BREAKING: Cooke Aquaculture Expanding In Shelburne

The province is lending $25-million to Cooke Aquaculture to expand its operations in Shelburne, Digby and Truro. The provincial government says in a release that $16-million of the loan will bear interest, but the remaining $9-million will be forgivable through the Nova Scotia Jobs Fund and jobsHere. Cooke plans to spend $150-million itself on the expansion, which is already underway. The provincial government says the money will create more than 400 jobs, including 320 positions in Shelburne County. Cooke is opening a fish processing plant in Shelburne, building a new salmon hatchery in Digby, and expanding a feed mill in Truro.

Women Have Their Say In New Book

It's a book empowering women to tell their story. '20 Winners at the Game of Life' gives 20 different women a chance to explain how they became successful in their own way. Co-Director of the book, Pat Watson, says its an eye-opener for women.





The book features successful women in all walks of life including five from the South Shore. It will be launched tonight from 6-8pm at Second Story Women’s Centre in Lunenburg.

Government Wrong In Dealing With Electoral Boundaries Commission: Baillie

NS PC Leader Jamie Baillie

The debate continues over the Nova Scotia Provincial Electoral Boundaries Commission interim report it presented in May.  The commission has been told by the government to go back and re-do it because recommending 4 minority-group constituencies be maintained was not part of its terms of refernce.

PC Leader Jamie Baillie says the Dexter government is out of line by telling the commission what or what-not it should be doing.

Baillie says: "The debate is not really about those seats anymore. Its about a government that is using its majority to write its own rules. That is why I say... what a disgrace if this was in Uganda. But, thats exactly what is happening with the rules of the next election here in Nova Scotia and that bothers me more than the protected seats does."

The commission said in its initial report, among other things, there should continue to be 52 members in the Legislature and the four "protected constituencies", including Argyle and Preston, should be retained. The commission now says it will rewrite its final report for release in late August.

Gasoline Prices Will Likely Drop Again!

This could be a fore-runner of what may happen overnight tonight with South Shore gas prices.  For a third straight week, the price of gas is down in New Brunswick.  Regular self-serve fell an even two cents last night to a new top price of $1.23 a litre.  Diesel has dropped three-tenths of a cent and furnace oil has fallen just over a penny to a new maximum price of $1.06 per litre.  The prices are at their lowest level in New Brunswick since last Christmas.

South Shore Company And Fishermen Go To Trial

Charges have been laid and trials are underway for a fish company on the South Shore and 12 individuals.  It follows a lengthy DFO investigation ... running from January 2006 to June 2009.  Some 66 charges in all are involved, dealing with alledged illegal activity in the groundfish and clam fishing industries.  Charges range from buying, selling or processing groundfish and clams in contravention of the fisheries act ... to ... fishing without a license.  The cases against Deep Cove Marine of Chester, its president and 11 other fishermen are back in Bridgewater court later in the summer and into the fall.

Injured Motorcyclist Transferred To Halifax

A motorcyclist, who suffered a critical leg injury in an accident in the New Germany area Tuesday evening, has been transferred to the QE2 Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. The female driver of the second bike involved in the crash has been released from South Shore Regional in Bridgewater.  The accident happened on the Newburne Road in Maplewood and involved two motorcycles and a car.  The driver of the car wasn't hurt. The investigation into the accident continues.

Provincial Money To Boost Aquaculture Industry

A Shelburne County fish farm operation is about to receive an infusion of money from the Dexter government.  Millions of dollars are expected to be heading to New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture.
The company has plans to expand operations, including a processing plant in Shelburne County, a feed mill in Truro and development of a fish hatchery in Digby.  The announcement will be made later this morning by the premier at the end of a two-day cabinet meeting in Shelburne.