Archives
CREDA File
May 2012
The Municipality of the County of Cumberland and the Towns of Springhill and Parrsboro have taken an important step towards securing a greener, more sustainable future for their residents with the recent signing of an historic Inter-Municipal Agreement creating a brand new entity - the Cumberland Energy Authority.
Warden Keith Hunter of the Municipality of the County of Cumberland, Springhill Mayor Allen Dill and Lois Smith, Mayor of Parrsboro formally put pen to paper at a well attended official signing ceremony April 17th at the E.D. Fullerton Municipal Building in Upper Nappan. The Authority, believed to be the first of its kind in Nova Scotia, will be responsible for attracting and promoting renewable energy development within Cumberland County and will be the single point of contact for developers.
The Municipal units, along with the Cumberland RDA, have been partners in the Cumberland Energy Office for the past four years. In 2010, the partners adopted a Regional Energy Strategy which identified investment and attraction opportunities within the County and the towns of Springhill and Parrsboro that would increase renewable and alternative energy capacity. Cumberland County has an abundance of renewable energy resources and has already seen significant investments in areas such as wind, tidal, mine water geothermal and solar.
The municipalities have been working towards formalizing the Cumberland Energy Authority for over a year with all three municipal councils recently agreeing to sign-on. The Inter-Municipal Agreement will be filed with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies which will create a body corporate pursuant to Section 60 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
The objectives of the Cumberland Energy Authority include the implementation of the Regional Energy Strategy; the promotion, attraction and development of renewable/alternative energy sources; the planning, development, construction, and operation of renewable/alternative energy projects; and the establishment of the Municipalities as leaders in renewable energy use, energy efficiency, and conservation.
The Fossil Centre at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site is now open for the 2012 season. The Fossil Centre will be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm every day until June 1st, and from 9:30 am to 5:30pm every day after June 1st.
Starting this year, the Fossil Centre will be offering 30 minute tours every hour on the hour! If the tide is high the tour will be of the building and grounds, if the tide is low the tour will be of the beach. Longer tours of 1.5 to 2 hours and 4 hours in duration are also available, tides permitting.
The Joggins Fossil Centre provides an exceptional learning experience featuring an extensive fossil specimen collection, exhibits and displays depicting the rich geological history of the cliffs, the history of scientific discovery there, and the history of coal mining that shaped the community. The environmentally sustainable centre also features a gift shop, a café, visitor information centre, meeting facilities, and the offices of the Joggins Fossil Institute Association.
For more information on the Fossil Cliffs phone (902) 251-2727 or visit their website.