Ekistics Unveiling Generations Active Park Draft Plan

The next step in the development for the Generations Active Park Master Plan will be held this week. Ekistics Planning and Design will unveil is draft plan for the park Thursday night. Bridgewater's Director of Planning, Eric Shaw, says it's the public's last chance to provide input on the park's look. Shaw says he expects Ekistics to explain the plan's layout and take any feedback before creating the final plan. The meeting will be held at 6:30 Thursday evening at the Bridgewater Fire Hall. Shaw says if the draft plan is approved, Ekistics will put together the Master Plan and make a presentation to town council December 12.

Feds announce funding for trail section from Woods Harbour to Yarmouth

Gerald Keddy

The Government of Canada is investing more $18,178 in the construction of a trail segment that will link Woods Harbour to Yarmouth. South Shore-St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy made the announcement in Woods Harbour Tuesday. The project supports the development of an 8km section of trail completing a continuous link between Woods Harbour and Yarmouth. The enhanced trail is expected to attract hikers, runners, cyclists, and horseback riders from local communities. Keddy says the investment empowers the community to build upon local assets to strengthen valuable infrastructure for residents and visitors.

Bluenose Academy Selects Its Colors

The votes are in for Bluenose Academy school colors. Students from Lunenburg Academy and Centre Consolidated selected Royal Blue & Black for their official colors. The chosen colors will be used on all school attire including sport teams, student t-shirts, hats, and band uniforms.  Next steps include identifying a team name and logo for Bluenose Academy.

Unexpected Layoffs At Composites Atlantic

Thirty-seven employees are temporarily out of work after some unexpected layoffs at Composites Atlantic. The Lunenburg based aerospace plant employs more than 300 people and manufactures lightweight aircraft parts. President and CEO Claude Baril says the layoffs are the result of an unexpected change in delivery schedules from several major customers. The layoffs deal primarily with employees involved in production. Composites Atlantic is currently making parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

NGRHS students fundraising for Vimy Ridge trip

Students at New Germany Rural High School are gearing up to take a major history trip. The group is currently fundraising to visit popular historic sites including Vimy Ridge, Anne Frank's House and the Winston Churchill War Museum. Trip Leader Hester Gibson says it will give students a chance to learn more about the past.The trip is called Axis and Allies and travels to Munich, Amsterdam, France and England. New Germany Rural High is the only school in the South Shore region taking the trip. 42 students are fundraising for the journey, which goes from April 2-14, 2012.

Funding Announcement

An announcement for low cost loans under the CMHC Municipal Infrastructure Lending Program will be made in Liverpool on Tuesday (November 8th) South Shore/St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy is making the announcement on behalf of the Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Region of Queen's Mayor John Leefe, and Mayor Phil Roberts of Annapolis Royal will be on hand for the announcement set for 1 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Region of Queens Municipal building, 249 White Point Road, Liverpool.

Busy Day in Queens County

RCMP and firefighters in Queens County kept busy between an accident and fire  earlier this afternoon.  One person was taken to hospital following a collision between a vehicle and tractor trailer on Highway 8 near the River Road between the NS Power Depot.  Staff Sgt. Jeff Wells says the vehicle was hit from behind by the tractor-trailer.  That incident happened around 1 p.m. and traffic was tied up for a time.  Meantime a number of fire departments responded to a fire at 266 Main Street . The vacant building used to house a book store.  The sprinkler system did activate, however, there was a lot of smoke coming from the building and firefighters had to smash down the door to access the building.  No word yet on the cause.

Bridgewater Mayor studies town culture of alcohol

Carroll Publicover

The mayor of Bridgewater is one of three Nova Scotia mayors that participated in a study of alcohol-use in their communities. Carroll Publicover spoke with police officers, paramedics and local principals to help put a report together called "In Our Words: What Alcohol Use Looks Like In Our Towns." Publicover says alcohol is becoming more of a target for younger people, stating between 5-10 per cent of grade seven students already consume alcohol. The most common forms of alcohol related problems in Nova Scotia include assault to domestic violence, binge drinking, and property damage. Publicover, along with Wolfville Mayor Robert Stead and Antigonish Mayor Carl Chisholm documented alcohol-related problems in their communities to try and help create solutions.

Feds announce funding for new Chelsea Cenotaph

Gerald Keddy

The Chelsea Maple Grove Cemetery Committee is receiving a maximum of $13,414 from the Federal Government. South Shore- St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy, made the announcement in Chelsea Monday morning. The project will include the construction of a new black granite cenotaph. In a release, Keddy says "the Chelsea & District Cenotaph will commemorate the men and women from the community who served in war time and will honour the peacekeepers who have dedicated their lives to the country." November 5-11 is Veterans Week in Canada. The funding is provided through the Community War Memorial Program.


 

Mustangs drop weekend contests to Halifax

The Halifax Titans proved to be too much for the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs. The first place Titans completed a weekend sweep of the Mustangs with a 3-1 victory Sunday evening in St. Margaret's Bay. Halifax dumped the second place Stangs 5-2 on Saturday. The Mustangs host the Cape Breton Tradesman this weekend with games in Bridgewater and Chester.

Park View, Bridgewater High win provincial soccer titles

Bridgewater Vikings

A pair of South Shore schools won Provincial High School soccer titles over the weekend. The Park View Panthers took the NSSAF Division One boys crown by shutting out Riverview 2-0 in the final. The Bridgewater Viking boys squad grabbed the Division Three championship with a 3-2 win over Ecole du Carrefor.

Cenotaph Funding Announcement

Gerald Keddy

Federal government funding for a new cenotaph will be announced in Chelsea Monday morning. South Shore-St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy will make the announcement on behalf of Veteran's Affairs Minister Steven Blaney. The funding announcement will take place at 9am at the Chelsea Fire Hall,1426 Highway 210.

Adoption Awareness Month

South Shore residents and all Nova Scotians are encouraged to consider adopting school-age children. November is being marked as Adoption Awareness Month. 
Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse says there are many children, most of whom are between six and sixteen years old, who are waiting for a loving, caring place to call home. More than 120 children were adopted by Nova Scotia families last year, but there are still many more waiting for a permanent home. Peterson-Rafuse says many of the nearly 350 children in permanent care and custody available for adoption are older, have siblings, or have special needs.
        The Department of Community Services offers information and training sessions to families when they choose to adopt. Ongoing support and financial assistance are also available for families who adopt a child with special needs. More information about adoption, and how families can take the first step toward adopting a child in Nova Scotia, is available by calling 1-866-259-7780 or watching the department's online adoption video series at www.gov.ns.ca/coms .

Recreational Fishing Meetings Scheduled

A series of meetings gets underway next week inviting Nova Scotians to discuss angling regulations and provide input on sportsfishing issues . One of the six scheduled meetings to be held across the province is set for Tuesday, November 8th at 6:30 p.m. at the Shelburne Fire Hall/Community Centre. The Recreation Fishing Advisory Council meetings are an opportunity for the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture to share information on research, fish stocking programs, education and extension programs, and discuss regulatory issues with the public. Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Sterling Belliveau says sportsfishing generates about $94 million annually in economic activity and is one of the most popular outdoor activities. Information on angling and meeting dates can be found at www.gov.ns.ca/fish/sportfishing or by calling 902-485-5056.

14-year-old girl charged after alleged stabbing in West Dublin

Lunenburg County RCMP say a 14-year-old girl faces charges including aggravated assault after a stabbing in West Dublin. Police say they went to the community Friday after a 21-year-old man was stabbed once in the left shoulder. He was treated in South Shore Regional Hospital for injuries police describe as not life-threatening. The girl is also accused of possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.

Evening of Remembrance

It's a gathering honouring military men and women from past and present. The Evening of Remembrance will be held Sunday night, November 6, at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bridgewater. The coordinator, Dan Hennessey, says this is the first year for the event.

"It's just going to be an evening of relection and remembrance that's going to be done through music and images. So, it's a gathering of people, and for lack of better words, it's a lead-up to events on Remembrance Day, November 11."

Hennessey says the evening will include the video "Time to Remember", as well as music from a variety of South Shore artists. The event gets underway at 7pm Sunday night at St Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Mustangs, Titans square off in first-place battle

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs will face their toughest opponent of the year this weekend. The Mustangs travel to St. Margaret's Bay for a two game set against the top-ranked Halifax Titans. The Mustangs, who sit in second place, play a Halifax team that has only lost once in 13 games this season. Mustangs Head Coach Tim Boyce says he's not worried about Halifax's record.

"They're definitely beatable. You have to play a good game to beat them, there's no question about that, they are a very good hockey club but any team in the league is beatable."

The two clubs square off Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 3pm at the St, Margaret's Community Centre.

Time to Change Your Clocks !

Daylight Time ends this weekend so don't forget to set your clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday
November 6th,  or before going to bed Saturday night. Watches and clocks are not the only items that need adjustment. Microwave ovens, answering machines, car clocks, automatic timer lights, mobile devices and computers may need to be turned back as well. It is also a reminder to change batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors should be tested monthly and replaced every 10 years. Remember FALL BACK...SPRING AHEAD !

Heating Assistance Rebate Applications Available

The Heating Assistance Rebate Program is being offered again this year to benefit those most in need. The application based program offers a rebate of up to $200 for eligible applicants who heat their home with oil, natural gas, wood, wood pellets. propane, electricity or coal. Households with net annual incomes of less than $42,000 and single people making less than $27,000 and who purchase home heating fuels, qualify for the rebate. Last year, more than 50,000 Nova Scotians received the rebate. Applications have been mailed to last year's recipients to encourage them to re-apply. They must meet all program requirements for this year to receive the rebate. Applications are available at Access Nova Scotia centres, MLA offices, Department of Community Services' offices, online at http://www.homeheatinghelp.ca/ , or by calling 1-800-670-4357.

Speed Limits to be Reduced in School Areas

You might want to pay closer attention driving through school zones. To protect students and make roads safer the province has introduced legislation (November 2nd) to reduce speed limits in school areas. Speed limits in school areas will be reduced from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour in school areas where the surrounding speed zone is 50 kilometres an hour. In school areas where the surrounding speed zone is higher, the speed limit will remain 50 kilometres an hour. Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks says slowing drivers down in school areas will give them extra time to react and help keep children safe. The legislation would go into effect in fall 2012.