Richmond Warden Clarifies Funding Priorities for Local Beaches

ARICHAT - In the wake of a growing community campaign to secure upgrades to Pondville Beach Provincial Park, Richmond Warden Amanda Mombourquette is offering clarification as to why recent council spending at another provincially-run beach within the county is not applicable in the case of Pondville. 

In April, councillors voted to spend a portion of the their revenues from the Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF) - a blend of federal and provincial monies that recently replaced the Canada Nova-Scotia Gas Tax Fund - on infrastructure designed to allow greater access to Point Michaud Provincial Beach in northeastern Richmond County. 

Responding to this decision during an impromptu presentation at council's May 8 Committee of the Whole meeting at the Richmond Municipal Building, the head of the Save Pondville Beach Provincial Park community campaign, Lisa Boudreau, questioned why council sets aside funding for Point Michaud "year after year" while Pondville Beach, with a rapidly-deteriorating wharf facility and disheveled sand dunes, is allegedly excluded from such funding. 

Warden Amanda Mombourquette pointed out that, unlike Pondville, Point Michaud is staffed by lifeguards hired by Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) and thus falls into a different category than the popular Isle Madame beach. However, council told Boudreau and a full-to-overflowing public gallery packed with Pondville Beach supporters that the municipality will continue to consult with Richmond MLA Trevor Boudreau and DNRR officials to see what opportunities are available to seek improvements at Pondville Beach. 

This news heartened longtime Pondville resident Margaret Herdman, who told TELILE 24/7 host Adam Cooke that Boudreau's pitch for Pondville Beach assistance fit perfectly with an update presented earlier in the same council meeting about a new Active Living Strategy and Recreation Plan for Richmond County. 

"I thought, my goodness...With all the kinds of things that happened [at Pondville Beach[, and how mental health is helped by being in the sunshine and the water and the fresh air, and physical health [opportunities], it just fits perfectly into that active living strategy," Herdman declared.

Also on TELILE 24/7 this week:

32:15 - Michael Hatt, owner-operator and chief pharmacist of Port Hawkesbury's Medicine Shoppe outlet, explains the new province-wide Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinic strategy that has set up shop at his Reeves Street business. 

43:32 - Arichat's Paula Kavanaugh explains why she took on the role of President of the Richmond County Literacy Network, only three months after the organization's executive announced that the network would fold due to a lack of volunteers and committed leadership.