As they face mounting financial challenges and aging infrastructure needs, many rural Maritime communities are trying to determine the best way to move forward.

For some it means dissolution – losing their town status – and joining a neighbouring community.

With that comes many questions and concerns from residents and business owners alike, but one Nova Scotia town that recently dissolved is proving the loss of status doesn’t mean the loss of spirit.

Residents of Bridgetown started “Think Big” – the Bridgetown Improvement Group – shortly after the town dissolved earlier this year. Committee member Jennifer d’Aubin says their goal is simple:

“To increase the positivity, increase the community spirit, bring people together and do good things for our community,” says d’Aubin. “It’s people that believe in this town.”

Committee members have been busy weeding as they try to bring the gardens back to life at Mountain Lea Lodge, a local seniors home.

“These folks are about coming up with great ideas and then immediately saying ‘let’s do it, let’s do it!’” says d’Aubin.

Since forming, the group has scraped and prepped a local business for painting, painted the town pool, as well as painted planters around town.

Like many rural communities, Bridgetown was once a commercial centre, exporting the region’s agriculture and forestry products. It was also big in manufacturing, with a tannery, furniture factory and distillery. But those industries disappeared over time and the town was eventually forced to dissolve.

That change came earlier this year, after several public meetings and discussions. Around 200 people gathered at the Bridgetown Legion on March 31 for the town’s final council meeting. At midnight, after nearly 118 years, it gave up its municipal status.

Horace Hurlburt, Bridgetown’s last mayor, says they had no other choice but to join the municipality.

“First part was being driven with basically no money to really work with, you know. The tax rate had gone up almost 20 cents in a couple of years sort of thing and there was no room to continue pushing that kind of envelope,” says Hurlburt.

Reg Ritchie, warden of the Municipality of the County of Annapolis, says there were lots of questions raised leading up to the change.

“Their main concern I think was about their taxes and what it would cost them in that regard,” says Ritchie.

Pharmacist and business owner Kirk Lycett agrees there was some apprehension, and not just about the tax rate.

“What would happen to our services that we’re used to having, whether it be, you know, fire services, recreation was another major issue for the area,” says Lycett.

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil also calls Bridgetown home and he admits to having had some of the same concerns as other residents.

But he says Nova Scotians have to determine whether they want to shape change, or have change shape them.

“I was very proud of the fact that very early on, the citizens of the town decided it was going to shape its own future, as opposed to fighting against something that seemed inevitable,” says McNeil.

Five months after dissolution, there are new faces in the old town hall building – the recreation and public works departments now operate out of the old town hall – but most residents say they haven’t noticed much of a difference.

“I haven’t seen anything change and I haven’t heard anybody complaining, so it must be OK,” says resident Stephen Tuck.

“Well, I think it was bound to happen, and it has happened, and it seems to me to be perfectly OK,” says resident Martin O’Hara.

“We still see the response and the effort and involvement of the firefighters are just as great as it always was and recreation-wise the pool is open, the rink will be open, and the soccer fields are being maintained,” says Lycett.

As for the tax rate, Ritchie says it went down.

“We dropped it a couple of cents … as well as the business rate dropped 12 cents,” he says.

“I know some had hoped that we might be going down to on par with what the county rates were, but there’s a county rate and then there’s a local area rate which supports our unique recreational facilities that we’ve become accustomed to,” says Lycett.

Bridgetown is just one example of a Maritime town facing dissolution – Springhill and Hantsport also voted in favour of dissolving this year. On Prince Edward Island, the former Municipality of Bedeque amalgamated with the community of Central Bedeque last year, and is currently looking at amalgamating further.

“Everyone knows the challenges that rural communities in Nova Scotia and across the country and North America are facing and so I do believe these changes are inevitable,” says Nova Scotia Municipal Affairs Minister Zach Churchill.

Driven by demographics and a changing global economy, Churchill says more towns will likely follow suit.

“We’re also seeing these conversations happen in other parts of the province as well, Parrsboro, Mulgrave and in the County of Lunenburg with the Town of Mahone Bay and some of the municipal units there,” says Churchill.

“We will be keeping track of what’s happening and a year out we will be evaluating with the municipal units these changes.”

Back in Bridgetown, Ritchie says there will always be challenges, but he believes things are working, pointing to activity around the community, such as the construction of a new bank and a new school on the way.

“That’s a good sign when you see something like that going up in a small town,” says Ritchie.

“You’re seeing actually an optimism there that, to be honest with you, I hadn’t seen in more recent times,” says McNeil.

Lycett has plans for construction of new apartments and says there was never a hesitation to continue investing.

“Being part of the county now, it’s a broader tax base so it’d provide more of an opportunity to invest in the town with the expectation that, you know what, a few years down the road it will pay off,” says Lycett.

For any other town considering dissolution, Hurlburt says being open with residents is key.

“Keep them informed. They’ll be there and they’ll support,” he says. “They may not like the decision you make, I may not like the one I had to make and the council with me, but that was the road we had to go on their behalf.”

While things seem to be working out for Bridgetown, Hurlburt admits there are still challenges.

“I suppose of the challenges now is just to bring the community along and looking at the long-term,” he says. “The tax rate is still up there because the debt that was incurred before I came and others as well is still there to be paid off to a larger extent.”

For Lycett, he says the true test will happen when the first snow flies.

“To see snow removal in the winter to see if, how it goes versus what we have been accustomed to.”

Back at Mountain Lea Lodge, residents are thankful for the work being done by the “Think Big” committee.

“Oh, we’ll be able to bring some lawn chairs down and sit around and enjoy it,” says Larry Davidson.

With more plans in the works for their community, Bridgetown residents continue to think big.

“If anything I hope it puts the word out and says that this town is not done,” says d’Aubin. “This town is far from done. This town is just beginning and I think we’re, I think the momentum is shifted, and I think we’re on the cusp of something really good.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster

Report filed with assistance from The Annapolis County Spectator