Musquodoboit Harbour chamber of commerce concerned about fate of former high school

Some residents of Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S., say they are disappointed their idea of converting the former Eastern Shore District High School into a community centre is unlikely to come to fruition.

The school has sat empty since it closed in February 2025, when students moved to a new school in East Chezzetcook.

The Musquodoboit Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs wanted the former school to become a community hub that would host businesses, non-profits and government services.

But earlier this month, The Birches Nursing Home submitted a proposal to the province to take over the site, demolish the former school and build a new nursing home to replace its aging facility.

Mike McKinnon, the chair of the chamber of commerce, said while he understands the need for a new location for The Birches, it doesn’t make sense to tear down a building that’s in good repair and can easily be repurposed.

“In an environment where financial strain is on everyone’s list … this is where I really struggle with the idea,” he said. “You know, if the building was dilapidated or something like that, yeah.… But that’s not the case.”

McKinnon said during its consultations with residents, the chamber heard of many community needs and wants that could be served by the building.

“We came up with hundreds of ideas that the building could be used for,” he said. “We could fill this building literally in a day.”

Some of those ideas include affordable housing, health services, sports facilities, education and skills training, child care, a café, meeting rooms, seniors and youth centres, arts and culture, food bank and retail space.

Karen Bradley, a local resident who serves on the chamber’s infrastructure committee, said there are no other existing buildings in the community that could host the variety of services and businesses the chamber envisioned at the former school.

Bringing those entities together at the school, which is located near the main drag in Musquodoboit Harbour, would help bring back some of the energy and economic activity that was lost when the school closed and the students left.

“It’s taken a toll on the village centre,” said Bradley. “They were part of the community and now they’re not. And this building is empty. And if it gets torn down, the potential to have that kind of vibrancy and engagement is gone and we won’t get it back.”

McKinnon said he’s also disappointed that the province did not open the property to requests for proposals or conduct its own consultations with the community about uses for the site.

Proposal for new nursing home

Suzanne Wamboldt, executive director of The Birches, said she is aware of the need for a community centre in the area.

“But really our biggest focus was where’s the best place to get a good home for these 48 residents. That was our main concern,” she said.

Wamboldt said the current Birches building is about 50 years old and requires constant repairs. Most residents currently live in shared rooms, but would have individual rooms in a new building, she said. The nursing home would also expand from its current 42 beds to 48 beds.

The Birches had already been through a multi-year process to develop a different plot of land in Musquodoboit Harbour, but Wamboldt said the deal fell through last summer, so she began seeking alternative sites.

Wamboldt said the former school fits the bill because a road to the site already exists, it’s central in the community and close to the hospital, and once the school is demolished, construction could begin right away. If the province approves the application, shovels could be in the ground this fall, she said.

“This project has had several delays over several years. So anywhere that we can make up time and money, we want to do that.”

The CBC contacted the MLA for the area, Kent Smith, for an interview, but he did not respond.

The Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care confirmed in a statement it has received a submission from The Birches for the site and it is under review to determine if the site meets the technical requirements for a long-term care facility.

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