Official homepage for the Town of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

STREET ADDRESS: 37 Alma Street

CITY/TOWN/VILLAGE: Yarmouth

MUNICIPALITY: Yarmouth

COUNTY: Yarmouth

YEAR BUILT: 1889

ARCHITECTURAL COMMENT:

Greek Revival in style, this is a one and a half storey building of wood construction. The asymmetrical two bay facade has an off centered doorway. The medium pitched gable roof has return eaves and one chimney discreetly placed at the peak. The windows are two over two double hung with narrow hoods above. A three sided bay and shed roof dormer are found on the west side. An entabliture is found above the main entrance. Decorative brackets trim the entabliture and the bay window. The house is clad in narrow wooden clapboard and trimmed with cornerboards and a wide frieze, a gable roof ell extends to the east. The exterior foundation is of brick.

HISTORICAL COMMENT:

This house is believed to have been built between 1885 and 1890 for Captain Ebenezer Scott, although it appears Captain Scott did not reside here. The directory for 1890 shows William H. Brackett living here. Mr. Brackett was a barber and hairdresser with his shop on Main Street. In 1895 John Maden, a tailor and presser was living here. The house was later owned by Mr. & Mrs. Edward Thurston. The Thurston's also owned for some time what is now 35 Alma Street and it is unclear whether they rented this property or not. Edward J. Thurston was the son of William and Lilia Corning. For many years he was employed by the Town but for most of his career he was self-employed. The most recent owners have been the Robbins. James C. Robbins was employed as a clerk for E.K. Spinney Ltd. who were whole sale and retail dealers in hardware. Later he worked for the Villa St. Joseph in their business office.

CONTEXTUAL COMMENT:

This house sits on its original site on the South east corner of Alma and Thurston Streets. Narrow lawns and hedge surround the buildings.

PRESENT OWNER: Alice C. Robbins

ADDRESS: 37 Alma Street Yarmouth, N.S.

ORIGINAL OWNER: Ebenezer Scott

OCCUPATION: Master Mariner

BUILDER: James G. Baker

ORIGINAL USE: Residential

PRESENT USE: Residential

COMMENTS ON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:

On April 1, 1944, this property was purchased by the recently widowed Annie Laurie Dane, whose husband had drowned on March 1, age 41, after his boat was swamped in a tide-rip in the Tusket Islands. Fred Dane was well known as a lobster producer-operator and had run and extensive business at Ellenwood Island for several years. At the time of his death, the family had resided in a larger house on William Street, but Annie and her three children moved here within a few weeks after her husband's untimely death. Yarmouth Times, Jan. 1, 1890: "Building in 1889" (a list of buildings constructed in the previous year) "Capt. Eben Scott, house on Alma Street, J.G. Baker, builder."

SOURCES: Registry of Deeds (Yarmouth) Yarmouth Directories (1890)(1895) Yarmouth Directory (1949) Interview with Mrs. Alice Robbins (Oct. 23, 1991) Yarmouth Times, Jan. 1, 1890

The Town of Yarmouth and property owners share responsibility for keeping streets, sidewalks and pedestrian routes clear of snow and ice. The town removes, hauls and clears snow where municipal operations require it for safety and access; property owners must clear snow and ice from sidewalks and related areas next to their properties.

Where the town clears snow

• Intersections where snow banks block drivers’ sight lines.
• Crosswalks near schools so pedestrians can see and be seen.
• The front of retail businesses on Main Street from Parade Street to Argyle Street when:
  • snow banks reach 24 inches (about 61 cm) above the adjacent sidewalk, or
  • the clear walking width of the sidewalk is reduced to 1.5 metres or less.
• Night-time downtown Main Street clearing (Parade Street to Forest Street), normally between 12:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, as time permits after storm cleanup.
• Additional downtown streets included in the same program:
  • Collins Street
  • John Street (Main Street to Second Street)
  • Cliff Street (Main Street to Kirk Street)
• For Main Street businesses between Forest and Argyle Streets, snow removal is normally done during regular working hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What you must do

Property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from:

• Any sidewalk that abuts any side of their property.
• Any pathway from a sidewalk that abuts their property to the roadway.
• The area between a sidewalk that abuts their property and a crosswalk. You must also:
• Apply salt or sand where needed to reduce slipping hazards.
• Remove dangerous or loose icicles and overhanging ice.

For more details on your responsibilities, see our  pdf Streets and Sidewalks By-law(247 KB) .

Fire hydrants

When snow accumulation makes hydrants hard to use or buries them, the town shovels them out, normally after storm clean-up is completed.

Snow disposal

After removal, the town takes snow to one of four disposal locations:

• Clements Avenue (off Starrs Road)
• Adjacent to Terry’s Rentals (off Forest Street)
• Clements Avenue (off Parade Street)
• Old Sweeney’s slipway (adjacent to Lobster Rock Wharf)

The Public Works Department operates snow‑ploughing crews to keep streets and sidewalks passable for emergency services, public transit and everyday travel. Plowing is done as needed during and after storms; crews follow a priority plan that clears main streets and institutional routes first, then secondary streets and neighbourhoods.

What to expect after plowing

• Driveway snow: After a municipal plow passes, your driveway will likely be filled with snow. The town does not remove snow from private driveways.
• Accidental damage: The town is not responsible for damage to private fences, hedges, mailboxes, lawns or similar items that are inside the public right‑of‑way or placed too close to the street or sidewalk.
• Property level: Homeowners should keep the ground beside the sidewalk at the same level as the sidewalk to reduce drainage and snow‑removal problems.

Winter parking rules

• Winter parking is enforced from 1 December to 31 March (inclusive).
• Vehicles that interfere with snow removal may be ticketed, towed and/or removed; owners pay any related fines or towing costs.
• The Traffic Authority sets temporary parking rules during winter; follow posted signage for current restrictions.
• See the winter parking PDF on this page for detailed guidelines.

When plowing starts

• Crews start street plowing after about 10 cm of accumulation, depending on conditions (wet snow, drifting, wind) and the Public Works Department’s discretion.
• Plowing continues until the storm has subsided. For heavy blizzards or high‑wind events, crews may wait until conditions allow safe plowing.
• When possible, street plowing is scheduled for early morning after the main storm has passed.

Sidewalk plowing

• Sidewalk clearing generally begins after streets are plowed and once storm conditions have eased.
• Priority is given to main thoroughfares and routes near schools, the hospital and other key institutions before residential sidewalks.
• Sidewalks may be sanded after plowing where surfaces remain slippery.
• Not all sidewalks in town are cleared by the municipality. See Snow Removal for details about which sidewalks the town clears and which remain the responsibility of property owners.

Private contractors and snow disposal

• Private contractors must not push or dump snow from private driveways or lots onto public streets or sidewalks where it creates a hazard or obstruction.
• Contractors who do so will receive one warning; repeated offences may result in a summary offence ticket under the

pdf Streets and Sidewalk By-law(247 KB) .

pdf Winter Parking Regulations(92 KB)