Town of Berwick

What Town of Berwick does

The Town of Berwick is a municipal government entity incorporated in July 1923 under the Nova Scotia Municipal Government Act, serving approximately 2,600 residents in the Annapolis Valley of Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It delivers the full slate of local-government services — property taxation, land-use planning and development approvals (building inspection is delivered by the County of Kings), public works (roads, sidewalks, snow and ice control, wastewater collection, parks), a Berwick & District Volunteer Fire Department covering roughly 100 square miles, the Berwick Electric Commission (a town-owned municipal electric utility), recreation programs and facility rentals (including the Kings Mutual Century Centre complex, Rainforth Park, sports fields, and a fitness centre), community development, environmental stewardship, and emergency management through the regional Kings REMO partnership. Policing is delivered by the RCMP Kingston Detachment.

The Town's revenue model is fundamentally that of a municipal government: a recurring base of residential and commercial property tax, supplemented by subscription/recurring fees for the electric utility (which owns generation assets including a 23.5MW interest in the Ellershouse Wind Farm via the AREA joint venture with Antigonish and Mahone Bay, the Factorydale Hydro Electric Dam, and the Centennial Community Solar Garden), sewer rates, recreation memberships and facility rentals, fire-hall rentals, and transactional development and planning fees. Go-to-market is direct-to-resident via Town Hall walk-in, online self-service portals, recreation facilities, and 24/7 emergency services. Customer segments are horizontal — residents and property owners (primary), local businesses, and visitors/tourists — all served within a single domestic geographic footprint.

The technology layer is built on third-party municipal platforms rather than proprietary systems: Dude Solutions Citizen Portal for online work-order requests (launched July 2026 with photo upload), JotForm for citizen intake forms, Univerus Recreation Management for program registration, an integrated Online Payment Center for tax and utility bills, and a Public Alert Portal for emergency notifications. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no public API, and no proprietary intellectual property beyond the long-lived "Nova Scotia's Apple Capital" brand identity. The Town is governed by an elected Mayor (Mike Trinacty, acclaimed 2024) and six Councillors, with Jen Boyd serving as CAO and a council sworn in October 30, 2024.

Name

Town of Berwick

Legal name

Town of Berwick

Website

https://berwick.ca

Company type

Public

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Town of Berwick is a municipal government in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, delivering property taxation, public works, recreation, fire protection, planning, and a town-owned electric utility to approximately 2,600 residents and local businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Fire Protection (922160), Fire Protection (92216), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Utility System Construction (2371)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAD

Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAIAGAB

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Law Enforcement & Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS)

SECONDARYEUADABAB

Municipal Electric Utilities (Munis)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Electric Transmission & Distribution (T&D)/Distribution System Operators (DSOs) & Electric Distribution Utilities

SECONDARYBPAIABAM

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/State/Provincial & Regional Government Administration

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public utility services
• Recreation programs
• Land use planning
• Emergency fire services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berwick

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: Primary municipal revenue source from residential and commercial property assessments. Tax rates set annually through budget process.
2. Berwick Electric Commission: Town-owned electric utility providing hydroelectric and renewable energy to customers. Revenue from electricity distribution and generation.
3. Recreation Programs and Memberships: Fitness centre memberships, recreation program registration fees, and facility rentals generate revenue.
4. Sewer Services: Sewer rate charges for wastewater collection services.
5. Planning and Development Fees: Development permits, subdivision approvals, variance applications, and planning fees.
6. Fire Department Hall Rentals: Berwick & District Volunteer Fire Department hall rental for events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Town of Berwick is a municipal government in Nova Scotia, Canada that provides core civic services to residents and property owners. Its primary offerings include municipal administration, a town-owned electric utility (Berwick Electric Commission), public works, recreation and community development programs, planning and development services, and fire protection services.

Product overview

The Town of Berwick operates a comprehensive municipal government services portal offering residents and visitors access to town administration, public services, and community programs. The portfolio consists of core municipal services including government administration (council, CAO's office, by-laws), public works infrastructure management, recreation department programs, Berwick Electric Commission (municipal utility with renewable energy initiatives), planning and development services, fire department, police coordination (RCMP), finance and tax services, and community development initiatives. Digital service delivery includes an online work order request system, payment portal, and recreation registration. The town also maintains historical archives including the Sports Hall of Fame. The website serves as the primary gateway for all municipal services, program registrations, public information, and citizen engagement for the approximately 2,600-resident community in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berwick Electric Commission Town-owned electric utility that distributes power to residents and businesses within the municipality, including renewable energy programs.
• Recreation Department Programs Community recreation services including programs, facilities, and fitness centre membership for residents and visitors.
• Fire Department Services Emergency fire protection and prevention services for the town, led by the Fire Chief.
• Planning and Development Services Land use planning, building permits, and development review services for property owners and developers.
• Public Works Services Roads, water, sewer, and infrastructure maintenance services for town residents and properties.
• Community Development Programs Programs that support community growth, events, and engagement for residents and local organizations.
• Town Work Order Request System Online portal (Dude Solutions Citizen Portal) allowing residents to submit and track service requests for municipal issues.
• Online Payment Services Online payment processing for municipal fees, taxes, and utility bills.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 square miles of fire protection coverage with over 100 fire alarms per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AREA (Alternative Resource Energy Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Towns of Antigonish and Mahone Bay to form AREA. Through AREA, built the Ellershouse Wind Farm producing 23.5MW of energy annually, sold to municipal electric utilities. Collectively designed and built solar gardens for additional green energy.
• Valley Waste ManagementcoreOthersSolid waste collection contracted out to Valley Waste Management. Pickup day for Town of Berwick is every second Wednesday.
• Valley CommunicationsminorOthers24/7 on-call system partner for Public Works Department. After-hours emergency line: 902-678-1666.
• Kings County Regional Emergency Management Organization (Kings REMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership responsible for providing prompt and coordinated emergency response within Kings County jurisdiction. Town participates in Regional Emergency Measures Organization.
• Province of Nova Scotia - Department of Communities Culture and HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Active Living Coordinator position - cost shared through Memorandum of Understanding. Collaborates on healthy active living initiatives.
• Western Kings Memorial Health SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Western Kings Memorial Health Centre. Town encourages innovations and cost-effective health programs such as collaborative practices.
• FarmWorks Investment Cooperative BoardminorOthersCouncillor Kwakernaak serves as Director and Chair of FarmWorks Investment Cooperative Board, supporting local agricultural investment.
• County of KingscoreOthersBuilding Inspection provided by County of Kings. Planning inquiries handled by Town, but building permits through County.
• RCMP Kingston DetachmentcoreOthersTown of Berwick is served by RCMP Detachment based in Kingston. Officers patrol town regularly on 24-hour basis. Non-emergency: (902) 765-3317.
• Kings Transit AuthorityminorOthersPublic transit services. Town has representation on Kings Transit Authority Board.
• Annapolis Valley Regional Library AssociationminorOthersRegional library services. Town has representation on Annapolis Valley Regional Library Board.
• Valley Community Fibre NetworkminorOthersDigital infrastructure network. Town has representation on Valley Community Fibre Network (alternate).
• Kings Point to Point Transit BoardminorOthersTransit board. Councillor Goddard serves as Town representative on Kings Point to Point Transit Board.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Town of Kentville: Larger Kings County municipal neighbor of Berwick operating electric utility, recreation, public works, and fire services — direct comparability on municipal service portfolio and regional governance.
• Town of Wolfville: Neighboring Kings County, Nova Scotia municipal government providing the same slate of services (water, sewer, recreation, planning, fire) to a similar small population base in the Annapolis Valley.
• Town of Mahone Bay: Third AREA member municipality with Berwick and Antigonish; similar small-town Nova Scotia municipal operations and shared investment in community-scale renewable energy projects.
• Town of Antigonish: Fellow small Nova Scotia municipal government and AREA partner alongside Berwick, providing directly comparable municipal services (utilities, public works, recreation) and co-investing in renewable energy through AREA.
• Town of Amherst, Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia municipal government operating utilities, recreation, public works, and planning — useful comparator on small-town Canadian municipal service delivery and council governance.
• Town of Middleton: Annapolis Valley municipal peer of similar scale, providing property tax, utilities, recreation, planning, and fire services to a comparable small-town population.

Regional players

• County of Kings: Regional municipality providing building inspection services to Berwick; directly comparable in regional public-sector administration but operating at county rather than town level.

Broad incumbents

• Town of Truro: Larger Nova Scotia municipal government with broader service portfolio and budget; comparable on municipal utility and recreation operations but at greater scale than Berwick.

Others

• Kings Regional Emergency Measures Organization (Kings REMO): Regional emergency management organization in which the Town of Berwick participates; comparable as a partner entity coordinating fire and emergency services across Kings County municipalities.
• Maritime Municipal Electric Utility Alliance: Alliance of municipal electric utilities in the Maritimes of which Berwick Electric Commission is a member; directly comparable on small-municipal utility operations and procurement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BerwickNS
• Instagraminstagram.com/townofberwick
• Xx.com/town_berwick
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berwick-electric-commission

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Town of Berwick