Bridgewater Matches Funding To Help Recruit Doctors

The town of Bridgewater will match funding to help send a contingent of marketers to New Brunswick. Council recently agreed to equal the $2,000 provided by the Municipality of Lunenburg to send a recruiting team to Miramichi to help bring more doctors to the area. The money will come from other council expenditures, designated for unexpected requests. Mayor David Walker says its important for the town to play a role in bringing health professionals to Bridgewater.


The marketing team will head to New Brunswick at the end of this month.

PC Leader Baillie Makes South Shore Stop

The leader of the Nova Scotia PC party is making his first visit to the South Shore since the writ dropped for the provincial election. Jamie Baillie made stops in a number of communities including Chester, Bridgewater and Lunenburg and he'll also be traveling to Barrington Passage this evening. Baillie highlighted his party's platform in Dayspring at Snyder's Shipyard Friday afternoon. He says their plan "Change That Works" could help create 20,000 jobs, many of them here along the South Shore.



Baillie says the South Shore has been a great area for the PC party in the past because he feels its the only party looking out for rural Nova Scotia.

Mustangs Open New Season

The South Shore Mustangs kick off their regular season this weekend in Bridgewater. The major midget hockey club will be hosting the Cape Breton Tradesmen for two games. Mustangs owner Lionel Haughn tells us his team's greatest quality this coming season will be its enthusiasm and committment to the game.



Saturday night's contest begins at 8 o'clock and the second game will be Sunday at noon, both at the Bridgewater Arena.

Gasoline Prices Drop Significantly!

If you suddenly feel the urge to give a thumbs up or dance a little jig at the gas pumps today, you'll likely be forgiven!  There has been a dramatic drop in prices overnight. Regular self serve has tumbled more than six cents. Its selling today for $1.32.8 per litre. High test is down by a similar amount to $1.41.8.  Diesel is down 3.5 cents, to $1.36.5 per litre.

Lumberjacks Open Regular Season Against Yarmouth

Another season of Lumberjacks hockey gets underway tonight in Liverpool. The Bridgewater club takes on their South Shore rivals from Yarmouth at Queens Place Emera Centre. The Lumberjacks are hoping to build off a disappointing campaign last year, that saw them only garner 10 wins in 52 regular season games. Twenty-year-old defenseman Mitchell Hennebury feels this year is going to be different.



Hennebury says a new rink, and new coach have helped bring a winning attitude to the club. Puck drop is at 7:30 tonight in Liverpool.

Gabrielle Brings Wet Weather To South Shore

It looks like the South Shore should brace for more than 40 millimeters of rain. Tropical storm Gabrielle continues to travel towards the Maritimes and Newfoundland. A special weather statement from Environment Canada affecting Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne Counties says Gabrielle is expected to bring heavy rain, which could reach the South Shore by Friday morning. Steve Mills with the province's Emergency Management Office says people should clean up any loose material in their yards.


Mills says people should also prepare for flash flooding if the rain comes down quickly. The rain is expected to spread to the rest of the Atlantic coast and Eastern Nova Scotia by late in the day Friday.

Chester Fire Chief ''Disappointed'' About Silencing Siren

Chester's fire chief says he's not happy with a decision to silence the community's siren. The Chester Village Commission decided to shut down the siren following a recommendation from an independent auditor. Duke Chafe says there were advantages to having the siren including alerting residents of a fire and notifying drivers that fire trucks would soon be on the road. He says he can turn the siren back on if the occasion calls for it.



Chafe says the commission is looking into an alternative system, but he didn't expect it to be in place for a few months.

Sports: Hockey, Baseball And Track And Field

The Halifax Mooseheads will open up defense of their President Cup title Thursday night on home ice. The herd takes on their maritime rivals, the Moncton Wildcats at 7pm at the Metro Centre. A pre-game ceremony is planned where the organization will raise the Memorial and President Cup banners.
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In major bantam hockey, the Western Hurricanes get their regular season started this weekend. The team hosts the Bedford Barons in a pair of games at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool. The two teams meet Saturday evening at 6pm and Sunday morning at 11.
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In baseball, the Bridgewater Bulldogs Bantam 'AAA' team heads to St. John's, Newfoundland for the Atlantic Championships. The team opens up play Friday afternoon at 2:30 against PEI.
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Overseas, Liverpool's Chelsea Whalen competes for Canada at the Francophone Games in Nice, France. She competes Saturday in the shot put. It's Whalen's first competition since she won two gold medals at the Canada Summer Games in mid-August.

Queens Council Nixes ATV Use On Trestle Trail Bridge

The president of the Queens County ATV Association says they may have to bypass Liverpool in their travels. The Region of Queens Municipality recently voted to stay the course and not allow any ATV use along the Trestle Trail Bridge and the former rail line leading to Bog Road. Brian Hatt says the decision leaves no direct access into Liverpool for ATV riders. He says the group was hoping to provide some economic spin-offs.



Hatt says the group is considering their options, including crossing the Mersey River north from Brooklyn and linking up with their existing trail in Summerville to keep riding down to Yarmouth.

South Shore Keeps Terry Fox's Dream Alive

It's time to celebrate one of the most inspiring figures in Canadian history. Terry Fox Run's are slated to take place this weekend throughout the South Shore. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Fox, was forced to end his quest near Thunder Bay after 143 days and more than 5,370 kilometres. However, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. Here's Fox being interviewed as he announced his run was over.



Terry Fox Run's are set to take place on Sunday from Hubbards to Woods Harbour. A complete list of events are listed below


Bridgewater - Event begins at 9:30AM at NSCC Lunenburg Campus

Liverpool - Event begins at 1:00PM at Queens Place Emera Centre

Municipality of Shelburne - Event begins at 1:00PM at Shelburne Regional High School Track

Barrington - Event begins at 12:00PM at Royal Canadian Legion

Chester - Event begins at 1:00PM at Royal Canadian Legion

West Green Harbour - Event begins at 10:00AM at West Green Harbour Recreation Hall

Woods Harbour - Event begins at 1:00PM at the Upper Woods Harbour Ball Field

Lunenburg - Event begins at 1:00PM at the Lunenburg Community Centre

Hubbards - Event begins at 1:00PM at the Shore Club

Caledonia - Event begins at 1:00PM at Kejimkujik Administration Centre

Weather: "Gabrielle" Could Bring Heavy Rain

A tropical storm making it's way up the coast could bring heavy rain and gusting wind to parts of the South Shore. Environment Canada is monitoring the path of "Gabrielle"  as it picks up momentum in the Atlantic. The weather agency says the radar indicates the storms remnants will push toward Eastern Nova Scotia, PEI or Newfoundland on Friday. Depending on the storms route it could miss the South Shore entirely. Environement Canada expects to have a better idea later today on wind speeds and rainfall amounts.

South Shore Health Welcoming New Family Doctor

A new family doctor is coming to Bridgewater. South Shore Health says Dr. Sheila Dwyer will start a new practice and will begin taking patients as early as next week. Dr. Dwyer graduated from Dalhousie University's Medical program in 2011 and completed her family medicine residency training in June 2013. She's expected to take 150 new patients when she begins taking phone calls September 18. South Shore Health expects the new doctor will accept a minimum of 1,000 patients over time. Dr. Dwyer will join the team in the new Bridgewater and Area Family Health Centre when it opens later this fall. People who do not currently have a Family Physician or Nurse Practitioner or who are travelling outside the District for care are eligible. People who wish to be considered as a patient are asked to call 527-4814 beginning at 6:30 pm September 18. People should have your MSI number, date-of-birth, and a valid current telephone number when you call. Callers may only register immediate family members from the same household. After the first 150 patients are accepted, the telephone line will close. After these patients are processed and seen by the doctor for an initial intake appointment, the phone line will re-open and additional patients will be accepted. South Shore Health says accepting only 150 patients at a time will avoid the creation of a large list of patients that takes many months to process, and hopefully reduce the frustration of patients waiting for an appointment.

Police Charge Woman After Vehicle Collision

A motor vehicle collision late Saturday night has left a woman facing several charges. Bridgewater Police say an argument between a man and woman escalated in a parking lot on LaHave Street. The man left the scene on his motorcycle. Police say he was hurt after he collided with a car driven by the woman. He was taken to South Shore Regional hospital and released later that night. The woman was taken into police custody. She was released with charges of assault, assault with a weapon and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. She will be in Bridgewater court next week.

Local Firefighters Crack Personal Bests At FireFit Nationals

Two Bridgewater firefighters finished in the top 60 at the National FireFit competition in Edmonton. Ryan Buck finished 38th after posting a time of one minute, 28 seconds, while Steve Freeman finished 58th after running the obstacle course in one minute, 33 seconds against over 200 other firefighters. Both Bridgewater men posted new personal bests with their times. Buck says he's happy to reach his goal for the competition.


Buck also posted the second best time individually as a volunteer firefighter. The Bridgewater team weren't pleased with their two-man race results of one minute, 45 seconds after a fall cost them some time. He says the team will take a break for a few weeks before training starts back up in October.

NS Elexn: Lunenburg West PC Mitchell Campaigns For Job Growth & Health Care Improvements

He was a two term town councilor in Bridgewater. Now, he's the Progressive Conservative candidate in the riding of Lunenburg-West. David Mitchell says he took the challenge in hopes of making a difference. He says he'd like to help the provincial party, if elected to power, jump-start the area's economy, creating jobs so South Shore residents don't have to seek employment elsewhere.



Mitchell says while campaigning door to door, he's been taken aback by stories he's heard from voters about long waits for hospital ER's and surgeries. He says that situation is disgraceful and must be changed.



Mitchell's fellow candidates in Lunenburg-West are Mark Furey of the Liberals and incumbent NDP MLA Gary Ramey.

Election: Doctors Bring Health Care To Forefront

Doctors Nova Scotia wants to bring health care to the forefront during the election campaign. The association is focusing on four key areas in the lead-up to the October 8th vote. President Dr. Mike Flemming says they include ensuring everyone has a family doctor, reducing wait times along with investing in programs and health services. The group has launched a website to support health-care advocacy during the campaign. The website shares the responses of the three main political parties on key health-care questions and can be found by clicking here. The group is also encouraging people to speak with their local candidates about health care.

Seahawks Deliver $25,000 Cheque To Bridgewater

The town of Bridgewater has received the $25,000 cheque presented to the South Shore Seahawks as part of the Kraft Celebration Tour. Executives with the Seahawks Minor Football Club turned the cheque over to the town during last night's council session. Mayor David Walker expects staff will get analysis from turf professionals, and will then present options on what work would need to be done to Kinsmen Field to improve drainage. He says he would like to see something prepared by next spring.



Walker says he's unsure how much money would be needed to complete the work at Kinsmen Field.

Premier Campaigns At Drumlin Hills

Premier Darrell Dexter says the NDP aren't taking things for granted on the South Shore. The party has an orange wave across the region except in Yarmouth and Argyle-Barrington and won the Lunenburg and Lunenburg West ridings for the first time during the last election. Dexter says the MLAs for those areas earned the seats, and will continue to work hard to retain them. He says the NDP's focus continues to be on important issues.



Dexter was making the rounds across two counties Monday afternoon including stops in Liverpool, Bridgewater, Lunenburg and Chester. Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil was also in Lunenburg County yesterday while PC Leader Jamie Baillie hasn't announced his South Shore stops yet.

Ramey Ready For Second Mandate

NDP member Gary Ramey says he feels encouraged by the amount of support he's received early in his election campaign. Ramey is the incumbent in Lunenburg West running against the Liberals Mark Furey and the PC's David Mitchell. He says the condition of roads is a big concern in his constituency. Ramey says the party's five year road plan took care of major roads and a new plan will focus on back roads.



Ramey also points to the Better Care Sooner Plan that he feels is working to provide health care quickly to those who need it. The election is slated for October 8th.

Lumberjacks Win Final Pre-Season Game Against Valley

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks skated past the Valley Wildcats 3-1 in MHL pre-season action Monday night in Kentville. Jesse MacInnis scored twice while Connor Hilton rounded out the scoring for the Jacks. The Bridgewater club finished exhibition play with a 2-2 record. The locals will open the regular season this Friday night in Liverpool against the Yarmouth Mariners.