Minister Announces School Review Consultations

Consultations on the way schools are closed in Nova Scotia will begin next month with a slate of public meetings set to take place in January. Education Minister Karen Casey made the announcement today in Halifax. A discussion paper was also made public which will assist in gathering input toward creating a new review process. Public meetings will be held in Bridgewater and Yarmouth.  Chair of the South Shore Regional School Board, Jennifer Naugler says she is pleased meetings will be held locally.



The key issues around the review process are declining enrolment and the way the province currently funds school boards. Since 2002, enrolment on the South Shore and Tri County has declined by 25 percent - or just over 2,000 students in each region.

Bridgewater: University Students To Research Plastic Bag By-Law

A plastic bag by-law in Bridgewater will be delayed until at least 2015. The town has decided to allow students in Dalhousie University's Management without Borders program to provide research on the issue. The program is only offered in September, and would be scheduled for next fall. Councillor Andrew Tanner brought the idea to the table. He says it makes sense to see how the community feels.




About a dozen students would complete a report involving feedback from the public, retail sector, and solid waste industry on plastic bag regulations. The students could also focus on a best practices approach to regulation in the Bridgewater and surrounding area.

DFO: Fishing Season Could Still Open Friday

Officials in the lobster fishing industry will get together for a conference call tomorrow to see if they can set their traps this week. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans will consult with meteorologists and representatives from lobster fishing areas 33 and 34 before making a final decision. The season was supposed to start Monday but was delayed because of poor weather conditions. Area Manger for DFO Frank Quinn says high wind is their biggest concern.



Quinn says they are still looking at beginning the season on Friday. However, he adds it still to early to determine if that will happen based on the weather.

Bridgewater: Michelin Plans To Build Natural Gas Station

The largest industrial employer in Bridgewater is looking to expand its services. Michelin is trying to access a development agreement from the town to construct a compressed natural gas receiving station at 347 Logan Road. The company needs to build the new station to accommodate some changes at Imperial Oil's Eastern Passage refinery. Mayor David Walker feels it's the company's best remaining option.



The station would be near the existing plant. A public participation meeting on the issue is planned for December 11 at town hall.

Province Reviewing Aquaculture Industry Regulatory Process

The regulatory process for Nova Scotia's aquaculture industry is being reviewed by the provincial government. Fisheries minister Keith Colwell says there are questions surrounding the establishment of fish farms in Shelburne County and elsewhere. He wants assurances the traditional fishery will not be seriously impacted.



Colwell says the last thing thats needed is lower-quality foreign fish being dumped on the market here.
He hopes the review with recommendations can be completed within the next several months.

South Shore: Weather Warnings Issued

It could be a busy few days for Nova Scotia Power crews. A high intensity storm is expected to pound the entire South Shore on Wednesday bringing wind gusts up to 100 km/h and up to 50 millimetres of rain. Environment Canada has issued weather warnings for Lunenburg, Shelburne, Digby, Queens and Yarmouth counties. Rain will begin in the morning and intensify into the afternoon and evening. The weather agency predicts wind and rainfall warnings will need to be extended to other sections of the province for overnight Wednesday into Thursday as the storm moves into the region.

Planned Power Outage At Fishermen's Memorial Hospital

A temporary power outage is planned for this coming Saturday morning at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg. It'll happen between 7am and noon. The outage will force the emergency department to close and visitation at Fishermen's will be restricted. South Shore Health says the power outage is necessary to complete a critical upgrade to the electrical system and the power should be restored by noon. The health authority advises anyone requiring emergency services to call 911 or visit South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater or Queens General Hospital in Liverpool. Patients with non-emergencies should contact Health Link 811 for medical advice.

Tuesday: School Review Update Expected

A discussion paper dealing with the school review process is set to be released Tuesday. Education Minister Karen Casey will provide an update on the process during a media conference in Halifax. A committee has been working since April to produce a discussion paper that will lead to a new school review process. It's expected to examine what is working within the process, areas to improve and ideas for surplus schools. School review has been highly controversial in rural communities throughout the province. It has long been used as a method behind school closure or amalgamation of smaller schools. Members of the South Shore Regional School Board will be in attendance tomorrow afternoon when the discussion paper is released.

Local Teachers Recognized For Making A Difference

A local teacher and guidance counsellor have been recognized as teachers who make a difference. The Nova Scotia Teachers Union honoured nine of its members for making an impact in the lives of their students. Michelle Longley, a grade seven english teacher at Chester Area Middle School and Roland Hannem, a guidance counsellor at South Centennial and Yarmouth Central schools are among the recipients. They will both receive a $300 donation towards their school's breakfast or library program. This is the second year for the 'teachers who make a difference program.' It encouraged students to nominate a teacher who has made a big difference in their lives, and contributed to their school and community.

Hurricanes Collect Silver At Halifax Tournament

A tough loss for the BMO Western Hurricanes at the Esso Major Bantam Hockey Tournament in Halifax. The Hurricanes fell 2-1 in the championship game to the Cape Breton Cougars. Walter Flower had the lone goal for the Hurricanes. Meanwhile, Flower was named a first team all-star on defense. Matt Barron joined him as a first team all-star at forward. Parker Rowter and Adam Grimmitt were named top goaltenders and Jacob Myra received the most dedicated player of the tournament.

Health Authority Approves Alcohol Position Statement

The local health authority is taking a view on alcohol. South Shore Health has approved an 'Alcohol Position Statement', which explains their thoughts on issues including access and availability of alcohol, pricing, advertising and sponsorship. The statement is one of three created in the past two years dealing with tobacco, food and alcohol. Director of Community Health Services, Todd Leader, says the document clarifies information for staff to be able to have a stance.



Leader says the statement acts as a beginning to changing the way people think about alcohol. Roughly 230 deaths are attributed to alcohol use annually in Nova Scotia. He says they will take the statement to talk with their community partners to set up further discussions. The position statement can be viewed here .

Local Students Win "National Child Day" Poster Contest

Two students from the South Shore have submitted winning entries for a "National Child Day" poster contest. Adina Brewer of New Germany Elementary and Ally Symonds of Forest Ridge Academy in Shelburne County were identified as successful entries. Manager of Youth and Senior Services with the Ombudsman's Office, Kay Rogers-Lidstone, says the poster contest is an opportunity for students to share their talent and knowledge of children's rights. She says they are hoping to present the local students with their prize before Christmas.



National Child Day is celebrated annually to mark the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. More than 500 entrees were submitted province-wide. More information, including the winning artwork, can be found here.

The winners are:

-- Grade Primary: Emma Baker, Maitland District School, Hants Co.
-- Grade 1: Ainsley Brightman, Maitland District School, Hants Co.
-- Grade 2: Nicholas Sherman, Maitland District School, Hants Co.
-- Grade 3: Ally Symonds, Forest Ridge Academy, Shelburne Co.
-- Grade 4: William Fox-Rodriguez, Park West School, HRM
-- Grade 5: Adina Brewer, New Germany Elementary, Lunenburg Co.
-- Grade 6: Lucas Brocklehurst, Colby Village Elementary School, HRM
-- Grade 7: Hanna Elford, Halifax Central Junior High School, HRM

Food Bank To Benefit From Fund-Raiser

Thousands of dollars in cash and food donations could go a long way in helping to re-stock a South Shore food bank for the holidays. The Bridgewater Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a fund-raiser Wednesday over the supper hour. Chamber manager Dan Hennessey says its in support of the Bridgewater Inter-Faith Food Bank.



The fund-raiser begins at 5pm and runs until 7 at the Best Western in Cookville. All you need to get in for snacks, drinks and to listen to the Bridgewater fire department quartet is a cash and non-perishable food donation.

Men Arrested For Cashing Forged Cheques

Stealing cheques has landed two men with a court appearance in the new year. The Bridgewater Police Service charged 26-year-old Bryden Whynot of Wileville and 24-year-old David Wagner of Bridgewater after the cheques were allegedly stolen from a local business, forged and cashed. The two men are charged with theft, possession of stolen property and uttering forged documents. They will appear in court in Bridgewater on January 15.

Bachman Helps Rink Qualify For Provincials

A Lunenburg native has helped her team qualify for provincials. Raquel Bachman, curling out of Lakeshore Curling Club, captured the Under-21 Junior Women's Eastern Curling Zones in Truro on Sunday. The team breezed through the competition with a 3-0 record. Fellow team mates are skip Hayley McCabe, Alicia Brine, and Emily Mackenzie. The team is coached by Bridgewater native Brian Rafuse. Provincials will take place from Dec 27-31 at the Lakeshore Curling Club.

Park View Boys Win Basketball Tournament

The Park View division one boys basketball team are off to a good start to their year. They won the Anse MacDonald Tournament in North Nova this past weekend.  Adam Hebb was the Tournament MVP. Meanwhile, both the girls and boys division-one teams will play their home openers on Wednesday. The girls play at 5:30pm and the boys play at 7:30pm.

Lobster Season Delayed Due To Weather

The start of the lobster season has been delayed because of bad weather. Dumping Day will now take place for fishermen from Halifax to Digby this Friday. The season was originally set to begin Monday. A pair of conference calls Sunday determined the forecast made it too dangerous to dump traps. There will be another call Wednesday in case the forecast changes. 

NDP Name MacDonald Interim Leader

The provincial NDP have chosen a new interim leader. MLA Maureen MacDonald was appointed acting leader during the party's Provincial Council meeting on Saturday. MacDonald accepted the position after former NDP leader Darrell Dexter stepped down earlier this month. She has won six consecutive elections and served as Nova Scotia's first female Minister of Finance. President of the Nova Scotia NDP, David Wallbridge, believes MacDonald will be an excellent leader during this period of transition for the party. A process to elect a new leader will be announced at a later date.

Bridgewater Wins Division-1 Volleyball Title

The Bridgewater Vikings captured the Division 1 Western Regional Volleyball title on Saturday in Yarmouth. The Vikings defeated Park View in the final. Bridgewater advances directly to Provincials, while Park View will try to punch their ticket next weekend in New Glasgow during Provincial qualifiers. 

Hurricanes Reach Semi-Finals At Esso Tourney

The BMO Western Hurricanes have earned a semi-final berth at the Esso Major Bantam Hockey Tournament in Halifax. Jacob Myra scored the winner in double overtime to help lead the Hurricanes to a 4-3 win in the quarter-finals. Alex King, Brad Jones and Michael Anthony scored in regulation. The Hurricanes play Bedford Sunday morning at 10 o'clock to try and clinch a spot in the championship game.