New Neighbourhood Concept - What are your thoughts?
Municipality Transforms Housing Commitment into Concrete Action
St. Mary’s, May 29, 2024 – In a momentous step towards addressing the ongoing housing crisis, the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s is announcing actionable measures aimed at turning its commitment to challenge the housing crisis into action. Specifically, the Municipality is committing an approximately 50-acre piece of municipal land on the edge of Sherbrooke between Stonewall Park and the St. Mary’s Education Centre for housing development. The Municipality will be launching an RFP to have a neighborhood concept plan developed for the land. The neighborhood concept plan will facilitate public feedback on best development and housing solutions and support the engagement of developers. Further, the Municipality will be formally inviting the Province to consider working with the municipality to locate the recently announced new Long term care facility to be developed for Sherbrooke in this location.
The Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s is announcing actionable measures aimed at turning its commitment to challenge the housing crisis into action. Specifically, the Municipality is requesting feedback from St. Mary’s residents and businesses regarding a Neighbourhood Concept for the municipal land next to St. Mary’s Education Centre/ Academy in Sherbrooke. The transformative next step of issuing a Request for Proposal for the design of a Neighbourhood Concept underscores the Municipality's dedication to ensuring that all residents have access to safe, secure, and affordable housing.
Warden Greg Wier emphasized the urgency and significance of this initiative, in November of 2023, by stating "Housing is a fundamental human right, and it is our responsibility as a Municipality to ensure that every possible policy and financial commitment is in place to accelerate residents’ access to a decent and affordable place to live. Council’s commitment to housing is not just about providing a roof over people's heads, but also about creating a more equitable and sustainable community for all."
To see the Press Release click the link below:
pdf
FINAL 29 May 24 Press Release Neighbourhood Concept
(133 KB)
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Housing - New Neighbourhood Housing Concept: What are your thoughts?
The Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s Council has pledged its commitment towards creating a more inclusive and sustainable community by addressing the housing crisis that the Municipality has been facing. With rising housing prices and a shortage of affordable housing options, the council has recognized the urgent need to take action to ensure that everyone has access to safe, secure, and affordable housing.
In a statement released November 15, 2023, Warden Wier said, "Housing is a fundamental human right, and it is our responsibility as a Municipality to ensure that every possible policy and financial commitment is in place to accelerate residents’ access to a decent and affordable place to live. Council’s commitment to housing is not just about providing a roof over people's heads, but also about creating a more equitable and sustainable community for all."
To see more details click the link below:
https://saint-marys.ca/housing.html
Active St. Mary's Plan Draft
The draft version of the updated Active St Mary’s Plan is now available for viewing. pdf Draft Plan Active St Mary's (9.71 MB)
The Active St. Mary’s Plan was developed with community research from last fall, The goal of this project is to enhance the movement of both residents and visitors throughout the area, fostering a healthier and more sustainable community, where transportation is not only safe and practical but also an enjoyable experience for all users.
Access Awareness Week - RecPlex & Library
As you may know, Access Awareness Week is a week to promote and celebrate people with disabilities for their leadership, voice, and impact. NAAW is about the struggles that people with disabilities face every day. Many people with disabilities have to advocate for themselves and others, some things the Municipality can do is support NAAW by pointing out the barriers, calling out non-inclusive activities, language, events, and more, ask for the stories that disabled people may want to share.
In partnership with the Province and the Enabling Accessibility Fund, The Municipality has received funding and is in the process of upgrading the RecPlex and Sherbrooke Library to be Accessible and barrier-free. Upgrading and/or replacing the existing doors, with the addition of automatic openers to enable easier access for all residents.
Access Awareness Week - May 26th - June 2nd
Access Awareness Week (AAW), recognized across the country as National AccessAbility Week, is an annual celebration that takes place during the last week of May to raise awareness about disability, access and inclusion.The provincial theme is "Communities for All: Taking Action on Access Awareness” and it takes place this year from May 26 to June 1, 2024.
The disability community in Nova Scotia was the first in the country to champion Access Awareness Week as an extension of Rick Hansen’s 1987 Man in Motion world tour.
During this initiative, Rick and his team wheeled through 34 countries raising awareness about the potential of people with disabilities and the possibility of creating accessible and inclusive communities.
For 37 years, Nova Scotians have organized community events, flag raising, forums, and concerts during Access Awareness Week to bring attention to the importance of removing barriers for people with disabilities.
For details of these events and more information about how you or your community can get involved in Access Awareness Week you can visit https://nsleo.com/access-awareness-week-nova-scotia/ or by searching “Access Awareness Nova Scotia” online.
One of the waysThe Municipality of the District of St. Mary's has taken part in Access Awareness Week is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program. This program is a simple tool for residents to voluntarily share that they have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent and that they may need a helping hand, understanding, or more time in shops, at work, on transport, or in public spaces. Staff are trained and will understand that some residents may require additional needs. You may pick up a Sunflower lanyard at the Municipal Office.
Access Awareness Week!
The Municipality of the District of St. Mary's is dedicated to an Accessible St. Mary's. You may see a new flag flying on the pole which is the Access Awareness Week Flag. Access Awareness Week is from May 26th to June 2nd, and is a time to learn and promote how to make the community more Accessible. This week serves as an opportunity to highlight the barriers that people with disabilities face in their daily lives, from physical obstacles in the built environment to societal attitudes and systemic challenges. To Learn more about Access Awareness Week follow along with our posts this week promoting a more inclusive St. Mary's.
Feel free to reach out with any ideas, or barriers you have faced to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.