Municipality of Shelburne celebrates new administrative centre with grand opening
SHELBURNE, N.S. —
The official opening of the Municipality of Shelburne’s new $7.3-million state-of-the-art municipal administrative centre on Woodlawn Drive was celebrated on July 27 with a ribbon cutting ceremony, a monument dedication, a Mi’kmaw blessing and smudging, and an open house where people could tour the new facility and enjoy refreshments.
“As many of you will know, our former building at 136 Hammond St. was built over 100 years ago with an addition included in 1969. Over the years it has housed municipal offices, court facilities and related services, registry of deeds, a lock-up facility, motor vehicles and others. It has served us well,” said Warden Penny Smith in her opening remarks.
She said the idea of a new administration building has been discussed for many years.
“The first facility study we found was in 1988… it was a study to analyze the existing municipal building and courthouse and future needs. Now 35 years later we gather at the entrance of a new modern facility, a single level, accessible building that is a safe and efficient space for our tenants our staff and our residents to carry out their business,” said Smith.
“Although we are all moved in, as is the case with many new builds there’s still a few things that need to be completed. We are excited to be installing electric vehicle charging stations on-site and are working with the Southwest Nova Transit Association in regards to scheduling and installation, subject to provincial funding programs,” she added. “We will also be installing solar panels on the building to enhance energy efficiency subject to the timing of funding programs. These building components are very important as we continue to promote and support accessibility and renewable energy initiatives.”
A small monument sitting near the entrance of the new administrative centre was also dedicated during the grand opening ceremonies.
“The Municipality of Shelburne has been fortunate to have strong councils and leaders at the helm steering us towards growth and prosperity,” said Smith. “This monument will stand as a testament to their dedication determination and vision for our community and we take this opportunity to honour their legacy.”
The monument reads: “In memory of those municipal councillors whose service and dedication have enriched our community. Their legacy is forever etched in our hearts and history.”
The new administrative centre was built on 35 acres of land purchased by the municipality in 2017. The municipality awarded the $6,160,000 tender for construction of the new building to Rikjak Construction of Lunenburg on Sept. 13, 2021. The tender was the lowest of three received. The total budgeted cost for the building including engineering, design, furniture and fixings was $7.3 million. The municipality used a combination of reserves, gas tax, grant funding and borrowing to pay for the building,
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Employment Services Development Canada (ESDC) are tenants in the new administrative centre.
Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Justice – tenants in the old municipal building – didn’t make the move to the new administrative centre. The Registry of Motor Vehicles office has moved to Loyalist Plaza, while the Department of Justice has a lease for courtroom and related space in the former municipal building until March 31, 2024, with an option to lease monthly thereafter.
