Residents now the focus for New Minas future

The commercial engine that is New Minas chugs along, expanding every year, but shoppers often overlook its residents.

We have to recognize the collective efforts of the people of New Minas as they continue to live in the commercial locomotive of the eastern Annapolis Valley.

The community of some 5,000 is celebrating its 40th anniversary as an incorporated village. Since that time it has become the commercial giant it is, and continues to grow. Building permit values for the past fiscal year came to nearly $8.4 million. This is down by more than $900,000 from the previous year, when values stood at $9.3 million. Still, the point is these figures have represented a good fraction of the commercial growth in the Municipality as a whole and they are mostly in the form of big commercial developments and renovations. Even now, for instance, the public awaits the latest large entity – Home Depot.

That said, New Minas is also a residential community, with its own history and long-time families. It’s an expanding community, attracting new residents, with all the needs that come with that. In fact, the residential aspect has often been overlooked by those who shop or work here, but reside elsewhere.

Indeed, Commission Chairman Dave Chaulk said, relative to the issue at the village annual general meeting Wednesday evening, “we need more parks and more sidewalks.”

Audience members received assurances too that the current popular recreation programs headed up by Vince Forrestall will remain intact. The wide selection provides for everyone from five-year-old athletes to seniors who enjoy the music of their youth or bus trips to Metro. Forrestall and his many volunteers have developed the department into something that has become a model of inclusiveness. Meanwhile, it maintains the solid foundation laid in past years, especially with soccer.

Besides providing opportunities to young people and comfort for the older set, such programs are indicative of the needs of a growing residential community.

Not that the village hasn’t had its problems. The commission itself was racked with strife in recent years. But it was due largely to growing pains – a village developing quickly into what it has become and what it’s going to be. Attitudes and practices had to change and big decisions presented themselves.

But what the New Minas village commission and community went through isn’t anything that Kentville and the Municipality, for example, hadn’t undergone in years immediately prior, and largely for the same basic reasons; lots of growth and change, and many hard decisions.

New Minas is a good place. It’s not just a commercial strip, though it’s certainly that. It’s a place to visit for recreational activities and services, but also where people live and raise families, enjoy retirement and socialize.

Those people need services and infrastructure that folks in other communities take for granted. This aspect seems to be recognized and emphasized now as things continue to change and grow.