Bridgewater Greco negotiating new location

The Bridgewater Greco store is looking for a new home. The popular pizza joint has left its tenacy in the Eastside Plaza after it was unable to strike a deal with the landlord. The vice-president of franchising and development, Guy Gallant, says they're are currently negotiating with another landlord to keep the business in Bridgewater. Gallant says they hope to be up and running three months after striking a new agreement.

Electoral Reform

The Case for Electoral Reform will be the topic of discussion at the Mahone Bay Centre Friday evening(Oct. 21st). The South Shore Chapter of the Council of Canadians presents Café Canada, Renewing Democracy at 7:30 p.m Friday night. Halifax lawyer Derek Simon and Dalhousie Associate Professor Lori Turnbull will lead an informative and action focused session. Admission is FREE.

Shelburne County Business Excellence Awards

Business Excellence

On Tuesday, Lunenburg/Queens County businesses were honoured and it's Shelburne's turn on Thursday (Oct. 20th). Fifteen businesses in Eastern Shelburne County have been selected as finalists for the 2011 Business Excellence Awards which will be handed out tonight at a gala dinner ceremony at the Osprey Arts Centre.
The Awards are hosted by the Community Business Development Corporation and The Shelburne and Area Chamber of Commerce. The top three finalists in their respective categories are:

Export Achievement Award:
Cotter’s Ocean Products Inc.
Kenny & Ross Ltd.
Ven Rez Limited

Green Award:
Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women & Song Society, Grace Poole
NSCC, Donna Bower & William Nickerson
ReHouse Timberframes, Chris Bird

Employee of the Year:
Cora Beck, Charlotte Lane Cafe
Dee Harding, H & B Car Sales Ltd. and Goulden’s shell
Joey Reynolds, Dexter’s Service Centre Ltd.

Entrepreneur of the Year:
Clark Blanchard, CBMC Engineering Limited
Nick Stewart, Nick Stewart Concrete Work
Sam Stewart, All 4 One Graphics

Business of the Year:
Don Atkinson Trucking Ltd., Bill & Sherri Harris
Harlow Construction Ltd., Robbie & Jeffery Harlow
TLC Pharmacy, Tami Crosby

Local companies receive Lunenburg-Queens Business Excellence awards



Rosmarie Lohnes, President, Helping Nature Heal Inc.



Bernice Theriault, General Manager, Comfort Inn

Lynne MacKay and Pierre Guevremont, IronWorks Distillery

There were many smiles and few frowns after six local companies received plaques at the Lunenburg-Queens Business Excellence awards. The Entrepreneurial award was won by Van Dyk's Health Juice Ltd. The Bridgewater Comfort Inn received the Hospitality award. Brady Home Building Centre picked up the Large Business award. TecBox accepted the Export Achievement award. IronWorks Distillery picked up the New Business award and Helping Nature Heal Inc. won the Small Business award.

Mustangs battle Wolfpack

The South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs try for a fourth win in a row Wednesday night when they visit the Cole Harbour Wolfpack. The Mustangs sit third after a pair of 6-2 victories at home over the weekend. Head Coach Tim Boyce says a win won't be easy against one of the top goalies in the league.

"Chase Marchand has been lights out to start the season. He's got a goals against just above 1.00 and every game he seems to be stopping 30-40 shots and holding the team in 2-1 or 3-1 games, so I expect a tough game out of those guys."

This is the first game between the two teams this season. The Mustangs and Wolfpack hit the ice at 7:30 Wednesday night in Cole Harbour.

Lumberjacks acquire Zakas from Summerside

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have bolstered their blueline. The Jacks acquired Zac Zakas from the Summerside Western Capitals for future considerations. Head Coach Terry Rhindress says the 19-year-old Zakas brings stability to a young defence.

"He's a steady, stay-at-home, puck moving defenseman, nothing flashy, he's not going to jump up and throw a lot of offense at you but he's going to settle things down on the blueline for us."

Zakas had two assists in nine games with Summerside this season. He'll get a chance to face his former team Friday night when the Jacks host the Capitals in Bridgewater.

Boundary Changes for MODL

Some changes are in store for voters in the Municipality of Lunenburg before heading to the polls next October. Council is looking at various options for District boundarys 7, 8 and 9 and will be seeking public feedback. A web survey will also be conducted before Council gives it's approval to any changes. The Municipal Government Act requires Council have regard for relative voter parity, community of interest, number of electors, geographic size and population density.  The number of councillors will remain the same, at 12 plus a mayor.

Solar Thermal Energy Information Session

Shelburne residents will get a chance to hear about the benefits of solar energy installations at an information session at the Shelburne Community Centre on 63 King Street on October 25 at 6:30pm. The session will present information for both commercial and residential settings. In 2010 the Town of Shelburne partnered with Nova Scotia Power and Scotia Renewables to install a solar hot water system at Heritage Hall, on John Street. This was a demonstration project to showcase the region's potential for the utilization of solar energy technologies. The Heritage Hall will be one of the participants at the session. Residents in the area, such as Emily and Guy Tipton have two systems on their house. A system mounted on the roof of their house provides domestic hot water and in-floor heating. A solar air system on the side of their house provides forced-air heat. 
          There will be opportunity to ask questions directly to the building owners about installation, costs, financial incentives available and savings. Representatives from Nova Scotia Power, Efficiency Nova Scotia and Doctor Solar will also be providing information on programs and incentives to people interested in both commercial and residential installations. For more information on the Solar Energy Information Session in Shelburne contact the Town Office at 902-875-2991.

Budget for Bluenose II rebuild jumps by $1-million

The cost of rebuilding the Bluenose II has jumped by $1-million. Sources say the province has agreed to increase the project's budget to $15.9-million on advice from an international regulatory agency. Project manager Craig Chisholm says the shipbuilding agency called for changes to make sure the schooner is safe, including a requirement for steel reinforcements in the deck. The $14.8-million project, funded by the provincial and federal governments, began last fall. It was expected to be completed this spring, but the province now says the replica will set sail next summer. The last plank was attached to the ship's hull last month.

Mustangs President upset by lack of communication from Bridgewater Council

The president of the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs is firing back at the Town of Bridgewater. Lionel Haughn says he's received no word from Town Council about what the Mustangs should be doing to be considered for free ice time. He says he should be told the next step in the process.

"I think somebody should have the courtesy from the town or from the town council, to send me some sort of letter or communicate some way. I mean this is crazy, I'm not going to act on what I've heard, like I said before, in the parking lot."

The team is looking to have the cost of its Friday morning practice time waived. Town Council is looking for the club to present a business plan, comparing them with other teams in the Major Midget hockey league.

South Shore Health trimming 3% from 2012-13 budget

South Shore Health has been asked to cut spending in 2012-13. The provincial government is looking to trim three per cent of health care costs for the nine district health authorities and the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. The director of communications with South Shore Health, Theresa Hawkesworth, says they will be working with other health authorities and the IWK on ways to trim their budget. She says a three per cent budget cut represents over $2.1-million. Hawkesworth says none of the money is expected to be taken from patient care.

Playground Equipment to be Removed

It's a short term solution until the Municipality of Lunenburg decides what to do with the former Riverport Elementary School. Deputy-Mayor Lee Nauss says Council has authorized staff to remove the playground equipment that is considered to be dangerous and unsafe. Nauss says with the closing of the school it reverted back to the ownership of the Municipality and even though the community wants the playground equipment to remain, there's a liability issue at stake. Council will maintain the other playground equipment and grounds of the school until a final decision is made on the reassessment or disposal of the property. The school board formally returned the school to the Municipality in July.

Foster Family Appreciation Week Celebrated

Nearly 800 foster families are being recognized this week for opening their hearts to children in need of a loving stable home in Nova Scotia. The province is celebrating Foster Family Appreciation Week held annually on the third week of October.
      Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse thanks all foster families for providing children with the safe and nurturing home they deserve. At celebrations across the province this week certificates of recognition will be presented to foster families for the difference they have made to a child in need.

Best in Business to be honoured

The best in South Shore business will be honoured Tuesday night in Bridgewater. The Lunenburg-Queens Business Excellence awards get underway at 6pm at the Bridgewater Best Western Hotel and Convention Centre. The executive director of the Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency, Andrew Button, says the night highlights the quality of business on the South Shore. Here are the finalists in each of the six award categories.

Entrepreneurial Award :

Helping Nature Heal Inc
School House Gluten-Free Gourmet Ltd.
Van Dyk's Health Juice Products Ltd

Hospitality Award :

Atlantica Hotel and Marina Oak Island
Comfort Inn Bridgewater
Best Coast Coffee Gallery

Large Business Award : 

Mahone Auto
Kelly Oickle Enterprises Ltd. (Swiss Chalet)
Brady Home Building Centre

Export Achievement Award :

DPM Solutions
PRO Oceanus Systems Inc
TecBox
RU Safe Inc.

New Business Award :

Best Western Plus Bridgewater
Lahave River Chiropractic and Health Centre
Ironworks Distillery

Small Business Award :

Helping Nature Heal Inc.
New Germany Building Supplies (2004) Ltd.
Chester Pharmasave

School Bus Safety

Bridgewater Police want drivers to be extra cautious when approaching school buses. School Bus Safety Awareness Week begins Monday and Police are asking motorists to stop for a school bus when it displays its flashing red lights. Drivers who don't could faces fines beginning at $397.71 and up to $1260.21 for a third offence. Bridgewater Police are also asking students to remain in the drivers sight and cross in front of the bus. Roughly 33 school buses transport more than 1,200 students in Bridgewater every day. "Be Aware: Know the Danger Zone" is this year's theme when it comes to school bus safety in the town.

Missing 10-year-old found

South Shore RCMP say they have found a 10-year-old boy who wandered away from a children's centre. Police say the boy was found about 10 kilometres from the Dayspring Children's Centre in Lunenburg County at about 2pm Sunday. They said he left the facility without permission at about 10:25pm Saturday. Police say he was in good health.

RCMP looking for missing 10-year-old

Lunenburg RCMP is asking for the public's assistance in locating a 10-year-old boy who left the Dayspring Children's Centre Saturday morning without permission. The boy is described as a young male of First Nations descent, approximately 4'7" tall, 78 pounds, with short brown hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue button up shirt and grey pyjama pants, with no shoes. RCMP believe he may be heading to Cape Breton. If you have any information, please contact the RCMP at 634-8674.

Grand Opening of Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute Expansion

The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute is holding a grand opening this weekend to show off the new expansion.  Senator Kelvin Ogilvie will be on hand for the ceremonies slated for Saturday, October 15th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The grand opening will give the public a chance to see the improvements to the field station and observe green technology being used. The improvements to the field station were designed for it to be a carbon neutral building within the Southwest Nova Scotia Biosphere Reserve in rural Queens County. The 200 thousand dollar project received funding from ACOA, the ECO-Nova Scotia Environmental Technology program and through private donations.

Portraits of Honour in Bridgewater

The Portraits of Honour  mural depicts the 157  fallen Canadian service men and women in Afghanistan. It arrived in Bridgewater over the noon hour and will be open for public viewing until 9 p.m. tonight (Fri. Oct. 14th) in the parking lot of the Bridgewater Legion Branch # 24, Churchill Street.

Gasoline Price Hike

Gasoline prices have taken another jump.

The price of a litre of self serve regular has shot up by six cents overnite.
Its selling at South Shore pumps today for $1.31.1 per litre.
Thats a ten cent increase in a week.

Freedom Riders raising money for stroke victim

Mar Croft, President of Freedom Riders

Members of a South Shore bike club are gearing up for a halloween-based fundraiser. The Freedom Riders Motorcycle Club will be on the road Saturday in support of Chester's Christopher Simms, who suffered a stroke. The president of Freedom Riders, Mar Croft, says all donations raised will go towards Simms. The event starts at 1pm Saturday at the Tim Hortons on the corner of Dominion and High Street in Bridgewater.The ride will be escorted through town by the Bridgewater Police and will make stops to collect donations. Riders are encouraged to dress up in costume or decorate their bikes.

Council mulls free ice decision; ask Mustangs for presentation

Bridgewater Mayor Carroll Publicover

Bridgewater town council is looking to hear from the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs. The Mustangs are looking to acquire some free ice time, but Mayor Carroll Publicover says council wants a formal proposal from the local 'AAA' hockey club.

"The Mustangs need to come and make a case for us if they believe that other teams that play 'AAA' hockey are given certain privileges and concessions by their communities to help them, we'd like to hear that, and maybe we'll step up and do the same thing."

The Mustangs are looking to waive the cost of their Friday morning practice time. Town council previously waived practice time for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks, on the condition the full team relocated to Lunenburg County. The request would cost taxpayers roughly $2,500 for the season.

Bridgewater Councillor frustrated with Jo-Lo Development

Councillor David Mitchell

It looks like there may be another delay for the The Village at Glen Allan project. Bridgewater town councillor David Mitchell says Jo-Lo Development hasn't installed a fence, which was part of the non-substantive amendment to the development agreement in June. Mitchell says the developer has until October 15.

"It's beyong frustrating because as a council, we pride ourselves on our whole town; the staff, the planning department, engineering, on being so proactive with developers and yet I feel that we've been taken advantage with a developer that keeps pushing and pushing and pushing."

Mitchell says he expects council will debate extending or discharging the development agreement if the fence isn't installed after Saturday.

Dates Set for Murder Trial

Eleven days have been set aside beginning next May 7th for the Supreme Court trial of a Liverpool man accused of killing his fiancee . Thirty-two year old James Leroy Leopold pleaded not guilty when he was formally arraigned today (Thursday, October 13) on a charge of second degree murder in the death of 47 year old Laura Lee Robertson. She was reported missing on April 14th. Her remains were found off Highway 210 outside Greenfield, Queens County almost two weeks later. Leopold who has been in custody since his arrest in April was committed to stand trial following a preliminary hearing earlier this month.

Tallship Columbia Announcement

A Lunenburg County company will be making history by making a full set of sails for the replica of the schooner Columbia. Michele Stevens Sailloft of Second Peninsula is partnering with the Eastern Shipbuilding Group and Covey Island Boatworks in the new construction of the replica. Stevens is a fourth generation sailmaker whose work includes the construction of the largest working mail sail in the world for the Bluenose ll and several sails for the Concordia. Covey Island Boatworks will oversee the project and provide the spars and rigging for the new vessel.
            The Columbia, a 140 foot Gloucester fishing schooner was originally launched in April 1923 and participated in the International Schooner Races.

Vital Initiatives Coordinator Appointed

The Lunenburg County Community Fund has appointed a Vital Initiatives Coordinator. Joel Stoddart who grew up in Clarks Harbour, will work with the LCCF Board to further the development of projects that were identified by volunteers and community meetings over the last year. Stoddart who has extensive experience working in rural communities has worked on economic development projects and has good connections in the sector within Lunenburg County.  Vital Initiatives was born from the report Vital Signs of Lunenburg County, and reflects the action plans and projects that have emerged since the release of the report in October 2010. Four key areas were identified in the report as impacting on the long term sustainability of Lunenburg County.  The economy, literacy, health and wellness and youth are target areas. For more information on the report you can visit
http://lunenburgcountycommunityfund.ca/

Composites Atlantic Senior V-P excited about $10-million provincial investment



Premier Darrell Dexter (left) and Derek Kinsman, senior vice-president and chief operating officer at Composites Atlantic, chat after an announcement in Lunenburg.



The senior vice-president and chief operating officer of Composites Atlantic says it's an announcement his company plans to take advantage of. The Lunenburg business welcomed a $10-million announcement for aerospace and defence companies and suppliers from the provincial government. Derek Kinsman says it's a positive situation for Composites Atlantic to be in.

"Packages, such as this, which give you an ability to bring financing into play, and when you're successful you pay it back, I mean, that's a perfect win-win situation from our perspective."

Kinsman says Composites have a number of projects that could qualify to access some of the $10-million available. He says the company is competing against others worldwide, and are challenged by emerging economy countries such as Mexico, China and India.

Utilization Meetings start at CAMS

The South Shore Regional School Board will hold its first utilization meeting Thursday night at Chester Area Middle School. The meeting will look at utilization of schools including Chester District Elementary, New Ross Consolidated and Forest Heights. The chair of the South Shore Regional School Board, Elliott Payzant, says its a chance to explore each schools needs or if its meeting all regulations. Members of the school community, including Principals, Student Advisory Councils and Student Leaders have been invited to attend. The meeting is not open to the general public.

White Point Named Finalist for Canadian Tourism Awards

A South Shore resort is one of the finalists for the 2011 Canadian Tourism Awards, presented by The Toronto Star.  Forty-three finalists including individuals and organizations from all ten provinces as well as Canada's North have been named in 14 award categories. White Point Beach Resort in Queens County is among three finalists for the CTHRC Award for Excellence in Human Resources Development. The Canadian Tourism Awards will be presented at a gala dinner in Ottawa on November 24, 2011 at the Chateau Laurier.
           The Canadian Tourism Awards were established in 2003 to recognize success, leadership and innovation in Canada's tourism industry, and to honour those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer superior visitor experiences to travelers in Canada.

Province Seeks Feedback on Proposed Adult Learning Act Regulations



Marilyn More, Minister of Labour
 and Advanced Education


South Shore residents are invited to have their say on proposed regulations for the Adult Learning Act. The regulations will provide a guide to help administer the act, which was passed in the legislature in December 2010. The regulations are to provide consistency for operations among organizations that teach adult education, including how they qualify to get public funding, what records they must keep, and how they report what they do. They also state adult learner responsibilities and what must be included in the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning annual report to the minister of Labour and Advanced Education. Consultations are being held throughout the province with adult learning partners. The deadline for feedback is Monday, Oct. 31.
For more information you can visit the Department of Labour and Advanced Education's website at www.gov.ns.ca/lae/.

Bridgewater Resident Earns Bronze Medal at International Skills Competition in London, England

A Bridgewater resident has brought home a bronze medal in car painting from across the pond. Aaron Hebb travelled to London, England as part of Team Canada to represent the country's most skilled youth at the 2011 WorldSkills International competition, October 5 - 8. Team Canada was made up of 34 youth from across Canada. Hebb earned his spot at WorldSkills by winning gold at the Skills Canada National Competition in 2010. As a champion in his trade, he took his skill to the next level and won a bronze medal in Car Painting among his international peers. This was first time a Nova Scotian competitor has received a medal at the global event.

Province Helps Aerospace and Defence Sector Compete, Create Jobs

Nova Scotia's aerospace and defence companies and suppliers will gain a competitive edge thanks to a 10 million dollar investment from the province. Premier Darrell Dexter made the announcement this afternoon (October 12th) at Composites Atlantic in Lunenburg. Dexter says 10 million will be accessible to the industry for costs such as equipment, tooling and engineering. The funding will help create jobs and help companies become, and remain globally competitive. Dexter says aerospace and defence is a growing sector with thousands of high-quality jobs across the province and this investment will help our companies acquire major international contracts, keeping and creating jobs here in Nova Scotia. This is a one time allocation of funds through the Industrial Expansion Fund.

SMU Observatory Director quashes South Shore meteor rumour

The observatory director at Saint Mary's University says its highly doubtful people on the South Shore seen a meteor or fireball over the weekend. Phone calls to our newsroom and messages on facebook from residents in Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne Counties suggest people may have seen something in the sky Saturday night. David Lane says he hasn't heard any buzz about any potential sightings.

"I haven't had any reports at all here at the observatory, so, that tends to make me believe it was something local, rather than something, you know, far up above the Earth, such as a meteor."

Lane says the 'Draconid Meteor Shower' happened over the weekend but wouldn't be noticeable to the untrained eye. He says although the description sounds like a fireball, he believes it wasn't of astronomical nature.

Premier making Aerospace and Defence announcement in Lunenburg

The Premier is visiting the South Shore Wednesday afternoon. Darrell Dexter will make an announcement about aerospace and defence at 1pm. The event will take place at Composites Atlantic, 71 Hall Street in Lunenburg.

South Shore Health releases Public Flu Clinic Schedule

South Shore Health has released its public flu clinic schedule for people looking to get vaccinated. People are encouraged to get the flu vaccine including the elderly, babies aged six to 23 months, pregnant women and anyone with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, asthma, and diabetes. Flu shots are free of charge for all Nova Scotians and are considered the most important type of prevention.


Fall 2011 Public Flu Clinic Schedule

Bridgewater - October 24 from 1-7pm and November 28 from 2-6pm at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 78 Alexander Avenue.

Caledonia - October 18 from 1-4pm, October 20 from 1-4pm & 6-8pm, October 25 from 1-4pm and October 27 from 1-4pm & 6-8pm at North Queens Health Centre, 9698 Highway 8.

Chester - October 21 from 9am-Noon at Chester Community Clinic, 17 Shoreham Village.

Liverpool - November 7 from 2-8 at the Liverpool Family Resource Center, 108 Collage Street.

Lunenburg - October 27 from 1-4pm at the United Church Hall, 283 Lincoln Street.

New Germany - November 1 from 9am-5pm, November 23 from 3-7pm at Rosedale New Horizon's Club, Highway 10.

New Ross - October 18 from 6:30-8:30pm, October 25 from 6:30-8:30pm at the New Ross Family Resource Centre, 4689 Highway 12.

Tancook Island - October 20 from 11:30am-1pm at the Recreation Centre.

VIC Extension

The Municipality of Lunenburg has approved a lease extension to allow for a temporary Visitor Information Centre at Exit 12. The Municipality formed a partnership with the Town of Bridgewater to operate a temporary VIC in Cookville while seeking a permanent long term location. An Expression of Interest had been issued, but Deputy Mayor Lee Nauss says the proposals did not come in on time to make a decision for next season. In the meantime, Council voted to extend the lease with SmartCentres till November 2012 to allow the VIC to open next spring and summer. The approval is subject to an equal financial contribution from the Town of Bridgewater for 15 thousand dollars.

Tires and RimsTaken

These thieves went to a lot of trouble to take some tires.  Sometime over the holiday weekend between 11:45 pm Sunday October 9th and Monday noon October 10th a vehicle on Elm Street was placed on blocks and the tires and rims were removed. The rims are 15 inch grey aluminium Mag wheels, four bolt pattern, and the tires are WAHL winter tires, 195/65/15/. Also on Saturday overnight, October 8th, a vehicle parked on Season's Drive had its tire slashed. Anyone with information is asked to contact Bridgewater Police.

Taxpayer Group Calls For Probe Of Tax-Free Cigarettes On Reserves

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for an investigation into the sale of tobacco products on native reserves on the South Shore and elsewhere in the province.

The CTF has collected figures from a freedom of information request showing an 83% loss in tax revenue due to exempt tobacco sales and an increase of 8% in the total number of cigarettes sold on reserves from 2001 to 2010.
The federation's Atlantic director Kevin Lacey says if you consider the size of the native population and if the increased sales are to natives only, that would mean every man, woman and child on every reserve would be smoking at least one pack a day.
He suspects a lot of tobacco products are ending up on the black market and an investigation is needed.
Given that almost all tax-exempt tobacco is sold on Nova Scotia’s native reserves, the CTF made a freedom of information request (FOIPOP) to better understand why so much tobacco is being sold on Nova Scotia’s native reserves, and why it’s increasing.

The FOIPOP shows that tobacco wholesalers sold the equivalent of about 130 million tax-free cigarettes to reserves in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Lacey says this number becomes even more staggering when you consider there are only approximately 14,330 status Indians in Nova Scotia who are eligible to purchase tax free smokes.
Lacey says there are two reasons why the Nova Scotia government should proceed with an investigation into tax-free tobacco sales.

One interpretation is that the numbers point to a potential health crisis among status Indians in Nova Scotia. If a significant portion of the tax exempt tobacco is actually being consumed by status Indians, their intake is extremely high and it could lead to serious health problems.
Second, given the numbers, its frankly almost impossible to believe that on a per-capita basis every man, woman and youth can consume 33 cigarettes a day or to think about it a different way, that every single Indian home is consuming 3 packs a day.
Lacey says given these numbers there’s potentially a significant portion of the tax-free tobacco bound for status Indians is actually being sold on the black market to non-Indians. The RCMP, in a 2008 study of contraband cigarettes, found that the Maritimes is the second largest consumer of contraband cigarettes in Canada.
Lacey asks: Why is this important?
He says the numbers suggest that the system designed to respect the rights of status Indians to obtain tax-exempt tobacco could be being abused. The lost revenue is then made up from other sources – ultimately, taxpayers! The province is running a huge deficit of over $300 million -- each and every dollar counts. This is an area that warrants investigation and reform, and the payoff could be huge.

Route 332 in East LaHave and Green Bay Road re-opened

A pair of Lunenburg County roads have re-opened. Route 332 in East LaHave and Green Bay Road in Petite Riviére were closed last week after huge amounts of rain fell on the South Shore. Route 332 had been closed between Grimm Road and Indian Path Road because of a culvert washout. Green Bay Road had been closed due to flooding.

Bayview Community School closed October 12

Bayview Community School

Students at Bayview Community School are getting an extra day off this week. The Town of Mahone Bay is shutting off its water Wednesday, forcing the school to close for the day. The South Shore Regional School Board expects the school to re-open Thursday.

Fashion Show for Bleacher Seating

Bluenose Academy

An upcoming fundraiser is helping Bluenose Academy get bleacher seating for the school's gym. The Sea of Colours Fall Fashions will be held Thursday at 7pm in the Lunenburg Community Centre. Early Literacy Leader Gretchen Gerhardt says the seating is important because it allows people to sit down while watching activities in the gym. Tickets cost $5 for children, $10 for adults or $25 for a family of four. They're available for purchase at Kinley's Drug Store, Centre Consolidated and Lunenburg Academy.

Teachers/Province Reach Agreement

The province's 10-thousand public school teachers have accepted a new two-year agreement with the province.   Members of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union ratified the agreement today (October 7th). Education Minister Ramona Jennex says both parties worked very hard to reach an agreement that is fair to teachers, affordable to the province
and in the best interest of public education. The agreement will see teachers receiving a one per cent salary increase in each of the two years. The contract also commits the Department of Education and the NSTU to establishing a joint committee to examine a number of workload issues facing teachers.

Shelburne County Business Excellence



Business Excellence



Fifteen businesses in Eastern Shelburne County have been selected as finalists for the 2011 Business Excellence Awards. In addition to the honour of being deemed a business leader in their category, the finalists will be showcased at the Business Excellence Awards dinner. Category winners will be announced at the Awards dinner at the Osprey Arts Centre on October 20th. Guest speaker for the event will be Emily Tipton, Sustainable Development Coordinator/Municipal Engineer. The Awards are hosted by the Community Business Development Corporation and The Shelburne and Area Chamber of Commerce. The top three finalists in their respective categories are:
Export Achievement Award:
Cotter’s Ocean Products Inc.
Kenny & Ross Ltd.
Ven Rez Limited

Green Award:
Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women & Song Society, Grace Poole
NSCC, Donna Bower & William Nickerson
ReHouse Timberframes, Chris Bird

Employee of the Year:
Cora Beck, Charlotte Lane Cafe
Dee Harding, H & B Car Sales Ltd. and Goulden’s shell
Joey Reynolds, Dexter’s Service Centre Ltd.

Entrepreneur of the Year:
Clark Blanchard, CBMC Engineering Limited
Nick Stewart, Nick Stewart Concrete Work
Sam Stewart, All 4 One Graphics

Business of the Year:
Don Atkinson Trucking Ltd., Bill & Sherri Harris
Harlow Construction Ltd., Robbie & Jeffery Harlow
TLC Pharmacy, Tami Crosby

High Liner Foods Inc. one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2012

A local seafood processor has cracked Canada's top 100 employers list. High Liner Foods Inc. in Lunenburg was named to the list for 2012 after being named one of Nova Scotia's and Atlantic Canada's top employers in 2011. The Vice-President of Human Resources at High Liner Foods, Joanne Brown, says they're very excited to make the list.

"We view High Liner as a very positive company to work at and it is important for us when entering into a competition like this, so we could show other people the good things we do within our company that make it attractive as a place to work."

High Liner Foods received top marks for training and skills development and community involvement. This is the first time the company has been recognized as one of Canada's top employers.

Man stable after medical distress call in Queens County

A 54-year-old man is reported to be in stable condition after going into medical distress while on a canoeing trip with friends on Lake Rossignol, Queens County. The Annapolis County native was located and rescued by a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre helicopter around 10am Thursday morning. Queens RCMP, EMO, the Department of Natural Resources, local Department of Fisheries officials and North Queens Ground Search and Rescue aided in the search. The man was airlifted from a cabin along Lake Rossignol to South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater.

Lumberjacks head to NB for three-game road trip

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks are off to New Brunswick Friday for a three-game road trip. The Jacks, who sit at 2-5 this season, visit the Campbellton Tigers Friday night at 8pm. The local junior club will then travel to Miramichi for a Saturday night contest, and then head to Woodstock for a Sunday afternoon date with the league-leading Slammers.

Hatfield praises perserverance and determination to South Shore Health



Derek Hatfield


A world-renowned sailor took some time recently to tell his story to members of South Shore Health. Derek Hatfield of Indian Point is the second Canadian to race around the world alone and first to do it twice. He was a guest speaker at South Shore Health's Annual General Meeting in late September. Hatfield says the story of his journey can motivate others to do great things. He says health-care is a very important issue for all Canadians and believes his speech about perserverance and overcoming major obstacles relates to it.

Framework eases into South Shore Schools

An Early Literacy Leader with the South Shore Regional School Board says the introduction of the new Framework has been a smooth transition. Gretchen Gerhardt says students are beginning to get comfortable with the program. She says she's glad the Framework starts with children in primary because it helps target kids at a younger age. Gerhardt says it's still early to tell if the Framework will have better results than Reading Recovery. She says the Department of Education has commended the School Board for their quick adjustment of adopting the Framework into their schools.