The mission statement of the New Ross Regional Development Society is ‘to promote tourism and economic development in the New Ross area to create sustainability for future generations”. Our vision is to have our community of New Ross not only be sustainable so that families and residents can live, work and play here, but to make it a place that others will desire to support and be a part of our great community.
The New Ross Regional Development Society is a volunteer organization that was started in 1993 in order to promote our main industry of growing and exporting Christmas trees.
The first New Ross Christmas Festival was then organized to promote rural life and old fashioned Christmases in the country featuring, of course, fresh cut balsam fir trees. December 4, 5, and 6th 2009 will mark our 16th Annual New Ross Christmas Festival!
There are on average twenty businesses or organizations involved as official participants of the Festival each year. Over all there are approximately 150 volunteers and individual participants who make the Festival a success for a total of approximately 2000 volunteer hours!
In July 2006, the New Ross Regional Development Society completed a three phased project known as the New Ross Community Park. Over the three phases it took the NRRDS to co-ordinate approximately eight other organizations to co-operate and make the Park a reality. Phase one was the creation of a picnic park and garden path by the local Lions Club. Phase two was the opening of the Nova Scotia Christmas Tree Interpretive Centre. The third phase was the completion of a trail that connects the Lions Park to the walking trails located on the Ross Farm Museum property. A feature of great importance is that this connector trail has a 5% grade to allow use by visitors of minimal mobility.
While always trying to keep fundraising ideas fresh and volunteers excited, our organization annually hosts a Yard Sale in July and a Silent Auction/Festival Kick off event in November.
Our current community project is the building of a public use bandstand at the centre of our village, The Cross. The bandsatand will become the centre of our Christmas Festival and with the great view of Lake Lawson will be attractive to visitors and residents as a natural gathering place.
Monthly meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at 7 pm at the New Ross Legion. The New Ross Regional Development Society can be contacted by email at
president@newross.ca, by mail at PO Box 23 New Ross, NS B0J 2M0.
The 2008 Executive for the New Ross Regional Development Society are:
| President: |
Phil Edwards (689-2115) |
| Vice-President: |
Bob Hutt |
| Secretary: |
Jeanette Reeves |
| Treasurer: |
Merlin Gates |
| Director: |
Scott Hamlin |
