Village of Pugwash

The Village of Pugwash is one of 22 incorporated villages in Nova Scotia. 

The Village services provided include parks and recreation, festivals and the provision, care and maintenance of sidewalks.  The Village staff and commissioners work closely with all other levels of government to ensure that all services are maintained and that new services, such as water supply, are provided in a timely and appropriate manner. 

The Village affairs are overseen by a team of five elected commissioners who work to provide the best services possible to village ratepayers.  The village staff provide those services and advise the commission when new or different services are required.

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Village Taxes
Residential: 30c on every $100 of assessed value
Commercial: 37c on every $100 of assessed value

The assessed value of a property is adjusted annually and after a change of ownership where the purchase price is higher than the current assessment. Taxes are used to provide the services listed below (see Village Services).  These are services that are not otherwise provided by the Municipality of Cumberland.

Municipality of Cumberland Taxes
Residential: $1.04 on every $100 of assessed value
Commercial: $2.63 on every $100 of assessed value

The Municipality tax bill may include other "user fees" such as for sewer or street lighting fees.

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2017 Budget

Commissioners

There are five elected commissioners.  There are only four commissioners at present as one member moved out of the Village area.  Each term is for three years and they overlap. Elections are held each June for one or two positions.  Commissioners are volunteers and to be elected must be a Canadian citizen, a resident of the Village of Pugwash and over 18.

Christie Blackie - Chair (902.243.3308)
Commissioner since 2014
Christie lives on Queen Street from where she runs a home based day care.

Charlie Gould - Vice Chair (902.243.3493)
Commissioner since 2014
Charlie works for Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources at Amherst Head during the summer.  Charlie lives on Durham Street.

Dave Farley (902.243.3284)
Commissioner since 2016 (and 2008 - 2014)
Dave is a past chair of the Village Commission.  Dave is retired from Diversey-Lever Corporation

Bill Martin (902.243.3493)
Commissioner since 2016
Bill lives at Pleasure Cove and is the Pugwash Baptist Chrch pastor.  He is also chaplain for the Pugwash Fire Department.

Carl Purdy (902.243.2124)
Commissioner since 2016
Carl is retired from the Canada Revenue Agency and lives on King Street.

 

 

 

Staff

Lisa Betts (office: 902.243.2946)
lisabetts@pugwashvillage.com
Clerk Treasurer and Event Coordinator - since 2010
The Clerk Treasurer is the administrator of the village. The Clerk overlooks the operations and maintenance of the various village properties.

Greg Fahie
Maintenance/Janitor/Groundskeeper - since 2016
Greg is kept very busy keeping village properties clean and in repair.  He works full time in the summer and part time in the winter months.

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Seasonal Employment

Assistant Groundskeeper
Visitor Information Councillor - Full time
Visitor Information Councillor - Part time
C@P Site Assistant
Recreation Director
Gardener - part time

 

Village Properties

The Village of Pugwash owns ten properties:

Pugwash Village Hall

Eaton Park

CN rail yard which includes:
   The old train station (Provincial historic site)
   The Pugwash Library
   Farmers' Market site
   Play area
   Peace garden
   Car park

Municipal car park and boat ramp

The Cenotaph

The old fire hall

Tennis and basketball courts

Double grassed lot on Prince Albert Street

Road between the marine terminal and the harbour bridge

Site of the old Pugwash dump (Irishtown Road)

 

The use of these sites is free to non profit groups. 
Please contact the village Clerk to apply to use or rent any of these sites.

 

 

Village Services

Services provided by the Village of Pugwash include:

Care and maintenance of its various properties which are available for public use (see Village Properties section).  These include extensive lawns and flower gardens which require constant care throughout the summer. 

Library
The Pugwash Library is on the ground flor of the old train station.  The library is the second busiest library branch in the County (after Amherst).

Sidewalks
General care and maintenance, litter and snow removal of current sidewalks along Water Street and around the Cenotaph.

Street lights
Additional street lights are located at some village properties - for example at the basketball courts, the train station and municipal car park.

Gathering of the Clans
This festival is coordinated by village staff.  It is covered by the village insurance.

Website 
This website is maintained by village staff.

Newsletter
The quarterly village newsletter, It Takes a Village, is compiled, edited and published by village staff.

Visitor Information Centre
The VIC is hosted at the Village Hall.

C@P Site
This site is also hosted at the Village Hall.

Banners, planters and hanging baskets
In partnership with Communities in Bloom, the village maintains these co-owned products.

Solid waste
The village owns garbage/recycling/compost bins at ten sites scattered throughout the village.  These are emptied and maintained by village staff.

 

Minutes

Please go to this page.

Minutes are published once adopted in the next regular or annual meeting.