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Municipality of the District of Clare
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 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, and Executive Assistant, Ashley Hanks
Presenters:
ABSENT:
1) Call to Order
The Warden called the Council meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
2) Adoption of the Agenda
MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the proposed agenda be approved as circulated.
MOTION CARRIED
3) Declaration of Conflict of Interest
None.
4) Presentations
None.
5) Adoption of the Minutes from Previous Council Meetings
5.1 January 21, 2026 – Regular Council Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Danny Hill and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the minutes of the January 21, 2026, Regular Council Meeting be accepted as presented.
MOTION CARRIED
5.2 February 11, 2026 – Council-In-Committee Meeting
MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Steven Comeau that the minutes of the February 11, 2026, 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
December 19 – Met with the fire chiefs of the Saint-Bernard and Meteghan Fire Departments to discuss the planned purchase of two new fire trucks.
January 9 – Visited Inclusion Clare to learn more about their operations and ongoing projects.
January 9 – Attended the launch of the Société historique acadienne de la Baie Sainte-Marie’s 50th anniversary.
January 30 – Attended a meeting organized by CFA Clare with the CFA group from Prince Edward Island to discuss issues related to Francophone immigration in our communities.
February 7 – Attended a meeting of the Board of Governors of Université Sainte-Anne.
February 9 – Attended the official signing ceremony of the collaboration agreement between the Municipality of Clare and Université Sainte-Anne.
February 9 – Attended a meeting of the Police Advisory Board.
February 12 – Attended a meeting of the Regional Emergency Management Organization.
February 17 – Attended the official opening of the Clare Veterans Center.
February 18 – Attended a public consultation session along with council members, focusing on the draft municipal planning strategy and land use by-law.
February 21 – Attended a ceremony marking Nova Scotia Heritage Day and honoring former provincial MLA and senator Joseph Willie Comeau.
8) Official Statements from Members of Council
Councillor Réanne Cooper wished a happy 90th birthday to Omer Blinn who will be celebrating on February 28, 2026. A congratulatory certificate will be sent to Mr. Blinn.
Councillor Réanne Cooper also congratulated Gabrielle Charest on advancing to the CCAA National Badminton Championship in Women’s Singles and requested a letter be sent to her in recognition of her accomplishment. Council agreed and passed the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to Gabrielle Charest congratulating her on advancing to the CCAA National Badminton Championship in Women’s Singles.
MOTION CARRIED
9) Correspondence
9.1 Mr. Paul Lombard – Manager, Transport de Clare
The CAO read a letter from Mr. Paul Lombard, Manager of the Transport de Clare. (
See attached)
MOVED BY Deputy Warden Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Municipality of the District of Clare send a certificate to the Transport de Clare congratulating them on their 30 years of service to the community.
MOTION CARRIED
10) CAO Report – Chief Administrative Officer – Stéphane Cyr
The CAO presented his report for the month of February. (See attached)
11) Committee Reports
11.1 Police Advisory Board – Councillor Réanne Cooper
The Police Advisory Board met on February 9, 2026. (See attached).
11.2 Waste Check – Councillor Carl Deveau
The Waste Check Board met on February 10, 2026.
At this meeting, copies of the audited financial statements, and a report to the Audit Committee were circulated. Aaron Kelly and Gloria Banks from Doane Grant Thornton presented the statements and report. These were approved as presented.
Concern was raised about the latest items that can only be recycled by bringing them to a depot. This makes it difficult for residents that have disabilities or do not drive. Waste Check’s General Manager, Gus Green, felt that this may be temporary until the new recycling facility is operational in 2027. In the meantime, if residents choose not to take these items to the Depot, they can still go in the garbage as they are not currently banned from the landfill. The bottle depots in Clare and Yarmouth are the designated drop-off locations. There is no cost to the Municipality for these depots. All recycling costs including collection and processing are now covered by Circular Materials.
More green carts have been ordered. Due to the ongoing political environment and unknown impact of possible tariffs, it was recommended that these carts be ordered from Saunder’s Equipment (the only Canadian supplier). Staff ordered 1,012 carts at a cost of $105,028.
Lastly, concerns were raised regarding the amount of litter being created in Wedgeport due to the distribution of flyers. The Municipality of Clare, via its Flyer Distribution By-law, was cited as a great example of how to effectively manage community flyers. The issue will be raised at the Regional Chairs Committee and the Municipality of Clare’s Flyer Distribution By-law will be circulated to the Board.
11.3 EDIA Committee – Councillor Réanne Evans
The EDIA Committee met on February 19, 2026.
The Committee thanked Edwin Deveau and Lonnie McNeil whose terms have expired. There are currently three vacancies on the Municipality’s EDIA Committee and efforts are underway to fill these soon.
As part of the Municipality’s Accessibility Plan, all municipal staff and Council are asked to complete accessibility training. This training is available online. Both Council and staff are asked to make this a priority and complete the training in a timely fashion.
11.4 REMO Committee – Councillor Carl Deveau
The Digby County REMO Advisory Committee met on February 12, 2026. At this meeting:
- The Digby County Regional Emergency Management Plan was discussed and subsequently approved.
- An overview of the recently closed Water Voucher Program for both Digby and Clare were provided.
- The draft Inter-County Mutual Aid Agreements were approved.
- Preliminary discussions were held regarding the Weymouth Water Point, more specifically on how to possibly upgrade the water distribution practices, and in doing so, reduce traffic congestion and make it safer for the public. Bruce Snell will investigate further and report back to the Committee.
- Ideas were discussed for an upcoming application to the 2026 Regional Emergency Readiness Grant. A motion was made to apply for funding to support the Municipality of Clare’s efforts to install a generator at its municipal building. This is consistent with the Municipality of Clare’s draft 2026-27 Capital Budget and the Municipality of Digby’s successful 2025 application to the same grant program. In both cases, the Municipalities were shifting the physical location of their EMO to the municipal office. The maximum possible contribution under the 2026 Regional Emergency Readiness Grant is $30,000.
- An Emergency Resilience Forum was held from January 27th to 29th in Truro. Both EMCs – Bruce Snell and Yvon Thibodeau – participated.
- Staff training continues to be rolled out with a Spring Digby County REMO exercise currently being planned.
- Lastly, in-person discussions were held at this meeting with NS Public Works representatives regarding alternate evacuation routes for Highway 217 (i.e., Digby Neck and islands) in the event of a highway closure.
12) New Business
12.1 Motion to Enact the Emergency Management By-law – Second and Final Reading
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 an emergency occurring within the County of Digby. The planning for and coordination of emergency service delivery during a real or imminent emergency as defined by the Emergency Management Act shall be provided by the newly formed Digby County Regional Emergency Management Organization (REMO). As part of this process, the three aforementioned municipal units must now enact a new Emergency Management By-law. To this end, the Municipality of Clare’s By-law Committee met on January 12, 2026, to review the proposed by-law. Following said review, the first reading of the by-law occurred on January 21, 2026, at the Regular Council Meeting. In order to formerly enact the by-law, the CAO is now recommending it be read for the second and final time. Council agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Carl Deveau and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Municipality of the District of Clare read the Emergency Management By-law, and that the by-law be read for the second and final time by title only.
MOTION CARRIED
12.2 Motion to Amend the Repeal By-law – Second and Final Reading
The Municipality’s By-law Committee met on January 12, 2026, to review a proposed amendment to its Repeal By-law. The By-law in question is dated and in need of revision. Following said review, the first reading of the by-law occurred on January 21, 2026, at the Regular Council Meeting. To formerly amend the by-law, the CAO is now recommending it be read for the second and final time. Council agreed and passed the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Municipality of the District of Clare read the proposed amendment to the Repeal By-law, and that the amended by-law be read for the second and final time by title only.
MOTION CARRIED
12.3 Motion to Award Tender – Multi-Purpose Room Renovation
With the addition of the Fire Services / REMO Coordinator position to the existing staff compliment, additional space is required at the municipal office. To this end, an invitational tender was issued for renovations to the multipurpose room. Two bids were received. Following a review of the bids, it is the recommendation of the CAO and staff that Council award the tender to SMR Saulnier’s Maintenance and Repair Ltd. in the amount of $24,827 plus HST. Council agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper and SECONDED BY Councillor Danny Hill that the Municipality of the District of Clare award the tender for the multi-purpose room renovation to SMR Saulnier’s Maintenance and Repair Ltd. in the amount of $24,827 plus HST and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s Capital Reserve.
MOTION CARRIED
12.4 Motion to Approve Funding Request – La P’tite Académie
The CAPENÉ is seeking funding to assist with the costs associated with the construction of a new, inclusive, and accessible playground for children aged 3 months to 5 years at the Baie Sainte-Marie School in Saulnierville. Given the importance of this playground to the continued provision of childcare services in the community, the CAO is a recommending a contribution of $10,000 under the Municipality’s 2026-27 Grants to Organizations Program. Council agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Evans and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Municipality of the District of Clare approve a grant of $10,000 to the CAPENÉ to assist with the costs associated with the construction of a new, inclusive, and accessible playground for children aged 3 months to 5 years at the Baie Sainte-Marie School in Saulnierville and that these funds be taken from the Municipality’s 2026-27 Grants to Organizations Program, conditional upon confirmation of the balance of project funding.
MOTION CARRIED
12.5 Motion to Approve Equipment Purchase – Radar Speed Sign
The Municipality’s current radar speed sign has proven itself a valuable deterrent to speeding and a very useful source of information for the RCMP. At its February 9th meeting, the Police Advisory Board passed a motion recommending Council purchase a second Evolution 12 Radar Speed Sign from Absolute Traffic and Sign Solutions, for use in the community. Council subsequently agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper and SECONDED BY Councillor Eric Pothier that the Municipality of the District of Clare approve the purchase of a second radar speed sign from Absolute Traffic and Sign Solutions in the amount of $4,198 plus HST.
MOTION CARRIED
12.6 Motion to Appoint Community Representatives – EDIA Committee
With Edwin Deveau and Lonnie McNeil’s terms having expired, there are currently three vacancies on the Municipality’s EDIA Committee. To fill these vacancies, a call for expressions of interest (EOI) was launched. A total of three applications were received. Following a review of these applications, it is the recommendation of the EDIA Committee that Council appoint Joanne Neddo to the Committee. Council agreed and made the following motion to recommend:
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Evans and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Municipality of the District of Clare appoint Joanne Neddo to the EDIA Committee.
MOTION CARRIED
12.7 Motion to Send Letter to NS Public Works – Brush Cutting Along Public Roads
Councillor Réanne Evans has been contacted by a number of her constituents concerned with the brush cutting practices employed by Nova Scotia Public Works. More specifically, these practices are felt to be overly aggressive, needlessly damaging to the vegetation, and showing a complete lack of care and/or concern for community aesthetics. As such, Councillor Evans is requesting Council communicate in writing with NS Public Works to advise them of these concerns and ask them to reevaluate their brush cutting practices. Council agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Evans and SECONDED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper that the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter to the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works asking them to reevaluate their brush cutting practices and to explore alternative methods that better balance safety requirements with environmental responsibility and community appearance.
MOTION CARRIED
12.8 Motion to Send Letter of Support – Association des familles acadiennes de Port-Royal
L’Association des Familles Acadiennes de Port Royal is requesting a letter from the Municipality in support of its efforts to construct a commemorative monument at the Fort Anne National Historic Site, in honor of the first Acadian parish in Port Royal. After reviewing the material provided by the Association, Council made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Eric Pothier and SECONDED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau that the Municipality of the District of Clare send a letter in support of the project put forward by the Association des familles acadiennes de Port-Royal for the construction of a commemorative monument at the Fort Anne National Historic Site, in honor of the first Acadian parish in Port Royal.
MOTION CARRIED
12.9 Motion to Send Letter of Support – Accessibility Funding, Salmon River Fire Department
The Salmon River Fire Department is requesting a letter from the Municipality in support of its application to the Community ACCESS-Ability Program, for funding to assist with the installation of accessible door openers at the Salmon River Fire Hall. Council agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Deputy Warden Eric Pothier that the Municipality of the District of Clare write a letter in support of the Salmon River Fire Department’s application to the Community ACCESS-Ability Program, for funding to assist with the purchase and installation of accessible door openers at the Salmon River Fire Hall.
MOTION CARRIED
12.10 Motion to Defer Tax Sale Proceedings – Assessment Account Number 01204181
The owners of AAN 01204181 are moving forward with the sale of their property. The process is currently in the hands of the lawyers for both the buyer and the seller. At closing, the Municipality will be paid in full for the taxes owing. In light of this tax payment arrangement, the CAO is recommending that Council defer tax sale proceedings for AAN #01204181 for six months. Council agreed and made the following motion:
MOVED BY Councillor Steven Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Carl Deveau that the Municipality of the District of Clare in accordance with section 134 (3) of the Municipal Government Act of Nova Scotia, defer tax sale proceedings for AAN #01204181 for six months, as per the agreed upon tax payment arrangement.
MOTION CARRIED
13) Closed Session
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Réanne Cooper that Council proceed to Closed Session.
MOTION CARRIED
Topics discussed
12.1 Personnel Matters
PROPOSED BY Councillor Nadine Comeau and SECONDED BY Councillor Steven Comeau that Council proceed to the Regular Council Meeting.
MOTION CARRIED
14) Date and Time of the Next Regular Council Meeting
The next Regular Council Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 7:00 pm.
15) Adjournment
MOVED BY Councillor Réanne Evans to adjourn the meeting 8:45 pm.
Submitted by:
Ashley Hanks
Executive Assistant