Park View Celebrates First Year Of New Wing

Park View is celebrating the first year of its new wing. An open house was held Wednesday to showcase its two-level music room and skilled trades workshop. Skilled trades students recently built a three-unit model apartment. Principal Charles Williamson says the students were proud of their work.



Students completed every aspect of the build including carpentry, electrical, plumbing, drywall and painting. Park View is the first school in the South Shore region to offer recently developed skilled trades courses.

Sportfishing Weekend in Nova Scotia

South Shore residents are encouraged to try their hand at sportfishing on the Nova Scotia Sportfishing weekend this Saturday and Sunday. Residents and non-residents can fish without a general fishing licence during the annual event. Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Sterling Belliveau says sportfishing weekend is a wonderful opportunity for Nova Scotians of all ages and skill levels to enjoy the popular outdoor sport. He encourages all anglers to put safety first. The sportfishing weekend is supported by more than 20 community organizations, with fishing derbies throughout the province offering fun and prizes. A full list of events is available at http://novascotia.ca/fish/sportfishing/troutderby2012.pdf .

Old Bridge Closing For Repairs

The Old Bridge is closing down for construction. The bridge will close Sunday to replace the expansion joint on the west side of the span by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. Its expected to re-open Saturday June 9. Traffic will not be permitted across the bridge until repairs are complete. Pedestrians will still have access to the walkways. The portion of Old Bridge Street will remain open from Lahave St. to the entrance of Bridgewater Mall and T.D. Bank entrance. The Veteran's Memorial Bridge will be open for vehicles and pedestrians.

New Trail Opens On Brier Island

The bridges are built, the gravel is hauled and the signs are in. Digby County students and the Nature Conservancy of Canada put the finishing touches on a new and improved trail on Brier Island yesterday. The five-kilometre trail was built to give tourists and residents a scenic view of the southern coast and to protect the property. Craig Smith from Nature Conservancy says the idea of teaming up with students came from Cobequid Trails Consulting.



Among many jobs the students hauled gravel, planted two signs, and built five 20 foot bridges over creeks.

Liberal Leader Begins Summer Tour On South Shore

Stephen McNeil

Nova Scotia's Liberal leader is convinced his party will make inroads with the South Shore electorate in the next provincial election.  Stephen McNeil believes the party might be able to unseat one or more of the area's sitting NDP members of the legislature.  Because of that, he intends to be visible in the area through the summer.  This morning, McNeil kicked off his annual summer tour across the province.  He says the South Shore was chosen deliberately as the starting point.



McNeil is meeting today with business leaders in Chester, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay and Bridgewater. He expects to be back on the South Shore in a few weeks to visit Queens and Shelburne Counties.

Fourth Season Of Farmers' Market

Spring means warm weather, barbeques, and the Bridgewater Farmers' Market. This Saturday the market opens for it's 4th season on the King Street parking lot. Ran by members and a not for profit society, the venue features more than 14 vendors selling local fruit, veggies, meats, candles, baked goods and more. The season kick-off will also feature music from international singer/song-writer Darren Arsenault.

As well as local performers, the market has a community booth that promotes causes and raises funds. It opens this Saturday from 8:30 until noon and will run weekly until Thanksgiving.

Lunenburg: New Rescue Boat

Lunenburg's Volunteer Fire Department will be the owner of a new rescue boat. The 25 foot fibreglass boat is about 9 feet bigger than the departments original. The $87,000 purchase was made between fundraising, federal funding and through a joint account between the fire department and the town of Lunenburg. Assistant Deputy Chief Trevor Lohnes says the boat will be able to go farther in an emergency.



The boat will also feature a cut-out door for personal rescue, radar and a water pump for fire fighting on islands and boats. It will arrive from Halifax in about 3 weeks.

Surprise Turnout At SSRSB Candidates Meeting

A surprising turnout for School Board officials at Wednesday night's candidates information session. Roughly 50 people attended the meeting to learn more about what it takes to be part of the school board. Board member Judith Sullivan-Corney says it was nice to see that many people take in the meeting.



The public learned about the qualifications needed to run, who makes up the board and the roles of board members. Hebbs Cross resident Jennifer Naugler says the meeting helped answer her questions.



Naugler says she hasn't decided whether she will run or not. Meanwhile, Elmer Garber says the meeting touched on some key information.



School Board nominations close September 11. Sullivan-Corney says she is open to holding another meeting in case people were undecided or unable to attend.

Video: Governor General's Visit To Yarmouth

Mayor Phil Mooney

It was a warm welcome for the Governor General of Canada in Yarmouth on Wednesday. David Johnston was greeted by Yarmouth mayor Phil Mooney before heading into an informal meeting with community leaders and citizens at Town Hall. During his whirlwind tour of south western Nova Scotia, Johnson took in a first hand look of a lobster pound and embarked on a two hour boating excursion to do some lobster fishing in the harbour. On Thursday, Johnson will visit West Pubnico. It will mark the first time a Governor General of Canada has visited the historic Acadian community of Pubnico.

NDP: Dexter Shuffles His Cards As Election Nears

A major shake-up within the majority NDP government in Nova Scotia. Premier Darrell Dexter has shuffled his cabinet, appointing Maureen MacDonald as the province's first female finance minister. MacDonald takes over for Graham Steele, who announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election after an 11-year career in politics. Steele made his announcement during a speech to the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce.




Meanwhile, Bill Estabrooks also announced he will not run again after 14 years in public life, and his former job as transportation minister will be filled by NDP backbencher Maurice Smith. Dave Wilson will become the new health minister, and Leonard Preyra enters cabinet for the first time in Wilson's former job as communities, culture and heritage minister. Steele was first elected to the provincial legislature in a 2001 and sworn in as finance minister when Nova Scotia elected its first NDP government in June 2009.

Buyer Walks Away From Old Post Office Sale

Talks have broken down on a potential sale of the old Canada Post building on King Street in Bridgewater. CKBW and HANK-FM News first reported the potential sale of the property in March after a company spokesperson confirmed negotiations were underway. Mayor Carroll Publicover says the potential buyer has decided against the purchase.



Publicover wouldn't comment but a tentative plan was to create a microbrewery in the building. The mayor says there are other parties ''unofficially'' interested in purchasing the 109-year-old landmark. The spot has been for sale since 2010.

Lohnes Finding Stride Before Nationals

A Bridgewater judoka continues to excel on the mat. Whitney Lohnes finished first in the under-20 division and third in the seniors category at the Ontario Open in Toronto. She also placed third recently at the U.S. Open in Miami and fifth at the Miami World Cup. Lohnes will continue training ahead of junior and senior nationals, which are scheduled for early July in Toronto.

Seniors Warned About Door To Door Pitchmen

The Better Business Bureau is warning South Shore residents, especially seniors, to be extremely cautious when answering the door this summer to traveling alarm system sales people.  There have been complaints right across the continent of people being subjected to high-pressure sales tactics and felt deceived by the salesperson into buying an expensive personal safety alarm system.  The BBB's Atlantic President Don MacKinnon says many of these so-called sales people don't have a license to sell door-to-door or legally sell and install alarm systems.  He warns seniors to use caution.



You can always contact the Better Business Bureau for advice.  Last year, several South Shore residents were cohearsed into buying these systems and handed over thousands of dollars.

Bridgewater E-Voting By-law Passes First Reading

A by-law concerning electronic voting in Bridgewater has passed first reading. Council approved its first look of the 'Alternative Voting Method' for the October elections during their Monday night meeting. The potential move would see e-voting, like telephone and internet, available for residents 10 days before the ordinary polling day scheduled for October 20. The returning officer and staff believe paper ballots should also be provided. Mayor Carroll Publicover disagrees.



Second reading is expected to be held at council's June 25 meeting.

E-Voting Scrapped In Lunenburg Until 2016

The town of Lunenburg won't offer e-voting when voters head to the polls this October. Council and staff felt they didn't have enough time to properly implement the new voting system in time for municipal elections. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says they didn't want to confuse voters so close to an election. Voter turnout in the last municipal election in Lunenburg was around 55 percent - well above the province average. Council is working to draft a by-law to introduce e-voting for municipal election in 2016.

Lunenburg: Active & Vibrant Despite Greying Population

Town of Lunenburg mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the town is a vibrant and active community. He was responding to questions surrounding census data released by Statistic's Canada on Tuesday. The latest figures indicate Lunenburg has the highest median age among the main communities in the province at almost 53 years. However, Laurence Mawhinney says the town continues its work to attract young families to the area.



In regards to employment, Mawhinney says major companies such as High Liner, HB Studios and Composites Atlantic are committed to the town and each feature a median age of 45 years and younger. Several new homes are also under construction which Mawhinney says is another positive step.

Governor-General In Yarmouth Today, West Pubnico Tomorrow

Governor General David Johnston

The town of Yarmouth will be hosting a special visitor today.  Governor-General David Johnston will be there to learn more about the area.  He will get a first hand look at a lobster pound, do some lobster fishing and have a private meeting with Mayor Phil Mooney to discuss the loss of the ferry service two years ago.
The Mayor says it was at the Governor-General's insistence that he better understand the impact of the ferry loss on the area.


 
The Governor General will present awards during a late-afternoon reception.  He will also visit West Pubnico on Thursday and then return to Halifax later in the day.

VIDEO: Province Releases Aquaculture Strategy

Sterling Belliveau

The province's fisheries minister is promising to increase oversight in the aquaculture sector. Sterling Belliveau released a strategy Tuesday to improve regulations and share more information with the public about the $50-million industry. He says he's trying to understand public concern over aquaculture.


 
Under the plan, the provincial government wants companies to report fish losses due to disease and mandate disinfection of aquaculture sites. The announcement comes a month after a fish farm near Shelburne was ordered to kill hundreds of thousands of salmon due to a viral outbreak. Infectious salmon anemia was found at a Cooke Aquaculture site outside Shelburne Harbour earlier this year.

Efforts To Get New Yarmouth Ferry Service Moving Ahead

A meeting in Stockholm, Sweden a few days ago may go a long way in re-establishing ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine.  The head of the Nova Scotia Ferry Partnership and an official of the province's economic development department met with officials interested in exploring the possibility of re-establishing the link.  Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney says the meeting was a forerunner of what may come in the not too distant future.

The mayor is hoping a new ferry can be in operation by next year.  Meanwhile, the special committee set up by the premier to examine the best economically- feasible ferry service for the area will be in Yarmouth next week, gathering information for its study.

UPDATE: Queens General Health Project

The final stage of prep work before a tender is issued for the Queens General Health Project is underway. Maintenance staff are in the midst of constructing temporary inpatient units at the hospital. The new units will keep patients comfortable and away from construction areas while the bulk of the work is being carried out. South Shore Health spokeswoman Liz Finney says a number of staff needed to relocate their offices in order to accommodate the short term units.



A work tender for the $16 million dollar project is expected to be awarded in July with construction scheduled to begin in August. The QGH Project includes a new primary care clinic and redevelopment of the 22-bed in-patient unit at the hospital in Liverpool.