Hurricanes Improve To 2-0 At Provincials

The BMO Western Hurricanes are now 2-0 at the provincials in Cape Breton. The Hurricanes scored the games first six goals, earning an 8-3 win over the Kings Mutual Wildcats. Christopher Goreham and Jerod Scott each scored twice to pace the Hurricanes attack. Keith Getson, Quinten Johnson, Travis Parks and Jacob Myra added a goal each. The major bantam club is back on the ice at 6pm tonight against the Newbridge Senators.

Consultation Dates Revealed For Crown Land Use

The Nova Scotia government will hold nine public meetings over the next few weeks for people to share their ideas on the use of Crown land in western region. The province announced consultations would begin on the 1.5 million acres of land in February. The Crown land includes the former Bowater lands and large parcels in Queens, Annapolis, Shelburne, Yarmouth, HRM and Lunenburg. Acting Natural Resources Minister Maurice Smith says people can give their ideas on ways to use the lands to bring economic and social gain. Meeting have been scheduled to take place in West Northfield, Greenfield, Shelburne and Yarmouth - among other locations. Community forests, agricultural, renewable energy, wineries, maple syrup production and tourist activities are among the options. The planning will also consider access to lakes, roads, and trails on the lands. A list of open house locations and dates is on the Natural Resources website or call, toll-free 1-855-814-5832.

Meeting Schedule:

-- March 18, Shelburne Fire Hall and Community Centre

-- March 19, Windsor Legion Hall

-- March 25, Digby Co, Saulnierville Legion  Hall

-- March 26, Yarmouth Legion Hall

-- April 2, Cornwallis, Annapolis Basin Conference Centre 

-- April 3, Berwick and District Fire Hall

-- April 4, Lunenburg Co, West Northfield District  Fire Hall

-- April 8, HRM, Black Point Fire Hall

-- April 9, Queens Co, Greenfield Recreation Centre 

Saturday: Queens Manor Re-Opens To Visitors

Officials at a group home in Liverpool say they will re-open to visitors this weekend. Queens Manor had been off limits for nearly a month due to an outbreak of the flu. The restrictions will remain in effect for today. However, family members and friends will be able to visit their loved ones as usual beginning Saturday. Group homes require 48 hours without a new case before they can lift a visitation ban in order to reduce the spread of the illness.

Lunenburg Council Agrees To Install More Stop Signs

Lunenburg council has unanimously agreed to install more stop signs in the town. Councillor Peter Zwicker says a new three way stop will be created at the intersections of King and Lincoln and King and Montague. He says its a necessary step to help improve pedestrian and traffic safety.



Zwicker says council decided to initiate some recommendations from consultants in their traffic and parking study. He expects the stop signs to be installed sometime this spring.

Search Called Off After Spotted Flare Reports

An official says a search launched along the South Shore after a flare was reportedly spotted has been called off. The Canadian Press was first to report the search was called off. Major Martell Thompson, a spokesman for the Joint Rescue Co-ordinator Centre in Halifax, says searches were conducted along the Liverpool shoreline, but nothing out of the ordinary was found. He also says no local vessels or people have been reported overdue.

Mooseheads Drop Wild Match In New Brunswick

A wild "Q" game in northern New Brunswick Wednesday night as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan edged the Halifax Moosheads 8-7 in overtime. The Moose rallied from a 5-2 deficit to take a 7-5 lead before the Titans bounced back to tie it. The Herd played without several regulars including Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon.

Residents Concerned Over Automated MLA Phone Calls

Some local residents are concerned after getting recorded phone calls from MLAs who don't represent them. People reportedly received automated calls from Lunenburg MLA Pam Birdsall and Lunenburg West MLA Gary Ramey asking people to call-in to a town hall style meeting with them earlier this week. However, some of the phone calls were made to people who aren't represented by either political figure. Birdsall says she doesn't feel it was a robocall issue.



Birdsall says they had over 600 people participate in the phone-in session, calling it a successful venture. She says people responded to questions regarding the shipbuilding contract and future of health-care in the region. She apologizes to anyone who was inconvenienced by the calls.

McIntosh, Drennan Win Medals At CIS Track Championships

A pair of South Shore athletes have set Nova Scotia senior records with their performances at the CIS Track and Field Championships in Edmonton. Bridgewater's Rachael McIntosh struck gold in the women's pentathlon while Lunenburg's Jesse Drennan notched a silver medal in the men's pentathlon. The 22-year-old McIntosh won three of the five events including the shotput, long jump and 800 metre run on route to a personal best and defending her title from last year. Drennan, meanwhile, had the top score in the shotput and also placed third in the high jump and long jump events. Bridgewater's Jen Pitman will compete in the women's high jump on Saturday.

Hurricanes Open Provincials With Shutout Win

The BMO Western Hurricanes got goals from five different players on route to a 5-0 win Thursday to open the provincial championships in Cape Breton. Jaron Bollivar, Keith Getson, Logan Walters, Cameron Jacquard and Jacob Myra each scored while Colby Muise turned aside 20 shots for the shutout. The Hurricanes will play two games Friday. There first game will be at 10 this morning versus Kings Mutual. They also play at 6pm against the Newbridge Senators.

Police Investigate Damaged Power Equipment In Woods Harbour

Police say damaged equipment at the Nova Scotia Power station in Woods Harbour caused a significant outage earlier this week. Barrington RCMP are looking for vandals after residents of Argyle, Pubnico and Woods Harbour were without power overnight Monday. Police say 91 glass insulators were shot at and damaged. The equipment was battered by wind and rain, resulting in an outage of more than 3,000 households and businesses. Anyone with information is asked to call RCMP.

MODL Changes Solid Waste Collection By-Law

The Municipality of Lunenburg has added some much needed teeth to its Solid Waste Collection and Disposal by-law. Council passed a motion to accept changes to the document, which includes new sections on rejection of waste, construction or demolition materials and legal and illegal disposal. The municipality feels the by-law amendments could help reduce the amount of unsorted waste being generated and cut down on illegal dumping. Deputy Mayor Don Zwicker says the housekeeping was long-overdue for the by-law.



Council is expected to formally approve the changes at their next meeting.

Father And Son Fined For Fisheries-Related Offenses

A hefty penalty has been imposed on a father and son for failing to properly report their halibut catch. In Bridgewater court, Lorraine Boutilier and his son Blaine of Hubbards were slapped with more than $10,000 in fines after they pleaded guilty to various fisheries-related offences. The charges were laid more than three years ago after federal fisheries officers conducted a search at Deep Cove Aqua Farms Limited. Their investigation revealed the Boutilier's were involved in catching and selling more than 500 kilograms of unreported halibut. Judge Gregory Lenehan told court all fishermen should know the importance of reporting an accurate catch. He explained failing to properly report catches negatively affects quotas and hurts other fishermen. The Boutilier's were given at least a year to pay-off the fines.

Stompin’ Tom Connors dies at 77

For hockey fans around the world, he was known for 'The Hockey Song.' For everyone else, he was Stompin' Tom. The country-folk musician from Saint John, New Brunswick died Wednesday at the the age of 77 at his home in Ontario. Connors was known for his toe-tapping music and unwavering patriotism. According to his website, Stompin' Tom recorded 61 albums, which featured hits Bud the Spud, Sudbury Saturday Night and Up Canada Way. Connors released a message to his family upon his death, part of which said:

"It was a long hard bumpy road. But this great country kept me inspired with its beauty, character, and spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world."

Tom is survived by his wife Lena, two sons, two daughters and several grandchildren.

Bantam Hurricanes Start Provincials In Cape Breton

The BMO Western Hurricanes will try and add a provincial title to their resume this weekend. The major bantam provincials kick-off today in North Sydney, with the top seven teams ready to battle for top spot. The Hurricanes are the third seed based on regular season standings. They will play their first game at 4pm this afternoon against the Mobil 1 Barons. The provincial winners earn the right to represent Nova Scotia in the 'Irving Oil Atlantic Challenge' later this spring.

More Jobs, Less-Government Lead Economy Discussion

Roughly 65 people participated in a meeting discussing the province's economic future at the Best Western in Cookville Wednesday night. The 'Nova Scotia Commission on Building Our New Economy' hosted the meeting to gauge ideas from local residents and business owners on new directions for wealth creation. Among the discussion topics included what people would change about the area and why they choose to live here. Wileville resident Elspeth McLean-Wile believes solving issues in rural Nova Scotia will start with its residents.



People believe some of the factors working against the area include out-migration of youth and workers, cost of living and lack of public transit. People were also asked during the evening to provide one word they could use to improve the area. The most-requested suggestions included more jobs, less-government, sustainability, and education. The commission now moves on to Shelburne for a meeting at 9am Thursday morning at the Fire Hall. They plan to release an interim report on their findings in April.

Athletes Prepare For CIS Track And Field Championships

Three South Shore athletes are competing this week at the CIS Track and Field Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. Lunenburg's Jesse Drennan along with Bridgewater's Rachael McIntosh and Jen Pitman are all representing their respective universities at the event. Drennan and McIntosh will each compete in the indoor pentathlon while Pitman is in the women's high jump. McIntosh says she's ready to go.



McIntosh says she's ranked number one heading into pentathlon, but her training partner at the University of Calgary is right behind her. She will also compete in the women's long jump and 4 x 400 metre race. Events get underway tomorrow afternoon in Edmonton. Live results will be posted here once the competition starts.

Queens Place General Manager Resigns

There's a vacancy at the helm of Queens Place-Emera Centre. General manager Neil Raymond has resigned. He's been on the job for only a year and has accepted a new job in New Brunswick. His resignation in Liverpool is effective March 15th. Mayor Christopher Clarke is wishing Raymond well and is thanking him for helping to get Queens Place-Emera Centre up and running smoothly.

Economy Commission Hosts Meeting In Cookville

An independent body mandated by the province to discuss the economy is in Cookville this evening. The Nova Scotia Commission on Building Our New Economy, is chaired by Acadia University president Ray Ivany. Four other members make up the group, which was created to engage communities in discussion and debate on potential economic development opportunities. Ivany feels the province is at a critical stage.



The commission was established last November and has recently made stops in Wolfville, Digby and Halifax. The meeting starts at 7pm tonight at the Best Western Plus in Cookville. More details can be found here .

Court: Jail Time For Man Possessing Illegal Smokes

It's two months in jail for a West Northfield man after being caught with hundreds of illegal cigarettes. William Oswald Russell was sentenced in provincial court earlier today. Police found the smokes when they carried out a search warrant at Russell's home last summer. The 61-year-old has a previous criminal record and has been convicted on multiple occasions of possessing illegal smokes. Judge Gregory Lenehan told court Russell owes "hundreds of thousands" in previous court ordered fines related to banned cigarettes. Lenehan imposed another fine in the range of $5,500 in court today. Russell will also spend twelve months on probation when he is released.

Shelburne County: Police Seize Marihuana Plants From Home

A 23-year-old man from Shelburne County has been charged with production of marihuana after police allegedly found and dismantled an indoor grow-op in his home. Shelburne County RCMP searched a home on Port Latour Road Tuesday around 5pm and seized 11 marihuana plants along with drug paraphernalia and equipment. The man was arrested and later released. He is scheduled to appear in Barrington Provincial Court April 25th.