Debert
45 minutes north of Stanfield International Airport, Halifax
Population – 1422
Festivals – Debert Days - August, Winter Carnival - March
Debert is only 10 minutes from Truro, and has an interesting and varied economic mix, composed of farming, industrial parks and tourism. Its cultural development is centred around military history and the Mi’kmawey Debert initiative. Plans are underway to develop the Debert Paleo Indian National Historic site of Canada. This location provides evidence of the earliest human occupation in eastern Canada dating to between 11,000 and 13,000 calendar years ago.
$322k flies into Debert
Airport gets big chunk, agencies say it’s a start
By CATHY VON KINTZEL Truro Bureau
Sat. Jul 5 - 5:30 AM
DEBERT — The airport here received $250,000 from the province Friday and $15,000 to figure out how to spend it.
A row of small passenger planes lined the tarmac outside the Truro Flying Club, where Colchester North MLA Karen Casey announced the funding, including another $57,000 to help ensure development of rural airport and industrial land here doesn’t disturb ancient artifacts.
"The three announcements. . . . They’re three green lights for development in this area to continue and be spurred on," Ms. Casey said, adding an upgraded and improved Debert airport should attract more commercial traffic and industrial investment to the region.
Friday’s funding announcement is a far cry from the $6 million that the Colchester Regional Development Agency estimates it would cost to see the airport reach its potential, but agency representatives say it’s a start.
The Municipality of Colchester has only owned the airport and 920 hectares of industrial land here since the spring, when it was transferred from the province.
Agency executive director Jo Ann Fewer said the $15,000 will go toward a marketing and operational plan to boost profits at the airport so money can be reinvested in ongoing repairs and enhancements.
She said a previous study showed the general aviation sector is growing in North America.
"The airport in Debert is a strategic piece of infrastructure in our community that can further entice companies to locate here," said Ms. Fewer. "It allows for the quick movement of goods and people. Also, the flight training available through the flight club on site opens the door to future private training potential, which is a real-growth area."
The development agency is selling land around the airfield, while most industrial parks only lease land. It is also exploring joint marketing opportunities with the Halifax airport and may eventually push to have a full-time customs office in Debert, if there’s a demand. That would mean international travellers wouldn’t need to have their flights diverted to Halifax.
Final decisions haven’t been made on how to spend the $250,000, but Ms. Fewer said general discussions leading up to Friday’s announcements pointed to immediate runaway upgrades and marketing.
That’s good news to Jim Stonehouse, president of the Truro Flying Club, which manages the airport and offers training.
He said the runways at the Transport Canada-approved airport are usable but need lighting, runway surfacing, crack filling and line painting.
Mr. Stonehouse welcomed possible increases in commercial and private traffic, flight training and new aviation-related and other industries around the airfield.
Composite Sea to Sky Ltd. recently announced plans to take over an abandoned hangar near the airport. The firm, which manufactures and exports ventilation equipment for use in aerospace, defence and commercial industries, expects to create up to 200 new jobs over the next five years.
Mr. Stonehouse said he doesn’t worry about the airport getting too busy.
"There could never be too much activity," he said. "The facility we have here is a three-runway airport. Halifax, for instance, has two runways. There’s unlimited potential here for air traffic. This is a world-class airport facility . . . that’s irreplaceable. Any development in the airport can only be positive."
Jon Stanfield, chairman of the development agency, said he didn’t want to give the impression the Debert airport has been dormant. It already caters to commercial and private travellers, and is home to flight training and cadet gliding facilities.
"There’s a lot of activity out here," he said. "However, I see a bright future for this area. I think there’s unlimited potential."
Debert is also the site of Paleo-Indian archeological finds dating back 11,000 years.
The $57,000 announced for archeological assessments will be added to $35,000 committed by the agency and another $15,000 by Colchester County council to employ an archeologist and team of four this summer to ensure industrial land in the area can be sold without disturbing sites and artifacts.
The provincial government had already said it would give Debert money after handing out $250,000 each to seven other community-run airports in March.
Ms. Casey said funding was delayed until transfer of the airport and industrial property from the province to the county was completed.
Key projects are in the works for the Debert area, thanks to funding from the Nova Scotia government.
One of the projects will see an important piece of Colchester infrastructure getting a shot in the arm. Operational and Marketing plans will be developed for future upgrades to be made at the Debert Airport. That’s thanks to funding of $15,000 from the provincial government in a cost-sharing agreement. Another ongoing project will safeguard history on Debert-area industrial lands thanks to provincial funding of more than $57,000.
The third and most important announcement being made during July was a $250,000 contribution from the province aimed at Debert Airport infrastructure improvements. All three announcements were made by Colchester North MLA Karen Casey.
Step one is to create a vibrant business plan for the airport, which will go forward while new archeological assessments are taking place.
“The airport in Debert is a strategic piece of infrastructure in our community that can further entice companies to locate here. It allows for the quick movement of goods and people.” says CoRDA Executive Director Jo Ann Fewer. “Also, the flight training available through the flight club on site opens the door to future private training potential – which is a real growth area. ”
CoRDA Chair Jon Stanfield says from a timing perspective, the funding and business plan are right on target.
“A revitalized Debert airport may lead to new investment for the Colchester Region, as transportation is a critical aspect of businesses and where they choose to locate,” says Mr. Stanfield. “We have an asset. We have a strategic location and we must identify the best uses for a future upgraded facility, which will be done with the airport business plan.”
Fewer expects work on the business and marketing plan to begin as soon as the board approves a successful bidder.
The provincial government’s second funding announcement pertains to detailed archeological assessments of industrial lands taken over by the County of Colchester earlier this year.
“Debert has been recognized as a special place,” says Colchester North MLA Karen Casey. “That means our commitment to identifying and preserving more ancient artifacts dating back as much as 11-thousand years will be unwavering. This helps solidify the Nova Scotia government’s commitment to our Mi’kmaq partners and to the County of Colchester. “
Debert to Host Television Production Centre
Debert - The central Nova Scotia community of Debert isn’t usually the first place that comes to mind when people think of television production, but that’s about to change.
The Colchester Regional Development Agency has struck a deal to lease Debert’s former Orenda aircraft facility to Breaking Point Productions, which is a partnership between United Kingdom-based Firefly Productions and Canada’s DCF Media Packaging Corporation.
Breaking Point will produce over the next few months as they use backdrops in and around Debert to film a television series for the Discovery Channel.
CoRDA Executive Director Jo Ann Fewer says the Orenda facility, adjacent airport and the surrounding countryside have proven to be a major attraction for the two firms.
“We’re very excited about the economic benefits of this kind of activity,” says Fewer. “We’ll see local people working at the Debert site for starters. Then there are food and accommodation suppliers as well as Colchester retailers getting quite a substantial boost from this. Having a major film centre based here for their entire 3-month production run is a first for Colchester. ”
The co-production will bring 35-40 television professionals to the area for the rest of May, June and July, with the final episodes wrapping up in early August. Firefly estimates it’ll spend close to $1.5 million during its Debert shooting schedule. The production set-up team is already in place, with the cameras ready to roll on June 2nd.
Breaking Point Production Manager Elizabeth Guildford says with accommodations, the hiring of production and office assistants, spending at dining and retail establishments and day-trips taken by the crew during their days off, “Colchester will see significant economic spin-off.”
“Many of our people will be dining out on a regular basis,” says Guildford. “The rest will be purchasing food and supplies from local retailers, which is also a shot in the arm for the Colchester County economy. Our people from the U-K and Ontario are looking forward to checking out the variety of local cuisine. ”
Now that this important precedent has been established, Fewer and Guildford are optimistic about more productions from Firefly, Breaking Point and other television companies in the future.
“Certainly the Colchester area has some things to offer that are quite unique,” says Guildford. “Depending on the availability of some of the pieces of local infrastructure I’ve seen, a return visit from our production company is a definite possibility.”
for more details contact Alan Johnson