Town News

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: Electric Utility Rate Application

Details
Published: Monday, 12 May 2025 08:06

As approved by Council on March 25, 2025, the Town of Lunenburg has submitted a rate application to the Nova Scotia Energy Board (formerly the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board) on behalf of the Lunenburg Electric Utility.

A public hearing for this application has been scheduled by the Board for July 22, 2025. As part of the application, the Town has requested that the rate increase for General Service customer classes be phased in, with a 15% increase pending approval, and the remaining 6% deferred.

See the official Nova Scotia Energy Board Public Hearing Notice (PDF) here:  pdf Notice of Public Hearing(98 KB)

Here are the hearing details and how you can take part:

  • Hearing starts: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM
    (Continuing Wednesday, July 23, 2025, if necessary)

  • Evening Session: Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM

  • Hearing Location: Town of Lunenburg Council Chambers, 120 Townsend Street (Town Hall Back Entrance), Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

How to Participate in the Public Hearing

  • Speak at the Hearing
    If you would like to speak during the hearing, you must let the Board know by Monday, June 23, 2025.

  • Submit Written Comments
    You can share your views in writing by sending a letter to the Clerk of the Board:
    • Mail: P.O. Box 1692, Unit “M”, Halifax, NS B3J 3S3
    • Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    • Fax: (902) 424-3919

      All written submissions must be received by Monday, June 23, 2025.
  • Request Intervenor Status
    If you wish to take a more active role—such as presenting evidence or asking questions—you can apply for formal standing as an Intervenor. This request must be submitted by Monday, April 28, 2025, and is subject to Board approval.

What Does This Mean for Customers? 

Domestic (Household) Customers: Based on an average monthly usage of 837 kWh, households can expect their bills to increase by approximately $17.80 per month, from $152.17 to $169.97. 
 
Even with the increase, Lunenburg’s proposed rates are still 2.7% lower than Nova Scotia Power Inc. (NSPI) rates for the same usage. 

General Service (Business) Customers: The proposed 21% increase will be phased in to reduce financial pressure: 

  • 15% applied immediately upon Nova Scotia Energy Board approval. 
  • The remaining 6% will be recovered over a period determined by the Nova Scotia Energy Board.  

These increases must be approved by the Nova Scotia Energy Board before they can take effect. If approved, the new rates are expected to take effect in the fall of 2025. 

The Nova Scotia Energy Board is an independent, quasi-judicial body responsible for regulating utilities and ensuring that rates are fair, reasonable, and in the public interest. In this case, the Nova Scotia Energy Board will review the Town’s proposed rate increases to determine if they are justified and reasonable. 

Why is This Increase Necessary?  

This is the first General Rate increase proposed since 2013. The Town has managed to avoid a general increase as new capital expenditures have been low and relying on smaller adjustments related to power cost flow-throughs. However, rising costs and urgent infrastructure needs have made a rate increase unavoidable. 

The proposed increase will help cover operational costs and fund essential capital investments aimed at improving grid reliability, expanding capacity, and modernizing the system to support future growth and meet climate resilience standards. 

2025/26 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets 

Details
Published: Wednesday, 30 April 2025 12:15

At the April 29, 2025 Committee of the Whole meeting, Council held its first review of the proposed 2025/26 budgets for the Town, Water Utility, and Electric Utility.

The full recording of this meeting is now available: https://youtu.be/p0Xvldg9eis  
The presentation slides from the meeting are also available:  pdf Draft 25 26 Budget Presentation(6.66 MB)

Some of the proposed budget highlights include: 

  • No change to property tax rates
  • $11.32M Town operating budget 
  • $4.69M Town capital budget, including roadwork, building repairs, and fire equipment
  • $2.2M Water capital budget, including the Dares Lake spillway upgrade
  • $3.24M Electric capital budget, with key infrastructure upgrades already underway

Council is scheduled to approve the budgets on May 27, but this may be delayed if more time or information is needed.

Council will continue to review the budgets at its May 13 and May 27 meetings. Public input is welcome at both meetings (both at 6 p.m. at Town Hall). 

Can’t attend in person? You can submit written feedback by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

A more detailed budget summary is available here:  pdf 2025/26 Proposed Budget Summary (April 30)(361 KB)

NOTICE: Power Outage & Thursday updates:

Details
Published: Wednesday, 23 April 2025 20:35

-- 3:20 p.m., Thursday, April 24, FINAL UPDATE --

Power has now been fully restored throughout the Town of Lunenburg.

We’d like to thank all residents, businesses, and visitors for your patience and understanding throughout the outage.

A special thank you to NS Power and the Lunenburg Fire Department for their efforts in keeping the community safe and supported during this time.

-- 2:20 p.m., Thursday, April 24, UPDATE --

Partial power has been restored across Town; however, several areas still remain without power, including:

  • From the Esso Station to Bluenose Drive
  • The Lunenburg Waterfront and surrounding businesses
  • Blue Rocks
  • Garden Lots

Nova Scotia Power remains on site and is continuing work to fully restore service as quickly and safely as possible.

The Lunenburg Fire Department at 25 Medway Street remains open as a comfort station for residents who need to charge devices or access power.

We thank you for your continued patience and cooperation.

-- 8:00 a.m., Thursday, April 24, UPDATE --

The Lunenburg Fire Department at 25 Medway Street is now open as a comfort station for residents who need to charge devices or access power.

Town Hall remains closed at this time due to the ongoing outage and will reopen once power is restored—anticipated between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., though this timing is not confirmed.

If you have any questions, please call (902) 634-4410 starting at 8:30 a.m. For emergencies, call 911.

We encourage residents to check in on neighbours who may need assistance.

-- 7:20 a.m., Thursday, April 24, UPDATE --

Much of the Town remains affected by the power outage, including Town Hall, which will be closed until at least 12:00 p.m. If the outage continues past noon, the closure will be extended.

The Lunenburg Community Centre is not affected and remains open for all regularly scheduled programs, including the Lunenburg Farmers’ Market.

We will provide updates as they become available.

-- 10:50 p.m. UPDATE --

Thank you for your continued patience as crews respond to the ongoing outage.

Following an assessment of the site, it has been determined that the work cannot safely proceed until morning. As a result, power restoration is anticipated between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 24).

Approximately 1,377 residences are affected. This includes areas from the Esso station/daycare, through Old Town and the Academy, the Lunenburg waterfront, and out to Blue Rocks and Garden Lots.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. Please check in on your neighbours and help share this message with those impacted.

If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.1

Original post: Wednesday, April 23 – 8:30 p.m.

Please be advised that a hydro pole is currently on fire in the Starr Street area. As a result, several areas across town are experiencing power outages, which may continue over the next several hours.

The Fire Department and NS Power are on site and working safely to restore power as quickly as possible. At this time, there is no estimated time for restoration.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation.

If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911

Compost Site Opening for the Season

Details
Published: Wednesday, 16 April 2025 10:34

The Town of Lunenburg is pleased to announce the seasonal opening of the Starr Street Municipal Compost Site. This service is free of charge and available exclusively to residents of the Town of Lunenburg.

Residents are encouraged to drop off leaves, tree limbs, and garden waste to help support environmentally responsible yard waste disposal.

Location: Starr Street Compost Site
Open: Fridays, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Season Start: Friday, April 25
Season End: until the last Friday in November 2025

Please note that the site is for residential use only and is not open to commercial or out-of-town users.

Let’s work together to keep our community green and sustainable.

Spring 2025 Newsletter

Details
Published: Wednesday, 16 April 2025 07:14

The Spring 2025 Town of Lunenburg Newsletter is here! It’s been delivered to all local PO boxes—check yours if you haven’t already.

The current Town of Lunenburg Council was elected in October 2024 and is looking at ways to better connect with the community. One option we’re exploring is this mail-out newsletter to help keep you informed about key decisions, upcoming meetings, and opportunities to get involved. This is a trial format, and we’ll be exploring more permanent communication methods over the coming months.

Along with being delivered to your PO box, this newsletter is also available online:  pdf 2025 Spring Newsletter(231 KB)

The newsletter includes updates on:

  • Budget meetings and public input opportunities
  • Proposed changes to the Noise By-law
  • Volunteer Appreciation Award nominations

Did you know we have an online Town Calendar?

To keep in the know with all Council, Committee and other Town meetings and events, check out our online calendar: townoflunenburg.ca/town-government/meeting-schedule.html

Town of Lunenburg 2025/26 Budget Review & Public Input

Details
Published: Wednesday, 09 April 2025 15:30

The Town of Lunenburg’s proposed 2025/26 Capital and Operating Budgets will be presented and discussed at a series of upcoming Council meetings. Members of the public are invited to attend and share their input.

The upcoming meeting dates are:

 1. Tuesday, April 29 at 6:00 p.m. – Budget Review & Public Input (Committee of the Whole Meeting)

  • Council will receive the first review of the proposed 2025/26 Capital and Operating Budgets.
  • A public input session will follow the staff review, providing an opportunity for residents to share their feedback.
  • This is a Committee of the Whole meeting, which is intended for discussion and information sharing. No formal decisions can be made at this meeting.

2. Tuesday, May 13 at 6:00 p.m. – Council Meeting & Public Input

  • Council will continue its discussion of the proposed 2025/26 Capital and Operating Budgets.
  • A second public input session will provide another opportunity for residents to share their feedback.

3. Tuesday, May 27 at 6:00 p.m. – Budget Approval (Council Meeting)

  • Council is scheduled to approve the 2025/26 Capital and Operating Budgets at this meeting.
  • If Council needs more time or has additional questions, approval may be postponed to a future meeting. Updates will be shared on the Town’s website and social media channels if this occurs.
  • There is no budget-specific public input session scheduled. However, the regular 20-minute public input period for any municipal matter will still take place at the start of the meeting.

Attend in Person or Watch Online

Council meetings are open to the public and held in Town Hall. Please use the accessible back entrance at 120 Townsend Street.

Meetings are also livestreamed through Zoom. The Zoom link is included in the agenda package for each meeting.


Where to Find the Budget Documents

The proposed 2025/26 Capital and Operating Budgets will be included in the April 29 Committee of the Whole agenda package. The agenda will be published on the Town’s website on Thursday, April 24.

Agendas are available here: townoflunenburg.ca/town-government/council-meetings.html

What’s the Difference between Operating and Capital Budgets?

  • Operating Budget: Covers the day-to-day costs of running the Town, such as salaries, maintenance, and services like snow clearing and waste collection.
  • Capital Budget: Focuses on long-term investments in infrastructure and major projects, such as roads, buildings, equipment, and facility upgrades.