United Winner

2009-04-29 10:30:23

Pictured from left. Clare Leblanc –Northcott (UW Canada), Mark Winfield (UW Lunenburg), Michael Graves (UW Lunenburg), Helen Himmelman (UW Lunenburg) 

A local Bridgewater businessman has won a national award from the United Way of Canada.. Mark Winfield, Chair of the  Board of United Way of Lunenburg County is the recipient of  the prestigious Chair's Award of Distinction.
The  award recognizes the critical role that volunteers play with their sustained dedication to their communities and the United Way Movement .  Since it's inception in 2003, the United Way of Lunenburg County has invested over 300,thousand dollars  in over 60 Lunenburg County based organizations and projects. Winfield says if every single working person in Lunenburg County invested 1 dollar per week they would have $1.1 million dollars each and every year to invest in programs that will make a measurable difference to Lunenburg County residents"

E-R Closure

2009-04-29 10:28:49

Another hospital E-R closure because of staffing shortages.  The emergency department at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg is closed today (April 29). The Health Authority says it's because of  the unavailability of staff to cover the shifts.  The department will be closed from 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 29 to 7:30 a.m. Thursday, April 30.  A spokesperson says the closure has nothing to do with the outbreak of swine flu in Nova Scotia.  Although South Shore Health says two staff within the district were sent home yesterday because they had been in close contact with King's-Edgehill students from Windsor.  Communications director Theresa Hawkesworth says those staff did not exhibit any signs of having contracted the virus and have in fact been allowed to return to work.  They are being watched in case they do develop symptoms.

Staying On

2009-04-29 09:21:05

He's into his 10th consecutive term at the helm of Lunenburg Town Council and that's where Laurence Mawhinney is staying put.  He has no plans to jump from municipal to provincial politics when the election writ is dropped, possibly this week. Mawhinney is one of Nova Scotia's longest-serving municipal leaders. He is into his 30th year as Mayor, a position he has held since 1979.  His name has been rumoured as a possible  Conservative candidate for the Lunenburg  riding  held by Michael Baker who died March 2 at the age of 52 after battling Cancer for nearly three years.

Lobster Trap

2009-04-29 06:15:03

The NDP's Fisheries Critic says the Conservatives are smothering lobster fishermen with red tape.  Shelburne MLA Sterling Belliveau says adding red tape will limit the fishermen's ability to sell directly to consumers and impede them from providing for their families.  Belliveau says he was approached by a number of fishermen last winter who wanted to sell their product directly to the public as it was the only way they could survive.  Belliveau says the announcement that  food permits will now be required show the Fisheries Minister and the Rodney MacDonald government have done nothing but show that they are turning their back on Nova Scotia lobster fishermen.

Cruiser Crash

2009-04-29 06:13:08

A Sergeant with Bridgewater police is recovering from minor injuries after a crash involving the police car he was driving.
Police say the accident happened last Friday afternoon.   The officer was responding to a complaint when the Dodge Charger and a Chevy pickup collided at the intersection of Aberdeen Road and LaHave street.  Both vehicles sustained serious damage.  The couple in the truck is from Upper LaHave. Neither of them was seriously hurt either.  Police say they are still investigating the accident.

Breastfeeding Support

2009-04-29 06:09:46

The Lunenburg & Queens Baby-Friendly Initiative Committee has a new community resource  available for businesses and organizations to create supportive environments for breastfeeding families.  Susie Wood, Co-chair of the  Committee unveiled the Action Support Binder, Make Breastfeeding Your Business at Bridgewater Town Council Monday night. Wood says support and education are key in creating a community that supports breastfeeding. Wood says it's an opportunity for Bridgewater to serve in a leadership role and act as a champion in creating supportive environments for other places of employment throughout the community in making breastfeeding the cultural norm in Bridgewater.

Mourning Day

2009-04-28 08:53:56

The South Shore Labour Council will hold a candlelight vigil this evening at the Kinsmen Hall, 1153 King Street to mark the 25th anniversary of the Day of Mourning.  A ceremony is being held at Province House to remember, pay tribute to and mourn for the 29 Nova Scotian workers who lost their lives in 2008, the highest number since the Westray disaster. 
Tonight's vigil in Bridgewater gets underway at 7 o'clock.

Car Show Cash

2009-04-28 08:51:53

Bridgewater Town Council has decided not to back an antique auto show projected to draw 10,000 visitors creating a projected economic spinoff of more than $600,000.  The Great Atlantic Antique Automotive Show requested $3,000 from Town Council to help market the two day show July 17th to the 19th at the MARC in Dayspring.  Mayor Carroll Publicover says Council voted 4 to 3 against referring the request to budget deliberations, partly because they needed an immediate answer, and the request came in late. The group is also approaching the councils of Mahone Bay and town of Lunenburg for support, and has already received considerable support from the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg.

Queens Fire

2009-04-28 08:49:30

 

Queens RCMP are investigating a suspicious fire in Harmony Mills.  The fire in the early evening hours of Friday, April 24th, was in a salvage yard behind a ballfield.  The North Queens Volunteer Fire Fighters responded to the call and extinguished the fire which consisted of mostly crushed and junked vehicles.  The location of the fire posed a significant hazard for the firefighters while attending and putting out the blaze.
On another matter, the Mounties are investigating damage to a vehicle on the Molega Lake Road in Labelle. The owner of a truck reported that the wiring harness on the vehicle was pulled off the engine and left at the scene sometime between April 22nd and the 24th.  Anyone having information on either incident is asked to contact the Queens RCMP Detachment.  (354-5721)

Swine Flu Watch

2009-04-28 05:52:19

South Shore Health is monitoring the Swine Flu situation very closely and is in regular contact with the  Departments of Health Protection and Promotion and the Department of Health as well as  provincial counterparts.Communications Director Theresa Hawkesworth says locally they are following all recommended guidelines and protocols and are working with Health Promotion and Protection to enhance existing surveillance for respiratory illness in Nova Scotia.  They are also working to ensure that heath care professionals get the information they need to identify and manage suspected cases.  Hawkesworth says  they have had a number of calls from the public with questions and concerns. She says  if you've been to Mexico recently and have severe flu-like symptoms, you should isolate yourself and contact your family doctors or other health care professional. Make sure you mention your travel history.  People with general questions or concerns should contact Public Health in Bridgewater

Chester Liberals

2009-04-28 05:50:03

Jo-Ann Grant will be carrying the Liberal banner into the next provincial election in the riding of Chester-St. Margaret's.  Described as a women's advocate and community volunteer, Grant won the contested nomination at a meeting on Friday night at the East Chester Recreation Center.  Grant is a professional sales manager with a background in small business. She beat Lea Russell for the chance to run for the Liberals against Cabinet Minister Judy Streatch.  Grant is a member of the Canadian Women's Foundation and its Women Moving Women program. She is also a member of the Village of Chester Tourism and Development Association and previously sat on the board of the Queens County VON.  Liberal leader Stephen McNeil spoke at the nomination meeting.

Swine Flu

2009-04-27 06:15:51

 

The Department of Health Promotion and Protection, working with the Public Health Agency of Canada, has identified four cases of swine influenza in Windsor, Hants County.  Dr. Robert Strang, chief public health officer for the province, says there is no reason for the Windsor community or Nova Scotians to be overly concerned. He says the individuals affected have all experienced mild symptoms and are recovering. No one, at this point, has been hospitalized because of this illness. Dr. Strang says the province remains vigilant and is continuing surveillance across the province.  Pat Dunn, Minister of Health Promotion and Protection, says he has the utmost confidence in the ability of Nova Scotia's strong public health system and its highly skilled and caring  professional staff.  Anyone planning to travel to Mexico is advised to get a flu shot.  Prevention continues to be the best approach to prevent  illness. Nova Scotians are advised to wash their hands thoroughly and often, cough into their sleeves and stay away from the public if they are sick.

Canoe accident

2009-04-27 06:13:14

Police have identified Terry Lee Zwicker as the drowning victim of a canoe accident on a river in Queens county.  RCMP Const. Allan Nickerson says the 46 year old's floating body was found after a search of the Mersey River, near Dam No. 2.  Zwicker, from Queens county,  was declared deceased after being taken to Queens General Hospital on Friday evening.  Police say the other man in the boat managed to swim to shore and was unharmed.   RCMP say the men had been fishing and were not wearing life-jackets, although two were found in the canoe. Emergency Health Services received the call at 12:38 p.m. Friday that two men were in the water and sent two ambulances.

SPCA Funding

2009-04-27 06:11:08

The province has announced 100,000  dollars in funding to the Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Minister of Agriculture Mark Parent, says the funding will support the S-P-C-A's work implementing the new Animal Protection Act, which will be proclaimed in the  coming months.  The new act shifts responsibility for farm animals from the SPCA to the Department of Agriculture. It will allow the SPCA to focus on the protection of non-farm animals.     The funding will allow the SPCA to focus on improving  investigations by providing operational funding and additional training.

New Station Granted

2009-04-24 14:03:20

Country music is coming back to the airwaves in Bridgewater. CKBW has received approval from the CRTC to operate a second radio station. Jim MacMullin, Vice-President of Acadia Broadcasting says the company is extremely pleased and excited about the successful application for a new country  music station for the south shore approved today.  MacMullin says  "in addition to the country music, Acadia's community involvement and local news coverage will only continue to get better because we'll be adding staff to the new station which we truly hope to have on the air by early 2010 at the latest."

RCMP Funding

2009-04-24 09:42:24

Two literacy programs in Shelburne county are getting a boost from the RCMP Foundation.  More than $570 is being given to the WOW Reading Challenge taking place in area elementary schools and for the Boys Night Out program at the Barrington Municipal Library.  Both programs are a partnership between regional library branches in Barrington and Clark's Harbour and the Barrington Detachment of the RCMP.  Detachment Commander Sergeant Bob Forbes believes strongly in the RCMP's active partnership with Western Counties Regional Library in the two youth literacy programs.  He says youth who get involved with these programs are less likely to run afoul of the law, are more likely to have a positive relationship with the police and may even be drawn to the RCMP as a career.  The RCMP Foundation was created in 1994 to support community initiatives in which local RCMP members are involved.

Early Risers

2009-04-24 06:12:50

Starting this September, the beginning of the new school year there will be a change in bus routes and bell times for the Chester area family of schools.  Board Chair Elliott Payzant says by and large the proposed changes  which have been in the works for years are widely supported .  Recommendations included changing daily beginning and ending bell times from 9:25 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 8:45 a.m.  and 2:40 p.m.   Bus runs in the morning and afternoon would also be reduced for a total of 8 fewer runs   Bus routes were also designed to be the  most direct routes possible  to reduce travel time for the students in the extremities of the Municipality.

Land Protection

2009-04-24 06:11:22

The Nova Scotia Nature Trust is announcing the permanent protection of a very special piece of southwest Nova Scotia. The 62 acre conservation lands on Cameron Lake, Queens County, provide habitat for 2 nationally endangered species—Redroot and the Eastern Ribbonsnake.  The only surviving habitat in Canada for the Redroot plant is found on a few lakes in southwest Nova Scotia.  Most of these lakeshores face intensive cottage development. Nature Trust incoming president, Nil d’Entremont, commented, “The Nature Trust is delighted with this important conservation achievement, and the irreplaceable contribution it makes to protecting Canada’s biodiversity.” The land acquisition was supported with funding from Nova Scotia’s Crown Share Land Legacy Trust Fund, Environment Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program, Aveda and many other community supporters and Nature Trust members.

Pre-Budget Breakfast

2009-04-23 11:13:55

It's a chance to hear more about what could be the budget that launches us into the next Provincial Election.  Finance Minister Jamie Muir will deliver the third in a series of pre-budget addresses across the province tomorrow on the south shore.  Muir will be speaking to the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce tomorrow morning as part of a breakfast meeting.  The event is being held at the Days Inn on North Street.  Opposition parties have been critical of the MacDonald government's piecemeal release of financial details over the past month. They want to see the budget document introduced and debated in the Legislature, not in the public through the media.  Either the Liberals or New Democrats will have to support the budget to keep the minority government from falling to a non-confidence vote.

Wild Ride

2009-04-23 09:54:23

It was a police dog that finally netted an alleged drunk driver who smashed into three cars and a building in Bridgewater.  Police say they got a call about a hit and run around nine last night. A vehicle was struck on LaHave street. They say a grey-coloured Cavalier that was involved drove off when an off-duty RCMP officer approached.  The constable followed in his personal vehicle.  Police say the Cavalier was involved in another accident, hitting a Honda Accord on Aberdeen Road.  The car kept on going, heading south on Hirtle Drive and eventually hitting a house on Hollingsworth Drive and damaging a parked car in the lot of Eastside Manor Rest Home.  The Cavalier went off the road on Stretch Drive and the driver jumped out and ran off.  A police services dog was brought in and tracked the suspect to his home where he was arrested. He had to be taken to South Shore Regional Hospital for treatment of minor injuries police say were not the result of his arrest.  The man is facing charges of drunk driving, leaving the scene of an accident, damage to property and dangerous operation of a vehicle.  He has a court date set for June 24th in Bridgewater.  And Bridgewater police are asking to hear from anyone who witnessed any part of the string of events that happened last night.