Tops'l Tavern Closing In Bridgewater

One of the longest serving taverns in Bridgewater is closing its doors. The Tops'l Tavern on King Street is shutting down after 50 years. The bar opened in 1963. The tavern will close Saturday night. Roughly 15 employees will be out of a job. Owner Sheila Rhodenizer Mackay has confirmed the details with our newsroom.

Queens General Health Project Behind Schedule

The Queens General Health Project is behind schedule. Contractors informed South Shore Health this week that the project is delayed by roughly three to five months. The project was expected to be complete early this year. CEO Dr. Peter Vaughan says the delay is being caused by a lack of materials and human resources to do the job.



Vaughan says it's disappointing news for staff, but work will continue at a slower pace. Construction of the new medical unit and primary health care centre began in October 2012. The project includes the redevelopment of the 22-bed in-patient unit at Queens General Hospital. South Shore Health is expecting to receive the facility in May. They expect time for off-gassing before they move in sometime in July.

Duckworth Qualifies For Semis At World Cup Event

Kingsburg's Alex Duckworth is making her case to be named to Canada's Olympic team. The 26-year-old qualified for the semi-finals at a Snowboard World Cup event in Stoneham, Quebec today. Duckworth finished ninth out of 27 competitors in the women's half-pipe, good enough to earn the final spot in the semi-finals. She is the only Canadian to make the semis, which happen at noon on Saturday. This is the final Olympic qualifying event before the remainder of Canada's team will be finalized next Tuesday.

High School Hockey Tournament Underway In Barrington

The 18th Annual Tim Hortons Lobster Trap High School Hockey Tournament is underway in Barrington. The tournament runs until Saturday, with the championship game at 3:15pm. Teams participating are; Barrington, Par-en-Bas, Yarmouth, Clare, Bridgewater, Hants East, Parkview and Richmond Academy. Game, Day and Tournament passes are available. Here is the schedule:

Thursday, Jan. 16

10:45 – Barrington @ Bridgewater
12:30 – PEB @ Yarmouth
2:15 – Hants East @ Bridgewater
4:00 – PVEC @ PEB
5:45 - Yarmouth @ Clare
7:30 –  Hants East @ Barrington

Friday, January 17

8:00 – Bridgewater @ Richmond
9:45 – PEB @ Clare
11:30 – Skills competition
12:30 – Richmond @ Hants East
2:15 –  Clare @ PVEC
5:45 -  Richmond @ Barrington
7:30 – PVEC @ Yarmouth

Saturday, January 18

10:00 – Semi-final #1
11:45 – Semi-final #2

3:15 - Championship

Uncertainty Over When LaHave Ferry Will Return To Service

Don't expect the LaHave River ferry to be back in operation right away. The ferry broke free from its cable and drifted down the river and grounded at Oxner's Beach during the January 3rd snowstorm. Officials with the provincial Department of Transportation have been assessing the situation. The cable drum assembly was damaged and it could take some time to make repairs or even replace it. DOT has not given a date when the ferry will resume daily service between LaHave and East LaHave.

NS Health Minister: Pharmacies Great Help In Flu Shot Rush

More influenza vaccine has been ordered by several provinces and territories as they try to meet this winter's unusually high public demand for flu shots. Among them are BC and Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the only provinces not seeking to buy more is Nova Scotia, which has enough vaccine to cover half the population. The province's health Minister Leo Glavine is today heaping praise on pharmacies for being able to handle the work load.



Nova Scotia's chief medical health officer Dr. Robert Strang says no more vaccine will be bought for now because the window on making a difference this flu season is closing.

South Shore Gas Prices Will Likely Increase Tonight

There's a pretty good chance South Shore gasoline prices will take a small jump overnight tonight when the utility and review board sets the coming week's prices at the pumps. In New Brunswick today (Thursday), the provincial regulator there has raised the maximum price for self-serve regular by one cent to $1.30.3 with most stations selling for slightly less. Diesel jumps up as well, rising 2.4 cents per litre.

Better Relations Sought Between Province & Municipalities

A better dialogue is needed between the province and its municipalities according to the Minister of Municipal Relations and Service Nova Scotia. Thats why Mark Furey is hitting the road today for the South Shore. Its the start of several weeks of meetings across the province to open up the channels between the levels of government that Furey says broke down some time ago.



Furey, who's also the MLA for Lunenburg West, will meet today with the mayors and councils in Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Region of Queens. He expects his meetings with all municipalities across the province will take him into the spring to complete.