Kate Brown

My name is Kate Brown (formerly Harnish) and I grew up in Hubbards on Hwy 329 just past the fire station.

After living in Halifax for a number of years, my husband and I moved back to Hubbards. We built a house next to my parents on Hwy 329 and plan to raise our two kids here. When I was growing up I went to Shatford Elementary School, which was then, and still is now, considered out of area for where I live even though it’s in the same community. There wasn’t a bus that would pick my brother and I up, so my mother drove us the 2.2 kilometers to and from school everyday, and as a kid I never thought much of it. 

Now that I have children of my own and am preparing to send my oldest to primary at Shatford in September, I can see why my mother chose to drive us. The roads just aren’t safe for children to walk to school. Luckily last year, a bus stop for Shatford students was secured at Through the Years Daycare which relieves some of my worry, and the addition of sidewalks on the Lunenburg County side of Hubbards have made that stretch so much safer, but because of washout, poor visibility, and narrow road sides on the Halifax County side of the line, I would not feel safe having my kids walk/bike to school on their own.

Before the sidewalks were added in Lunenburg County I remember how scary that stretch of road was for children to walk on. There was next to no shoulder, poor visibility and vehicles drove fast. It was not unlike the road shoulder and walking conditions that currently exist on the Halifax County side of Hubbards. The addition of sidewalks was one of the best things I have seen added to our community. I plan to live in Hubbards for the rest of my life and I want to know that my children can be safe here, and a big part of that will be knowing that they can safely get to and from school.

Hubbards is a thriving community and is a popular tourist destination. We have so much to offer for both long term residents and tourists alike, but safety for everyone needs to be prioritized. I have seen firsthand how the addition of sidewalks can improve the community and I hope to see it continued throughout the rest of Hubbards.
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The team at the Hubbards Streetscape project is incredible and they have already achieved so much in a short amount of time. I can’t wait to see the changes that they will bring about. Now is the time and this is the group to do it!!