Archived News

Announcement: The Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s is pleased to announce an innovative new program to provide inclusive service! The Municipality has officially joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, demonstrating its commitment to creating a more inclusive environment for individuals with hidden disabilities. This initiative allows residents with hidden disabilities to discreetly indicate that they may need some assistance or additional time by wearing a sunflower lanyard or bracelet. The benefit is that a person with a need does not have to ask or explain their needs everywhere they go. Simply by wearing a program lanyard, a person can indicate that the servicing organization should take care to ensure they have met that person’s needs. Participants can obtain a Sunflower lanyard, or bracelet from the Municipal Office. The program aims to raise awareness and provide support for individuals with hidden disabilities, fostering a more inclusive culture within the community. Background: The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program has international recognition with thousands of participating organizations worldwide. There are over 200 businesses and services in Canada and the USA that participate. St. Mary’s is the first municipality in Nova Scotia to offer this service. Other Information: The Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s is dedicated to being an inclusive location for residents with disabilities, and this step further solidifies its commitment to this cause. To learn more about the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, visit their website at hdsunflower.com/ca/. To learn more about the Municipality's inclusive initiatives, you can view the accessibility plan for St. Mary’s – An Accessible St. Mary’s here: www.saint-marys.ca/municipal-documents.html. Are you a local Business in St Mary’s? Would you like to participate in the Hidden Disabilities Program as well? The Municipality would be happy to talk to you and help you get started too. Please contact our Active Living Coordinator, Tyler MacLaughlin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 902-522-2598. Q&A Q: How will the municipality use the Sunflower to increase service and attention to potential customer needs? A: Staff serving the public will know to listen with extra care and take added steps to carefully communicate and listen to ensure we’ve met the person’s needs. Q: Where will people who wish to participate in the program be able to receive related service from the Municipality? A: People who visit the municipal office where the most detailed and complex questions are fielded will always be served by staff trained in the program. Q: Why is this a good thing? Why is the Municipality doing this? A: The Sunflower program has been operating since 2016 and has officially launched in 32 countries, including Canada. It is a proven way to create better connections and communication. and ultimately a higher quality of service for all interactions between staff and the public

Please note that changes will be made to the Municipal Transfer Station, effective April 29th, 2024. Full details can be found in the attached PDF. Municipal Transfer Station Service Changes April 2024 Updated.pdf

Eco Explorers is a fun and exciting outdoor education program for youth in grades 3-7. Participants will learn about safe fire building techniques, outdoor cooking, leaving no trace, and all about local wildlife. This program will start on Thursday, April 25th and takes place from 2:30-4pm for 6 weeks. This is a free after school program. Register online at www.saint-marys.ca under the recreation tab. There is a minimum registration requirement of 5 participants for this program to take place. Participants must wear appropriate footwear and clothing every week as we will be outside no matter what the conditions are. Call 902-522-2598 for more information.

It’s time to celebrate volunteerism in St. Mary’s! If you know someone who has gone above and beyond to serve their community, nominate them for Volunteer of the Year. Municipal Council will select a 2024 St. Mary’s Volunteer of the Year and the remaining nominated volunteers will be recognized at this years Volunteer Appreciation Event. Nominations are now open. The form can be found online here: https://forms.office.com/r/ni3GM2BG9u Hard copies can be picked up at the Municipal Office or requested by mail by calling 902-522-2598. The deadline to submit a form is May 3rd, 2024.