Whalen: NS Facing $481 M Deficit - No HST Cut

Nova Scotia is facing a $481 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year end. Finance Minister Diana Whalen confirmed the shortfall during a fiscal update - the first since the Liberals took office back in October. The largest contributor to the deficit is a drop in income tax revenues of $71 million and a one-time pension adjustment of $300 million to account for the unfunded liability in the public service pension. Whalen says the government is also calling on all departments to reduce spending by 1 percent - excluding health and education. Meanwhile, Whalen says Nova Scotians will not be getting their cut to the HST this spring. She says the province simply can't afford it now. She estimates the annual revenue for the province will be $9.3 billion. That's $158 million less than the target in the budget.

Park View, Bridgewater Face Off In Alumni Game

Old rivals are preparing to square off before Christmas. An alumni hockey game has been set up between former players with the Park View Panthers and the Bridgewater Vikings. One of the organizers, Michael Hubley, says proceeds will go to the Bridgewater Interchurch Food Bank.



Admission will be three dollars. The game will be held Monday night (December 23) at 6pm at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena.

Ups And Downs For South Shore Housing Market

Some ups and downs in the housing market on the South Shore. The Nova Scotia Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service shows housing sales are down nearly 10 per cent between September and November this year, compared to 2012. Meanwhile, listings have increased over the three month period by about seven per cent. President Gary Mailman says there could be some reasons to explain why sales have dropped.



Mailman says final figures for 2013 will be released in January. He's optimistic there will be more activity in the real estate market in 2014.

Liverpool: Federal Dollars For Astor Theatre

The Astor Theatre in Liverpool is getting some financial help from Ottawa to modernize their experience for movie goers. MP Gerald Keddy announced $50,000 to help the theatre install a digital projection unit. The money will help the Astor reach its fundraising goal of $100,000. Upgrades to the sound system and lighting will also be made. The Astor is the oldest operating theatre in Canada.

Fears For Seniors/Disabled If Door To Door Mail Delivery Ends

There are fears for the safety of seniors and the disabled on the South Shore and elsewhere if Canada Post eliminates home delivery of mail. The President of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, Kentville Mayor David Corkum, says bad weather makes it especially difficult to get mail at a community mailbox.



The UNSM is suggesting Ottawa fund a special program that would enable the physically-challenged to hire someone to pick up their mail. It intends to pressure the federal government to ensure timely mail delivery for seniors and the physically-challenged.

Bridgewater Fire Chief: Check Your Space Heaters

The Red Cross has come to the aid of two people forced from their apartment home in Bridgewater yesterday morning by a fire. Emergency housing and food have been provided for the woman and child affected by the blaze in an apartment behind KO's Restaurant. Bridgewater Fire Chief Michael Nauss says an electric heater caused a small section of a wall to catch fire. The chief says the incident serves as a good reminder for people to keep an eye on their heating sources.



The woman and her daughter were not hurt.

Gas Prices Expected To Fall Tonight

Just in time for Christmas! South Shore gasoline prices will likely take a tumble when the coming week's prices are set tonight by the provincial utility and review board. In New Brunswick this morning, the price of self serve regular is down by more than 4 cents a litre. Diesel is also costing less by almost 3 cents a litre.

Emergency Crews Work To Keep Up With Slick Roads.

Emergency crews are being run off their feet responding to various incidents and cars off the road in Lunenburg county. Three incidents - including a head on crash - occurred in the span of 20 minutes in Centre, Robinson's Corner and Martin's River. The head on collision (seen in photo) happened in Centre. No serious injuries have been reported. Roads are extremely slick after the South Shore was hit with heavy snow, ice pellets and rain. That's on top of a messy storm which hit the region on Sunday. The second storm in as many days closed schools throughout the province and shut down business and government offices around the South Shore. (photo submitted by follower to Dahl Dispatch)

Sweetland Resident Calls For Fire Services Changes

A Sweetland resident is requesting changes to the way fire services are handled in the Municipality of Lunenburg. Wanda Martell says she reached her last straw when fire tax rates increased in Blockhouse last May. She feels there needs to be better methods of communication to the public and greater transparency from fire departments. Martell also believes more attention could be paid to amalgamation.



There are 27 fire departments in the municipality. A meeting to review fire services is planned for January. The last amalgamation in the municipality happened earlier this year when Chelsea, Newcombville and Baker Settlement combined to become Tri-District Fire Rescue.

Salvation Army Scrambles To Makeup Kettle Shortfall

The Lunenburg County Salvation Army's annual Christmas Kettle campaign is falling short of its target! They're $19,000. off the mark so far, with this year's campaign ending at noon Christmas Eve. $57,000. was originally budgetted for the coming year's programs offered by the Salvation Army in the area. Captain Felipe Vega says money raised is used to help the needy not just at Christmas. So, he says its important the target is reached in the next few days.



Vega hopes between now and December 24th, donations will at least reach the target so programs aren't impacted. The kettles are in place in the key shopping spots.

Pentz Resident Wins $25,000 Playing McDonalds Monopoly

It's going to be a McMerry Christmas for a resident in Pentz. Patrick Scott Greenough won $25,000 playing the Monopoly Game at McDonald's. He received the early holiday gift after he ordered a Big Mac meal and peeled an instant-win stamp from his soft drink cup. Greenough says he will use the money to help pay for Christmas, put towards bills and help cover the cost of a recent family trip to Florida. A presentation is planned at the Dufferin Street McDonalds in Bridgewater on Thursday evening.

Bridgewater: Electric Heater Causes Blaze At King Street Apartment

An early morning fire was quickly knocked down by firefighters in Bridgewater. Crews were alerted to a fire in the wall at an apartment building behind KO's restaurant at 434 King Street. No one was injured. The incident happened just after 7:30. Bridgewater Fire Chief Michael Nauss says a small heater is to blame for the blaze.



Nauss says people should make sure heaters receive regular maintenance to prevent them from overheating. A portion of King Street and Dufferin Street was also closed to traffic while the fire department was on scene.

Second Storm In Two Days Brings Life To A Crawl

Welcome to another (un)healthy dose of winter, three days before the season is official! You can expect perhaps as much as 20 centimeters of snow in some parts of the South Shore this morning and into the early afternoon before it tapers off to flurries. Along the coast, such as in parts of Queens and Shelburne Counties, lesser amounts are likely. To say the least driving is a challenge this morning and dangerous too. The strong northeast wind is creating white out conditions by times and its a good idea to slow down if you have to drive this morning.
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Here are the school closures.....
All schools in Lunenburg and Queens counties are closed for the day including the French school in Cookville. So are schools in the Tri-County area, Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby Counties. Schools in the Annapolis Valley and in HRM are also shutdown for the day. In fact, all schools in Mainland Nova Scotia are closed for the day. Many regional government offices are closed as well.

Margaret Hennigar Public Library To Open In January

Lynn Hennigar says her mom would be quietly proud to find her name attached to the new library. The Margaret Hennigar Public Library is scheduled to open January 2 inside the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. The former long-time editor spent nearly four decades working with Lighthouse Media Group before she passed away from cancer in 2006. Lynn Hennigar says it's fitting to have her mother's name connected to the library.



The family's contribution of $150,000 to the LCLC gives them naming rights for 10 years. The current library space on King Street in Bridgewater will shut its doors Saturday evening.

Farms On The Rise In Lunenburg County

The amount of farms in Lunenburg County grew slightly between 2006 and 2011. A resource coordinator with the province's Department of Agriculture says there are 342 farms in the county, up from 326. Brian MacCulloch says the types of farms differ from dairy, beef, fruit and vegetable and egg. The numbers in those categories either spiked or decreased by a small margin. MacCulloch says there are some positives and negatives for the area.



Meanwhile, more women have become farmers in Lunenburg County. Stats show there are 120 females involved in some sort of farming in this area. The number grew by 20 between 2006 and 2011. There is also an age movement in farmers. More people under-35 and over 55-years-old are getting involved.

Major Funding Expected For Astor Theatre

It couldn't be coming at a better time. That's how Astor Theatre manager Chris Ball sums up a planned funding announcement on Thursday in Liverpool by the member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margarets. Gerald Keddy is expected to present a cheque to help with the theatre's fund raising campaign.



The campaign is raising money for a new digital video and audio system for the theatre and also new lighting. To date, more than half of the $100,000 goal has been reached. The Astor is the oldest operating movie theatre in Canada and still uses 35 millimetre film reels.

UPDATED: Water Rate Hearing Postponed

A hearing to consider a water rate hike in the Town of Shelburne has been postponed due to weather. It was set to begin Wednesday, but has been rescheduled and will take place January 15 in Shelburne.

Chester: Wind Turbine Unveiling Rescheduled For January

The Municipality of Chester will wait until the new year to energize a wind turbine at the Kaizer Meadow landfill. Plans were in the works for the public to watch the 98-metre, two mega-watt wind turbine get powered up this week. However, a potential winter storm on Wednesday has pushed the date back until next month. Warden Allen Webber says its unfortunate news.



Webber says he was recently informed that the turbine is expected to provide enough green electricity for around 550 homes, up from 350. It will also provide $300,000 on average annually in revenue to the municipality. Webber expects the event will be rescheduled during the first two weeks of January.

Mahone Bay: Land Purchase Protects Bella Island

The province is protecting more species at risk through buying land in Mahone Bay. Bella Island has been purchased for $800,000. It's home to the piping plover and common loon. It's also a habitat for migratory birds. The Mahone Islands Conservation Association contributed $250,000 toward the purchase of the land - leaving the provincial share at $550,000. Association chair John Meisner says Bella Island is one of the few remaining privately-owned islands in Mahone. He called it a gem that must be protected. Others purchases include land on McNabs Island in Halifax Harbour and woodlands in eastern Nova Scotia. Three other parcels of land were purchased in Annapolis and Antigonish Counties. Total cost to the province was just under $1.9 million.

Liverpool: National Curling Event Still Needs Volunteers

A few key positions still need to be filled for the upcoming national curling event in Liverpool. The M & M Meats Canadian Junior Curling Championships will be held next month. Organizer Paul Fey says they have 150 volunteers signed on to help out with the event. However, he says they need more help filling positions connected to the action on the ice.



Fey is aiming to have roughly 200 volunteers before the curling begins. The junior championships get underway January 18th.

Information for volunteering:

Contact Paul Fay at 902.354.2374 (after 5pm)

Applications online - here

Email: 2014canadianjuniorsvolunteer@gmail.com