Business View Magazine | February 2020

221 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020 It’s also a great facility for concerts, private rentals, weddings – the Theatre is municipally owned and a really important asset in our town. Downtown opportunities change over time and ours is no exception. One of the big changes in the last year or so is the number of places to eat. People are taking the chance on downtown New Glasgow and opening up new restaurants and meeting with great success. There’s a whole different feel downtown because of that kind of new business.” BVM: Five years down the road, what are the main objectives for the town? Mackenzie: “Of course, accessibility will be a key focus. Along with sustainability – economic, environment, and social. There is a lot of work for our Climate Change Coordinator, and it’s not just about reducing our carbon footprint. It’s bigger than that. So that will be a key driver of programming and projects. It all goes back to asset management. We have a really good handle on level of service and planning properly NEW GLASGOW, NOVA SCOT I A for our assets. We’re extremely proud of our water quality. That is a measure of the health of a community and our water quality is among the best in Canada. We have made significant investments in our water treatment plant, ongoing improvements to the underground water lines, and our highly-trained staff.” MacDonald: “New Glasgow has a good understanding that the built environment has a direct correlation and opportunity to influence the health of our citizens. Water quality being very important, but having that active transportation system everyone can access regardless of their socio-economic situation means equal access for healthy lifestyles. Having the right assets in place in that built environment atmosphere helps connect that.” Mayor Dicks: “Economic growth is key. We do have a business park that’s building-ready and we’re working diligently in bringing new business to that park. On another note, a community that’s diverse and inclusive is New Glasgow Rotary Park along the Samson Trail