Speed Limits to be Reduced in School Areas

You might want to pay closer attention driving through school zones. To protect students and make roads safer the province has introduced legislation (November 2nd) to reduce speed limits in school areas. Speed limits in school areas will be reduced from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour in school areas where the surrounding speed zone is 50 kilometres an hour. In school areas where the surrounding speed zone is higher, the speed limit will remain 50 kilometres an hour. Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks says slowing drivers down in school areas will give them extra time to react and help keep children safe. The legislation would go into effect in fall 2012.

South Shore Members Attend National Conference

Three Lunenburg County residents are among 13 Nova  Scotia 4-H members attending a national conference in Toronto which runs through to Sunday November 6th.. The conference is a five-day program in leadership and agriculture for 4-H members between 16 and 21 years old. Eighty-five members from across Canada, two from the U.S.A. and one from the United Kingdom, will attend. Science and technology is the focus of this year's conference. Throughout the week, members will discuss global issues, hear lectures from guest speakers and make a group presentation.  Discussion will include energy, water, land use, soil loss, air and water quality, climate change, plant and animal production, biodiversity, sustainability and biotechnology.
The three Lunenburg County members attending are:

-- Lianne Lenihan, New Ross, Lunenburg Co.
-- Murray Clements, Blandford, Lunenburg Co.
-- Katie Dufresne, Blandford, Lunenburg Co.

During the week, 4-H members will also visit several points of interest in Toronto, including the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Rogers Centre, Toronto Dominion Bank Tower and the University of Guelph.

Province searching for solutions for Bowater Mersey Mill

Premier Darrell Dexter

The Premier of Nova Scotia says officials with the Bowater Mersey paper mill have told him they need help to address increased labour, wood and energy costs. Darrell Dexter attended an emergency meeting in Liverpool Wednesday with staff and management at the mill. He says the company is in desperate need for the province's assistance to find a solution to cut down costs. Dexter says Bowater Mersey has significant price gaps they need to close.

"They need to take the cost of manufacturing price per tonne from $537 to $480. They need to take their labour costs from $97 per tonne to $80 per tonne. So, as you can see, those are very, very significant gaps."

The President and Chief Executive Officer of AbitibiBowater, Richard Garneau, says the Brooklyn mill will remain open, unless they can't reduce costs. He says the mill will close if costs don't improve. Dexter says Bowater Mersey is a vital part of Queens County and the South Shore and he will be actively looking for help to keep the mill open.

Nature Conservancy of Canada acquires two new properties near Shelburne

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has added two new properties to the land it is protecting along the South Shore. The conservation organization says it has acquired two privately held properties totalling about 370 acres southwest of Shelburne. The pieces of land fall within the boundaries of the Bowers Meadow Wilderness Area in Round Bay.
The program manager for Nature Conservancy of Canada's operation in Nova Scotia, Craig Smith, says the land is critically important to the local eco-system.

"The head waters of the Round Bay river are located within the Wildnerness area, which drains out into the Atlantic Ocean, it's a potential habitat for the endangered mainland moose, there are a couple of rare plant species located there and its also a stopover or staging ground for a few different waterfowl species among their migratory roots."

Smith says they purchased the two properties of land for roughly $131,000. He says it took just over a year to purchase the properties. The Nature Conservancy of Canada owns roughly 723 acres of land along the South Shore.