'We know it's not over yet': N.S. Black community convinces town to reconsider long-term care site

The Black community in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, is proving you can sometimes fight city hall, and perhaps even win.

Somewhere between 130 and 140 people showed up for Monday night's regular council meeting to voice their displeasure about the town's decision to put a new long-term care facility in their area.

The turnout was so large, the Fire Marshall wouldn't let everyone in - a rare occurrence at town hall.

"Our community was heard. Our community definitely showed up and was heard," said Ward One board member Brandy Borden-Sylla.

"We're happy with what happened, but we know it's not over yet."

Added last minute to the agenda as a kind of courtesy, 10 minutes were set-aside for a presentation to council, but the mayor admits she went home with an earful.

New Glasgow Town Hall is believed to be one of the oldest in the country. A copy of the official pardon for Viola Desmond hangs in council chambers. (Bruce Frisko/CTV Atlantic)

"Well, an hour and 45 minutes of intense conversation, yes," Mayor Nancy Dicks told CTV News Tuesday.

The issue stems from a welcome replacement for the aging Glen Haven Manor.

The long term care facility was included in a provincial list to be replaced a number of years ago, and council chose a 10 acre site on Brother Street, right next to the well-used Ward One Rec Centre, with its basketball court and soccer field.

"There's a process to follow in anything we do," said Dicks.

"We felt we were following the process. We understood that this was the way it was to work. There were certain things put in place, and actually the consultation with the public in this situation was sort of an extra to our recommendation."

On January 11, the town posted a fact sheet on the proposed facility, acknowledging Brother Street has been a significant site for the community for decades, but noting the proposed 10 acre site next door was the right size, and could support municipal water, sewer and roads.

The sheet says the tender was to go out in June with construction to start in July.

A public hearing would be held after the town passed the project's initial rezoning application, but people who live there say they should have been consulted first.

"You know, it really hurt my heart because I live just right there," said Ward One board member Kieshia Desmond.

"That would be in my backyard, and on top of that, we had our own vision for our rec centre. We were wanted a splash pad. We wanted our own basketball lead in the summertime. We wanted our own soccer lead on that field."

"I almost feel like they (council) never thought of the big impact it was going to be until last night, until it was right there in their faces," she said.

The group says there were plenty of other suitable locations that wouldn't infringe on their green-space and bring massive traffic to their neighbourhood.

"Ward One is historically a Black community in Pictou County," said Borden-Sylla.

"This space. This is like the heart of our community. We have crafts, our elders come every Thursday for crafts. Our kids come every single day to play here. The playground is the most used playground in Pictou County, the town actually said that themselves. We use the soccer field - the schools come and use the soccer field. We have our community garden here. Basketball - they're always on the court. So, it's a very important space in our community, and it's where we all feel safe."

Ward One Board members Brandy Borden-Sylla (left) and Kieshia Desmond (right) near the Ward One Playground, believed to be the most-used facility of its kind in Nova Scotia's Pictou County.

A co-councillor for the area was prepared to quit Monday night if the matter wasn't re-considered.

"I had my resignation letter drafted," Russell Borden told CTV News.

"I ran for the simple fact that, we're representatives of the people who elect us, and we need to be their voice."

Ward One co-councillor Russell Borden in his truck in the parking lot of the New Glasgow, N.S., rec centre. (Bruce Frisko/CTV Atlantic)

It's a sentiment shared by the mayor.

"That's our role - we listen to our citizens and every voice is important," said Dicks.

For its part, the province seemed unwilling to wade into the dispute.

In a late day email to CTV News, Khalehla Perrault, a spokes person for the Department of Seniors and Long-term Care said, "Government is committed to ensuring seniors can live with dignity and get the care they need as they age. Glen Haven Manor in New Glasgow is one of the long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia being replaced with a new, modern nursing home, as part of government’s multi-year plan for long-term care."

“The Town of New Glasgow is the owner of Glen Haven and is overseeing the development of this new facility. Right now, the project is in the early stages of development and the new facility is expected to open in 2027."

Selecting a site is the responsibility of the facility owner. As such, questions are best directed to the town," said Perrault.

As part of the province’s process, all long-term care development projects are required to meet local development and permitting requirements, and multiple sites should be looked at.

Key considerations include that the site is close to the community, accessible for community members, and will provide access to the outdoors. Once the site has been selected, the owner sends in a submission with the required information to the department.

Empty town council chambers in New Glasgow, N.S. More than 130 people turned up at council’s regular meeting on Jan. 15, 2024 to voice their displeasure about the town’s choice of location for a new long-term care facility. (Bruce Frisko/CTV Atlantic)

In the end, council decided to revisit the decision at a special council meeting on January 29.

"Hopefully, the town take our concerns into consideration and places it somewhere else," said Desmond.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.