Municipal councils of Antigonish Town and Antigonish County have passed a motion requesting
Rally outside Antigonish Town Hall before the Town Council
the provincial government consolidate the Municipality of the County of Antigonish and the Town of Antigonish into one municipal unit through special legislation.
Antigonish Town Council approved the measure 4-3.
Voting in favour of the motion were Mayor Laurie Boucher, Deputy mayor William Cormier, and councillors Mary Farrell and Andrew Murray. Voting against the motion were councillors Sean Cameron, Diane Roberts, and
Local residents at the Antigonish Town Council Meeting.
Donnie MacInnis.
The vote came in front of a full gallery, with 15 people in the hallway, and dozens more outside chanting and demanding a plebiscite. The majority of the crowd was against the motion, with many carrying signs, and others applauding the councillors who voted nay.
Boucher said she knew the issue could be divisive from the beginning, noting people have different and ideas and beliefs.
County Council approved the motion by a margin of 5-3.
There was also a large turnout of residents at the Antigonish County Council meeting, many of whom demanding a plebecite. Antigonish County Warden Owen McCarron says he’s not surprised by the number of residents who turned out.
Voting in favour of the motion at County Council were Warden Owen McCarron and councillors
Local residents attending the special meeting of Antigonish County Council.
Bill MacFarlane, Remi Deveau, Hughie Stewart, and Donnie MacDonald. Councillors Mary MacLellan , John Dunbar and Gary Mattie voted against the motion. Councillors Shawn Brophy and Harris MacNamara declared they were in conflict and did not vote.
As for what’s next, both councils will inform Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr of the vote results. A release from the town and county states legislation will be drafted and presented during the spring sitting of the Nova Scotia, with the legislation guiding the town and county through the transition process, with a transition committee to be formed if the legislation passes. The release goes on to state the committee’s work will include hiring a CAO and designing a new administrative structure for the consolidated municipality, with a community engagement phase to follow to identify new electoral boundaries.
The plan is to begin operations of the new municipal unit April 1, 2025.