Windsor, West Hants co-operating despite division over amalgamation

The Town of Windsor, N.S., and the Municipality of West Hants remain on opposite sides of the amalgamation question even as they take the first steps towards more co-operation on other issues.

On Jan. 12, the councils for both communities held a joint meeting the first one in eighteen months.

"This was the door opening for who knows what in the future," said WindsorMayor Anna Allen. "I am very excited about all of this."

In agreement over arena

At the meeting, both Windsor and West Hants recommitted their support for the Long Pond Project, a proposal for a hockey heritage and arena complex.

"We actually passed a few motions and it has been many, many years since that has happened, so yeah it was a good meeting," said Abraham Zebian, warden of West Hants.

When it comes to the thorny question of amalgamation, the two sides part ways.The Town of Windsor is for amalgamation and West Hants is opposed.

The neighbouring municipalities have repeatedly fought over who pays for a long list of shared services used by citizens from both areas, including fire protection, the water utility, library and community centre.

In mid-December, the newly elected council in West Hants asked the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to pull the plug on the proposed amalgamation, which was initiated by the Avon Region Citizens Coalition.

Nearly 20 per cent of residents in both places signed a petition in support of the merger application.

Divided on merging

Now West Hants officials say their residents do not support the proposal.

"We don't think it's a democratic choice," said Zebian. "We won't accept anything being forced upon us or our citizens."

Windsor's mayor has a different take on the situation.Allen believes amalgamation hearingswill go ahead since the Avon citizen's group is unwilling to stop the process.

She said she thinks the studies needed for the hearings will be useful for all residents.

The studies estimated to cost $500,000 would examine the impact of amalgamation on taxes, municipal human resources and governance in the area, among other issues.

Cost would be split 50/50

"We will never know what amalgamation impact will have on our community until a study is done," said Allen.

If the utility and review board does decide to proceed, hearings on amalgamation may not take place until 2018.

The board has already ruled that the cost of any studies will be shared 50-50 by the two municipalities.

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