council met with the Amherst Youth Town Council (AYTC) on Monday night to gain feedback from a young person's perspective on a variety of issues.
Some topics discussed were the development of a new transit system, community celebrations, a new community centre and issues facing youth today such as food insecurity, drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, and homelessness.
The AYTC updated the Amherst Town Council on their current project, which is a food drive to collect donations for the new Integrated Youth Services site, which is currently being renovated and due to open in early April. The AYTC presently has eight members. If you are a student in grade 7 to 12 and would like to be involved, visit the Amherst Youth Town Council page on our website or contact Sharon Bristol at

March proclaimed as Amyloidosis Awareness Month
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March has been proclaimed as Amyloidosis Awareness Month in Amherst.
WHEREAS March is Amyloidosis Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness, funding research, and supporting those living with amyloidosis and their loved ones; and
WHEREAS Amyloidosis is a group of diseases that occurs when an abnormal protein, known as amyloid, builds up in the tissues and organs of the body. Left untreated, the disease can result in organ failure and can be fatal; and
WHEREAS Amyloidosis can mimic the signs and symptoms of more common medical conditions and the disease can be challenging to diagnose; and
WHEREAS Amyloidosis often affects people who are older or middle aged, younger people have also been diagnosed with this disease; and
WHEREAS Some of the signs and symptoms of amyloidosis can include shortness of breath, weight loss, fatigue, swelling in the ankles and legs, numbness in the hands and feet, foamy urine, carpal tunnel syndrome, bruising around the eyes, and an enlarged tongue; and
WHEREAS Early diagnosis can lead to better outcomes for both patients and their families; and
WHEREAS Raising awareness about all the amyloidosis diseases, including hereditary and non-hereditary forms of the disease, can contribute to the building of healthier communities across Canada.
BE IT RESOLVED, THEREFORE, that I, Rob Small, Mayor of Amherst, proclaim March 2025 as Amyloidosis Awareness Month in the town of Amherst.
For more information, visit the CASN - Canadian Amyloidosis Support Network Inc.

Officer Suspension
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Amherst Police Department
Earlier today the Amherst Police Department was advised that formal charges had been laid against one of their members by the Cumberland RCMP.
Based upon those charges, the member was later served with a Notice of Allegations under the Police Act of Nova Scotia by the Amherst Police Department. Sergeant Christopher Jobe has been suspended indefinitely under Section 63 of the Police Act Regulations.
The Officer has not been on active duty or at work for the past several months.
At this time the Police Act investigation is suspended until the criminal matters are resolved.
Jobe is scheduled to appear in Amherst Provincial Court on April 14.
Direct enquiries to:
Sean Payne
Corporate Communications Officer
902-694-6265
Rob Small
Mayor
902-694-0014

February 24, 2025 Amherst Town Council – Meeting Highlights
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At Monday night’s regular meeting of Amherst Town Council, members voted to approve amendments to the pdf Sidewalk and Curb Construction Policy(1.90 MB) , including language updates to specify that any sidewalk construction projects moving forward will involve replacement of existing brick pavers with concrete, to improve accessibility. Language will also be added to the policy that will ensure the use of tactile warning indicator plates at crosswalks, to improve accessibility for the visually impaired.
This policy was reviewed by the Accessibility Advisory Committee who provided their recommendations for Council’s consideration.
Staff will prepare a long-range brick paver replacement plan and include brick paver replacements in future capital budgets for consideration.
Appointments of Members of Council to External Boards, Committees and Commissions Policy
Following the municipal election in October, Council completed a review of external Boards, Committees and Commissions to which they appoint members of Council. Amendments to Appendix A of the pdf Appointment of Members of Council to External Boards, Committees and Commissions Policy(5.17 MB) were approved by Council on Monday night, to reflect the following appointments:
Cumberland Public Libraries Board: 1 Member appointed; Regional Emergency Management: 2 Members appointed; Northern Region Solid Waste: 1 Member appointed; Cumberland YMCA: 1 Member appointed; LA Animal Shelter: 1 Member appointed; Senior Safety Advisory Committee: 1 Member appointed; and, GFL Community Liaison Committee: 1 Member appointed.
The GFL Community Liaison Committee is a new addition to the list of member appointments, while members were not re-appointed to the Cornerstone Board of Directors or the Municipal Alcohol Project.

Notice of Approval - Development Agreement - 96 Church Street
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Notice is hereby given that at a meeting held February 24, 2025, Amherst Town Council gave second and final reading of a development agreement to create 7 units, 6 units within a building and one standalone unit, at 96 Church Street (PID 25013814).
Section 249 of the Municipal Government Act provides the right to appeal this decision to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board within 14 days from the date of this notice.
Natalie LeBlanc
Municipal Clerk
Dated February 25, 2025

A new downtown home for Jiinx Grooming & Pet Services
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The number of Canadian households with pets has continued to grow over the last several years, and Amherst is no exception to this trend.
In 2022, we presented a new business certificate Jiinx Grooming; a little over three years later, we’re back – but this time it’s to celebrate their move into a new, larger location for the booming business.
Mayor Rob Small and members of Town Council dropped into 8 Havelock Street recently to check things out, congratulate owner Kimberly James-Cartmill on the move, and ask her how it all came about.
“It was lot of hard work. A lot of hard work,” responded James-Cartmill, when asked about the process of changing locations. “Right from the beginning we said probably at the two-year mark – we had a two-year lease – we’d be looking at moving into something a little bigger, a little more retail friendly. And it was definitely a want to buy instead of leasing. So, when the opportunity came up, we started looking and, you know, landed on this place – which is great. I love it.”
Mayor Rob Small, along with Deputy Mayor Davidson and Councillors Ripley and McManaman, recently presented Kimberly James-Cartmill - owner of Jiinx Grooming & Pet Services - with a certificate to celebrate the business's move to a new, larger downtown Amherst location.