Greenfield Fire

A Greenfield man is being treated in hospital for non-life threatening burns according to the fire chief in the community. Harry Nelson tells CKBW he and the Deputy Fire Marshal went through the house on Highway 210 this morning. They figure the cause of the fire was electrical. Crews from Greenfield Volunteer Fire were paged out just after four this morning to the house at 4939 Highway 210. Chief Nelson says they got help fighting the fire from Liverpool and North Queens crews. He says the man had been renovating the property and was staying there by himself. The man was apparently woken up by a loud noise this morning before smoke started filling the house. He went to a neighbour's to call 9-1-1. The interior is badly damaged by fire and smoke but the chief says the building is still standing. It's not known if it is insured.

No Shooting

Queens RCMP say an incident Friday night reported as a shooting in Charleston turned out to be an accident involving a man on an ATV. Staff Sergeant Bruno Deveau tells CKBW it started with a 9-1-1 call that ended abruptly around 5:15 Friday. Another call came in minutes later suggesting there had been a man had been shot and the shooter was in the woods. RCMP and Paramedics responded to a cabin in the Riversdale area where they found a 51-year old man with head injuries. He was taken to hospital in Bridgewater claiming he was shot at while riding his all terrain vehicle. In the meantime, a perimeter was set up in the area by Natural Resources and RCMP. It was not long after the doctor called police the man had NOT been shot. S/Sgt Deveau says it appears the man drove over an object that came up and hit the man in the back of the head. The Charleston man has since been treated and released from hospital.

Mersey Hydro Open House

They've done this in the past, but it's been a few years. And it's part of the process for a license renewal. Nova Scotia Power is holding an open house to talk with residents about the Mersey hydro system. Those who attend will learn more about how the system operates, and the ongoing environmental monitoring done by NS Power. Employees will be on hand later today (3pm-8pm) to answer questions at the Best Western in Liverpool. The open houses are part of the re licensing process for the province's hydro systems. They are held every 10 years for renewal of the system's operating approval. Another session is planned for next Thursday (Nov 12th) in Tusket Falls.

Prayer Breakfast

A special guest for a special breakfast. Coming up next Wednesday, municipal leaders and others will join the Honourable Mayann E. Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia for the South Shore Leadership Prayer Breakfast. The event will be held early that morning at White Point Beach Resort. When the first prayer breakfast was held more than 2,000 years ago, Jesus invited his disciples to join him for breakfast on the Sea of Tiberias. Organizers say their breakfast will be an opportunity to come together as a wider Christian community to pray for the leaders of their organizations, institutions, businesses, region, province and nation. The organizing committe includes Doug Fawthrop, John Leefe, Susan MacLeod, Don MacKenzie and Revered Donald J. Lawton. John Wiles will be the Master of Ceremonies.

White Point Beach Resort won't be the same without him. After some 30 years, Doug Fawthrop is retiring. Region of Queens Mayor John Leefe says Fawthrop has provided tremendous leadership in promoting tourism and has been more than a good-will ambassador for the Region. Leefe says before Fawthrop took over White Point Beach it was a seasonal business operating only about 3 months of the year, and local folks were not welcomed on the property.

Baby Case Postponed

An adjournment in the case of the couple facing charges in the sudden death of a newborn baby boy. RCMP say the deceased baby boy was brought to Queens General Hospital Monday night. Twenty-four year old Amanda Lynn Oickle of Liverpool is charged with one count each of neglect to obtain assistance in childbirth and concealing the body of a child. She has been released on an undertaking and will return to court in Liverpool November 3rd to enter election and pleas. Oickle is to live with her parents and report in person to the Queens County RCMP every Friday and to have no contact with her common-law husband. Thirty-one year old Andrew Gary Cunningham is accused of one count of concealing the body of a child. He remains in custody until his next court appearance in Liverpool Tuesday, October 20th when a hearing will be held into an allegation of breaching a conditional sentence order.

UPDATE: Charges Laid

A Queens county couple will be appearing in Court in Bridgewater this morning charged in relation to the sudden death of an infant. Staff Sergeant Bruno Deveau tells CKBW the 25-year old woman will be answering to a charge of Neglect to obtain assistance in child-birth.
And a count of Concealing the body of a child has been laid against the woman and her 31-year old common law husband. RCMP say the infant's remains were brought into Queens General Hospital Monday. The pair were arrested a few hours later. Police believe the woman gave birth at home last Wednesday and the baby boy died then or shortly afterwards. An autopsy has been done, but no cause of death has been identified according to police. RCMP have not named the couple either.

Death of Newborn Investigated

Two people are under arrest in connection with the sudden death of a newborn baby in Liverpool. Queens RCMP Corporal Grant Webber says a deceased male infant was brought into Queens General Hospital last night.The mother gave birth at home on Wednesday evening and kept the infant at the residence until she turned it over to medical staff on Monday. Webber says no charges have yet been laid. but the 25 year old mother and her common-law husbnd have been arrested. An autopsy has been performed but the results are not known at this time. Units from the South West Nova Major Crime Unit and Street Untis from Shelburne and Bridgewater are assisting Queens RCMP.

Bowater Money

The N-D-P government is investing in the sustainability of a major employer and exporter in Nova Scotia's paper products industry. Bowater Mersey Paper Company Ltd. is receiving $2.5 million dollars to support adding book-grade paper to its manufacturing process. Economic and Rural Development Minister Percy Paris says the company is finding innovative ways to manage through difficult economic times. The Bowater Mersey mill in Brooklyn employs about 500 full-time employees andsupports the jobs of more than 1,000 people in industry-related operations. The investment is from the Community Development Trust Fund, a $34.9-million fund set up by the federal government in 2008 to help communities and sectors experiencing economic challenges.

FULL RELEASE:
The province is investing in the sustainability of a major employer and exporter in Nova Scotia's paper products industry.
Bowater Mersey Paper Company Ltd. is receiving $2.5 million to support the addition of book-grade paper to its manufacturing process.
Book-grade paper, used mainly in the printing of paperback books, requires more demanding quality standards than those for newsprint. The book-grade paper market tends to have more stable demand and pricing trends.
Economic and Rural Development is supporting the company's diversification plan through the Community Development Trust Fund. The $34.9-million fund was established in 2008 by the federal government to help communities and sectors experiencing economic challenges.
"Bowater Mersey is managing through difficult economic times in this industry by finding innovative ways to reduce operating costs, improve productivity, and develop new product lines and markets," said Minister of Economic and Rural Development Percy Paris.
"The fundamentals of this company are solid and, along with the company, its employees, suppliers, and customers and various governments, we want this mill to continue to be a viable part of our economy and return to higher employment levels as the economy rebounds in the coming months."
Bowater Mersey employs about 500 full-time employees. Its operations include the newsprint mill near Liverpool, Queens Co. the Oakhill sawmill near Bridgewater; the Mersey Woodlands forest management group and the Brooklyn Power Corporation in Brooklyn, Queens Co.
Indirectly, the company supports the jobs of more than 1,000 people in forest management and harvesting operations, private sawmills, trucking firms and other suppliers. Its products are exported around the world.
Bowater Mersey has invested more than $7 million toward the product diversification project, including new manufacturing processes, technology and equipment. The company has already marketed its book-grade paper in the United Kingdom and is seeking opportunities to supply European and Asian pressrooms. Book-grade paper is shipped by vessel from the port at the Bowater Mersey mill as well as by container through the Port of Halifax.
Bowater Mersey continues to work closely within the industry to develop certified forest management practices. The co-generation plan produces electricity under contract to Nova Scotia Power Inc., which provides a stable steam supply to the newsprint plant.
The priorities of the Community Development Trust Fund are to enhance sustainable prosperity, diversify economic and trade opportunities, improve productivity, innovation and training, assist communities with transition planning, and help workers facing adjustment challenges. More information on the Community Development Trust Fund in Nova Scotia is available at http://www.blogger.com/www.gov.ns.ca/econ/cdtrust .

Queens Build Starting

The money is in the bank. And now they're getting ready to start swinging hammers for the Habitat for Humanity project in Queens. Organizers exceeded their goal of raising 60-thousand dollars to help build the house that will become a home for a Liverpool family of four. Spokesperson Bobbi Jo Goulden says this week will be the build kickoff groundbreaking ceremony. The event will run this Friday afternoon from two until four at the build site on Amherst Street in Liverpool. Habitat for Humanity uses donated labour and materials to build homes for people who otherwise couldn't afford them. The money the families pay back, goes into the fund to help build additional homes for other families in need.

Clamming Pickle

A Port Mouton man is facing a charge for selling clams without a commercial license. DFO officers from Liverpool arrested the man on August 16th in the Port Mouton area. He's accused of digging clams recreationally but then offering them for sale. He will be appearing in Liverpool Court on October 6th.

Baker Praises

She's the Pride of Port Medway, and Region of Queens Municipal Council thinks Carroll Baker is pretty special. To that effect a special resolution was approved by council to convey its congratulations to Carroll Baker on being named to the Order of Canada and express its pride in her extraordinary accomplishments in the music industry. Baker has had more than 20 number one records, 12 of which were consecutive, a record that remains unbroken in Canada by a Canadian country music performer. She has been inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame and has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the provinces of Nova Scotia and Ontario. Picture from http://www.carrollbakersinger.ca/ website.

Shutdown Delayed

A bit of a reprieve for the workers at the Bowater Mersey mill in Brooklyn ,Queens County. The plant was scheduled to shut down for five weeks on August 29th. An email was sent to the newsprint mill employees Tuesday morning advising them the production curtailment will be delayed one week because of additional orders for Latin America. The projected shutdown date is now scheduled for Friday September 4th, with the start up date for the mill unchanged at Monday, October 5th.

Underground Power

The Region of Queens is borrowing $280,000 for the installation of power and street lights for Queens Place Drive. That's the site of the proposed Queen's Recreation Complex and the newly opened Best Western Hotel. Mayor John Leefe says Council took the decision they did not want the area cluttered up with power poles. He says the powerlines will be run underground. Council also gave approval to the Best Western to locate a sign adjacent to the right of the entrance of Queens Place Drive with the electrical connection to be underground.

Queens Council Support

Region of Queens Mayor John Leefe says a five week shut down of the Bowater paper mill in Brooklyn is not an indication the plant will permanently close. He says he doesn't understand comments to that affect by the head of the local union. Leefe says the employees can take comfort that Municipal Council is fully behind them adding the mill is an important contributor to the economy in Western Nova Scotia. He adds the company is one of the largest shipper out of the port of Halifax. The Abitibi Bowater Mersey plant will be idle from August 29th until October 4th

Bowater Shutdown

A five week shutdown for close to three hundred workers at the Abitibi-Bowater Mersey Paper Mill in Queens county accortding to Union officials. They confirm they were notified Thursday morning of the fourth work stoppage at the plant since Christmas. Courtney Wentzell with the Communications Energy and Paper Workers says the Nova Scotia plant has been down more weeks than it's been running this year. The Queens paper mill will be shut between August 29th and October 4th. Company officials have been citing tough market conditions brought on by the current economic downturn.

NOTE: Company spokesperson Robin Anthony tells CKBW the shutdown will affect under 175 employees.

Queens Fish Show

Fishing enthusiasts will get a glimpse of Queens county later this year. The Dimestore Fisherman is filming as they fish for small mouth bass with Dennis Lavender and Ken Maynard and for maco shark with Peter Cook and Myles Winters. It's the first time in the 11 years the Calgary-based fishing show has been on the air that they host has gone shark fishing. In addition to the fishing components of filming, Jim Hoey and his crew will also be filming local attractions for the "How the heck do you get here?" portion of their show which will promote and advertise tourism in Queens County. In a news release, Mayor John Leefe calls it a great opportunity to send the message across North America that the Region of Queens is a great place to visit, live and invest. The fishing show will be filming in the area until Monday.

Queens Place Pool

Queens Place is coming, but with changes.. Mayor John Leefe says Council made a decision to move forward to the design development phase of the recreation complex including all original components except for the aquatics centre. Leefe says Council had to make a decision on moving forward with Queens Place so they decided to remove the swimming pool from the construction plan. Leefe says Queens Place will be sited and designed so a pool could be constructed at a later date.

Caucus Appointments

Premier Darrell Dexter announced three government caucus appointments. Vicki Conrad, MLA for Queens, will serve as the caucus chair, Mat Whynott, MLA for Hammonds Plains-Upper Sackville, will be the whip and Dave Wilson, MLA for Sackville-Cobequid, will serve as Deputy House Leader. Conrad was first elected to the Legislature in 2006 and has served as critic for Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. She has worked with the Scotian Windfield network, has been a rural outreach assistant for the NDP caucus and was employed as a residential councillor and home support worker. Whynott, at 24, is the youngest member of the Legislature. He represented Canada at the United Nations, speaking at the UN's World Programme of Action for Youth. While this is Mr. Whynott's first term as an MLA, he ran for the NDP in 2006, taking 36 per cent of the vote. Mat was employed as an NDP Caucus outreach worker until the most recent election. Wilson has been an MLA since 2003. He has served as Health critic and, before becoming an MLA, was a paramedic for eight years. He is a former vice-president of the Sackville Volunteer Firefighters Association and an associate member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Fatal ATV accident

Not a lot of detail is known about the circumstances surrounding a fatal A-T-V accident in Queens county. A 52-year old man from Riversdale was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday according to RCMP. A news release says the members of the Queens detachment were called to an all terrain vehicle accident on the Medway River Road in Riversdale. They say the deceased was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, which they say was one factor contributing to his death. The man's name hasn't been released. The community is north of Mill Village.