PORT HAWKESBURY - A green-cart composting program slated to launch here five months ago could now be delayed up to another year, thanks to the arrival of COVID-19 and its related social-distancing protocols in Nova Scotia.

The Town of Port Hawkesbury had hired a coordinator for the composting program last winter, and had planned to begin the public education process for the new composting initiative in the early spring. However, Nova Scotia entered full lockdown mode and issued a formal state of emergency only days later, and while the former is no longer occurring, the latter remains in place until the end of September at the earliest. 

Speaking to TELILE 24/7 host Adam Cooke in late August, Chisholm-Beaton confirmed that the coordinator hired in March is still under contract to the town, but warned that the need for adequate public education on the green cart strategy will likely result in a further delay of nearly twelve months before the town adds to its current pick-ups for solid waste, paper and plastic. 

"That's going to be a significant educational process, and it's not going to happen overnight," the mayor warned. 

"When we got closer to that roll-out date, we will have an adjustment phase so that citizens can get used to the green carts and how to do it. And if they need supports to that, we can certainly offer that. And then there will be another date chosen after the adjustment period, so there certainly will be some announcements about compliance and things like that."