Lunenburg Debate

2009-05-29 06:20:44

It was standing room only at the Lunenburg Fire Hall for the candidates debate last night sponsored by the Lunenburg Board of Trade. The riding will be represented by a newcomer taking over from MLA Michael Baker who died this March after losing his battle with cancer.  Vying for the seat are Conservative Peter Zwicker, Liberal Rick Welsford, Pam Birdsall is representing the NDP, and Milton Countway is running as an Independent. The candidates were previously submitted with four questions dealing with tourism in the town, road maintenance stimulating the economy in the riding and health care.  Questions submitted from the floor ranged from what the candidates would do to ensure the festivals and arts continued in Lunenburg, to supporting an outright ban on uranium mining. A new school for the town, as well as the closure of Riverport Elementary were also touched upon. And each candidate was also asked about their campaign members and if they were brought in from other parts of the province.

Lunenburg Infrastructure Work

2009-05-29 06:17:48

The Town of Lunenburg has received over half a million dollars in funding under the shovel ready projects program.  Town Engineer Marc Belliveau says they filed two applications for funding under the Canada/Nova Scotia Building Canada Fund and received $554,650 to be used  for street water and sewer upgrades on Kalbach Street.  The total cost of the project which must be completed by March 31st, 2011 is almost $832,000.   Council approved funding the remaining one-third cost from this year's budget and if  not completed, it will be carried over to the 2010/11 capital budget. Belliveau says the next step is to issue a call for proposals for project engineering services.

Academic Excellence

2009-05-29 06:11:33

Fourteen students attending South Shore schools have been presented with the 2009 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal. The Education Medals first approved in 1961 are awarded to one male and one female in each school and the award is open to all Grade 11 High School students and to students in the 1st year vocational school program.  This years medal recipients are: Mason Jordan and Madison Acker of Bridgewater Junior Senior High School, Lindsay Doucet and Keith Parker of Forest Heights Community School, Cassandra Rose Fralic and Graham John Muise of Liverpool Regional High School, Alana Barry and Ryan Eisner of New Germany Rural High, Erika Brittany Noreen Huskins and Aaron John Joudrey representing North Queens Rural High, Graham Mann and Samantha Rompkey of Park View Education Centre, and Marla Russell and Nicholas Gear of Lunenburg Junior Senior High School.  The awards ceremony was held this week at Lunenburg Junior/Senior High.

Green Leader

2009-05-29 06:01:01

Nova Scotia's Green Party is trying to offer an alternative for voters in this campaign.  Party Leader Ryan Watson tells CKBW they have a candidate in all 52 ridings to provide that option.  He says some people are running full campaigns while others are letting their name stand to give that choice.  Watson acknowledges a full slate does also give them money for every "x".  Watson says he's proud they have 20 women running for seats - the most of any party - especially since that is the way it turned out, not because of any specific policy.  Be listening for more from the leader of the Green Party of Nova Scotia this weekend on South Shore Sunday Morning.

Adult School Spared

2009-05-28 09:43:13

A reprieve for the Adult High School in Bridgewater.  The South Shore Regional School Board has been able to rework its budget and continue to fund the adult program Lunenburg campus.  Superintendent Nancy Pynch-Worthylake says the school was on the chopping block because there  were not enough funds in the Boards budget to continue its operation. The Board approved a draft balanced budget but has yet to receive its final revenue figures from the Department of Education.

Fatal Accident

2009-05-28 06:26:11

A 17-year-old has been killed after being struck by a car as he was walking in the Springfield area of Highway 10.     Police haven't released the young man's name since family are still being notified.    An RCMP news release says the collision occurred at about 3:45 p.m. as the teenager was walking in Springfield, on Trunk Road 10 between Middleton and Bridgewater.

Lunenburg West Forum

2009-05-28 06:24:32

Three of the four candidates were on hand to offer their views and opinions on a submitted list of questions. The Green Party's Emily Richardson declined to take part. Liberal Mark Furey, Conservative Carolyn Bolivar Getson and Gary Ramey for the NDP addressed the issues of health care, economic revitalization and roads.  The topics were put forward by the debates sponsor, the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce. Other questions from the audience centered on help for low income families,twinning the 103, gas regulation, grants to Michelin and the proposed provincial curfew for teens. It was a mild almost cordial debate with the candidates wrapping up the evening with a pitch why they deserved the voters ballot. Tune in this morning to CKBW to hear what the candidates had to say.

Slowing Mahone Bay

2009-05-27 06:27:40

The Town of Mahone Bay will launch the Pace Car program  this Saturday, joining 18 other Nova Scotian communities already implementing the anti-speeding initiative. Residents pledge to become mobile speed bumps and display the Pace Car emblems on their vehicles, helping to slow traffic in their community.  The program launch will include an opportunity for residents to sign up for the program, the Mahone Bay and Area Lions Club will be hosting a Bicycle Rodeo and local RCMP members are organizing a guided youth hike during the day.The event is set for 9:30 to noon this Saturday, May 30th at the Mahone Bay Legion Hall, 21 Pond Street.   The Pace Car Program is a partnership of the Ecology Action Centre, Canada's home, car and business insurers and the NS Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

Bridgewater Budget

2009-05-27 06:21:49

It's still not a done deal but Councillors did some bare bones cutting to the proposed Bridgewater budget Monday night. Mayor Carroll Publicover says all were in agreement that there be no increase in residential tax rates. Publicover says pre-approving previous requests has backed them into a corner in some ways. Council still has to finalize the amounts for the Grants to Organizations. A special Council meeting will be held next Monday night, June 1st when the final budget will be tabled and the tax rates set.

Electronic Theft

2009-05-26 06:35:38

At least five people in the Bridgewater area have been victims of electronic identity theft.    In one case, a woman says she lost about $1,000 from her bank account.    John Collyer, the town's deputy police chief, says they aren't sure yet if the money was taken through an automatic teller machine or by another means.    He won't say if they have any suspects but adds that in past cases they have been able to identify people through video surveillance.    Police are advising people to check their bank statements carefully and to notify them or the bank if there are any unusual transactions or withdrawals.

Another Debate

2009-05-26 06:31:24

A busy week for candidates on the south shore as the campaign heads into the home streatch.  Chester/St. Margaret's is the latest riding to announce a debate.  Tomorrow night at the Chester Legion Hall, the four candidates will be discussing the issues that will decide the upcoming election.  Ryan Cameron of the Green Party, Liberal Jo-anne Grant, Denise Peterson-Rafuse of the NDP and P-C Judy Streatch will be in the hot seat.  The event is being put on by the Village of Chester Tourism and Development Association.  Wednesday night will also see the candidates of Lunenburg West and Queens squaring off in debate.  And Lunenburg candidates will be in debate on Thursday.

Candidate Forums

2009-05-25 06:16:34

Another south shore riding will be giving voters a chance to hear directly from the candidates ahead of the June 9th vote.  The South Queens Chamber of Commerce is holding their event on May 27th at the Junior High School Auditorium in Liverpool.   Vicki Conrad of the NDP, Wayne Henley of the Liberals and Kerry Morash of the Conservatives will be there and organisers say the Green Party has also been invited.  All will be asked six questions that include school board autonomy, government involvement in the economy, support for volunteer fire departments, fiscial responsibility, health care in Queens and forestry growth and protection.  And people in the audience will also get to submit questions.  That same night, Lunenburg West candidates will be holding a forum at the Michelin hall and the next night, The five Lunenburg candidates will be having their say.

Deed Transfer Hike

2009-05-22 12:10:11

It's only been four years since they've been charging a tax on every property sold in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg.   And now they are looking at increasing the deed transfer tax.  Council is proposing to bump up the rate from three quarters to a full one percent of the value of the property transferred.  Second reading of the changes to the Deed Transfer Tax Bylaw will be held in the county council chambers in Bridgewater on June 9th.  The tax came into effect in the municipality in September 2005. According to the municipality's figures, the tax earned them $541,554 in the last budget year.

House Prices

2009-05-22 12:08:22

No housing market crash in this part of the country.   Average house prices on the south shore are at a record high according to the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors.  In April the average residential price was just under 207-thousand dollars - a five-point-four percent increase over last year.  The national average was down 3-point-2 percent.  Residential properties on the south shore went up by 11 percent, second only to the Valley Region where prices were 15 percent higher.  The Association says the number and value of sales were down in April compared to last year and new listings were also down for the fourth consecutive year-over-year.  President of the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors says the bridge between buyer demand and housing supply is continuing to narrow. Linda Smardon says that helps maintain stability in housing prices.   The average house price in the South Shore Region is $173,853.

Leader's Tour

2009-05-22 07:12:26

The Conservatives and New Democrats are kicking off their election activities today (Friday) with campaign statements in Dartmouth.  Premier Rodney MacDonald has scheduled a morning news conference at the Dartmouth East campaign headquarters. While the premier speaks, N-D-P Leader Darrell Dexter will talk about the future for young people at the community college's waterfront campus before heading to the south shore. He'll be campaigning with Garey Ramey and Pam Birdsall this afternoon. Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil will spend the afternoon campaigning with Mark Furey in Bridgewater, Wayne Henley in Liverpool and Darian Huskilson in Shelburne. MacDonald is also fanning out with several candidates later today.

Fight Injury

2009-05-22 07:11:20

One man was taken to hospital following a fight at the Lunenburg Community Centre earlier this week.  RCMP responded to a complaint of a fight between two men just after 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, May 20th.  Police and Emergency Health Services also responded and a 19 year old male was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.  Preliminary investigation indicates the 19 year old intoxicated man became involved in a fight with a 17 year old youth.  The 19 year old fell and struck his head on the pavement during the incident and was taken to Fishermen's Memorial Hospital then to South Shore Regional.  The youth as well as witnesses at the scene were interviewed by police who are continuing their investigation.

Drug Arrests

2009-05-22 07:01:37

A Milton couple is facing charges following a seizure of marijuana and stolen property.  Queens RCMP with assistance from the Shelburne and South Shore Street Crime Enforcement Units executed a search warrant on a Milton residence on May 19th.  As a result of the search, 31 year old Michael Samuel Fancy has been charged with trafficking in marijuana, possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of stolen property.  Twenty-six year old Tanya Dawn Bent is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana and possession of stolen property.  About $6,000 worth of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were seized during the search.

Independant Candidate

2009-05-21 06:31:40

He says by running independently he will be able to work with all of the parties for the betterment of the people in the Lunenburg riding.  Municipal councillor Milton Countway is running as a candidate in the upcoming election.  And he's doing it without being associated with any of the major parties.  Last May, he lost a bid for the nomination of the NDP to Pam Birdsall who is running this time against Rick Welsford of the Liberals and Peter Zwicker of the Conservatives.  Countway made his announcement to run as an independent in Lunenburg in front of a group of supporters in the Blockhouse Fire Department parking lot last evening.

Picton Arriving

2009-05-21 06:29:00

Picton Castle will be returning to Lunenburg this Saturday, having completed a year-long voyage around the Atlantic Ocean. The ship is expected  to round Battery Point at about 2 o'clock. After a few weeks refit she'll embark on a nine-week summer program sailing along the coast of the Eastern United States and Canada.   In the United Kingdom, the Picton Castle visited ports from the ship's past as a North Sea fishing trawler and World War II minesweeper. Crew members also visited the ship's namesake castle. In Northern Europe, she attended Tall Ship events, then it was on to  Sainte Nazaire, France, where in 1942 she was one of a convey of vessels to participate in a successful raid on a Nazi-held shipyard there. That visit was followed by calls in Spain, Portugal, the island of Mallorca,  Morocco, the Canaries, Senegal and Cape Verde before making passage to the Caribbean where the Picton Castle has been island hopping for the last number of weeks.  The next big adventure for the sail training ship  will be fifth circumnavigation of the world beginning in May, 2010.

Uranium Issue

2009-05-21 06:26:46

Environment and politics, where does the rubber meet the road?   For groups like the Atlantic Chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada, they want to hear the position all of the political parties on issues like uranium mining.  Gretchen Fitzgerald says the Conservatives had suggested there may be a lift on a ban on mining the radioactive element.  She says results from a 22 community tour by Natural Resources seemed to suggest a united public opinion against mining uranium anywhere in Nova Scotia.  Questionnaires have been given to all of the parties ahead of next month's election and Fitzgerald says they will be releasing the responses in the next few days.

Older Workers

2009-05-20 06:22:29

Hundreds of Nova Scotia's unemployed older workers will continue to benefit from programming that will help them build skills and find work. The Department of Labour and Workforce Development will continue to support the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program thanks to a federal/provincial three-year funding extension of 4-point-two-million dollars.   Since 2007, 23 projects with almost 300 participants have been completed, with 40 per cent of participants gaining employment or opening their own businesses.  Organizations who support older workers are encouraged to
apply for funding.

Banking Card Fraud

2009-05-20 06:20:51

It sounds like there have been a few people in the Bridgewater area who have been the victims of a banking machine scam.   A CKBW listener tells us she lost a thousand dollars from  her chequing account when someone accessed it over the weekend.  Neither her purse or her card were stolen, so someone got access to her account somehow.  And Bridgewater police are investigating.  So far, there's been no release of any information so it's not clear how much they know about the scam.  There are people talking about several ATM's that may have somehow been watched or compromised in someway.  But which of the banking machines that might be affected isn't being made public at this point.

East River Plank

2009-05-19 06:08:31

Tough economic times across North America are being felt in Chester St. Margaret's.  Judy Streatch, Education Minister in the MacDonald Government, says it's unfortunate the housing market has taken a dip in the states and that is being felt here.  She says she'll do all she can to help the workers being laid off from Louisiana Pacific in East River.  Louisiana Pacific manufactures wood products for export around the world. It's restructuring plan will see the layoffs of 66 employees and four managers.

Bay Side Beds

2009-05-19 06:07:10

A long-promised expansion to a Shelburne county nursing home is now a political plank.  N-D-P leader Darrell Dexter pledged this morning to get the additional 50 beds open for those who need them, as soon as possible, regardless of the result of next month's election.  The MacDonald Conservatives have delayed the long-promised opening of Bay Side’s expansion by another three years.  In 2006, former Minister of Health, Chris d’Entremont, announced that Bay Side’s new beds would open in the fall of 2007.  In 2007, the opening date was changed to 2010.  Dexter adds Shelburne residents can't afford to wait any longer. He says Rodney MacDonald had a chance to deliver these nursing home beds and failed.  He made the comments campaigning with Sterling Belliveau in Shelburne Friday morning.

Shed Fire

2009-05-15 06:21:28

An early morning pager call for volunteers at a couple of south shore fire stations.  Crews from the North Queens department were awakened around three this morning.  A shed was on fire on the Rosette Road in Westfield.   Firefighters were on the scene quickly and they say luckily it didn't spread but the shed is gone.  There wasn't anything of value in the shed apparently.  Greenfield firefighters were put on standby at their hall and everyone was given the all clear to head home before sunrise.

Books Galore

2009-05-15 06:18:22

A $35,000 grant will mean a lot of books for the elementary students at Gold River-Western Shore.  The school is the winner of an Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Grant.  Funding for the Foundation comes 2/3 from the Canadian book chain Indigo and the rest comes from their customers.  The money will be paid out over three years.  You can go to the Foundation's website and hear Heather Reisman giving Librarian Cindy Lamson the good news.   The money will be broken down into three annual instalments of more than 11-thousand 600 dollars.  They will use it to buy books and hold events to promote literacy among the students at Gold River/Western Shore. 

www.loveofreading.org

Bowater Mersey Shutdown

2009-05-14 06:25:12

Workers at the Bowater Mersey Paper mill in Queens county are being laid off for another five week period early in June.
Human Resources Manager Robin Anthony says the AbitibiBowater workers will be off from June 6th until July 16th.   She says this production curtailment is related to the world-wide market for newsprint. It is the same reason given for similar shutdowns in March and over the Christmas holidays.   The company is allowing people to apply any unused vacation time towards the five week period. That was also offered to them in the last two closures.   There is a possibility this could signal a change from a year-round operation to limited production runs for the Brooklyn paper mill. And some are suggesting it may lead to efforts at making shutdowns and start ups quicker and more efficient in the future.   Previous layoffs affected most of the 300 unionized workforce at the plant.    The Washington Post is a minority owner of the Bowater Mersey mill. That has kept the Nova Scotia operation out of the Bankruptcy Protection process parent AbitibiBowater has engaged in because of financing issues.

Health Dollars

2009-05-14 06:22:39

South Shore Health is still waiting for specifics on a government anouncement on projects at the hospitals in Bridgewater and Liverpool.   C-E-O Kevin McNamara says it's abnormal for them to be told they are getting financial help but not the amount or when they can expect it.  But he says it is positive to know what projects the funding has been approved for.  He says another challenge is that the district is still waiting for budget figures from the province. McNamara says they may end up in a situation where they would have to make cuts or adjustments to their budget but in a shorter time span. While campaigning with Peter Zwicker and Carolyn Bollivar Getson Wednesday, Premier Rodney MacDonald told CKBW News the funding for the projects at South Shore Regional amounted to 12-million dollars.

Sudden Death

2009-05-13 08:27:10

A 59-year old Lunenburg county man is dead after an unusual call for first responders.  According to the RCMP, police, paramedics and members of the New Germany fire department were called to the sudden death of a Stanley Section man.  When they got there, they found the man on his property, in a well.  Sergeant Dean Warr says he was pronounced dead at the scene.  Police say they are still investigating and an autopsy is scheduled for today by the medical examiners office.  But they add no foul play is suspected.  His name is not being released.

Fire Tax Credit

2009-05-13 08:23:51

Rodney MacDonald is looking to increase the volunteer firefighter tax credit if he's returned to office next month.  The Premier announced this morning an increase in the tax credit from 375 to 500-dollars in 2009.  When it was introduced as part of the 2007 budget, the credit was $250 and was for volunteer firefighters. It was a campaign promise by the Tories in the 2006 campaign. It was increased to $375 last year, and expanded to include the ground search and rescue teams.   There are about 8000 volunteer firefighters in Nova Scotia and about 1700 members of ground search and rescue teams.   Both the Liberals and New Democrats have introduced similar measures in the Legislature over the past three years.

Health Board

2009-05-12 12:05:36

Nova Scotia's Health Minister has appointed one new member and re-appointed three others to the Board of Directors for South Shore Health.  Christopher Clarke, Walter Freeman and Doug Nauss are all returning to the board.  Dr. Al Doucet is the new face. He has practised as a family physician in Liverpool for 31 years and was a recent president of the District's Medical Staff. He retired from family practice last year and is currently working part time as South Shore Health's physician leader for Continuing Care.  Dr. Doucet replaces retiring Board Member Dr. David Large who did not reoffer for his position.

Salmon Habitat

2009-05-12 12:03:26

Community groups in two south shore counties and across Nova Scotia will soon be starting projects to improve fish habitat in their local river systems. The money is coming from the Nova Scotia Sportfish Habitat Fund.     Repairing stream channels, planting trees to stabilize banks, and restoring historic trout and salmon migration routes are all parts of projects supported by the Adopt-a-Stream program.       Fisheries and Aquaculture director of inland fisheries Murray Hill says the many volunteer groups across the province who have waterway projects should be proud of their work.          Over the next year, 18 community groups will receive money from the 2009 Nova Scotia Sportfish Habitat Fund. A five-dollar and 44-cent fee added to the general and salmon fishing licences in the province provides the income for the fund.
 Two projects are earmarked in Lunenburg County: The LaHave River Salmon Association will get $12,000. And for there is $15,000 for Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation for work on Mushamush River. In Queens County, there's $400 for the Medway River Salmon Association.   Additional information on sportfishing can be found online at  www.gov.ns.ca/fish/sportfishing .

 

Queens Ballot

2009-05-12 06:15:20

It's now official - the ballot is set with all three candidates in place.   Kerry Morash is the Conservative party candidate in Queen's.  Morash - a lifelong Queens resident - was first elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003.  He was acclaimed as candidate at a nomination meeting Monday night.    He has served as caucus chair and held two portfolios in cabinet and most recently was Rural Outreach Coordinator.  Morash was defeated by the NDP's Vicki Conrad in 2006 - the first time the Tories lost in Queens in fifty years.  Many said it was the lack of a Liberal candidate in the riding that allowed the NDP to take the seat by 55 ballots last time. The Grits have Wayne Henley on the ballot this time.  Conrad is fighting to hold onto the seat for the New Democrats heading into a very competitive campaign.

Fatal A-T-V Accident

2009-05-11 11:56:29

An all terrain vehicle accident has claimed the life of a 40-year old Queens county man.  RCMP Staff Sergeant Bruno Deveau says the RCMP were called out yesterday morning to a private dirt road in North Brookfield in Queens.  That's where they found Terry Scott Rawding of Pleasant River. He was pronounced dead at the scene. S/Sgt Deveau says he had been at a camp the night before and he left that night headed for home. That's when they believe the accident happened.  Police say Rawding was wearing a helmet. They are still investigating.

Sawmill Fire

2009-05-11 11:54:52

Officials with Bowater's sawmill operation in Lunenburg county call it a minor fire. Robin Anthony says there was only slight damage in a Stacker Outfeed area of the sawmill in Oakhill. And there were no injuries.Oakhill and Dayspring responded to the call last night around twenty to ten. The fire was reportedly in the same outbuilding where some welding had been done earlier in the day.

Leader's Tour

2009-05-11 11:41:07

Rodney MacDonald was the first.   Darrell Dexter wasn't too far behind.  And today, the Leader of the Liberal Party will be campaigning in Lunenburg county.  Stephen McNeil says the area is important to his party. McNeil will be in Bridgewater, Lunenburg and Mahone Bay today and in Tantallon with the Chester St. Margaret's candidate this evening.  Darrell Dexter is in Lunenburg today where he will be taking a tour of video-game developer H-B Studios.  Premier MacDonald is spending the day in the Halifax area.

Tax Credit

2009-05-11 05:50:54

Lunenburg's NDP candidate says one of their party's campaign planks would be a help to companies like Composites Atlantic.  Pam Birdsall says the ten percent manufacturing and processing tax credit would help businesses grow and would create employment in Lunenburg.  Thursday, she took a tour of Composites with party leader Darrell Dexter adding their proposal would allow them to invest in new equipment.  She adds it's not just a tax break but an incentive for companies to upgrade and become more competitive.  Lunenburg's total manufacturing labour force accounted for just over 42-hundred jobs according to statistics from 2001.

French School Land

2009-05-11 05:49:11

Now that the sale has closed, we're finding out how much the Municipality got for a piece of land for a new French school in Cookville.  C-A-O Tammy Wilson says the property is just over ten acres. It was sold to the province earlier this year at a cost of $400,000.  The piece of property is just off Highway 10 near the WalMart development.   A replacement for École de la Rive-Sud in Blockhouse will be built near the Osprey Ridge development.  The school will have up to 285 French first-language students from the region. It will cost about $13 million and should be completed in 2010.  A local real estate agent says forty-thousand an acre is a fair price for a lot that size near the Exit 12 development.  She says that's where a lot of people want to be right now as the retail area continues to grow.  The municipality isn't sure if the 1 percent deed transfer tax applies to the sale between the two levels of government.

Beach Protection

2009-05-08 06:29:13

The dunes of Cherry Hill Beach are being protected .  Effective today, (Friday, May 8th,) vehicle traffic along the dunes and the beach is banned.Beach access for traditional uses such as clam digging, waterfowl hunting and swimming  will continue to be permitted. There will be a designated area for parking.  Cherry Hill Beach is  an important nesting habitat for the endangered piping plover and a vital feeding and resting area for many thousands of migrating shorebirds." The ban will be enforced by Department of Natural Resources officers and, when appropriate, RCMP. Operators who ignore the ban can be charged under the Crown Lands Act and/or the Motor Vehicle Act.

McHappy BBBS

2009-05-08 06:26:13

They're awfully McHappy at South Shore Big Brothers and Big Sisters today.  The group was the beneficiary of the funds from yesterday's McHappy Days at the Bridgewater McDonald's restaurant.  A dollar from each mcmuffin and Big Mac sold yesterday were given to charity.  And after the numbers were crunched, it looks like there were a lot of sandwiches munched.  Sandra Murray says they will be receiving $2,000 to help pay for their programs to help boys and girls in the area.

Generous Enough

2009-05-08 06:23:36

A May 20th public meeting on the Queens Place recreational facility has been cancelled because of a lack of "information gaps".  One of those according to the Region's Rec department is a shortfall in funding. The group says the five-million dollars from the province doesn't quite come up to one third of the cost.  They were also hoping for additional money to develop the land around the construction site.  Premier Rodney MacDonald says his government has already given what it can to the project.  The group says a public meeting on Queens Place will be held, but not until they have all of the information they need to provide to residents of Queens.

Leaders Tour

2009-05-07 09:33:24

NDP Leader Darrell Dexter hits the south shore area to campaign with local candidates today.  Dexter will be doing some mainstreeting at the Bridgewater Mall Plaza with Lunenburg West candidate Gary Ramey at noontime. At 2 o'clock this afternoon the Provincial New Democrat leader will tour Composites Atlantic in Lunenburg with Pam Birdsall who's running for the NDP in the Lunenburg riding. Later in the afternoon Dexter will join  candidate Denise Peterson Rafuse for a meet and greet at the NDP Campaign Headquarters for Chester-St. Margaret's at 4171 Highway 3 in Chester.  Dexter will also pay a visit to Shoreham Village.

After an intense day of Campaigning on the south shore including an appearance at the Lunenburg nomination meeting, Premier MacDonald is in Pictou county today. Peter Zwicker was elected as the Conservative's candidate for the Lunenburg riding last night.

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil will be in the valley campaigning today.

 

Queens Place stall

2009-05-07 09:31:59

 

A public meeting for Queens Place scheduled for later this month is being postponed because of outstanding issues including funding.   A news release from Recreation says the purpose of the meeting was to present the Schematic Design for the recreation facility as well as provide specific information about capital and operating costs.   But they point to "information gaps" that need to be resolved before a public meeting.  Those include a need for completed site development costs and more federal and provincial money.  They say the seven million from the Federal Government was 1.8 million less than what they asked for. And the five-million from the province was less than the one-third project funding in many other communities.  The Region has asked for a top up but says that hasn't materialized yet. They also say the election campaign underway will likely impact a request for funding to help defray the costs of developing commercial land next to Queens Place.  They add the combination of these three critical areas impact on the Region's capacity to provide the best information possible to the public. Once full information is available, they say the meeting will be rescheduled.

Home Invasion

2009-05-07 06:26:05

Charges have now been laid against two people allegedly involved in a home invasion on Pleasant Street early yesterday afternoon. Twenty-three year old Matthew Kevin Glavine and 18 year old Shaun Tyler Greek are facing charges of  break and enter into a dwelling and committing an indictable of aggravated assault.  Breach charges as well as a charge of trafficking in crack cocaine are also alleged. Arrest warrants for the pair have been issued.  Meantime, An individual who was initially arrested by police yesterday has been released without charge.  This incident, is still under investigation.   Police are asking anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of GLAVINE and GREEK to contact  Bridgewater Police, 543-2464 or CRIMESTOPPERS

Home Invasion

2009-05-07 06:26:05

Charges have now been laid against two people involved in a home invasion on Pleasant Street early yesterday afternoon. Twenty-three year old Matthew Kevin Glavine and 18 year old Shaun Tyler Greek are facing charges of  break and enter into a dwelling and committing an indictable of aggravated assault.  Breach charges as well as a charge of trafficking in crack cocaine are also alleged. Arrest warrants for the pair have been issued.  Meantime, An individual who was initially arrested by police yesterday has been released without charge.  This incident, is still under investigation.   Police are asking anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of GLAVINE and GREEK to contact  Bridgewater Police, 543-2464 or CRIMESTOPPERS

Inspection Changes changed

2009-05-07 06:24:03

 A bit of a reprieve for tuners and off-roaders.  Government officials say concerns from vehicle owners and the motor vehicle industry have prompted an in-depth review of the processes for inspecting modified vehicles.     A recent clarification to the Motor Vehicle Inspection Manual explicitly states testers are required to fail a vehicle that has been raised or lowered, unless the alteration had been previously approved by an engineer.  And that would have required taking the vehicle to New Brunswick to be certified.  The clarification has raised a number of issues, which the review will address. The review will take up to one year to complete and will result in recommendations for the appropriate next steps.   In the meantime, testers will continue to follow the same safety standards in place for all other vehicles.

Leader's Schedule

2009-05-06 06:05:20

With the provincial election campaign starting to rev up, the Conservatives are giving the south shore a lot of attention. Premier MacDonald spoke with CKBW news yesterday morning at seven o'clock, one of the first interviews of the day about the election.
Today, the Conservative leader is campaigning with Carolyn Bolivar-Getson. He's scheduled to be serving Big Macs with her for McHappy Day at McDonalds in Bridgewater.
Then this afternoon, it's off to Queens to start campaigning with Kerry Morash.  Party officials tell us he will be the only person seeking the PC nomination in Queens when their meeting is held next Monday.
And tonight, MacDonald will be in Mahone Bay for the nomination meeting to see if it will be Peter Zwicker or Ron Allen who will be vying for Michael Baker's former seat in Lunenburg.
Liberal Leader, Steven McNeil is campaigning in Metro.
And NDP leader Darrel Dexter is in the Truro and New Glasgow areas today.

Drug Arrests

2009-05-06 06:00:02

Two Pinehurst males facing  drug and weapons charges after a search warrant was executed at a Penny Road residence.  The South Shore Integrated Street Crime Unit with assistance from RCMP and Bridgewater Police executed the warrant May 1st.  A quantity of marijuana plants were seized as well as firearms that were unsafely stored in the residence.   A 59 year old male and an 18 year old male are facing charges of production of a marijuana and unsafe storage of firearms.  The accused are scheduled to appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court on June 17th for election and plea.

Election Budget

2009-05-05 06:15:18

What started out as a budget document is now a plank in the Conservative's election platform.    Premier Rodney MacDonald will pay a visit to the province's lieutenant-governor this morning.    That's when he is expected to ask Mayann Francis for an election on June 9th.    MacDonald's minority Conservative government was defeated last evening after losing a vote to amend the Provincial Finance Act.    Both opposition parties had repeatedly said they would not support the bill.    The defeat means this year's budget would have a 260-million dollar deficit.    Expect the political rhetoric to have both the Premier and the opposition blaming each other for forcing us to the polls this summer.

The ballots aren't quite set yet for the five ridings on the south shore. There are two more nomination meetings to come, and both of them involve the Progressive Conservatives.

Community Services minister at dissolution, Judy Streatch is running again in Chester St. Margaret's.  The Liberals will have JoAnn Grant and Denise Peterson-Rafuse is running for the NDP.
In Lunenburg, Rick Welsford is on the ballot for the Liberals and Pam Birdsall for the NDP.  The Conservatives will be chosing between Ron Allen and Peter Zwicker at their nomination meeting tomorrow in Mahone Bay.
Lunenburg West has Natural Resources minister Carolyn Bollivar Getson for the PC's running against Mark Furey for the Liberals and Gary Ramey for the NDP.
In Queens, incumbant New Democrat Vicki Conrad is on the ballot against Wayne Henley of the Liberals and a Conservative candidate who will be chosen next Monday.
And in Shelburne, Sterling Belliveau will be working to hold the seat for the NDP while running against Eddie Nickerson of the Conservatives and Darian Huskilson of the Liberals.

Health money

2009-05-05 06:13:05

South Shore residents are going to be seeing an enhancement of service at the South Shore Regional Hospital. MLA  Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, on behalf of Health Minister Karen Casey, says a multi-million dollar  investment in South Shore Regional Hospital will enhance emergency room service and accommodate a satellite dialysis unit.  Funding was also announced for design work on Queens General Hospital in Liverpool. The design work will enable the Queens project to move forward.  Christopher Clarke co-chair of the hospitals fundraising committee says they've been working towards the project for about 6 years. The 22 medical beds that were built in 1965 will be replaced with modern up to date facilities and there will be a new primary care centre meaning better medical delivery in Queens