No Surprise: Gas Prices Increase

As expected, gasoline prices are up this morning at South Shore pumps. Following New Brunswick's lead yesterday, the utility and review board set the prices at midnight. Regular self serve is just short of 3 cents higher in price this morning at $1.30.1 per litre. High test is up by a similar amount to $1.39.0. Diesel is up 2.5 cents a litre to $1.37.

Hurricanes Top Summerside; Earn Second Win At Esso Tourney

The BMO Western Hurricanes have jumped out to a 2-0 record at the Esso Atlantic Major Bantam Hockey Tournament in Halifax. Matt Barron scored twice and added an assist to lead the Hurricanes to a 5-1 win over Summerside this afternoon. Ian MacPhee, Matt Sabbean and Alex Wentzell also scored. Earlier today, the Hurricanes also beat Pictou 4-1. Dawson Wood scored twice, while Ian MacPhee and Connor Barnhill also scored in that game. The Hurricanes are back on the ice around 11:30 tomorrow morning against Cape Breton.

Minister Encourages Radon Tests

The province is encouraging people to pick up a radon test kit to test their homes for the dangerous gas. Nova Scotia has the highest levels of the gas in Canada. Natural Resources Minister Zach Churchill said four out of ten homes in high-risk areas are likely to exceed the Health Canada Guideline. The MLA for Yarmouth, Churchill says it's the second leading cause of lung cancer and in Nova Scotia and it claims about 70 lives a year. Radon is tasteless, odorless, and invisible and often finds its way into home through basements and concrete slabs. The province has released a map identifying the high to low areas for radon. A link to the map is can be found here

Property Crime Rates Drop In Barrington

Property crime rates in Barrington are at their lowest levels in six years. An RCMP crime analyst provided details to council members with the Municipality of Barrington. Mischief is on the decline in the municipality, but break and enters are on the rise based on analysis of this year's figures to date. Barrington RCMP detachment commander, Sgt. M.J. Deluco, says the reduction in property crime could lead to a trickle-down effect in neighbouring communities.



Deluco says she's pleased with the results. She says by examining crime data, it can identify people responsible for offences and locate key pockets of crime.

Hurricanes Open With Win At Esso Tourney

A good start for the BMO Western Hurricanes in Halifax. The Hurricanes opened up play this morning at the Esso Atlantic Major Bantam Hockey Tournament with a 4-1 win over Pictou. Dawson Wood scored twice, while Ian MacPhee and Connor Barnhill added singles. Matt Barron also chipped-in with three assists. The Hurricanes are back in action at 2:30 this afternoon against Summerside.

Health Authority Looking To Improve Patient Intakes

The CEO for South Shore Health says they are searching for ways to improve patient intakes for family doctors. The health authority has been criticized by the general public recently after a phone line was setup for 150 people to acquire a new doctor or nurse practitioner. The phone line botched on its first attempt after human error. It was cut-off in less than five minutes on the second attempt after the maximum amount of patients was received. Peter Vaughan says it's been a learning experience.



Vaughan says the challenge to provide other options includes costs they don't have the resources to cover. Another patient intake for Dr. Sheila Dwyer is expected later this winter.

MADD's Red Ribbon Campaign Set To Launch

MADD Canada's most recognizable initiative will kick off this weekend. A launch for the Red Ribbon Campaign will be held this weekend at Queens Place Emera Centre. The campaign is entering it's 26th year and serves as one of the most important events MADD Canada hosts each year heading into the Holiday Season. Vice President for Lunenburg-Queens Chapter, Laura Cormier says the red ribbons send a strong message.



Cormier says by displaying a ribbon on your car it shows a personal commitment to drive sober. The launch in Liverpool gets underway at 11 o'clock on Saturday.

Gas Prices Will Likely Climb Overnight Tonight

Gas prices are up this morning in New Brunswick after the weekly setting and you know what that likely means for South Shore prices come tomorrow. Prices will likely rise here also by similar amounts. The maximum price for self serve regular gas in New Brunswick today has risen by three cents a litre. The cost of diesel in New Brunswick has also increased by a cent and a half a litre.

Bridgewater: Proposed Feeding Wildlife By-Law Postponed Until May

The town of Bridgewater has postponed a wildlife feeding by-law until next May. Council didn't vote on first reading after deciding more information was needed on the issue. The by-law would essentially limit people from intentionally feeding wild animals, with exception of feeding fish or birds near duck ponds or baiting a live trap to capture an animal. Mayor David Walker says education and enforcement needs to be addressed.



Walker says the town will be reviewing its by-laws and enforcement, so he didn't feel council should rush into the matter. The need for a by-law grew after local residents approached council, frustrated with a person excessively feeding raccoons and birds. The citizen group say it is negatively affecting their properties and starting to attract rats.

Valley: High Risk Sex-Offender Arrested/More Charges

Mounties have arrested a high risk sex-offender in the Annapolis Valley. Thirty-six year-old Shane Smith was arrested on Monday after police stopped by his home in Aylesford. However, police say he wasn't home at the time, which breached his curfew. Smith has been charged with two counts of breach of recognizance. He was released from custody and is due back in court at a later date.

Lumberjacks Pickard, Parsons Named To Team Atlantic

A pair of CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks will represent the Atlantic provinces in the World Under-17 Challenge in Cape Breton. Campbell Pickard and Layton Parsons are two of nine Nova Scotians named to the team Atlantic roster for the event, being held from December 29 to January 4 in Port Hawkesbury and Sydney. Pickard has 11 points in 16 games with the Lumberjacks this season while Parsons has seven points in 18 games. Team Atlantic will open its round robin against Ontario on December 30. This year's World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will mark the last tournament which will see a Team Atlantic squad participate. Hockey Canada announced earlier in the year they will be sending three teams to the event instead of the traditional five Canadian teams. Team Atlantic's full roster can be found here .

Bridgewater: Resident Remembers Loved One At Ceremony

It's never easy to lose a loved one, but it's more difficult when it's near a significant holiday. That's what happened to Bridgewater resident Virginia Oickle. Her brother-in law Phillip was killed just before Christmas eight years ago while driving on Highway 103. Oickle took part in today's National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims in Bridgewater. She says the ceremony helps in the healing process.



Officials with the town, police, fire, EHS and MADD Canada gathered with members of the public at the Bridgewater Police Headquarters. The day was also used to remind people to be safe behind the wheel, and conscious of their actions. The Canadian flag was lowered to half mast for the day. This is the first year the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims was marked in Bridgewater.

South Shore: Six Locals Awarded Bravery Medals In Halifax

It was a tragedy which tugged on the heart strings of the entire South Shore. Five young fishermen were killed when the lobster fishing boat "Miss Ally" capsized in rough seas on February 17. Now, four members of a dive team that searched the wreckage have been awarded the Nova Scotia Medal of Bravery.  The nomination was put forward by the Municipality of Barrington. Shelburne County divers Donnie Mahaney, Thomas Nickerson, Gary Thurber and Thomas Hennigar received their medals during a special ceremony at Province House in Halifax. Meanwhile, another native of the South Shore was awarded a bravery medal. Aiden Brunn of Martin's River was also given a medal for his heroic efforts to help in a head on crash. Brunn was the first on scene when a car collided with a pickup truck on Highway 324 at the overpass of Exit 11. The car burst into flames and Brunn helped pulled an unconscious driver out of a burning vehicle. He was later joined on the scene by Patrick May of Maplewood - who also was awarded a medal today at Province House. Premier Stephen McNeil presented the medals, with some family members of the victims in attendance. This is the sixth year for Nova Scotia's Medal of Bravery. (Photo courtesy: Communications Nova Scotia)

UPDATE: Liverpool Fires Deemed Not Suspicious

The province's fire marshall's office and the RCMP say two fires in Liverpool, one last night and one this morning (Wednesday) are not suspicious. The causes of the two fires have not been pinpointed yet though. No one was hurt when a blaze erupted around 9:30 this morning at the back of an apartment building on Main Street. It was quickly put out by firefighters but did cause some smoke damage. Another blaze last evening on Payzant Street forced 5 people from their apartments and smoke, water and fire damage to their units. However, no one was injured in that fire and the building's owner and the Red Cross have offered assistance to those affected.

Lunenburg: Power Rate Hearing For Town Utility

Power rates in Lunenburg will be up for discussion on Wednesday. A hearing is scheduled between the town, on behalf of its electric utility, and the province's Utility and Review Board. The town is looking to increase power rates for the first time in roughly seven years. Pocket books will be hit the hardest for residents with a proposed hike of nearly 10 per cent. Mayor Rachel Bailey says it's never easy to raise fees, but it has to be done.



Bailey estimates roughly 1,600 residents would be affected by a rate increase. The hearing begins at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning at the Lunenburg courthouse. An evening session is also planned for 7pm.

Local Mounties Receive Award At Law Conference

Two South Shore RCMP officers received an award recently at the 2013 Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement conference. Constable Brandy Steeves and Constable Susan Foote won the AWLE Team Endeavour Award at the conference held in Charlottetown, PEI. Both members helped create the Lunenburg County RCMP Youth Advisory Committee and Name the Shame initiative. The committee helps raise awareness about bullying and youth issues, provide resources and information to the community, develop leadership skills in public speaking and the media, and focus on current youth issues. The initiative was created to prevent harassment and abuse and strengthen knowledge and awareness around sexual harassment, abuse and relationship violence. Steeves is a member of the Bridgewater detachment as a school safety resource officer. Foote recently retired from the Chester detachment.

Slight Raise In 2014 Dues At Osprey Ridge

You can expect to pay a few more bucks next year if you golf at Osprey Ridge in Pine Grove. A committee has approved small cost increases for adult, intermediate and junior memberships while some prices dropped including locker rentals and corporate memberships. The price changes are between four dollars and $50. Municipality of Lunenburg Mayor Don Downe says there's little change.



Downe says they're trying to keep their costs competitive and help bring in green fee players to generate additional revenue. Below are the 2014 rates.

Bullying Awareness Week: A Call For Help

It's Bullying Awareness Week - so call out if you need help. Nova Scotia's new CyberSCAN investigative unit has received 30 complaints in its first six weeks of operation, 15 involving adults and 13 involving youth. Two were deemed outside of the unit's mandate. Twenty investigations are ongoing, while eight have been resolved in a variety of ways, from informal resolutions to referring cases to police for further action. Justice Minister Lena Diab says she knows bullying can take a large toll on young people and no one should have to live in fear every time they turn on their computer or phone. Investigators have also visited schools across the province to give workshops on helping students stay safe online. Nova Scotians can call 902-242-6900 in HRM or toll-free for South Shore Residents at 855-702-8324 to talk to an investigator. Parents of young victims can call the hotline and take action on their child's behalf. Referrals can also come from school staff, police, or anyone who is aware of an instance of cyberbullying taking place. More information on the unit and on options for people who believe they are experiencing cyberbullying is available online at www.cyberscan.novascotia.ca 

Lumberjacks Acquire Blueliner From Miramichi

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have added another blueliner to their roster. The Bridgewater club traded a second-round pick in next year's draft to Miramichi for defenseman Patrick Byrne and future considerations. The 5-foot-9, 18-year-old has played 14 games with the Timberwolves this season and has no points. The Lumberjacks could also see Matt Wright to report to the team this week. He was acquired as part of the Shawn Boudreau trade to Yarmouth late last month.

Cookville: No Injuries After Two Vehicle Crash

No one was taken to hospital after a two-car collision Tuesday morning in Cookville. Staff Sgt. Bruce Hill with Lunenburg County RCMP says a vehicle was turning into Pine Grove just before 8am when the utility trailer it was hauling was struck by a car. Police, fire officials and EHS responded to the incident. There were no injuries. (Photo Courtesy: Evan Dahl)

Remembering Road Crash Victims

For the first time, police, emergency and other organizations on the South Shore will gather to remember the victims of highway crashes. A National Day of Remembrance is being held tomorrow (Wednesday) right across the country and Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer says it'll be an important event in convincing drivers to change their habits.



In Canada, 2,800 people die every year in road crashes and another 195,000 are injured. The ceremony in front of the Bridgewater Police headquarters on Dufferin Street begins at 9 o'clock Wednesday morning.

Pleasantville Fire Department Awaiting New Truck

Members of the Pleasantville Fire Department are awaiting the arrival of a brand new fire truck to serve residents of Lunenburg County. Fire Chief Tony Allen says they have purchased a new pumper truck to replace their older pumper. It's going cost in the area of $350,000 and will be paid for entirely by the local department. Allen says it's a significant purchase for the volunteer organization.



Allen says they will continue to host community dinners and other fundraising events to help pay for the vehicle. The truck will be coming from South Dakota, it's expected to arrive in early December.

Curlers Raise Over $500 Towards Winter Games Opportunity

A group of South Shore curlers trying to reach the 2015 Canada Winter Games held a successful fundraiser over the weekend. Eight youth, including six from Bridgewater and two from Yarmouth, raised just over $500 towards the effort. The group held a bottle drive at the Bridgewater Curling Club on Saturday. They collected over 7,000 bottles as well as monetary donations. The money will help them buy new equipment like grippers and broom heads. Two local teams are into the elite six play-downs, which are scheduled for Shelburne, Bridgetown and Halifax between January and March.

Bridgewater: Town Denies Land To Church

The town of Bridgewater has denied a request for land from the Bridgewater Open Bible Church. The church was looking to lease or acquire under an acre of land on the corner of Jubilee Road and Exhibition Drive. The church's Trustees Board chair says they have a congregation of roughly 170 people and need to expand parking. However, Mayor David Walker says there could be plans for the land.



Walker says there is land across the street from the church that could be purchased and provide additional parking spaces.

South Shore: Windy/Wet Evening Expected

It looks it will be a nasty evening - weather wise - on the South Shore. High wind and rain is expected to hit Shelburne, Yarmouth, Lunenburg and Queens counties. Environment Canada predicts wind gusts will reach 80 kilometres in some communities with 15 to 20 millimetres of rain expected tonight. There are a few power outages to report but none in our region. Nova Scotia Power crews are working to restore electricity to about 7,000 customers in Dartmouth and Amherst. The largest outage is in the Amherst area where the cause is being investigated. We'll be sure to keep you updated if any power outages are report in our region.

Yarmouth's Graves Suits Up In Subway Super Series

A Yarmouth native prepares to join some of the best Quebec Major Junior Hockey players in the Subway Super Series. Ryan Graves will suit up for the opening game Monday night against a team of Russian stars in Gatineau, Quebec. The 18-year-old defenseman plays for the Charlottetown Islanders. He has two goals and three assists in 23 games this season. The former South Shore Mustang was selected in the fourth round of this summer's NHL draft by the New York Rangers. Three Halifax Moosehead players are also playing for the 'Q' team including Jonathan Drouin, MacKenzie Weegar and Zachary Fucale. The series lasts six games. The Russians will play two games each against stars from the QMJHL, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

Witty & Creative Nova Scotia Book - A Best Seller

It's a hot item on bookshelves and the backdrop is based right here in Nova Scotia. "You Might Be From Nova Scotia If..." was released in September and has become a national best seller. It's a compilation of witty and creative cartoons with a humorous spin highlighting everyday life as a Bluenoser. Chronicle Herald cartoonist Michael De Adder is the mind behind the sketches and says people can relate to the book. He feels that's why it has become so popular.



De Adder put the pencil to may of the cartoons in the book at his cottage just outside of Bridgewater. He'll be stopping by the Bridgewater Mall for a book signing on December 1st. The book is backed by publisher John MacIntyre (MacIntyre Purcell Publishing).

Optimism Buyer Will Be Found For Former Sawmill Site

The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg still hopes a buyer will eventually come along for the former Oakhill Sawmill site. The mill was closed more than a year ago when Resolute Forest Products shutdown both the Bowater Mersey Mill in Brooklyn and its Oakhill operation. MODL Mayor Don Downe says the potential for the site is being examined closely by officials in Lunenburg and Queens Counties, the province and Ottawa.



The Oakhill sawmill employed 125 workers prior to closing in 2012. Resolute still owns the property, although its now quiet and most equipment and stock removed. A potential buyer would also have to consider an environmental cleanup after generations of sawmill operations.

Chester: Turbine Almost Ready At Kaizer Meadow

A wind turbine is nearing completion at the Kaizer Meadow landfill in Chester. Warden Allen Webber says they anticipate energizing the 98-metre, two mega-watt wind turbine on November 26. It's expected to provide enough green electricity for around 350 homes. Webber says the date is flexible.



Webber says they're still looking at a target date to feed electricity into Nova Scotia Power's grid by December 1. They will receive money from the Department of Energy's COMFIT program once that happens.

Stand By For Lots Of Rain + Strong Winds

You can expect some nasty weather as the day rolls on. The forecast is calling for periods of rain through the morning and afternoon and the wind from the Southeast with gusts as high as 80 later by times. As much as 40 mm of rain is forecast to fall before things start to clear up late tonight. Sunshine to start Tuesday but cloud and showers and flurries roll in for the afternoon.

Lumberjacks Fall In Overtime To Dieppe

Jacob McNutt had the only goal as the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks were edged by Dieppe Sunday 2-1 in overtime. Billy Clarke stopped 45 shots in the loss. It was the Lumberjacks third game in three days after a shootout win on Friday and a loss on Saturday. The Jacks will take on the Valley Wildcats Friday night at the Clearwater Seafoods Arena.

Glen Murray: Forest Heights Crowned Champs

Forest Heights are the 2013 Glen Murray High School Hockey Tournament Champions. They beat Park View in Sunday's final 4-3 in double overtime at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena. It's the second year in a row Park View has lost in the championship game. This is the tournament's 11th year.

Dexter Stepping Down As NDP Leader

Darrell Dexter is stepping down as leader of the province's New Democratic Party. Dexter submitted his letter of resignation at a meeting yesterday in Halifax. His term as leader will end next weekend. Dexter says it has been a privilege to serve New Democrats across Nova Scotia over the past 12 years. He led the NDP to its first provincial government in Nova Scotia history in the June 2009 election.  However, the NDP fell to third party status in this fall's election, garnering only seven of 51 seats in the legislature. Dexter also lost his riding of Cole Harbour-Portland Valley to Liberal Tony Ince. Maureen MacDonald will be nominated as Acting Leader at a meeting on Saturday in Halifax. A process to elect the new leader of the party will be announced at a future date.

Salvation Army Readies For Local Kettle Campaign

Its a Christmas Season tradition and it'll soon be visible again in shopping areas along the South Shore. Its the Salvation Army's annual Christmas Kettle Campaign. It raises funds to help needy families in the area and it begins next Friday, the 22nd. In Lunenburg County, the Salvation Army's Captain Felipe Vega says despite a sluggish economy in recent years, donations have kept pace.



Vega says money raised through the Kettle campaign goes to help needy families in the area throughout the year, providing food and clothing and helping with heating bills too.

RCMP, Fire Marshal Investigate New Germany Fire

RCMP and the Fire Marshal's office are investigating after a Saturday fire in New Germany. Fire officials from Hemford, West Northfield and New Germany responded to the blaze Saturday morning around 9:20am along Highway 208. Police say there was moderate damage to the home that was vacant at the time of the blaze. There were no injuries.

Hockey: Jacks Lose, Glen Murray Final Set

The Amherst Ramblers dumped the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks 7-2 Saturday night. The Jacks jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. But Amherst stormed back with six second period goals to take control of the hockey game. Connor Hilton and Ryan Groom scored for the Bridgewater club, who are in Dieppe Sunday for a matinee game against the Commandos.
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It will be an all South Shore final at the Glen Murray Hockey Tournament in Bridgewater. The Park View Panthers will take on Forest Heights in the championship game. Park View defeated Barrington 1-0 while Forest Heights blasted West Kings 8-1 in Saturday night's semi-finals. The championship game is slated for 1:30 Sunday afternoon at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena. 

Ottawa Providing Money For Yarmouth Ferry Terminal

The federal government has announced support for the ferry terminal in Yarmouth. The MP for West Nova made the announcement recently in the town. He didn't provide specific figures on the costs of the upgrades. However, the co-chair of the Nova Scotia International Ferry Partnership says the cost is estimated between two to three million dollars. Yarmouth County's three municipalities will cost share roughly 20 per cent, with the feds providing 80 per cent. The terminal must be divested and will eventually be owned by the Yarmouth and Area Industrial Commission. The chair of that commission and warden for the Municipality of Yarmouth, Murray Goodwin, says they need to do some renovations to the existing buildings.



The province and STM Quest signed a deal last week to operate the Nova Star ferry between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine, beginning May 2014. Goodwin expects contractors to begin quoting the project as early as this week.

Hockey: Jacks Win, Glen Murray Results

A long winless streak has finally been broken for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks. The Junior hockey club won their first home game of the season last night, defeating Pictou County 3-2 in a shootout. Connor MacEachern scored the game-clinching goal. Connor Hilton and Shaun MacEachern scored in regulation while Cory Peterson stopped 44 shots between the pipes. The Jacks are on the road tonight for a game against the Amherst Ramblers.

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The Charlie's Pizza South Shore Mustangs play their final round robin game today in Moncton. The Mustangs square off against Notre Dame at 9am this morning at the Monctonian tournament. The major midget club has a 1-1 record heading into the game.

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The Park View Panthers flexed their muscles at the Glen Murray Hockey Tournament. The Panthers shutout the Bridgewater Vikings 9-0 last night. The win moves Park View to 2-0, while Bridgewater fell to 1-1. Both teams are back in action today. Park View plays Yarmouth at 10:45 while Bridgewater meets West Kings at 12:30. Forest Heights wrapped up their round robin yesterday with a 2-1 record. All games are being played at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena.

Mustangs Fall To Moncton At Monctonian

The Charlies Pizza South Shore Mustangs fell to Moncton today in their second game of the Monctonian tournament in Moncton. Keith Getson scored twice and Ty Duffus added another, but the Mustangs lost 5-3. The loss squares their tournament record to 1-1. The Mustangs will play Notre Dame Saturday to wrap up round-robin play.

Glen Murray: Park View, Bridgewater Renew Rivalry

Hometown pride is on the line tonight as a pair of Bridgewater high school hockey teams square off at the Glen Murray Tournament. The Bridgewater Vikings, fresh off a 3-2 win earlier today over Yarmouth, will meet the Park View Panthers following the tournament's opening ceremonies. Both teams are 1-0. Bridgewater assistant coach Michael Hubley says the rivalry between the two schools is strong.



The game is slated for 8pm this evening at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena.

Curlers Hold Bottle Drive To Help Winter Games Push

Got any spare bottles laying around? A group of curlers are looking for your refundable's to help raise money on their road to the Canada Winter Games. A bottle drive will be held Saturday morning at the Bridgewater Curling Club from 9am until 2pm. One of the organizers, Monique Hillier-Conrad, says there is plenty of local kids to support.



Hillier-Conrad is hoping to raise around $700 for new equipment like grippers and broom heads. Both teams are involved in the Elite Six playdowns, which are scheduled for January in Shelburne, February in Bridgetown and March in Halifax.

NDP's Dexter Could Step Aside Saturday

New Democrats in the province may lose their most familiar face this weekend. Leader Darrell Dexter will make an announcement Saturday in Halifax at the party's provincial executive meeting. Dexter's future has been up in the air after the NDP were knocked from power to third-party status in last month's election. He also wasn't able to win his own seat of Cole Harbour-Portland Valley. Newcomer Tony Ince of the Liberals was able to steal away the seat in the October election in which turned to be a tough night for the NDP. Dexter's announcement will be made at MLA Maureen MacDonald's constituency office, who has taken on the role of leader in the house. The Queens County native has been leader of the party 2001.

Lumberjacks Acquire Goaltender From Valley

A frantic few hours for the owner of the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks. Ken Petrie was left scrambling after goaltender Billy Clarke collided with a player and was injured during the team's practice Thursday night. Clarke is expected to miss the next few games. Petrie had to find another goalie before tonight's game, so he traded a 10th round pick in 2014 to the Valley Wildcats for Jeff Arkin. The 20-year-old Arkin is winless in six games this season with a 3.21 goals against average. He'll be in the lineup tonight for the Lumberjacks game against Pictou County.

Emergency Exercise Planned For Bridgewater

The area around the Bridgewater Justice Centre will be one to avoid Saturday morning. Between 9:30 and 12:00pm, police, ambulances and other emergency groups will be on scene, taking part in an emergency exercise. Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer says its an opportunity for all agencies to hone their skills at working together and responding to emergency situations.



For motorists, there will be barricades at two locations on High Street so it will be best to avoid the area. Barricades will be up at High and Empire Streets with traffic being detoured east onto Empire Street or north on High Street toward Victoria Road. Also, at High and Anne Streets with traffic detoured southbound on High Street or eastbound on Anne Street back toward Dominion Street. It should be over by Noon.

Update: Sea Trials Expected Soon For Bluenose II

It's another large step forward in bringing Bluenose II back to life. The famous schooner will undergo sea trials within the next month to ensure the vessel is seaworthy after a three year rebuild project in Lunenburg. Heritage Minister Tony Ince says the tests will determine when the iconic vessel will be ready for public sailing tours.



The restoration project is being carried out by the Lunenburg Shipyard Alliance. The cost of the project remains in the area of $16 million.

Higher Gas Prices

New Brunswick's utility regulator decided to only raise gas prices less than half a cent yesterday. However, for some reason in this province, the utility and review board has increased prices overnight by four times as much. Regular self serve is up at South Shore pumps this morning (Friday) by two cents to $1.27.3 per litre. High test has been increased by the same amount to $1.36.3. Diesel is unchanged though at $1.34.4 per litre.

Mustangs Open Monctonian Tourney With Win

The Charlie's Pizza South Shore Mustangs opened up with a win at the Monctonian Major Midget Challenge Cup in Moncton. Scott Perry, Ty Duffus and Alex Nauss scored as the Mustangs defeated Burlington, Ontario 3-1. The Mustangs will play again Friday against Moncton.

Park View Wins, Bridgewater Ties At Glen Murray

Logan Cleveland scored a hat-trick as the Park View Panthers beat West Kings 6-4 to open the Glen Murray Hockey tournament in Bridgewater. Wesley Demone also scored twice while Jeremy Key added the other. In other games, Bridgewater tied Clare 3-3 and Sir John A MacDonald doubled Forest Heights 6-3. A big local match-up Friday night as Bridgewater and Park View square off at 8pm at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena.

Lumberjacks Battle Pictou On Home Ice

A busy weekend for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks. They begin a stretch of three games in three days when they host Pictou County tonight at 7pm at the Clearwater Seafoods Arena. They also travel to Amherst Saturday and Dieppe on Sunday.