News
Nominate a volunteer for the Municipality of Cumberland’s volunteer recognition program
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The deadline for nominating your favourite volunteer is fast approaching.
Who shows up when no one is watching? Who makes your community better just by being there?
Everyone knows someone like that. Help us give them the recognition they deserve.
We will celebrate volunteers and volunteerism from April 19 to 25. We want to recognize the outstanding volunteers who make Cumberland County the wonderful place to live that it is.
The Municipality of Cumberland is inviting nominations for volunteers who go above and beyond. All nominees will be celebrated at a special event this April, where we will honour their contributions.
“Volunteer Week gives us an important opportunity to recognize and celebrate the people who make our communities stronger through their generosity and commitment. Volunteers give their time, skills, and compassion to support neighbours, organizations, and causes that matter, often without any expectation of recognition,” Mayor Rod Gilroy said. “From coaching and mentoring to helping neighbours and supporting local organizations, volunteers make a real difference every day.
“I encourage residents to take a few moments to nominate a volunteer who has made a difference in your life or in your community. Whether their contribution is big or small, every act of service helps build a more connected, caring Municipality of Cumberland. Let’s come together to thank those who give so much of themselves to help others.”
How to submit a nomination:
In person at any municipal Service Centre
• Springhill: Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre, 6 Main St.
• Upper Nappan: 1395 Blair Lake Rd.
• Parrsboro: 209 Main St.
• Pugwash: Pugwash Library, 10182 Durham St. (Open Wednesdays & Thursdays, 8 am to 5 pm)
Service Centres are open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
By email:
Download the nomination form here: https://shorturl.at/gttEw
Please submit all nominations by Feb. 27, 2026.
For more information, call 902-763-3000.
Municipality of Cumberland opens 2026-27 grants program
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The application process for the Municipality of Cumberland’s grants program has opened.
The municipality recognizes the important contribution that not-for profit volunteer organizations make to the sustainability of its communities.
Last year, more than $910,000 was provided to approximately 70 organizations in support of capital projects, facility operations, and community programs & events with the aim of promoting arts, culture, tourism, community services, and recreation.
The municipality is currently taking applications for the following:
- Large Capital Project Grant – for capital projects $20,000 or over in total value.
- Small Capital Project Grant – for capital projects under $20,000 in total value.
- Community Program Grant – for community-based programming and services.
- Community Event Grant – for community-based events, festivals and workshops
- Large Operations and Maintenance Grant – operational support for larger facilities.
- Small Operations and Maintenance Grant – operational support for smaller facilities, community halls and museums.
The application deadline for these grant programs is March 31, 2026.
More information can be found on the municipality’s website: https://www.cumberlandcounty.ns.ca/grants-to-organizations.html
Job Posting: Seasonal Glooscap Campground Attendant
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The Municipality of the County of Cumberland is currently accepting resumes for the Seasonal Glooscap Campground Attendants located near Parrsboro, NS.
Help us shape how your community grows
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Planning shapes how our communities grow.
The Municipality of Cumberland is reviewing its Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw, and we want to hear from you. Your input will help guide future decisions around housing, development, and land use across our communities.
Drop in to one of our open house sessions or take a few minutes to complete the survey and share your perspective.
Visit https://form.jotform.com/FBM_Planning/cumberland-mps-and-lub-review to complete the survey and https://www.cumberlandcounty.ns.ca/mps-and-land-use-bylaw-review.html to learn more about the process and open house sessions near you.
African Heritage Month: Ruddick's music and leadership saved the lives of his fellow miners
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When the deepest coal mine in North America "bumped”, an unlikely hero emerged. Maurice Ruddick was an African Nova Scotian man whose music and leadership saved the lives of his fellow miners.
Maurice Ruddick (1912-1988) was born in Joggins to a coal mining family descendant from Black Loyalists. Upon moving to Springhill, he became known as The Singing Miner.
The Springhill No. 2 coal mine had a “bump” (similar to an earthquake) on October 23 1958, killing 75 men. Seven men (Garnet Clarke, Frank Hunter, Doug Jewkes, Herb Pepperdine, Percy Rector, Maurice Ruddick and Currie Smith) were trapped together around 3 km deep in the mine for 8 ½ days. On a normal workday and occasionally while trapped, Ruddick led hymns and rhythms like “The Old Rugged Cross” to keep others’ spirits up. When he was rescued, he famously said “Give me a glass of water and I’ll sing you a song.”
Being trapped for eight and a half days took its toll on all of them in different ways.
Ruddick said, “I cried in the darkness, but I made sure that nobody else heard me. It might have broken their resolve to live."
Other miners' mothers and wives said that "if it wasn’t for Maurice, they’d all have been dead.”
Ruddick also spent a lot of time nursing Percy Rector, who was dying with the weight of the earth on his trapped arm. All the men in the group tried to help Rector, but they could not free or remove his arm. Rector held on until the fifth day, when he died of his injuries.