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Emergency Management (EMO)
Wildfires
Recovery Efforts
A Recovery and Care Centre has opened in the former VIC Buidling (2517, Highway 3) to support residents affected by the fires.The Centre provides a place where residents can speak with a community liaisons and connect with different community groups that offer support services, like the United Way and the Red Cross.
Residents who have returned to properties after being evacuated are encouraged to review provincial information on health and safety considerations, including guidance on the use of personal protective equipment.
Resources and Support
Resources for residents returning to properties
An information package has been prepared for those returning to properties.
A Recovery and Care Centre has opened in the former VIC Building (2517, Hohway 3) to support residents affected by the fires. See the Recovery Efforts section above for more information.
The Province of Nova Scotia's Emergency Relief Grant is available to individuals. This grant will support Nova Scotians who lost income during the recent wildfires. Employed and self-employed Nova Scotians who are not receiving Employment Insurance (EI) can access this short-term emergency grant, either $275 or $550 per week, depending on the extent of the impact faced. Volunteer firefighters who responded to the wildfires may also be eligible.
Details on the grant and eligibility can be found at: https://novascotia.ca/programs/emergency-relief-grant-individuals
Nova Scotia Wildfires Housing Support Program
The Province of Nova Scotia, through the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency (NSPHA), has established this transitional housing program for Nova Scotians who lost or experienced significant damage to their homes in the wildfires in Spring of 2023.The Nova Scotia Wildfires Housing Support Program offers modular housing to eligible Nova Scotia residents for up to two years.
Residents returning to properties after an evacuation order are encouraged to review provincial information on health and safety considerations, including the use of personal protective equipment.
For more information, visit: https://nspha.ca/programs/nova-scotia-wildfires-housing-support-program
The Canadian Red Cross Guide to Wildfire Recovery is another valuable resource for residents returning home after an evacuation area.
The Nova Scotia Power Wildfires Response webpage provides information on outage restoration and electrical safety. A reference guide to important electrical safety steps: Nova Scotia Power Wildfires Response & Re-entry Factsheet.
The Province of Nova Scotia has valuable resources for mental health support available for children, youth and adults.
A well water safety after a wildfire common questions document is important for those residents who have returned to their property and rely on well water.
Supporting businesses impacted by the wildfires
In partnership with the Barrington Chamber of Commerce, the Western REN has been coordinating response and support for the Business Community impacted by the wildfires and evacuation orders in Shelburne County.
Both the Barrington Chamber and Western REN staff have had direct outreach to those impacted for a preliminary check-in. The goal has been to understand immediate needs, share information on relief supports, and to hear first-hand any other concerns. They are planning to be onsite at the Barrington Chamber office for drop-ins from any impacted business owners next week, details to follow.
They are also working in parallel with the Halifax Partnership and are an active participant in their check-in meetings. They are ensuring efforts are coordinated at a provincial level, and we have a channel to relay information back and forth as quickly as possible.
The Province of Nova Scotia is offering assistance to more small businesses impacted by recent wildfires.
The Small Business Wildfire Relief Program is now available to businesses outside the mandatory evacuation zones that were closed for at least five days because of the fires.
Applications and information on eligibility are at: https://beta.novascotia.ca/small-business-wildfire-relief-program
Business owners with questions may email:
Nova Scotia's Thriving Forests
Nova Scotia’s Thriving Forests is supporting our province’s contribution to national efforts to tackle climate change, mitigate biodiversity loss and secure healthy forest ecosystems for future generations of Canadians.
Through funding provided by the Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program, and the Province of Nova Scotia, Clean Foundation is working with the provincial government to develop tree planting initiatives across the province, with the goal of planting 21 million trees! This will happen by working with interested proponents to develop and fund planting projects, connecting them with service suppliers and supporting a local seed stock inventory.
Expression of Interest from project proponents and service providers are now open!
To learn more, visit: https://cleanfoundation.ca/thriving-forests/
After Action Review
Organizational learning requires that organizations continuously assess their performance to identify and learn from successes and failures. The After Action Review (AAR) is a simple but powerful tool to help Emergency Management Orgnizations (EMO) do this. Conducting an AAR at the end of an emergency event can help EMOs learn from its efforts. Furthermore, sharing the results from an AAR can help other EMOs learn from successful strategies and avoid pitfalls.
The Municipality of Barrington and Shelburne are conducting a joint AAR and are both participating in the provincial AAR.
The AAR will be centered on evaluating what was expected to happen, what actually occurred, what went well and why and what can be improved and how. A number of community and goverment partners and agencies will be asked to pareticipate in the AAR by providing their perspectives and experiences. A report summarizing the findings of the AAR will be published. It will help apply the lessons learned to future emergency events by providing a clear summary of concrete and actionable recommendations and identifying tasks and topics requiring leadership attention.
Extreme Weather Preparation
If an emergency happens, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours.
Learn how quick and easy it is to become better prepared to face a range of emergencies – anytime, anywhere by using this guide to create your own emergency plan. Use the checklists to build a 72-hour emergency kit. These basic steps will help you take care of yourself and your loved ones during an emergency.
There are also emergency preparedness guides available for persons with disabilities and older adults living in Nova Scotia. These guides can help you to be ready in case a disaster or an emergency happens here. Here they are:
- Emergency Preparedness Guide for Persons with Disabilities and Older Adults in Nova Scotia
- Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities/Special Needs
There are also simple and inexpensive actions that can be taken to adapt to climate change and mitigate its impact on your safety and property. Here are five infographics outlining simple, easy to implement mitigation strategies to address the threat of extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires.
- Steps to Cost Effective Apartment Heat Protection
- Steps to Cost Effective Home Heat Protection
- Steps to a Cost Effective FireSmart Home
- Wildfire Ready Community
- Steps to Cost Effective Home Flood Protection
Wildfire-Ready
Here are two plain language, image-based infographics, designed to help with the implementation of practical actions tht can be taken to be wildfire ready:
Water Supply Upgrade Lending Program
In response to drought conditions experienced in our area in the fall of 2016, the Province amended the MGA to allow municipalities the power to lend money for new wells and cisterns.
We offer a Water Supply Upgrade Lending Program which allows residents to borrow money from the Municipality to construct a new dug or drilled well or upgrade an existing well that is required to source water. The maximum lending amount is $10,000 and it is repayable up to a maximum of 10 years at a 3% interest rate.
The by-law regulating the program can also be accessed here for more information: https://barringtonmunicipality.com/2721-by-law-no-37-water-supply-upgrade-lending-program/file.