Latest news with #PamMood
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Nova Scotia funds new affordable housing project in Yarmouth
Nova Scotia has announced it is building 24 housing units in Yarmouth as part of a project by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia. Premier Tim Houston made the announcement on Wednesday, saying, 'We said that we would build more homes faster, and we are doing just that.' 'This project in Yarmouth is the perfect example of what's possible when all levels of government work together with non-profit organizations and developers to ensure every Nova Scotian has a place to call home,' he added. According to a news release from the province, the two multi-unit buildings will include studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as three-bedroom townhouses. The units will house more than 50 people, with 14 of the units renting between $397 to $1,085. The other units will have market rates of $1,000 to $1,675. Residents are expected to move in by early 2026. 'It's exciting to watch this build happen because of what it means. It's affordable housing for those in need and adds so much to our community,' said Mayor of Yarmouth Pam Mood. 'Thanks to the Province for funding and our team for putting this together. She's going to be a beauty!' The province is contributing $2.66 million to the project through the Affordable Housing Development Program and $1.5 million in funding will come from Canada's National Housing Strategy initiatives. Another $3.9 million is from the federal government's Affordable Housing Fund. The Town of Yarmouth donated the land. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Fewer Canadians taking Nova Scotia CAT ferry, U.S. bookings show signs of growth
The CAT Ferry is pictured in Yarmouth, N.S., on June 5, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Jonathan MacInnis) Fewer Canadians are using the CAT ferry service between Nova Scotia and Maine, but American bookings are showing signs of growth. 'We are trending close to last year's bookings in terms of Americans taking the service and there are signs of continued growth for more Americans coming to Nova Scotia this season,' said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of Bay Ferries Limited (BFL), in a news release. Statistics Canada is reporting a decrease in Canadian resident return trips by car. Wilson said that trend is true of Canadian booking on the CAT. BFL released numbers on June 6 after video footage showed nearly empty ships heading for Maine near the end of May. 'I'm actually not concerned at all with the drop in passengers because it is one way,' said Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood. Nova Scotia has signed a contract with Bay Ferries to operate through next season. The province said ridership will help determine if they will sign another deal. Mood said she thinks the numbers are a blip on the radar and will recover. BFL has booked 19,208 passengers for the 2025 season compared to 24,285 passengers booked for the same period last year. The CAT began its season on May 5, running five days a week until June 19, when daily service begins. On Sept. 22 the CAT switches back to five days a week until Oct. 15. The ferry departs Yarmouth, N.S., at 9:30 Atlantic time and Bar Harbor, Maine, at 3 p.m. Eastern. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Will declining ridership numbers affect the CAT Ferry's contract renewal?
The CAT Ferry is pictured in Yarmouth, N.S., on June 5, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Jonathan MacInnis) Bay Ferries has released the most recent ridership numbers for the CAT Ferry, which travels between Yarmouth, N.S., and Bar Harbor, Maine. Last month's figures show almost 13,000 reservations for this sailing season compared to over 16,500 at the same Video taken on board a little more than a week ago shows a nearly-empty ship heading to Maine. Canadians boycotting vacations to the United States in reaction to the trade war may be a reason for the drop in numbers. 'I'm actually not concerned at all with the drop in passengers because it is one way,' said Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood. Yarmouth resident Lee Corporon is retired and, to pass the time, he heads to the wharf to watch the vessel load and unload. 'I think there was 42 vehicles that just went on the boat, on the ferry, and I think two days ago when it docked, I counted 78 coming off,' he said. CATT Ferry The CAT Ferry is pictured in Yarmouth, N.S., on June 5, 2025. (CTV Atlantic / Jonathan MacInnis) The province and Bay Ferries have a contract to operate the ship through next season. The province has said ridership will play a part in determining its willingness to sign a new deal. 'An economic impact study of the service is currently underway, which will inform decisions on the future of the service,' said a spokesperson for Nova Scotia's Department of Public Works in a statement to CTV News. Mood believes the drop in numbers is a blip on the radar, not a trend. 'I think they've seen that the numbers are climbing in previous years so no, not worried at all that that will be taken into consideration,' she said. 'I absolutely can't see a government shutting down an international highway to the U.S. where there's tens of millions of people.' Phillip Mooney, chair of the Yarmouth and Acadian Shores Tourism Association, says the bookings look good on the American side. He adds Yarmouth isn't the only entry point seeing a decline in Canadians heading south of the border. 'The crossings in Windsor, the crossings in British Columbia, the cancellations and disruptions of some of the air services going to the United States,' he said. The full picture will be clearer when Bay Ferries releases its updated passenger numbers, which is expected next week. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Municipalities' group weighs in on N.S. coastal protection blueprint
Watch Tom Murphy's interview with Pam Mood, mayor of Yarmouth and the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities. She said despite the Houston government scrapping the Coastal Protection Act last year, the province's announcement is "a great step forward."
CBC
26-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Houston government softens language in transportation bill
The Houston government has softened language in a bill that would give it sweeping new powers over transit and transportation infrastructure throughout the province, but the advocacy group for Nova Scotia municipalities remains concerned it still isn't enough. The original language in the proposed changes to the Joint Regional Transportation Agency Act suggested the province could unilaterally undertake projects to build or remove infrastructure, or "do anything necessary" to ensure the smooth movement of people and goods. According to Bill 24, the provincial government could simply pass on the cost of the work to a municipality once the project was completed. The Federation of Nova Scotia Municipalities, the organization that speaks for the province's municipal governments, called that original language "tremendously concerning." Amendments introduced Tuesday during debate on the bill noted the province would try to consult and negotiate with municipalities on projects it felt were necessary. "The cost of any work undertaken … shall be apportioned between the municipality and the Crown in right of the Province in the manner agreed upon by them," said one amendment. But the next amendment made it clear the province would keep its power to pass along the costs, if there was no agreement between the parties. Thrust of bill still 'a huge concern' Pam Mood, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, said the thrust of the bill remains "a huge concern." "What it said before is we are going to come in, we're going to tell you this is what needs to be done, we're going to tell you to do it and if you don't do it in a reasonable amount of time, we're going to come in and do it and bill you," said Mood, the mayor of Yarmouth. "But now it … basically says apportioning costs of work in a manner agreed upon. We'll have to sit down and figure out how that [will] work." The proposed legislation now says the municipal affairs minister will "make reasonable efforts" to consult the federation and municipalities "impacted by ministerial action taken pursuant to this Act." Mood wasn't impressed with that change either. "That doesn't equal doing so," she said. "When you say I'll make an effort to do something, you're saying if it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, it doesn't. That's simply not enough." During an exchange with reporters intended to explain the changes, Public Works Minister Fred Tilley downplayed how upset some municipal leaders had been with the original version of the bill. "Well, it was just discussion that we had around the way the language read," said Tilley. "So we agreed with our partners and adjusted the language accordingly to make the bill more about what we were attempting to do."
