Antigonish County Warden Owen McCarron

forward.

Owen McCarron pointed to a number of successes including the agreement with the Antigonish Affordable Housing Society for the development of a 12 unit affordable housing building on Appleseed Drive. McCarron said building permits for 2020 remained consistent and even exceeded the stats of the previous year and the value of construction rose over the previous year. He also noted the county’s residential tax rate remains in the lowest one-third in the province while the commercial rate is the lowest in the province.

As for the county’s reaction to COVID-19, he said staff were able to pivot quickly and operate safely.

The Warden also thanked residents for their work in keeping each other safe.

McCarron said lots of things are already on the go for the upcoming year, with their five year capital plan, and look to work with the provincial and federal governments to see if they can get some cost sharing on some infrastructure projects. They are also pushing for more broadband and cell coverage for the county. With the creation of a community navigator position, a partnership between the county, town and St. Martha’s Hospital foundation, McCarron says they are committed to ensuring the hospital is well staffed and has a bright future