Puck Drops On Local Hockey

The South Shore Mustangs begin play Thursday afternoon at the 32nd annual Monctonian 'AAA' Challenge. The local major midget club battles the Ottawa 67s in their opening match Thursday before facing off against St. John's Friday and Fredericton Saturday.For updates from Moncton, visit http://www.pointstreak.com/players/players-leagues.html?leagueid=530 . Elsewhere, the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks meet their South Shore rivals Thursday night in Liverpool. The Jacks meet the Yarmouth Mariners at Queens Place. Game time is 7:30. And the puck drops on the 10th annual Glen Murray Invitational hockey tournament Thursday night in Bridgewater. Twelve teams are vying to be champion. Some of the teams in this year's event are the Barrington Barons, Yarmouth Vikings, Cole Harbour Cavaliers as well as tournament hosts Park View Panthers and Bridgewater Vikings. Games start at 4pm Thursday afternoon, starting with Park View against Barrington. To find scores and schedule, go to http://www.htosports.com/teams/default.asp?u=GLENMURRAY-BESTWESTERN&t=c&s=hockey&p=home .

MODL Seeking Clarity On School Zone Speed Limits

The Municipality of Lunenburg is looking for clarification on new speed limits in school zones. Staff with the municipality are writing a letter to the Department of Transportation to find out how long the limits are in effect. Mayor Don Downe says they want to make sure people understand.



The province dropped speed limits in school zones from 50 to 30 km/h at the start of September. Downe hopes to hear back from the province before the new year.

Queens: Funding For Curling Rink/County Fair

There will be three significant funding announcements on Thursday in Queens County. South Shore-St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy will announce new money for the Liverpool Curling Club, Queens County Fairgrounds and the Queens County Museum. The money will be provided through ACOA and  Heritage Canada. It's expected to help with various renovations and upgrades at all three venues. The long standing curling rink on Gorham Street was re-built in 1965 and is in need of a new refrigeration system. The old system broke down last year and left local curlers without a place to play for the season. Meanwhile, the fairgrounds in Caledonia will receive funding to support upgrades around the the popular exhibition grounds in North Queens. The third announcement will help with an expansion project at the Queens County Museum.

Lunenburg: Croft Selected As Deputy Mayor

A veteran councillor in Lunenburg has been selected as the town's new deputy mayor. Danny Croft has nearly 14 years of experience in municipal politics and is the most seasoned politician among the six councillors in the town. Mayor Rachel Bailey called it a good choice.





Croft received the full support of council during a meeting Tuesday night. He takes over the role previously held by councillor John McGee.

PC's Lay Out Economic Vision

It sounds somewhat like an election campaign but the next provincial election likely won't happen until at least the spring. However, the province's PC leader is trying to distance his party from the NDP and Liberals when it comes to economic issues. Jamie Baillie says he'd balance the budget, cut the HST to 13 percent, freeze power rates and kill what he calls labour dis-incentives, like contract arbitration.




Baillie says the other parties would do very little to ease the economic well-being of residents of the South Shore and elsewhere in the province. He says handouts, bailouts and give-away's to create jobs haven't worked and need to be abandoned. (There will be a debate in the legislature this afternoon on the state of the economy and how to grow it.)

Phase 3 Inflow Reduction Over Budget "By a Bit"

The third phase of Bridgewater's inflow reduction project is winding down. Town Engineer Phil Corkum expected paving to be finished on Dominion Street by the end of the week, with the project wrapping up by the end of the month. The work was done to improve underground piping that carries water runoff and sewage. Work on the project started in June before Corkum began working for the town in early September. He says the project is over-budget "by a bit", but couldn't get into specifics.



Mayor David Walker says a report will be issued listing all capital projects approved in the budget and what has been spent so far. He hopes that will shed some light on how to move forward.



Financial details are expected to be given at Bridgewater council's next meeting on November 26.

Confinement Case Adjourned Until December

A Queens County man charged with forcible confinement and sexual assault against a 16 year-old boy has had his case adjourned until next month. David James Leblanc made a brief court appearance this morning in Bridgewater. The 47 year-old is facing seven charges in total in relation to an incident in Upper Chelsea. Leblanc was wheeled into the courtroom with the help of two sheriffs. Defence lawyer Mike Taylor says his client recently had surgery on his feet after suffering frostbite while on the run from police in northern Ontario. The RCMP launched an investigation after a teenager landed at a woman's doorstep claiming he had be held captive for about one week. The case will resume on December 19th. Taylor says he hopes to set dates for a preliminary inquiry.

School Board Holding Annual General Meeting

The newly-elected South Shore Regional School Board will be sworn-in Wednesday night during the annual general meeting. Six elected officials along with the Mikmaq and African Nova Scotian representatives will replace the one-member board that has served the region for the last year. Members will review the previous year's work and elect a new chair and vice-chair of the board. Communications Manager Trish Smith says anyone can run for those positions and will be voted on by the members. The meeting is open to the public and will be held Wednesday night at 7pm at the board office.

Conquerall Bank Church Seeking Heritage Property De-Registration

It could the beginning of the end for a Conquerall Bank church as a heritage property. Municipal council has approved a motion to hold a public hearing to consider de-registering the Redeemer Lutheran Church. Members received a letter from the property's owner saying the church is no longer being used as a house of worship on a regular basis and the building is in need of repairs. Mayor Don Downe says the costs have become too much to bear for the church.



The building was built in 1863 and is the oldest church structure in Conquerall Bank. There are currently 14 heritage properties in the municipality of Lunenburg. A public hearing has been scheduled for early January.

Milton Fire Sends Man To Hospital

 A Queens county man is recovering in hospital following a house fire in Milton. The fire broke out over the noon hour on Morely Street. RCMP Sergeant Jeff Wells says the man had escaped the home when members arrived at the scene.



Wells says the home sustained significant smoke and water damage as a result of the fire. No word on the cause.

Highway 103 Crash Victim Identified

RCMP have released the victim's name that was killed in a motor vehicle collision on Highway 103 yesterday afternoon. Seventy-year-old Alan Wayne McTavish of Bridgewater died when the vehicle he was driving collided with a transport truck between exits 19 and 20A near Liverpool. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the collision is still under investigation.

New Life For Iconic Cox Warehouse In Shelburne

The iconic Cox Warehouse in Shelburne has been given new life. The historic building will undergo a major restoration following an investment to the tune of $229,000 through ACOA (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). Upgrades to the 110-year-old building include a new roof, window replacement, modernizing the heating system, reshingling and structural repairs. Following its restoration, the Cox Warehouse will become the new home of the micro-brewery operated by the Dock Street Brewing Company. President of the Shelburne Historical Society, Louise Lindsay called it a huge opportunity for the community. She says her organization has spent 20 years looking for a suitable use for Cox Warehouse.

Federal Dollars To Help Shelburne Projects

The federal government will contribute more than $100,000  to four projects in Shelburne County. South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy was in Shelburne this morning to deliver the cheques. There was one for $10,250 for restoration work on the Sandy Point Lighthouse. Just over $11,000 will go toward improvements along historic Dock Street. A large investment of nearly $60,000 will help the Shelburne County Arena Association in making improvements to the Shelburne Arena. Another $26,530 will support the Municipality of the District of Shelburne to complete work on improving the washrooms, shower facilities, parking lot and floating docks at Welkum Park.

Location Set For Law Amendments Meeting In Shelburne

The province has announced details of where and when its law amendments committee will meet to talk about proposed changes to the electoral boundaries of the Shelburne district. The proposal, submitted earlier by the Electoral Boundaries Commission, has sparked a backlash among constituents. They suggest the proposal cuts the riding in half, even though there was no public consultation. The Dexter government says public meetings will be held at the Sandy Point Lighthouse Centre in Sandy Point on Thursday night and Friday morning. Those hoping to make a presentation are being urged to register in advance by calling the Nova Scotia legislative counsel in Halifax.

White Point's Main Lodge Officially Opens

The doors to White Point's new main lodge are officially open. A grand opening was held Monday after festivities died down from Nova Scotia Music Week. It was a year ago Monday when fire engulfed the previous main lodge, destroying the building. Owner Robert Risley says a new era has begun at White Point.



The new lodge is made up of many materials including White Point beachstone, rough timber, and iron in the interior and exterior of the building. Roughly 90% of staff have also returned to their jobs, which manager Danny Morton says is very special. He says there is still two-or-three weeks of work left to go on the main lodge before its complete. The lodge will only be open to the public during weekends this month before fully re-opening in December.

UPDATED: Bridgewater Man Killed In Highway Collision

A 70-year-old Bridgewater man was killed after a head-on collision between a car and five-tonne truck on highway 103. RCMP say the crash happened around 4pm Monday afternoon between exits 19 and 20A near Liverpool. Police say an eastbound car crossed the centre line and collided with the truck. Cpl. Scott MacRae says they closed that section of highway for roughly five-and-a-half hours so a traffic analyst could investigate the cause of the crash. He says it could be a lengthy investigation.



A LifeFlight helicopter was called-in but was cancelled after the man died in his vehicle. MacRae says the truck driver was shaken up but didn't suffer any injuries. Highway 103 re-opened between the Liverpool and White Point Road exits around 9:30pm Monday night.

Hwy 103 Re-Opens After Fatal Collision

Emergency officials have re-opened a section of Highway following a fatal two-vehicle crash near Liverpool. The crash occurred around 4 o'clock between Exits 19 and 20A. RCMP say an eastbound car crossed the centre line and slammed into a large truck. The male driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the big rig was not injured. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Tuesday: MP Keddy Visits Shelburne/Bridgewater

The MP for South Shore-St. Margaret's will make a trio of funding announcements for the region on Tuesday. Gerald Keddy will begin the day in Shelburne where he's expected to spread around some money to support heritage preservation and economic opportunity in Shelburne. He will also announce funds to upgrade recreational infrastructure in the area as well. Later in the day, Keddy will join Lunenburg West MLA Gary Ramey for an afternoon announcement in Bridgewater. It will be a joint announcement between Ottawa and the provincial government to support the Acadia Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship. The funding will be invested into a program aimed at helping those aged 55 to 64 re-enter the workforce or find new work. The details will be unveiled at HB Studio's Sports Complex.

New Traffic System Begins at PVEC In Bridgewater

A new traffic system at Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater will be implemented on Tuesday. The biggest change will see the entrance and exit lanes flipped so the buses can travel around the back of the school. The goal is to free up heavy traffic from the front area of the building. Meanwhile, vehicles parked around the side of the school will now be able to exit through a new road connecting to Panther Way. The school board's communications manager, Trish Smith says it's hoped the changes will improve safety and reduce traffic congestion.

Remembrance Day: Lest We Forget

Remembrance Day ceremonies will be held today throughout the South Shore. If you can not attend a ceremony in your community, HANK FM will carry live coverage of the program from Veterans Memorial Park in Bridgewater. The ceremony begins at 10:45AM.




In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae, MD