Funding for Conversion of Streetlights

The Towns of Lunenburg and Mahone Bay among 7 municipalities receiving funding to convert conventional streetlights to energy-efficient LED streetlights The money is coming from the province's ecoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change. Lunenburg will receive $178,268 to convert the remaining 532 streetlights to LED, while Mahone Bay gets $16,839 to convert 44 streetlights to LED. Premier Darrell Dexter also announced 230 thousand dollars toward other alternative energy projects in the Amherst area.

Renewable Electricity Plan

Bridgewater and Liverpool two of the communities where meetings will be held to receive public input on draft regulations for the province's Renewable Electricity Plan. The meetings are being hosted by regional development authorities, in conjunction with the Department of Energy.The draft regulations outline how rates paid to community groups that generate renewable electricity will be set, and a special rate to support the next stage of tidal development. They also establish a renewable electricity administrator to choose the winning bids from independent power producers. Earlier this spring, government introduced its plan to achieve 25 per cent renewable electricity by 2015, and set a goal of 40 per cent renewable electricity by 2020.
MEETING DATE:
-- June 24: Bridgewater, 8:30-10 a.m., Days Inn, 216 North St.
-- June 24: Liverpool, noon to 1:30 p.m., 63 Queens Place Dr.

Nine New Long Term Care Homes Open

Ryan Hall in Bridgewater one of nine new long term facilities officially opened Friday, June 11th. Premier Darrell Dexter says the opening of the modern, state-of-the art facilities is helping Nova Scotia's seniors live more independently in their communities. Ryan Hall , with 65 beds and eight other facilities will add 431 new nursing home beds in Nova Scotia. The other facilities are:
-- Bible Hill, Vimy Court 60 beds
-- Sydney, Celtic Court, 36 beds
-- Amherst, Northumberland Hall, 36 beds
-- Kentville, Orchard Hall, 62 beds
-- Greenwich, Blomidon Court, 50 beds
-- Brookfield, Elk Court, 36 beds
-- Cole Harbour, Bissett Court, 50 beds
-- Debert, Debert Court, 36 beds

The new nursing homes provide employment for more than 600 people.
Shannex will operate the nine new facilities.

Argyle Inn Fire

Eleven people have been forced from their rooms after fire extensively damaged one of the annexes of a motel in Bridgewater. Those affected by the fire are long term residents in one of several buildings of the Argyle Inn. There were no injuries among tenants at the motel on Aberdeen Road, although several pets died in the fire, which was reported around 5:00 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The Canadian Red Cross has assisted the eleven adults with emergency purchases of clothing or cleaning materials, food and personal-care items. The inn's owners have relocated the residents to another building on the site. The fire gutted several rooms of the one storey wooden annex, while the remainder received extensive smoke and water damage.