Water Testing

South Shore Health will introduce changes to water testing next month in order to meet new accreditation standards for water testing. Water samples must now be stored between 1 and 10 degrees Celsius(not frozen) and delivered within 24 hours of collection. Samples that have a temperature higher than 10 degrees will no longer be accepted for testing. Drop off hours are also being reduced . Testing will not be done on Fridays, weekends or Holidays. Water samples will only be accepted 8 am to 2 pm Monday to Thursday at the Business Office at South Shore Regional Hospital, 8 am to 11 am Monday to Thursday at Queens General Hospital and during scheduled blood collection clinics in New Germany, New Ross and Chester.
The Department of Environment recommends testing your well water for bacteria every six months.

Chester RCMP Investigate Break-ins

A pharmacy and fire department were the target of thieves over the last week. Chester RCMP are investigating a break and enter at the Chester Pharmasave on Sunday March 28th between 5 to 6:40 a.m. Money and narcotics were stolen during the break. The Hubbards Fire Department was also broken into sometime between 9:30pm March 25th and 4:30pm March 26th. Two radios vital to the operation of the fire department and some tools were stolen. As well, damage was done to some equipment inside the building. Anyone with information concerning the incidents is asked to contact the Chester RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-9477 (TIPS)

Partners to Protect Watershed

The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and the Nova Scotia Salmon Association have partnered to improve efforts to protect and restore local watersheds and improve Nova Scotia's water quality. Using the proceeds of its annual ECO SALE, The liquor corporation has made a five-year, $500,000 commitment to the NSLC Adopt-A-Stream program. The NSLC presented the salmon association with the first $100,000 installment Monday, March 29, which will be used to fund stream, river and headwater projects across Nova Scotia.

**News release courtesy of NSLC**

Pharmacists to Assist Doctors

Amendments to the Pharmacy Act now mean that pharmacists in Nova Scotia will be able to administer vaccinations and order some diagnostic tests. Health Minister Maureen MacDonald says the goal is to take advantage of a pool of qualified professionals in order to free up doctors to concentrate on other areas of health care. The Minister says although the move will create efficiencies in the health system, she's currently unable to put a dollar figure on any potential savings. She also can't say for certain whether a user fee will be put in place, although she adds it's not currently planned.Regulations are being worked on and it's hoped the first qualified pharmacists will be able to carry out their new duties some time this year.
The move by Nova Scotia follows similar initiatives in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick.

AbitibiBowater Mersey Paper Company Limited

Employees at the AbitibiBowater Mersey Paper Company in Liverpool could soon be having a 5 week vacation.

A tentative date of April 16th until May 19th is the time period in which the plant will stop production due to the economic downturn.

AbitibiBowater produces a wide range of newsprint, commercial printing papers, market pulp and wood products. It is the eighth largest publicly traded pulp and paper manufacturer in the world.

Region of Queens meeting tonight

A meeting will be held tonight to discussing ways to maximize the opportunities presented by the upcoming Festival and Event season in the Region of Queens.

The Festival organizers and Queens businesses are holding the meeting this evening at 7pm in the Council Chambers at the Region of Queens Municipality’s offices.

Discussion will be focused on methods that can engage the whole community in celebration and create a memorable experience for visitors.

Three new by-laws for The Municipality of the District of Shelburne

Three new by-laws were passed this month at The Municipality of the District of Shelburne's regular Council meeting.

A new repeal bylaw eliminates many outdated bylaws, while the A Shelburne County East RCMP Advisory Board Bylaw establishes a new merged RCMP advisory board for the three municipalities in eastern Shelburne County.

The third bylaw was an Emergency Management Response Bylaw that provides the structure for the Municipality to function with the Town of Lockeport and the Town of Shelburne in the Shelburne County East Emergency Measures Organization.