ARICHAT - Nova Scotia's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (DTIR) has turned down a request from Richmond Municipal Council to close roads located near Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) branches during Remembrance Day ceremonies. 

The request originated from District One councillor Shawn Samson, who reported that the outdoor cenotaph ceremonies at RCL Legion Branch 150 in Arichat were marred by the sounds of all-terrain vehicles operating on nearby roads. Richmond Warden Amanda Mombourquette responded with confirmation that similar traffic noise was audible during the ceremonies she attended in her District Four communities of St. Peter's and River Bourgeois.

As a result, council authorized Samson and Richmond County Public Works Director Chris Boudreau to consult with RCL officials and DTIR representatives, respectively, to devise a solution to the problem. Speaking at the December 21 regular council meeting in Arichat, Boudreau noted that DTIR officials were looking for further clarification on their potential role in any road-closure proposal before offering a firm response to the Richmond County request. 

However, at the January 11 meeting of Richmond's Committee of the Whole, the county's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Don Marchand, confirmed that the DTIR's follow-up response indicated that the department did not feel it had the authority to carry out road closures during future November 11 events. 

In response, Samson thanked Marchand and Boudreau for their efforts and expressed hope that he and his council colleagues would be able to work with local legion branches to ensure a respectful response to future Remembrance Day ceremonies. Samson added that he is willing to carry out a signage campaign and similar public appeals to ensure that no further disruption of these events will take place.