WINDSOR, N.S. — Nova Scotia’s minister of municipal affairs is calling on Windsor and West Hants councils to provide a solution to the concrete barrier issue separating the counties.
Hants West MLA Chuck Porter, who is also responsible for the Emergency Management Act and 911 Act as part of his ministerial duties, said he’s concerned for residents’ safety due to the current situation between The Crossing retirement community in West Hants and the Town of Windsor’s Underwood Drive subdivision.
The roadway issue between the two counties dates back several years. In 2015, the Town of Windsor turned Underwood Drive into a cul-de-sac and put up a decorative wooden fence because the developer had paved up to the boundary line in hopes of making a connection.
The issue has been simmering in the background since then, but came to a head at the end of May this year. In the space that separates the two roads, there was a wooden fence, on Windsor’s side, and a lockable emergency access gate, which West Hants installed earlier this year. On May 30, someone cut down the middle section of the wooden fence that separates Edward Drive from Underwood Drive. The Town of Windsor quickly responded by having its public works employees place two, large concrete jersey barriers at the end of Underwood Drive.
“The town went through a process whereby the street is legally closed. That’s fine. I’m certainly not looking to change the status of that,” said Porter in a telephone interview July 4.
Porter noted he’s not trying to make a permanent connection.
West Hants council, the developer of the The Crossing, as well as the seniors living in that community, have all stated they don’t want it opened to traffic. They simply want the installed emergency access gate to be able to be used by first responders.
Mitch Brison, the developer, told the Journal in June that having emergency access would not just benefit his residents. He said it would benefit anyone attending Avon View High School or the Hants Community Hospital should an emergency occur that blocked Payzant Drive, which is a one-way-in, one-way-out road.
“I can't stress the point enough. This is not just about us. This is about two communities that have a publicly-funded hospital with one way in, one way out. It's the height of ridiculousness. It really is,” said Brison.
It’s a point that Porter says needs to be examined.
“I am concerned about concrete barriers being put in there should we need to access that point for any reason by way of critical incident,” said Porter. “If something were to happen, how do I get in?”
Porter, a former paramedic, said he has had a visit from the RCMP on the issue, and has heard concerns from both the Brooklyn and Windsor fire chiefs.
“I want to make sure that we have access to our emergency service providers should a critical incident happen on either side. It’s not there for every day use. I’m not interested in that happening, nor anything like that,” said Porter.
With that in mind, Porter wrote a letter to the two councils requesting a detailed plan addressing the safety concerns that now exist at the site and what mitigating steps they will take to ensure everyone’s safety.
“Should there be an incident, how can I be assured that we’re going to be able to respond to it appropriately, timely? I’m waiting to hear back from them on that,” said Porter.
He’s given them a week to respond.
Porter said the municipal units have been working well together as part of the amalgamation process and believes they will be able to come to an amicable decision.
“We’re going to come to a resolution here of some kind and in a timely fashion.”
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