Nova Scotia·NewSome Kentville residents say they feel betrayed by the town’s decision to combine two advisory committees without consultation, and warn the move will weaken local work on diversity and accessibility. Combining groups ‘may unintentionally diminish’ voices, says former committee chairHaley Ryan · CBC News · Posted: Oct 28, 2025 5:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesMultiple residents have complained about Kentville’s move to merge two advisory commitees on diversity and accessibility into one. (Robert Short/CBC)Some Kentville, N.S., residents say they feel betrayed by the town’s decision to combine two advisory committees without consultation, and warn the move will weaken local work on diversity and accessibility.In early September, a report on updating the terms of reference for multiple committees came to the council advisory committee from Kentville chief administrative officer Chris McNeill.It included a new committee that combined the Kentville Inclusion and Access Advisory Committee, focused on delivering the town’s accessibility plan, with the newer Equity and Belonging Committee concentrated on addressing racism and hate.Nicole Ross, former accessibility committee chair, said neither group was consulted and she learned about the change just before the report was tabled.“Both groups already face under-representation … And then the risk and fear is that by combining them, it may unintentionally diminish those voices,” Ross said in an interview Monday.Nicole Ross is a Kentville resident, and past chair of the now-defunct Inclusion and Access Advisory Committee. (Nicole Ross)“Symbolism matters, and by having two separate committees, it sends a strong message that accessibility and diversity are equal pillars for the town of Kentville.”Ross and other residents wrote emails and reached out to council about their concerns, but on Sept. 29, council narrowly voted 4-3 to approve the terms for the new 10-person Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee.The staff report said where some committees “meet rarely, or their staffing function and responsibilities are similar, those committees have been combined where deemed appropriate.”Ross said a larger volunteer committee will not be more efficient, because it will be hard to find a schedule that works for everyone, and meetings will be even longer to fit various items.The new IDEA Committee will be formed by the current members of the equity and accessibility groups, but Ross said she won’t be staying.On Monday evening, Ross was among nine residents who addressed council during the open public comment period, asking it to reconsider its decision and sharing their frustrations.”I worry that this decision reflects more than a bureaucratic shift — it reflects how serious, or not serious, my voice is and the voices of other minority residents,” said Alicia Noreiga-Mundaroy, a Kentville resident and associate professor with Acadia University originally from Trinidad and Tobago.”The process under which the decision was taken has shaken trust.”As an African Nova Scotian, Tammy Sampson said she had been proud to be part of the standalone equity committee.“And then you took it right away. Wow, red flag. History repeating itself,” said Sampson.Holly Rogers, who uses a wheelchair and was on the accessibility committee, said she and other members feel “truly not valued” by the town.“If you had asked and included us, maybe we would not be … where we are tonight,” Rogers said.Roxy Peterson, a former community outreach co-ordinator for Kentville, said Black and Indigenous residents have been very clear that they want to be heard through a separate equity committee.“[When] a white person of privilege ignores this and tells us what is best for us, it smacks of regression,” Peterson said. CAO McNeill is white.Kentville Mayor Andrew Zebian says separate working groups can be created within the new committee. (Town of Kentville)Mayor Andrew Zebian said during the meeting he did not like to hear comments about white people making the decision, because as a person of Lebanese background, “I’m not a typical white person.”“This is not about shutting anyone’s voice up, and I really don’t like to hear that,” Zebian said.Zebian said the new committee can form separate working groups on diversity and accessibility, so all perspectives can be heard and important work can continue.Zebian told CBC News he was unavailable for an interview.He said in a social media post last Friday that Kentville did not have enough staff to co-ordinate both committees. But he said if “staffing and finances improve,” the matter could be reassessed.The town is now hiring an IDEA co-ordinator to provide recommendations to municipal staff and support town committees.Municipalities across Nova Scotia have been mandated to set up accessibility advisory committees to oversee local plans to help meet the provincial goal of becoming fully accessible by 2030.The province also requires municipalities to develop plans to address systemic hate, inequity and racism, but does not require standalone committees on the issue.MORE TOP STORIES ABOUT THE AUTHORHaley Ryan is the municipal affairs reporter for CBC covering mainland Nova Scotia. Got a story idea? Send an email to haley.ryan@cbc.ca, or reach out on Twitter @hkryan17.
Merging equity, accessibility committees has shaken trust in town, say Kentville residents
