East River Plank

2009-05-19 06:08:31

Tough economic times across North America are being felt in Chester St. Margaret's.  Judy Streatch, Education Minister in the MacDonald Government, says it's unfortunate the housing market has taken a dip in the states and that is being felt here.  She says she'll do all she can to help the workers being laid off from Louisiana Pacific in East River.  Louisiana Pacific manufactures wood products for export around the world. It's restructuring plan will see the layoffs of 66 employees and four managers.

Bay Side Beds

2009-05-19 06:07:10

A long-promised expansion to a Shelburne county nursing home is now a political plank.  N-D-P leader Darrell Dexter pledged this morning to get the additional 50 beds open for those who need them, as soon as possible, regardless of the result of next month's election.  The MacDonald Conservatives have delayed the long-promised opening of Bay Side’s expansion by another three years.  In 2006, former Minister of Health, Chris d’Entremont, announced that Bay Side’s new beds would open in the fall of 2007.  In 2007, the opening date was changed to 2010.  Dexter adds Shelburne residents can't afford to wait any longer. He says Rodney MacDonald had a chance to deliver these nursing home beds and failed.  He made the comments campaigning with Sterling Belliveau in Shelburne Friday morning.

Shed Fire

2009-05-15 06:21:28

An early morning pager call for volunteers at a couple of south shore fire stations.  Crews from the North Queens department were awakened around three this morning.  A shed was on fire on the Rosette Road in Westfield.   Firefighters were on the scene quickly and they say luckily it didn't spread but the shed is gone.  There wasn't anything of value in the shed apparently.  Greenfield firefighters were put on standby at their hall and everyone was given the all clear to head home before sunrise.

Books Galore

2009-05-15 06:18:22

A $35,000 grant will mean a lot of books for the elementary students at Gold River-Western Shore.  The school is the winner of an Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Grant.  Funding for the Foundation comes 2/3 from the Canadian book chain Indigo and the rest comes from their customers.  The money will be paid out over three years.  You can go to the Foundation's website and hear Heather Reisman giving Librarian Cindy Lamson the good news.   The money will be broken down into three annual instalments of more than 11-thousand 600 dollars.  They will use it to buy books and hold events to promote literacy among the students at Gold River/Western Shore. 

www.loveofreading.org

Bowater Mersey Shutdown

2009-05-14 06:25:12

Workers at the Bowater Mersey Paper mill in Queens county are being laid off for another five week period early in June.
Human Resources Manager Robin Anthony says the AbitibiBowater workers will be off from June 6th until July 16th.   She says this production curtailment is related to the world-wide market for newsprint. It is the same reason given for similar shutdowns in March and over the Christmas holidays.   The company is allowing people to apply any unused vacation time towards the five week period. That was also offered to them in the last two closures.   There is a possibility this could signal a change from a year-round operation to limited production runs for the Brooklyn paper mill. And some are suggesting it may lead to efforts at making shutdowns and start ups quicker and more efficient in the future.   Previous layoffs affected most of the 300 unionized workforce at the plant.    The Washington Post is a minority owner of the Bowater Mersey mill. That has kept the Nova Scotia operation out of the Bankruptcy Protection process parent AbitibiBowater has engaged in because of financing issues.

Health Dollars

2009-05-14 06:22:39

South Shore Health is still waiting for specifics on a government anouncement on projects at the hospitals in Bridgewater and Liverpool.   C-E-O Kevin McNamara says it's abnormal for them to be told they are getting financial help but not the amount or when they can expect it.  But he says it is positive to know what projects the funding has been approved for.  He says another challenge is that the district is still waiting for budget figures from the province. McNamara says they may end up in a situation where they would have to make cuts or adjustments to their budget but in a shorter time span. While campaigning with Peter Zwicker and Carolyn Bollivar Getson Wednesday, Premier Rodney MacDonald told CKBW News the funding for the projects at South Shore Regional amounted to 12-million dollars.

Sudden Death

2009-05-13 08:27:10

A 59-year old Lunenburg county man is dead after an unusual call for first responders.  According to the RCMP, police, paramedics and members of the New Germany fire department were called to the sudden death of a Stanley Section man.  When they got there, they found the man on his property, in a well.  Sergeant Dean Warr says he was pronounced dead at the scene.  Police say they are still investigating and an autopsy is scheduled for today by the medical examiners office.  But they add no foul play is suspected.  His name is not being released.

Fire Tax Credit

2009-05-13 08:23:51

Rodney MacDonald is looking to increase the volunteer firefighter tax credit if he's returned to office next month.  The Premier announced this morning an increase in the tax credit from 375 to 500-dollars in 2009.  When it was introduced as part of the 2007 budget, the credit was $250 and was for volunteer firefighters. It was a campaign promise by the Tories in the 2006 campaign. It was increased to $375 last year, and expanded to include the ground search and rescue teams.   There are about 8000 volunteer firefighters in Nova Scotia and about 1700 members of ground search and rescue teams.   Both the Liberals and New Democrats have introduced similar measures in the Legislature over the past three years.

Health Board

2009-05-12 12:05:36

Nova Scotia's Health Minister has appointed one new member and re-appointed three others to the Board of Directors for South Shore Health.  Christopher Clarke, Walter Freeman and Doug Nauss are all returning to the board.  Dr. Al Doucet is the new face. He has practised as a family physician in Liverpool for 31 years and was a recent president of the District's Medical Staff. He retired from family practice last year and is currently working part time as South Shore Health's physician leader for Continuing Care.  Dr. Doucet replaces retiring Board Member Dr. David Large who did not reoffer for his position.

Salmon Habitat

2009-05-12 12:03:26

Community groups in two south shore counties and across Nova Scotia will soon be starting projects to improve fish habitat in their local river systems. The money is coming from the Nova Scotia Sportfish Habitat Fund.     Repairing stream channels, planting trees to stabilize banks, and restoring historic trout and salmon migration routes are all parts of projects supported by the Adopt-a-Stream program.       Fisheries and Aquaculture director of inland fisheries Murray Hill says the many volunteer groups across the province who have waterway projects should be proud of their work.          Over the next year, 18 community groups will receive money from the 2009 Nova Scotia Sportfish Habitat Fund. A five-dollar and 44-cent fee added to the general and salmon fishing licences in the province provides the income for the fund.
 Two projects are earmarked in Lunenburg County: The LaHave River Salmon Association will get $12,000. And for there is $15,000 for Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation for work on Mushamush River. In Queens County, there's $400 for the Medway River Salmon Association.   Additional information on sportfishing can be found online at  www.gov.ns.ca/fish/sportfishing .

 

Queens Ballot

2009-05-12 06:15:20

It's now official - the ballot is set with all three candidates in place.   Kerry Morash is the Conservative party candidate in Queen's.  Morash - a lifelong Queens resident - was first elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003.  He was acclaimed as candidate at a nomination meeting Monday night.    He has served as caucus chair and held two portfolios in cabinet and most recently was Rural Outreach Coordinator.  Morash was defeated by the NDP's Vicki Conrad in 2006 - the first time the Tories lost in Queens in fifty years.  Many said it was the lack of a Liberal candidate in the riding that allowed the NDP to take the seat by 55 ballots last time. The Grits have Wayne Henley on the ballot this time.  Conrad is fighting to hold onto the seat for the New Democrats heading into a very competitive campaign.

Fatal A-T-V Accident

2009-05-11 11:56:29

An all terrain vehicle accident has claimed the life of a 40-year old Queens county man.  RCMP Staff Sergeant Bruno Deveau says the RCMP were called out yesterday morning to a private dirt road in North Brookfield in Queens.  That's where they found Terry Scott Rawding of Pleasant River. He was pronounced dead at the scene. S/Sgt Deveau says he had been at a camp the night before and he left that night headed for home. That's when they believe the accident happened.  Police say Rawding was wearing a helmet. They are still investigating.

Sawmill Fire

2009-05-11 11:54:52

Officials with Bowater's sawmill operation in Lunenburg county call it a minor fire. Robin Anthony says there was only slight damage in a Stacker Outfeed area of the sawmill in Oakhill. And there were no injuries.Oakhill and Dayspring responded to the call last night around twenty to ten. The fire was reportedly in the same outbuilding where some welding had been done earlier in the day.

Leader's Tour

2009-05-11 11:41:07

Rodney MacDonald was the first.   Darrell Dexter wasn't too far behind.  And today, the Leader of the Liberal Party will be campaigning in Lunenburg county.  Stephen McNeil says the area is important to his party. McNeil will be in Bridgewater, Lunenburg and Mahone Bay today and in Tantallon with the Chester St. Margaret's candidate this evening.  Darrell Dexter is in Lunenburg today where he will be taking a tour of video-game developer H-B Studios.  Premier MacDonald is spending the day in the Halifax area.

Tax Credit

2009-05-11 05:50:54

Lunenburg's NDP candidate says one of their party's campaign planks would be a help to companies like Composites Atlantic.  Pam Birdsall says the ten percent manufacturing and processing tax credit would help businesses grow and would create employment in Lunenburg.  Thursday, she took a tour of Composites with party leader Darrell Dexter adding their proposal would allow them to invest in new equipment.  She adds it's not just a tax break but an incentive for companies to upgrade and become more competitive.  Lunenburg's total manufacturing labour force accounted for just over 42-hundred jobs according to statistics from 2001.

French School Land

2009-05-11 05:49:11

Now that the sale has closed, we're finding out how much the Municipality got for a piece of land for a new French school in Cookville.  C-A-O Tammy Wilson says the property is just over ten acres. It was sold to the province earlier this year at a cost of $400,000.  The piece of property is just off Highway 10 near the WalMart development.   A replacement for École de la Rive-Sud in Blockhouse will be built near the Osprey Ridge development.  The school will have up to 285 French first-language students from the region. It will cost about $13 million and should be completed in 2010.  A local real estate agent says forty-thousand an acre is a fair price for a lot that size near the Exit 12 development.  She says that's where a lot of people want to be right now as the retail area continues to grow.  The municipality isn't sure if the 1 percent deed transfer tax applies to the sale between the two levels of government.

Beach Protection

2009-05-08 06:29:13

The dunes of Cherry Hill Beach are being protected .  Effective today, (Friday, May 8th,) vehicle traffic along the dunes and the beach is banned.Beach access for traditional uses such as clam digging, waterfowl hunting and swimming  will continue to be permitted. There will be a designated area for parking.  Cherry Hill Beach is  an important nesting habitat for the endangered piping plover and a vital feeding and resting area for many thousands of migrating shorebirds." The ban will be enforced by Department of Natural Resources officers and, when appropriate, RCMP. Operators who ignore the ban can be charged under the Crown Lands Act and/or the Motor Vehicle Act.

McHappy BBBS

2009-05-08 06:26:13

They're awfully McHappy at South Shore Big Brothers and Big Sisters today.  The group was the beneficiary of the funds from yesterday's McHappy Days at the Bridgewater McDonald's restaurant.  A dollar from each mcmuffin and Big Mac sold yesterday were given to charity.  And after the numbers were crunched, it looks like there were a lot of sandwiches munched.  Sandra Murray says they will be receiving $2,000 to help pay for their programs to help boys and girls in the area.

Generous Enough

2009-05-08 06:23:36

A May 20th public meeting on the Queens Place recreational facility has been cancelled because of a lack of "information gaps".  One of those according to the Region's Rec department is a shortfall in funding. The group says the five-million dollars from the province doesn't quite come up to one third of the cost.  They were also hoping for additional money to develop the land around the construction site.  Premier Rodney MacDonald says his government has already given what it can to the project.  The group says a public meeting on Queens Place will be held, but not until they have all of the information they need to provide to residents of Queens.

Leaders Tour

2009-05-07 09:33:24

NDP Leader Darrell Dexter hits the south shore area to campaign with local candidates today.  Dexter will be doing some mainstreeting at the Bridgewater Mall Plaza with Lunenburg West candidate Gary Ramey at noontime. At 2 o'clock this afternoon the Provincial New Democrat leader will tour Composites Atlantic in Lunenburg with Pam Birdsall who's running for the NDP in the Lunenburg riding. Later in the afternoon Dexter will join  candidate Denise Peterson Rafuse for a meet and greet at the NDP Campaign Headquarters for Chester-St. Margaret's at 4171 Highway 3 in Chester.  Dexter will also pay a visit to Shoreham Village.

After an intense day of Campaigning on the south shore including an appearance at the Lunenburg nomination meeting, Premier MacDonald is in Pictou county today. Peter Zwicker was elected as the Conservative's candidate for the Lunenburg riding last night.

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil will be in the valley campaigning today.