Bridgewater: Coast Guard Removing Oil From Cape Rouge

Fuel is starting to be pumped out of the main fuel tank of the Cape Rouge. Most of the ship is now under water after it began sinking Monday afternoon at the Port of Bridgewater. Canadian Coast Guard senior response officer, Keith Laidlaw, says removing all the fuel from the vessel will take several days. They continue to have a boom surrounding the vessel, as well as absorbing pads soaking up fuel. He says their main concern is the environment and feels they're on top of any concerns.



A cause still hasn't been determined. Laidlaw says it's a slow process but the clean-up is a top priority.



The cost also isn't known, but it will be up to the owner to cover the fuel spill and vessel sinking. (Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

Bridgewater: Mayor Welcomes New Municipal Affairs Department

At least one local municipality is giving a thumbs up to the province for creating a stand-alone department for municipal affairs. The mayor for the town of Bridgewater called it wonderful news. The Nova Scotia government is making the adjustment to provide better service to residents. The change is expected to  allow government to provide better tools and guidance to create strong communities. David Walker agrees.



Walker says he's glad to see the province take action and make the switch. The new department is scheduled to be in place April 1.

Gary L. Wentzell Hockey Tournament Back For Sixth Year

Local hockey teams are gearing up for one of the biggest tournaments on the South Shore. The Gary L. Wentzell March Break tournament opens up play Thursday and goes all weekend in Bridgewater, Lunenburg and Liverpool. Fifty-two teams will play in this year's event, the most-ever in the tournament's short six year history. The first year, it had just four teams. One of the organizers, Devan Naugler, says they try and create an enjoyable time.



Teams are coming from as far as Cape Breton and New Brunswick for the event. A skills competition and a pair of auctions will also be held during the hockey tournament.

Economist Predicts Higher Prices At South Shore Retailers

Stagnant wage and employment growth combined with higher energy costs and a weak dollar will result in higher retail prices this year at South Shore retail stores and those elsewhere in the country. That prediction from the Chief Ecomist at CIBC. Avery Shenfeld says little's changing for lower wage earners. However, high-paid workers are receiving steep increases in their salaries and its all reflected in what both sides are buying.



Shenfield predicts inflation will climb to 2 percent this year, there will be a slight increase in interest rates and the Canadian dollar will remain lower.

Chester: Cost Savings Expected With Blue Bag Switch

Chester is gearing up to start saving roughly $60,000 by switching blue bag processors. The municipality recently approved the recommendation to send their recyclable material from the Annapolis Valley to Bayers Lake. The municipality currently pays about $130 per ton. The new provider in Bayers Lake is expected to charge just under $70 per ton. Warden Allen Webber expects some additional cost savings.



Webber says it good news to find a more cost-effective solution. The new agreement is with the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Bridgewater Snow Removal Budget Way Over

Bridgewater's snow removal budget has taken a major hit from all the winter storms! It's projected to be now about $135,000. over and counting and winter isn't quite finished yet. The town's Director of Finance Dawn Kaizer says if there aren't many more storms, there should be a safe way around the dilemma.



Kaizer says another snow storm could push the cost for the year to more than $500,000. The town will deal with the situation when budget deliberations go into high gear in April.

Big Rainfall Ahead

Its the middle of the week and there is yet another storm about to bear-down on us! Big difference for our area this time though! Meteorologist Bruno Marquis of Environment Canada tells us we're going to get a big downpour of rain instead of snow.



There will also be strong gusty winds through tonite and into tomorrow.

South Shore Soccer Coach Calling It Quits After 50 Years

A soccer guru on the South Shore is calling it a day after 50 years. Bob Sayer has decided to retire from coaching. The Mahone Bay native has enjoyed the ups and downs of the South Shore United Football Club including guiding 10 teams to the nationals. Sayer also founded the Lunenburg District Youth Soccer Association and the first Atlantic Canadian to be elected vice-president of the Canadian Soccer Association. He says the time has come to pass the torch.



Sayer began coaching in England before bringing his knowledge to the South Shore. He was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1992 as the first inductee for the sport of soccer. He says he will continue refereeing the game and working with the South Shore United Football Club.

Coast Guard Investigating Cause Of Sinking Ship

The Canadian Coast Guard says the cause behind a ship taking on water in Bridgewater remains unknown. The vessel, known as the Cape Rouge, is continuing to leak fluids. However, the Coast Guard has setup additional booms with absorbent pads that soak up fuel and not water. The ship began sinking Monday at the Port of Bridgewater. Canadian Coast Guard senior response officer, Keith Laidlaw, says they're working to stabilize the vessel and remove all pollutants.



Laidlaw has been told estimates of between 3,700 and 7,500 litres of fuel is on board the ship. He says the Coast Guard will be on top of the situation until the vessel is no longer an environmental threat.

No Trace Of Stolen Greenfield Flight Equipment

An investigation is continuing. However, nearly three months after they were stolen, there is no sign of equipment taken from a hanger at the Greenfield airport. A Cesna-172 aircraft (seen in photo) was damaged and 2 GPS systems, a headset, antennae and welding equipment were stolen over Christmas. Barry Mercer of the Bluenose Flying Club says not a trace of the gear has been found but his fellow members are watching.



The total price tag for what was taken is around $4,000. Meanwhile, the flight club is installing better security including cameras and stronger hanger doors. Members are also watching the Internet in case the stolen gear shows up there for sale.

Mooseheads Add Bailey For Remainder Of Season

The Halifax Mooseheads have added a familiar face for their playoff run. The herd called up CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks captain Brennan Bailey. The Lunenburg native is back in moose country after playing 48 games with the Lumberjacks this season. He notched three goals and 11 assists. Bailey was part of the Mooseheads Memorial Cup winning season last year.

LaHave Resident Pleased With MasterChef Experience

A LaHave resident says competing in MasterChef Canada was a great experience. Trevor Jessome made it into the top 50 of the television show before losing out. He cooked grilled tenderloins of lamb with a potato gnocchi, a kale pesto and ribbons of zucchini and red onion. Jessome says it was a risky dish but he wanted to make an impression.


He needed two votes from the three judges to move on, but only received one. Jessome recently returned home. He is a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force and was deployed overseas just before the show started. Jessome says he will continue cooking with his wife and catering locally.

SiRT: No Charges In Liverpool RCMP Cell Death

The province's Serious Incident Response Team says no charges will be laid after their investigation into an incident in Liverpool. SiRT says two RCMP members in Queens along with a civilian guard were working in the detachment when a 40 year-old-man died in a jail cell on July 9, 2013. The man was found lying on the River Head Road in Queens County and was arrested for being intoxicated in public. SiRT says the man stopped breathing at the detachment. EHS administrated CPR before he was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation revealed the man had a self-inflicted overdose of morphine and alcohol. SiRT says the two police officers may have breached RCMP policy by not seeking further medical attention by placing the man in the cell while unconscious. However, there won't be any criminal charges laid. SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia.

Bridgewater: Fishing Dragger Takes On Water

A 45-foot fishing dragger started taking on water earlier today off the government wharf in Bridgewater. Fire officials from the town and Dayspring along with the Coast Guard arrived on scene after 2pm Monday afternoon. The cause has not been determined yet. Bridgewater Fire Chief Michael Nauss says they noticed a small slick in the water.



Nauss says the owners of the boat have been notified to pump water out of the vessel. He says the Department of Environment has been contacted about the oil slick. The ship is the Cape Rouge.

Risley Honoured By Business Hall Of Fame Nod

The owner of White Point Beach Resort in Queens County says he's honoured to be part of this year's induction class for the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame. Robert Risley is among four businessmen who will be inducted during a ceremony in Halifax on June 3. He says he's fond of White Point's legacy.



Risley is president of RCR Hospitality Group, which employs over 500 people and operates more than 15 restaurants in Halifax. He will be inducted along with High Liner Foods Inc. CEO Henry Demone and Paul and Stephen O'Regan of O'Regan's Group.

Several NS Towns Facing Dire Financial Squeeze

Last week, Springhill annouced its intention to seek permission to drop its town status in favor of joining the larger surrounding municipality. The main reason being excessive costs to run the town. Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities President, David Corkum of Kentville, says there are at least half a dozen towns in the province in similar financial strains. He says there are plenty of reasons why.



The mayor says making the province's municipal affairs department a stand-alone entity come April 1st will help put more emphasis on this and other strains on the province's municipalities.

Public Hearing Planned On Fate Of Lunenburg Building

The proposed demolition of an old waterfront landmark in Lunenburg is the subject of a public hearing tomorrow night (Tuesday). The town, including its heritage advisory committee, is recommending the Yamaha Building on Montague Street be brought down. It was seriously damaged by fire last year and Mayor Rachel Bailey says studies have all indicated the structural integrity of the building is too far gone.



The 108 year old building was a fish packing plant for years but used for storing fishing gear in later times.
Tuesday's meeting is at the Lunenburg Town Hall starting at 5:15pm

Ramblin' Hank To Be Honored With Stamp

A big celebration is planned for May in Liverpool. May 9th will be Hank Snow's 100th birthday and to commemorate the occasion, Canada Post will unveil a Hank Snow stamp. The administrator of the Hank Snow Home Town Museum, Kelly Inglis, says its an incredible honor for the late country singer and fans too.



Among the many things planned at the Liverpool celebration in May, is the unveiling of a life-size statue of Snow, the release of Vernon Oickle's biography of him and the opening of the new Hank Snow Community Park across from the museum. Grand Ole Opry singer Larry Gatlin will also hold a concert at the Astor Theatre and Hank Snow's son, Jimmy Rodgers Snow, will also be attending events during the weekend. The events run May 9th to 11th.

Former Queens Mayor Named Transition Coordinator For Springhill

A former mayor of the Region of Queens will oversee the change in governance for the town of Springhill. The province has appointed John Leefe as transition coordinator. Springhill's municipal council has applied to the Utility and Review Board for dissolution of the town after 125 years of incorporation. Leefe will facilitate the process and guide discussions for the town to become part of the Municipality of the County of Cumberland.



Leefe is a former educator, author of several books and was the MLA for Queens from 1978 to 1999, serving in several cabinet posts. He was elected mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality three times before stepping down in October 2012.

Lobster Report Recommendations Need Implementation: Chris d'Entremont

Maritime fisheries ministers, representatives of the lobster industry and others will be meeting near the end of the month. They'll be meeting to talk about the recent report on the fishery, the result of a study set up last year by the ministers to find better marketing methods and prices. The PC MLA for Argyle-Barrington, Chris d'Entremont, says its important the recommendations in the report are brought on-line as quickly as possible.



d'Entremont says most of the recommendations are worthy of serious consideration and worth implementing.
He hopes all parties can come together on them when they meet March 27th.