Highway 104 at Antigonish

Antigonish Landing Wetland Compensation Article in The Casket

Trudy — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:05:05 +0000

Antigonish Landing

Wetland compensation at Antigonish Landing is an important component of the Highway 104 Twinning project. The Casket recently wrote an article describing the work that has gone on in the area and what remains to be done. CLC member and County of Antigonish Councillor Bill MacFarlane was interviewed for the article, which can be read here.

A chance to win an iPad! – Roundabout Quiz Contest

Trudy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:47:58 +0000

This could be yours!

The new twinned Highway 104 will include roundabouts. In order to help people understand how roundabouts work, we’ve combined a quiz that teaches people about roundabouts with a great opportunity to win an iPad!

Take this short, fun and informative quiz about the use of roundabouts and you’ll be entered to win. Residents of the Town of Antigonish and the Antigonish Country are welcome to take the quiz between November 3rd – December 16th. Any fully completed quizzes will be entered into a draw for a chance to win an iPad – right in time for Christmas! So play away and have fun.

Limit one entry per person.

Using a Roundabout

Trudy — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:52:33 +0000

Beech Hill Roundabout

The twinning of Highway 104 includes the development of roundabouts in the Antigonish Area. Roundabouts are known to improve safety, reduce the risk of accidents as well as the severity of accidents. Because drivers are moving slower, and the angles do not allow for a head-on collision, any accidents that occur are usually minor.

Using roundabouts may be new to drivers and pedestrians in the area. To inform the public of how to properly use them, the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) will be producing custom 1-page documents that describe each of the roundabouts in the Antigonish area. These will be distributed when the roundabouts and highway are fully open. Examples of existing 1-page documents for other roundabouts in Nova Scotia are available here, on the TIR website, along with other important information about roundabouts in the province.

In the meantime, drivers and pedestrians can get an excellent education on the use of roundabouts from this animation produced by the Government of PEI. The Region of Waterloo has produced a series of videos that instruct drivers on the different situations they will encounter in a roundabout. Transportation Canada has also produced a brochure on how best to use roundabouts. All users of the roundabouts are encouraged to review these materials and become familiar with the new roundabouts.

Update on Antigonish Landing Wetland Compensation

Trudy — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:51:34 +0000

Antigonish Landing

Work is progressing successfully at Antigonish Landing. New armouring has been installed along the river bank which will assist in flood prevention and bank stabilization. More remediation work will continue in the wetlands that will improve the habitat for wildlife, native plants and water fowl as well as improve the recreation opportunities for residents. For more information on the work still to be completed please see our updated Antigonish Wetland Fact Sheet.

For a more comprehensive explanation of the proposed work in the area, please see the proposed wetland compensation plan recently submitted by the wetland consultants, CBCL. This report has been submitted to Nova Scotia Environment for review and approval.

Research on the invasive species Japanese Knotweed is continuing through researchers at the Nova Scotia Agriculture College. The proposed research plan will be submitted and is available here.

To learn more about this issue please click on the following links: The Invasive Alien Plant Program at Antigonish Landing and Japanese Knotweed.

Chamber Holds Meeting on Signage

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:32:46 +0000

The Antigonish Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast meeting on signage on September 21st, 2011 at the Charles V. Keating Centre.

There are several documents that were distributed at the meeting, particularly about signage policy and regulations. Those documents, and the Powerpoint presentations from the meeting, can be downloaded here.

Presentations:

Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Presentation

Kings County Presentation

Nova Scotia Department of Tourism Presentation

Documents:

Tourism Signage: Festival, Attraction, Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C

Business Logo Signage Program Application

Community Identity Program

Motorist, Tourist and Transportation Service Program

Noise Reduced During Overnight Construction at Trunk 7

Trudy — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:35:36 +0000

In late June and early July, overnight construction was conducted on Trunk 7 causing noise disturbances in the surrounding area. After receiving complaints from the community, Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) conducted noise monitoring. They determined that the noise levels were within the limits set by municipal bylaws, but nonetheless took action to reduce the sound. The changes included using equipment which did not produce as much noise and changing the operational procedures to mitigate loud noises. After implementing the changes, the decibel level dropped by 10dB and there were no further complaints. Overnight construction is now completed and no further disturbances are expected.

If you have further questions, please feel free to submit them on our contact us page.

Antigonish Landing Open House

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:24:24 +0000

Feedback was very positive after the Wetlands Compensation Open House held by Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (NSTIR) on May 18th. Attendees said that they found the information presented very useful and that they appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and find out more.

Wetland Compensation Presentation

It was obvious from discussion that the community sees Antigonish Landing as a valuable asset, and residents were happy to hear that the wetland would be expanded.

Residents viewed a detailed presentation on the project and the proposed work. The presentation was provided by Clinton Pinks of CBCL Consulting Engineers, and Bob Pett of NSTIR, who are leading the project. The presentation comprised many photographs, which showed diverse topics such as the history of the site, land ownership, presence of plants and animals, and expected effects of different intensities of flooding. Residents had questions, suggestions and comments and were very interested in hearing about the planned wetland creation and the nature trail.

Interested Residents with Project Engineer Sheena Sampson

In addition to the presentation, stations were set up showcasing information and maps about the wetlands, the construction schedule of the highway, the Invasive Alien Plant program, the planned nature trail and the roundabouts. Each station was staffed by experts working on the project, including Sheena Sampson, the project engineer, NSTIR representatives, CBCL representatives and a researcher from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.

At the stations, community members were given the opportunity to ask questions and engage in one-on-one conversations about the highway development and the wetlands remediation. There were also fact sheets available for people to take home and keep for reference. Attendees were pleased to receive information about the highway project and find out first hand about the future plans.

Project Manager Bob Pett Illustrates

The CBCL report about the wetlands expansion and trail construction will soon be submitted to Nova Scotia Environment for approval. The report will be available on the website as soon as it is completed and submitted. The presentation about the Antigonish Landing Wetland Compensation Project given by CBCL is available below. Residents are also encouraged to check the website regularly for updated information.

For a copy of the materials and fact sheets that were available at the Open House, please click on the links below.

You can find out about The Invasive Alien Plant Program at Antigonish Landing and specifically about the invasive species that is being addressed, the Japanese Knotweed.

At Antigonish Landing, there will be some work to improve existing trails and to create a new Nature Trail. This is part of a plan to compensate for wetlands that are affected by the construction of the project. There is a Wetlands Creation and Expansion Plan Factsheet that provides overall information on wetland compensation for this project. And if you want the details on the study and work proposed for Antigonish Landing as part of the wetland compensation, see the comprehensive presentation made at the open house.

If you are interested in when the highway project will be complete, you can reference the Phase I Construction Schedule, which shows the work done to date and what has to be done until the project is complete in the fall of 2012.

Interested in the roundabouts that will be present at the exits? You can read the Roundabouts Factsheet, see our Interchanges and Roundabouts Information Page or even visit the ones that are now in operation on Beech Hill Road.

Any questions? Send us an email!

Remembering Brian Segal

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 02:38:08 +0000

Earlier this year the Community Liaison Committee lost a valuable member, Brian Segal. Brian passed away of heart failure in early February, after an inspiring battle against a sudden and difficult health challenge. Brian’s passing was also a loss to Antigonish, a community he dearly loved and in which he was very engaged. Brian’s obituary can be found here.

On the CLC, Brian was a force to be reckoned with. As a representative of the business community, he passionately advocated for methods to mitigate potential negative economic impacts of the twinned highway. However, he was also interested and vigilant in potential environmental impacts, safety, tourism, culture and many other issues related to the highway. He was also very committed to the CLC itself, and was convinced that a multi-stakeholder committee was the best way to ensure that there was effective communication between the people building the highway and the people in the community.

While we at the CLC mourn his loss, we also extend our condolences to everyone who misses Brian, most of all his wife Julia, his daughters Emma and Sarah, and the rest of Brian’s family. They are in our thoughts and prayers, and Brian will always be in our memory.

Wetlands Compensation Open House

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 02:15:28 +0000

Photo by Michael Bruce Stevens, Antigonish

The twinning of Highway 104 at Antigonish includes infilling 7 hectares of wetland and 15 water course alteration. The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) is required to develop and implement a Wetlands and Fish Habitat Compensation plan in order to compensate for the impact on the disturbed wetlands and fish bearing streams, which must be approved by Nova Scotia Environment (NSE) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). TIR has proposed to compensate by creating new wetland and enhancing existing wetland and fish habitat in a 26 hectare study area located at Antigonish Landing and at several locations within the Brierly Brook and West River watersheds. That proposal is available here. Be patient, it is a large file and it takes a long time to download.

Information on the project can be found in this Powerpoint presentation, which includes many photos and maps of the area. Again, a large file that takes a while to download.

An Open House will be held at the Millenium Centre at ST FX on May 18, 2011 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. At the Open House, the consultants and TIR staff working on the compensation project will be available to answer questions you may have, and they would be very happy to hear your comments and suggestions. There will be a presentation given at 4:30 PM and again at 6:30 PM, after which there will be a question and answer period. People attending will have opportunity to discuss the wetlands compensation project one-on-one with the people involved.

Wetlands Compensation Meeting

admin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:22:18 +0000

On Wed. evening, October 20 at 7 pm, at the Antigonish Town Hall Council Chambers there will be a public meeting held by NS Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (NSTIR). The purpose of the meeting is to:

brief residents about the Antigonish Wetland Restoration Project;
present findings of recent field work; and
solicit public input that will help the consultants design the wetland enhancement and restoration features (including an interpretive trail system).

Please view the overall concept of the project for more detailed information.

The Antigonish Landing is a beautiful, ecologically important area, and this meeting will give the public a forum to discuss this restoration project.