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Municipality of the District of Clare
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at 7:00 pm
Meeting held at 1185 Highway 1, Little Brook, NS
PRESENT: Council: Warden Yvon LeBlanc, Deputy Warden Eric Pothier; Councillors Réanne Evans, Danny Hill, Réanne Cooper, Carl Deveau, Steven Comeau, and Nadine Comeau
Staff: CAO, Stéphane Cyr, Executive Assistant, Ashley Hanks, and Communications Officer, Anique Dugas
Presenters: Kenneth Deveau, President and Vice Chancellor of Université Sainte-Anne
ABSENT:
1) Call to Order
The Warden called the Council meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
2) Adoption of the Agenda
The CAO asked that the following addition be made to the agenda:
- 12.8 Motion to Award Tender – Entrance Office, Clare Health Centre
MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the proposed agenda be approved with the above noted addition.
MOTION CARRIED
3) Declaration of Conflict of Interest
None.
4) Presentations
4.1 Université Sainte-Anne Strategic Plan 2025-2030 – Kenneth Deveau, President and Vice Chancellor.
Kenneth Deveau, President and Vice Chancellor of Université Sainte-Anne presented the University’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan (
See attached).
Following his presentation, Mr. Deveau thanked Council for their continued support and partnership.
5) Adoption of the Minutes from Previous Council Meetings
5.1 October 15, 2025 – Swearing in Ceremony
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the minutes of the October 15, 2025, Swearing in Ceremony be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED
5.2 October 15, 2025 – Regular Council Meeting
MOVED BY Deputy Warden Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Steven Comeau that the minutes of the October 15, 2025, Regular Council Meeting be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED
5.3 November 12, 2025 – Council-In-Committee Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Réanne Evans that the minutes of the November 12, 2025, Council-in-Committee Meeting be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED
6) Business Arising from Previous Meetings
None.
7) Warden’s Activity Report – Warden Yvon LeBlanc
October 20 – Attended a meeting of the Police Advisory Board.
October 24 – Attended a reception organized as part of Small Business Week 2025.
November 4-7 – Attended the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities (NSFM) fall conference.
November 13 – Attended the 8th Colloquium on Francophone Immigration in Atlantic Canada, serving as a panelist on a panel entitled ‘‘Quand l’immigration francophone transforme nos communautés: expériences et perspectives’’
November 14 – Met with the new Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Honourable John A. MacDonald.
November 15 – Attended a meeting of the Board of Governors of Université Sainte-Anne.
November 16 – Attended a recognition ceremony honoring first responders.
November 17 – Attended a funding announcement for the Acadian Cemetery and Chapel project at Pointe-à-Major.
November 19 – Attended a public meeting organized by the RCMP.
November 21 – Met with the Consul General of France in the Atlantic provinces.
November 21 – Met with the Minister of Post-Secondary Education, the Honourable Brendan Maguire.
8) Official Statements from Members of Council
On October 25th, les Amareuses finished their 500th quilt. These quilts are gifted to community members in need. Councillor Cooper thanked les Amareuses for their many contributions to the community and requested Council send them a congratulatory certificate in recognition of their 500th quilt. Council agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare send a congratulatory certificate to les Amareuses in recognition of their 500th quilt.
MOTION CARRIED
9) Correspondence
9.1 The Honourable John A. MacDonald – Minister of Municipal Affairs
The CAO read a letter from the Honourable John A. MacDonald, Minister of Municipal Affairs. (See attached)
9.2 The Honourable Tory Rushton – Minister of Natural Resources
The CAO read a letter from the Honourable Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources. (See attached)
9.3 Jennifer Griffiths – Executive Lead, Department of Opportunities and Social Development
The CAO read a letter from Jennifer Griffiths, Executive Lead of the Department of Opportunities and Social Development. (See attached)
9.4 Scott Farmer – CEO, Property Valuation Services Corporation
The CAO read a letter from Scott Farmer, CEO of Property Valuation Services Corporation. (See attached)
10) CAO Report – Chief Administrative Officer – Stéphane Cyr
The CAO presented his report for the month of November. (See attached)
11) Committee Reports
11.1 Waste Check – Councillor Carl Deveau
Waste Check held a meeting on November 18, 2025.
EPR will be launched on December 1, 2025. The review of the draft EPR contracts (as prepared by Circular Materials) is now complete and the Municipality of Clare will be opting into the program. Both the Municipality and Waste Check will be issuing additional information about the program via social media. The program is very permissive and will allow for a greater number of items to be recycled. From the public’s perspective, the transition to this new program should be relatively seamless.
11.2 Accessibility Advisory Committee – Councillor Réanne Evans
With a new EDIA Coordinator now hired, the Accessibility Advisory Committee has met on several occasions since October as part of ongoing efforts to update the Municipality’s Accessibility Plan. To this end, an online survey coupled with several targeted stakeholder sessions and a larger public forum have been held to help inform the plan. Once approved by Council, the plan will be submitted to the Accessibility Directorate, as legislated under the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act.
12) New Business
12.1 Motion to Approve the 2025-2030 Western Regional Enterprise Network Intermunicipal Agreement
The WREN Inter-Municipal Agreement is up for renewal. A new, updated document has been prepared and reviewed by both provincial officials and municipal CAOs. With this review now complete and the requested revisions made, the agreement is now being presented to member municipal units for signature. That said, Council passed the following motion:
PROPOSED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare approve and authorize the Warden and Chief Administrative Officer to execute the 2025-2030 Western Regional Enterprise Network (WREN) Inter-Municipal Agreement as presented.
MOTION CARRIED
12.2 Motion to Appoint Members – Regional Emergency Management Advisory Committee
The Municipalities of Digby and Clare, as well as the Town of Digby, have recently signed an inter-municipal emergency services agreement as part of ongoing efforts to provide a coordinated response to emergencies occurring within Digby County. The planning and coordination of emergency service delivery during a real or imminent emergency, as defined by the Emergency Management Act, shall now be provided by the newly formed Digby County Regional Emergency Management Organization (REMO). As part of the aforementioned inter-municipal agreement, each member municipal unit must appoint its Warden/Mayor and one municipal councillor to sit on the REMO Advisory Committee. Furthermore, in the case of the Municipality of Clare, the establishment of this new REMO for Digby County effectively renders the Clare EMO redundant and obsolete. In light of these recent developments and in an effort to comply with provincial legislation, Council passed the following two motions:
PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare appoint Warden Yvon LeBlanc and Councillor Carl Deveau to the Digby County Regional Emergency Management Organization’s Regional Emergency Management Advisory Committee.
MOTION CARRIED
12.3 Motion to Dissolve the Municipality’s Emergency Management Orgtanization (EMO) Committee
PROPOSED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper and SECONDED BY Councillor Steven Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare dissolve the Municipality’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO) Committee.
MOTION CARRIED
12.4 Motion to Approve Funding Contribution – Clare Share Fridge Communautaire Society
Clare Share Fridge Communautaire Society is requesting $500 under the Municipality’s Grants to Organizations program to help offset the costs of its free community Christmas meal event. The CAO has reviewed the application and is recommending Council approve the request. Council agreed and made the following motion:
PROPOSED BY Deputy Warden Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare award $500 to the Clare Share Fridge Communautaire Society for their free community Christmas meal event and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Grants to Organizations program.
MOTION CARRIED
12.5 Motion to Enter into Master Services Agreement with Circular Materials – Collection of PPP
EPR will be launched on December 1, 2025. Following a thorough review of the draft EPR contracts (as prepared by Circular Materials), it is the recommendation of the CAO that the Municipality of Clare opt into the program by signing master service agreements with Circular Materials for both the collection of PPP and post collection services related to PPP. Council agreed and made the following two motions:
PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Réanne Evans that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare enter into a master services agreement with Circular Materials for the curbside collection of single-use packaging, paper products, and packaging-like products (PPP).
MOTION CARRIED
12.6 Motion to Enter into Master Services Agreement with Circular Materials – Post-Collection Services related to PPP
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare enter into a master services agreement with Circular Materials for post collection services related to single-use packaging, paper products, and packaging-like products (PPP).
MOTION CARRIED
12.7 Motion to Write a Letter of Support – Pool Renovation Project, Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne (US-A) is applying to the Province of Nova Scotia for funding to assist with needed renovations to the university pool. As part of their application, US-A is requesting a letter of support from the Municipality. Given that the pool is an important piece of recreational infrastructure which is used extensively by both the university and the community at large, Council passed the following motion:
PROPOSED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare write a letter to Université Sainte-Anne in support of their efforts to source project funding for needed renovations to the swimming pool.
MOTION CARRIED
12.8 Motion to Award Tender – Entrance Office, Clare Health Centre
The construction of a new office at the entrance of the Clare Health Centre is included in the Municipality’s 2025-26 Capital Budget. Cost for the construction of this office was estimated by industry at $10,000. The tendering process for this small project only generated 1 bid which was nearly 4 times the budgeted amount. As such, the bid was refused, and the project was once again tendered. The second tendering process yielded 2 bids, with a low bid of $19,500 plus HST. Whereas municipal staff have tendered this project on two separate occasions and whereas the construction of this office has been proposed to ensure staff safety (i.e., based on recent events which prompted concerns from both management and the Municipality’s OHS Committee), it is the CAO’s recommendation that Council accept the bid from Wilmax Construction Limited in the amount of $19,500 plus HST. Council agreed and made the following motion:
PROPOSED BY Councillor Steven Comeau and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Eric Pothier that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare accept the proposal from Wilmax Construction Limited for the construction of a new entrance office at the Clare Health Centre in the amount of $19,500 plus HST and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED
13) Closed Session
PROPOSED BY Councillor Réanne Evans and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that Council proceed to the Closed Session.
MOTION CARRIED
Topics Discussed
13.1 Contract Negotiations
PROPOSED BY Councillor Réanne Evans and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED
PROPOSED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Natural Forces Solar Inc. to partner, along with other local private sector investors, on the development of a 4MW solar farm within the Municipality of Clare.
MOTION CARRIED
PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare extend and amend the terms of the current 2021-2026 Refuse Collection and Disposal Services Agreement for an additional two years, commencing October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2028.
MOTION CARRIED
PROPOSED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Council for the Municipality of the District of Clare contribute $50,543.74 towards the purchase of a Wasp Custom Built - Structure Protection Unit (Type 2), and that these funds be conditional upon confirmation of the balance of project funding.
MOTION CARRIED
14) Date and Time of the Next Regular Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 7:00 pm.
15) Adjournment
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Evans to adjourn the meeting at 9:22 pm.
Submitted by:
Ashley Hanks
Executive Assistant