Mounties Investigate Unlawful Confinement In Upper Chelsea

RCMP are investigating after an individual was confined at a property on Faulkner Road in Upper Chelsea. Cpl. Scott MacRae says Lunenburg RCMP received an unlawful confinement call at 7:30 Monday night. In an interview with CKBW/HANK-FM Tuesday night, MacRae says they're looking into the incident.



MacRae says forensic identification officers and local RCMP were on scene Tuesday night. He would not release any details about the victim. There could be an update from RCMP as early as Wednesday.

Queens Mayor Debate Focuses On Regional Issues

No real sparks flew as the four men running for Region of Queens mayor debated local issues Tuesday night at the Astor Theatre. Christopher Clarke, Mervin Hartlen, Owen Hamlin and David Dagley voiced their opinions on a number of subjects including life after Bowater, Queens Place and the economy. One of the hot button topics was ATVer's accessing the Trestle Trail. Dagley says there's no quick solution to the problem.



Hartlen believes the ball is in the ATVer's court.



Meanwhile, two other candidates spoke about big issues for them. Hamlin says he wants better communication with the public.



Clarke feels strongly about changing people's prospective about the area.



The four men also spoke about incorporating a Healthy Eating Policy, building a sidewalk to Queens Manor and the future of Pine Grove Park. Close to 150 people turned out for the event.

South Shore Health Reports Bed Shortage

South Shore Health is dealing with a critical bed shortage at all three of its hospital. In a press release, the health authority says patients are waiting for beds in Bridgewater, Lunenburg and Liverpool. South Shore Health CEO, Dr. Peter Vaughan says staff is doing all they can to ensure patients are receiving quality care. Last month, the health authority indicated an large elderly population coupled with complex medical conditions were contributing factors to the bed shortage. Residents who don't require emergency care are being asked to call 8-1-1 or visit their nearest walk in clinic.

Lunenburg Parking Plan For Bluenose II Relaunch

Organizers for the relaunch of Bluenose II have released a parking plan for Saturday's event. Overflow parking will be available at Composites Atlantic, HB Studio's, Luneburg Community Centre, Lunenburg Academy, the Surf Shop on Blue Rocks Road and Highliner Foods. Shuttle service will be available from Highliner Foods and The Surf Shop with drop off locations within walking distance to the waterfront. Those with mobility issues may be dropped at one of the barricades and assisted to the site by a personal care giver. Several streets in Lunenburg will be closed beginning at 7 o'clock on Friday night. Those street include Linden Avenue, Lower Street, Montague, Bluenose Drive and a portion of Pelham Street. Residents who live on those streets will be issued a vehicle pass to get through the barricades. Employees of businesses on those streets are being asked to find alternate parking for that day.

Bridgewater Increasing Presence On WhyHere.ca

The town of Bridgewater will soon have more of a presence on a local information website. Whyhere.ca was created to help people learn more about the Lunenburg/Queens regions. The Bridgewater Development Association and the town are each spending $2,100 to produce eight videos to help showcase the community and attract new residents or developers. Mayor Carroll Publicover says it should be a good investment.



The Region of Queens and the Municipality of Lunenburg have also agreed to purchase additional videos. The videos should be complete by January.

N.S. Minority Rights Gone Says Yarmouth MLA

Zach Churchill

The province's Electoral Boundaries Commission is out with its report. Its recommending the province's four designated minority ridings ... Argyle, Clare, Richmond and Preston ... should be merged with other constituencies. On the South Shore, the commission is proposing to re-draw boundary lines to create two new ridings called Queens-Shelburne and Argyle-Barrington. The riding of Lunenburg will remain the same, while Chester-St. Margaret's will see minor changes by losing residents of Upper Tantallon to a riding closer to HRM. The riding of Lunenburg West will expand westward to gain the remainder of Lunenburg County from Queens. The only riding in the region that hasn't been affected is Yarmouth where Liberal MLA Zach Churchill is happy on one hand but saddened by what he calls, the loss of minority rights in the province.



The commission is also recommending the addition of two ridings in the Halifax area to reflect the region's growing population. In total, it is recommencing there should be 51 members in the House of Assembly instead of the current 52.

Loss Of Minority Ridings Will Impact Province: d'Entremont

Argyle MLA Chris d'Entremont

The province's Electoral Boundaries Commission is out with its much-anticipated report. Its recommending the province's four designated minority riding's; Argyle, Clare, Richmond and Preston should be merged with other constituencies. On the South Shore, the commission is proposing to re-draw boundary lines to create two new riding's called Queens-Shelburne and Argyle-Barrington. The riding of Lunenburg will remain the same, while Chester-St. Margaret's will see minor changes by losing residents of Upper Tantallon to a riding closer to HRM. The riding of Lunenburg West will expand westward to gain the remainder of Lunenburg County from Queens.  If the changes are approved, the current Argyle PC MLA Chris d'Entremont will become the representative of a new Argyle-Barrington riding. He says losing the minority riding's will see many Francophone issues overtaken by majority Anglophone issues.



The commission is also recommending the addition of two riding's in the Halifax area to reflect the region's
growing population. In total, it is recommencing there should be 51 members in the House of Assembly instead of the current 52.

Boundaries Report: Major Changes For South Shore

The Electoral Boundaries Commission is recommending that the province's four designated minority riding's merge with other constituencies to ensure electoral fairness. The biggest proposal contained in the report would divide the riding of Shelburne into two constituency's. The commission's report proposes a new riding of Argyle-Barrington - the constituency will gain the Municipality of the District of Barrington and the Town of Clark’s Harbour. The remaining portion of the Shelburne County would join Queens to form the new riding of Queens-Shelburne. The riding of Clare would expand eastward and join the remainder of Digby County. That new riding would be called Clare-Digby. Meanwhile, the riding of Lunenburg will remain the same, while Chester-St. Margaret's will see minor changes by shifting residents of Upper Tantallon to a riding closer to HRM. The riding of Lunenburg West will expand westward to gain the remainder of Lunenburg County from Queens. The commission is also recommending the addition of two riding's in the Halifax area to reflect the region's growing population. In total, it is recommencing there should be 51 members in the House of Assembly.

Argyle: Gains the Municipality of the District of Barrington and the Town of Clark’s Harbour from
the Electoral District of Shelburne. This constituency to be renamed Argyle-Barrington.

Chester-St. Margaret’s: Loses the Upper Tantallon area north of Highway 103 to Hammonds
Plains-Upper Sackville (Hammonds Plains-Lucasville).

Lunenburg: No change.

Lunenburg West: Expands westward to gain the remainder of Lunenburg County from Queens.

Queens: Loses area within Lunenburg County to Lunenburg West. Expands slightly northward to
gain the Maitland Bridge area from Digby-Annapolis, and expands west to the municipal boundary
separating the Municipality of the District of Barrington and the Municipality of the District of
Shelburne. This constituency to be renamed Queens-Shelburne.

Shelburne: Loses the Municipality of the District of Barrington and the Town of Clark’s Harbour
to Argyle (Argyle-Barrington). Gains Queens County plus the Maitland Bridge area from DigbyAnnapolis. This constituency to be renamed Queens-Shelburne.

Yarmouth: No change.

Man Gets 8 Years For Violent South Shore Home Invasion & Robbery

A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for a South Shore home invasion and robbery, seven years ago. The victim was a 72-year-old woman with terminal cancer. 45 year-old Brian Hector Oickle appeared in Bridgewater court Monday for sentencing. He was found guilty in July of robbery with violence, breaking into a home and committing a robbery, unlawful confinement and possession of stolen money. Virginia Zwicker was attacked and robbed of her life savings at her home in Chelsea in July 2005.
The court was told Zwicker's wrists and legs were trussed with plastic ties before her attacker disabled the phone and left with the $35,000 he had taken from her safe and $1,000 from her purse. Judge Bill MacDonald says Zwicker was so afraid to stay in her home alone again that she moved in with her daughter.

Video: Olympian Receives Town Achievement Award

Local Olympian Jenna Martin was honoured by the town of Bridgewater during Monday night's council meeting. Martin received an achievement award for her tireless effort and dedication in achieving her Olympic dream. Martin reached the semi-finals in this summer's London Games, finishing in the top 24 in the world.

Video: Town Volunteer Receives Diamond Jubilee Medal

Avid Volunteer Cate de Vreede has received a Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal. De Vreede is involved in a number of programs in Bridgewater including the town's Cohousing Project, Hodge Podge Community Garden group, the Community Christmas and Growing Green Festival. The medal was presented to de Vreede during Monday night's council meeting.

Safe Travel Tips For South Shore Residents On Vacation

Brian Simpson, Travelocity.ca

If you have dreams of being a snow-bird and travel south on vacation in the coming weeks and months, there are some things you should watch for to stay safety and secure. Travel expert Brian Simpson of "Travelocity.ca" has developed a list of 10 safety tips. He says one thing to avoid is pick-pockets. They're common on the sprawling white beaches.



Here is Brian's complete list of 10 things to watch for:
1. If you can’t bear to lose it, leave it at home – Expensive jewellery and watches don’t only catch the eye of fellow travellers, but thieves as well. If you have jewellery, watches, or anything else of value that you couldn’t bear to lose, then it’s best to leave it locked up safely at home. And NEVER pack anything of value in your checked bags.



2. Avoid pick-pockets - Keep all bags zipped and money out of sight. Never put bills in your back pockets. In crowds, take extra precaution and move daypacks and purses to the front of your body.


3. Avoid nocturnal exploring - Avoid short cuts like alleys or poorly lit streets. Sticking to more populated areas is always a wise decision.

4. Learn your ABCs - Learn key phrases in the local language or have them written down. This will make all the difference when exploring your destination and communicating with taxi drivers and locals.

5. Find your way home - Take a business card from the hotel to ensure you have the right address and phone number when returning.

6. Register with Foreign Affairs – Better safe than sorry. Registering your travel plans with Foreign Affairs & International Trade before travelling helps keep you connected to Canada in case of an emergency abroad, such as an earthquake or civil unrest, or can keep you informed about an emergency at home.

7. Be Food/Water Safe - Say no to tap water and stay away from iced drinks. A beverage that may not be as cold as you’d like, may be a small price to pay. versus the effects of drinking unsafe water. And when eating, wash all fruit and vegetables in bottled water. Hotels don’t always wash produce with filtered water. If a sensitive stomach is your concern, washing your produce with bottled water, and maybe even a bit of hand soap, is a wise precaution to take.

8. Money carriers – Don’t let their goofy look discourage you, money belts are a handy thing to have on day trips. They allow piece of mind and free hands to take in everything your destination has to offer. But always keep money belts hidden under your clothing if possible.

9. Small amounts of cash – Take small amounts of cash out at a time and keep a reserve in your hotel room safe. On outings, keep a limited amount on your person. In the event of a mugging or robbery, the loss will not be as severe.

10. Limited cap on Visa and debit – Apply a small maximum withdrawal allowance on your visa and debit cards. In the event your cards are lost or stolen, your bank account is spared. At the same time, ensure you get credit where credit is due – Banks have very sophisticated loss prevention programs in place and will lock accounts if they suspect fraudulent activity. Notify your bank and credit card provider of your travel plans to ensure uninterrupted access to your bank account and credit cards.

This Morning's South Shore News & Weather - Sep 24

Here is this morning's South Shore news and weather.
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