Sharing common interest

Baddeck hosting Provincial Association of Villages conference

Village delegates from across the province will gather in Baddeck this weekend for an annual conference.

The Baddeck Village Commission will host this year’s Provincial Association of Villages conference on Friday and Saturday at the Baddeck Community Centre.

Brian Morrison, chair of the Baddeck Village Commission, is looking forward to having the event held in the Cape Breton community.

“It’s a great time to come to Baddeck, we’re in full-swing here in the tourist season and we’re hoping the delegates will participate in what we have to offer,” said Morrison.

The Association of Nova Scotia Villages was first formed in 2005. The association provides villages with an opportunity to voice issues of common interest.

“It’s a way for us to learn about challenges the other villages have,” said Morrison. “We learn from each others experience — it’s a chance to share and learn.”

The two-day conference will include presentations from the provincial Department of Municipal Affairs, roundtable discussions and workshops.

Senator Dan Christmas will be the keynote speaker for the event.

The conference was last held in Baddeck in 2011 while last year’s event was hosted by the villages of Greenwood and Kingston.

“It’s a chance to highlight our particular area and that’s the general idea behind hosting,” said Morrison. “We are looking forward to welcoming

the delegates and hosting it. We are tickled that we are able to showcase what we have here in Baddeck.”

Fifteen Nova Scotia villages are members of the association. As of Monday, 10 villages were registered to participate in the conference with about 30 delegates expected to attend.

Morrison said registration for the conference is still open, meaning there’s still time for more villages and delegates to register.

The annual conference is not open to the general public.