Dayspring Infill Fine

A case that's been before the courts for four years concluded yesterday with a Bridgewater area woman being fined more than $18,000 for infillng a saltmarsh area on the LaHave River. Corinna Kincaid-Lowe and her company Nova Stone Exporters infilled the environmentally sensitive property in Dayspring back in August 2002. The Provincial Environment Department became involved after learning the matter was under their jurisdiction, not the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Three years later Kincaid-Lowe was charged with contravening a Ministerial order to remove the infill. Numerous delays involving changing lawyers resulted in the case dragging on with no resolution. Yesterday, in Bridgewater Provincial Court Judge Anne Crawford admonished Kincaid-Lowe for her foot dragging and lack of good faith saying the situation cried out for remediation. The fine of $18,379 covers the cost of the remediation effort and is more than the property itself which was assessed at $13,400. Kincaid-Lowe also has to pay a 10 percent victim fine surcharge.

Shipped Out

After more than a decade tied up alongside in the LaHave River, a tentative date has been given for the removal of retired Naval Destroyer Fraser. All indications are that tugs will arrive to start towing the ship out towards the ocean starting Tuesday morning. She will be moved at High tide which is at around 8:30 that morning. Staff with the Department of National Defence will be releasing details of the move after the ship is purchased from the Artificial Reef Society of Nova Scotia. That official process won't happen until the tugs are alongside. Fraser has had its supporters and detractors over the years after several ambitions plans were scuttled by battles over assessments and court challenges. The future of the vessel still hasn't been settled officially with previous discussions suggesting Fraser will become a wharfside museum somewhere or possibly even sunk to create an underwater diving attraction. The ship, a St. Laurent Class destroyer commissioned in 1957 was brought to the port of Bridgewater in 1998 after it was declared surplus by the Navy.