Welcome to the Town of Yarmouth
On the Edge of Everywhere
Fire Safety & Fire Prevention
Fire Inspections
The Town of Yarmouth employs a municipal fire inspector as required by the Fire Safety Act of Nova Scotia. The inspector carries out a system of inspections on the following occupancies:
- Assembly occupancies (churches, community halls, licensed establishments, restaurants, theatres, bowling alleys, arenas, rinks, gymnasiums, museums, indoor pools)
- Residential occupancies containing 4 or more dwelling units (apartments, motels, hotels)
- Business and personal service occupancies (offices, banks and service shops)
- Mercantile occupancies (stores, markets and retail outlets)
- Industrial occupancies (workshops, factories, warehouses, repair garages, gas stations)
- All registered fire safety complaints. Download a complaint for here.
The inspector is responsible to ensure compliance with the National Fire Code of Canada and is available to provide information on fire safety and fire emergency planning.
Fire Safety Planning
The National Fire Code of Canada requires that certain buildings develop and maintain a Fire Safety Plan. To assist owners/occupants in the development and/or maintenance of these plans, templates are provided below.
The following occupancies are required to have a formal fire safety plan:
- Assembly occupancies(any building in which persons gather including restaurants, halls, gymnasiums, libraries, churches, clubs, bowling alleys);
- Every building is required to have a fire alarm system including sprinklered buildings;
- Demolition and construction sites where hazardous processes and operations are present;
- Areas used for bulk storage;
- Areas where flammable or combustible liquids are stored or handled;
- Areas where hazardous processes or operations occur.
If your building falls within one of the categories listed above, you are required to have a fire safety plan. For more information, please call or visit the Fire Inspector at Fire Services Department, 221 Pleasant Street, Yarmouth Tel: 902-740-5706.
Template Downloads
pdf
Fire Safety Plan Template 2021 PDF
(530 KB)
document
Fire Safety Plan Template 2021 MS Word(176 KB)
Other Downloads
pdf Food Truck Fact Sheet(278 KB)
Disclaimer
In no event will the Town of Yarmouth be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect general, consequential, incidental, exemplary or special, arising from the use of this template.
Backyard Fire Permit
Apply for a Backyard Fire Permit
In 2021, Council approved the pdf "Open-Air Burning Bylaw".(190 KB) The bylaw allows property owners to apply for a permit to have backyard fires when the proper conditions are met.
To apply for a permit, please follow these steps:
- Download, print and complete the form by hand, or by filling in and submitting by email/online. A copy of the PDF form is below.
- Complete the Plot Plan to show the location of the fire pit. Please show all distances from the proposed fire pit to your home, deck, and garage and to any trees (including overhead), hedges or shrubs. The minimum distance is 15 feet (4.6 metres)
- Take a photograph of the completed fire pit in its location and email it to yarmouthfiredept@townofyarmouth.ca or attach it to your application.
- If you print and fill it in by hand, please bring the completed application to Yarmouth Town Hall, 400 Main Street. Online submissions can be signed at the time of the site visit.
- Pay the $50 permit fee at Town Hall when you drop off the application, or after you submit the form online.
- Within 3-5 days an official from the Yarmouth Fire Department will contact you to arrange a site visit to finalize your permit application and receive final signatures.
Before you apply, it is recommended that you read the bylaw to ensure your property is appropriate. You MUST be the property owner to apply. pdf Download a copy of the by-law.(190 KB)
Recreational Burn Permit Application Form
Please note: if you wish to submit this application online, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader or another PDF application installed. You may download Acrobat for free.
After clicking the link to the permit below, click the download button in the top right corner of your browser. Choose where to save the application, then open the file from that location. To submit the form through email, fill in the details and then click the "Email Application Now" button at the bottom of the application. A window will pop up, click continue.
If you wish to complete it by hand, simply download the PDF file and print it.
Download the Recreational Burn Permit application
FAQs
Q: Do I need to be the property owner for the civic address I'm applying for?
A: Yes, you must be the property owner.
Q: Do I need a permit to use my propane fire pit?
A: No, this permit is for the burning of seasoned wood (not waste) in approved fire pits with a screen arrestor. You do not need a permit for propane appliances.
Q: Can I locate the fire pit anywhere on my property?
A: The fire pit must be located in your backyard. It also needs to be a minimum of 15 feet (4.6 meters) away from your house, deck, outbuildings, trees, and other combustibles.
Q: Can I burn at any hour I want? What restrictions are in place for burn times?
A: Open-air burning must not be started any earlier than 7:00 pm Monday to Friday, and not earlier than 2:00 pm on weekends or holidays, or such other time as determined by the Fire Chief, and be extinguished by 12:00 am (midnight).
Q: Are there days I cannot burn? How will I know if there is a ban on burning?
A: No burning will be allowed when Environment Canada or Nova Scotia Environment have issued an Air Quality Advisory applicable to the area, or when it's foggy. The Fire Chief or Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry may declare a burn restriction such as a Fire Ban or No-Burn Day against outdoor burning when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous. Daily notifications are posted at approximately 2 pm whether a burn restriction is in effect on the Town of Yarmouth website home page (scroll down to the news feed area on the home page ("Latest News & Notices" section). Also, no burning is allowed when wind speeds are 20km/h or higher.
Q: What else do I need to know about fire bans and restrictions?
A: Daily Restrictions: The Fire Chief or Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry may declare a burn restriction such as a Fire Ban or No-Burn Day against outdoor burning when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous, including the discharge of fireworks. The public shall be notified daily, whether a burn restriction is in effect on the Town of Yarmouth website, and such other means as the Fire Chief may deem advisable.
Please Note: restrictions published on the Nova Scotia Fire Restrictions website supersede the time allowances specified in the town's bylaws. When no burning or a burn ban is in effect for the County, it equally applies within the town's jurisdiction. Burning restrictions are updated at 2:00 pm daily on the province's page.
Q: How long is my permit good for?
A: Permits issued expire on December 31st and must be renewed annually.
Arts & Entertainment
Yarmouth has a rich local cultural scene with art galleries and a regional arts centre that regularly features professional and amateur artists.
Th'YARC (The Yarmouth Arts Regional Centre) is the largest multi-function performance centre in southwestern Nova Scotia. With a mandate to educate, entertain and promote the performing and visual arts in southwestern Nova Scotia, it regularly features everything from dramatic plays to comedies and musicals.
The centre boasts a 343-soft-seat theatre with a fly tower, an art gallery, an artist studio, an etching studio, and a costume studio. It operates year-round with a staff of three, plus roughly 300 volunteers.
Th'YARC Playhouse and Arts Centre
76 Parade Street
Yarmouth, NS B5A 3B4
902-742-8150
Hours Tuesday -Friday 10 am - 5 pm
The Western Branch of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is located in the former Royal Bank building at 341 Main Street. Its establishment helps to fulfill the Gallery's mandate to make art more accessible across the province and bring the visual arts and Nova Scotians together.
341 Main Street
Yarmouth, NS B5A 1E7
(902)-749-2248
Hours:
Monday - Tuesday Closed
Wednesday - Friday 11 am - 4 pm
Saturday - Sunday noon - 4 pm
Yarmouth Music Society
The Yarmouth Music Society is a registered non-profit society that makes a 7-foot Yamaha concert grand piano available for scheduled music events for students of area teachers; solo recital opportunities for intermediate and advanced students; educational workshops and master classes; and concerts with visiting professional musicians.
The piano is housed in the education room at the Yarmouth County Museum. The society is responsible for the costs of maintaining the piano, and its primary source of funding is through membership. Membership in the society is open to anyone with an interest in music. Dues are $25 a year. The use of the piano is coordinated by the president of the society and is subject to the education wing being available for use. While the piano is free for members who want to use it, there is a small fee for non-members or other groups. For more information, contact YMS president Janet Atwood at (902) 749-1792.
Accessibility Advisory Committee Members
Meet the team! The following individuals dedicate their valuable time and experience to help the Town of Yarmouth move forward and remove barriers in the community.
Stephen Nicholl, Chair
Stephen brings more than 30 years of youth work experience to the committee. At all points in his career, Stephen has worked closely with persons with health issues, accessibility issues or disabilities, from kids with Cystic Fibrosis to teens with autism. Working with the Town of Yarmouth’s accessibility group is second nature to Stephen, a person who identifies as having two disabilities. Stephen is deaf and requires a cochlear implant, and also lives with severe lung issues. If you are currently experiencing barriers within the Town of Yarmouth, Stephen is more than happy to listen to your needs. Contact Stephen by phone or email.
Phone: 902-307-9543
Email: stephennicholl@eastlink.ca
Sherrie Landers Graham, Secretary
Sherrie has worked with children and youth who are blind or visually impaired, and their families in the tri-counties for twenty years. She lives in the municipality of Yarmouth and can be contacted at sherriegraham@gmail.com
Tracy Holmes-Carbonell
Tracy is currently serving as the Executive Director for Yarmouth Association for Community Residential Options (YACRO). She has been an advocate for children and adults with disabilities for over 30 years in both the Yarmouth and HRM regions in various positions within YACRO and continues to look for ways that communities can increase accessibility and inclusiveness. Email Tracy at: holmes.tracy@yacro.com
Tania Campbell-Boudreau
Tania Campbell-Boudreau is the Achieve Program Coordinator at NSCC Burridge Campus. Tania has been working in education for over 28 years in different capacities, but mainly working with persons with disabilities. Her role as Program Coordinator enables her to work both in the classroom helping students make key choices about their future, and with community partners raising awareness about accessible supports that help remove barriers. All work aside, Tania's most rewarding job is being a Mom! Email Tania at Tania.Boudreau@nscc.ca
Réjeanne Donovan
Réjeanne Donovan is a wife and mother of two who will be graduating from the Office Administration program at NSCC Burridge in June 2023. Rejeanne was born with Sacral Agenesis/Caudal Regression Syndrome, which is a congenital condition where there is a complete or partial absence of sacrum and lower lumbar spine. She is an iSACRA board member and iSACRA Ambassador. (International Sacral Agenesis Caudal Regression Association, www.isacra.org) Contact Rejeanne through email at rejeanne1992@gmail.com and by phone at 902-740-4998.
Laurie d'Entremont
Laurie d'Entremont is a member who has lived with Spastic Paraplegia since she was 8 years old. This is a muscle condition that affects mobility. Laurie is happy to answer questions by email at ladsilvermontecarlo@live.ca
Peter Hansen
Peter was born in Yarmouth County and also spent time growing up in Lunenburg County. Peter enjoys working at the Mariners Centre during the hockey season and has volunteered with a number of organizations in the town and county. In addition to Co-Chairing the town's Accessibility Advisory Committee, he works with the Interregional Advisory Committee for Library Accessibility. Peter also volunteers with Seafest, the Red Cross and H.O.P.E. Centre as well as the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program. If anyone has any questions or needs to contact Peter, e-mail him at pmhansen@hotmail.com
Learn More About the Committee
You can find key committee documents and meeting videos at Get Involved.
