Business View Civil & Municipal | July 2022

56 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 an agricultural research facility that has been part of the community for several decades. Valley Regional Hospital is another significant employer, offering general healthcare and a wide range of specialized services. For anyone travelling through the area who might notice a delicious aroma in the air, Mayor Snow explains, “We can also boast that we have the largest pie manufacturer in North America. I truly mean North America because this pie plant here in Kentville, Nova Scotia actually sells pies to a major U.S. department store.” The company, called Apple Valley Foods, produces 200,000 pies a day. “It’s not like Kentville is known for manufacturing, but we have a number of small to medium size operations in our business park that do act as major employers,” asserts Young. This business park, located not far from downtown, has been a dynamic resource for the town. The town bought 40 acres of land in that business park in 2014, and they have sold every single lot. Recreation is a priority in Kentville, where scenic walking and biking trails feature some of Eastern Canada’s most beautiful views. With plenty of green space to enjoy, Kentville aims to be one of Canada’s most playful communities, including play boxes filled with sports and recreation equipment in three local parks. Community input was part of the design of the recently completed Oakdene Park, where fourth grade students were given craft supplies and Lego, and asked to design their perfect playground. The results were sent to Cobequid Builders, who based their design around the students’ ideas. “We had them create this park, and then we built it. We invited the grade four class who were now grade six students back to do the grand opening of the park. It’s the most wonderful playful place that you could ever imagine,” says Snow. With a zip line, tire swings, and a mud kitchen, the park was built to blend into the surroundings. “It just looks like it belongs there,” offers Young, “like you’ve just discovered something that has existed since the beginning of time.”