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.

Chester: Council Ponders Gold River School

The Municipality of Chester continues to explore its options on the future of the Gold River-Western Shore Elementary school. Warden Allen Webber says no decision was made following an in-camera discussion recently. Webber says council has discussed selling, keeping and demolishing the structure. He says the roof remains one of the concerns.



Webber says a decision would also need to be made regarding the playground equipment at the school. He says he doesn't consider the school a liability, but an opportunity for the municipality.

McNeil: Nova Scotia Election About "Trust"

Liberal leader Stephen McNeil says the South Shore is an election battleground with key seats up for grabs when residents head to the polls October 8th. Currently, the NDP hold seats in Lunenburg, Chester-St Margaret's, Lunenburg West, and in the Queens-Shelburne region. McNeil toured the area with local Liberal candidates Mark Furey, Suzanne Lohnes-Croft and Tim Harris on Monday. In an interview with CKBW, McNeil says the Liberals will focus on a number of key areas.



McNeil helped officially open Lunenburg West candidate Mark Furey's campaign headquarters on King Street. Furey says he's been hearing health care, education and rural jobs are a top priority for residents of Lunenburg West. PC candidate David Mitchell is also challenging for the seat in the legislature. The incumbent in the riding is NDP candidate Gary Ramey.

Election Campaign Underway: Liberals Roll Into South Shore

The election campaign is in full swing - Liberal leader Stephen McNeil told CKBW news he feels the South Shore is an election battleground with a number of key seats up for grabs. He toured Lunenburg West, Chester-St.Margaret's and Lunenburg riding's Monday. The NDP currently hold each of those seats in the legislature. Here's a shot of the official opening of Lunenburg West candidate Mark Furey's campaign HQ in Bridgewater.

Election Preview: Lunenburg West Riding

Seeking election in Lunenburg West:  Here is a preview and a brief bio on the candidates vying for election. *Indicates incumbent candidate.




NDP: *Gary Ramey, was elected in 2009. Prior to becoming an MLA, he taught high school, university and college for more than 30 years. Ramey is the co-founder and Vice President of Adventus Interactive. He's a member of the Gulf of Maine Institute project and former board member of Bonny Lea Farm. He has a Ph.D from the University of Alberta, an M.A. from Mount Saint Vincent University and a B.Ed and B.A. from Mount Allison University.

Liberal: Mark Furey, is a retired police officer. He retired from the RCMP in 2012 after 32 years. He served with detachments throughout Nova Scotia including Halifax, Cape Breton and the South Shore where he served as the District Commander for Lunenburg County. Furey has recently worked with the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre, Jenna Martin (2012 Olympian) "Go For Gold", and Habitat For Humanity Fundraising Committees.

Progressive Conservative: David Mitchell, is a former municipal councillor in Bridgewater and was first elected to town council in 2004. For the last seven years, Mitchell has been a Wealth Advisor at ScotiaMcLeod in Bridgewater.  He is also an active community volunteer, helping with the Inn from the Cold program, and serving as a youth group leader and Junior Church teacher.

Election Preview: Queens-Shelburne Riding

 

Seeking election in Queens-Shelburne: Here is a preview and a brief bio on the candidates vying for election. This is a new riding created when Nova Scotia's electoral boundaries were redrawn last fall.



Seeking election in Queens-Shelburne

NDP: Sterling Belliveau, a self-employed fisherman, was elected to office in the 2006 election. Prior to election, Belliveau served as a councillor in the Municipality of Barrington. He also served two terms as Warden in the municipality.

Liberal: Benson Frail, a resident of Caledonia, has spent the past six years as project foreman in the oil patch in Western Canada.  He has worked for several years as a consultant, focused on marketing Queens County and attracting business to the area from across Europe and North America.

Progressive Conservative: Bruce Inglis, is a financial advisor for Sun Life and is serving his second term as councillor for the Region of Queens Municipality. He has also served as former president of the PC Association of Queens County.

Election Preview: Lunenburg Riding

Seeking election in Lunenburg: Here is a preview and a brief bio on the candidates vying for election. *Indicates incumbent candidate.

NDP: *Pam Birdsall, was first elected in 2009. She is a longtime resident of Mahone Bay and has been the co-owner and operator of Birdsall-Worthington Pottery since 1977. Prior to election, Birdsall was a founding member of the Mahone Bay Business Association, now known as the Mahone Bay and Area Chamber of Commerce. She is a recipient of the Women of Excellence Award from the Halifax Progress Club.

Liberal: Suzanne Lohnes-Croft, is a long-time resident of Mahone Bay.  She attended the old Mahone Bay School, and later Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax.  As an Early Childhood Educator, she taught at Point Pleasant Child Care Centre and the Mount Saint Vincent Child Study Centre. Presently, she works as a Program Support Assistant for the South Shore Regional School Board.

Progressive Conservatives: Brian Pickings, Pickings was born and raised in Upper LaHave. He is self-employed, owning and operating his own carpentry business. He is an active member of the Masonic Lodge. Pickings has also been a District Captain for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, has volunteered at food banks and is an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Election Preview: Chester-St. Margaret's Riding

Seeking election in Chester-St.Margaret's: Here is a preview and a brief bio on the candidates vying for election. *Indicates incumbent candidate.



NDP: *Denise Peterson-Rafuse was first elected as MLA in 2009. Prior to her election, she was Program Coordinator for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia in Hants, Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne counties. She has also worked as a mortgage consultant for Premiere Mortgage Centre and she worked for the Halifax Regional Municipality for 10 years.

Liberal: Tim Harris is a long time resident of Chester. Harris is the Broker and the sole owner of Tradewinds Realty Incorporated, a residential real estate brokerage with five offices (Chester, Lunenburg, Bridgewater, Annapolis Royal & Halifax) in Nova Scotia.

Progressive Conservative: Janet Irwin is a long time resident of Bayswater. Irwin retired from the CBC after a 31-year career in 2011. Irwin also worked as television reporter and producer of radio programs such as Maritime Noon.

Yarmouth Town Readies For Ferry's Return

With ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine to be restored in time for the next tourism season, the Mayor of the town is anxious to get cracking at preparing for it. Pam Mood is organizing a community meeting this coming Wednesday evening. She says things have been allowed to slide a bit cosmetically in the town since the original ferry service was shutdown in 2009. However, the mayor says that has got to change and everyone needs to work together.



Economic Development Minister Graham Steele says the province has reached a deal with STM Quest to begin operating the new ferry service starting May 1st.  He anticipates there will be sailings out of Yarmouth each morning and overnight sailings from Portland.