Bridgewater Collaborative Health Centre Nearing Completion

The top doctor with South Shore Health says officials will begin moving into Bridgewater's collaborative health centre early next week. Dr. Peter Vaughan says the facility is nearing completion. He says they have two family practitioners, three nurse practitioners, a family practice nurse and administrative support designated for the clinic. They also have at least six family doctors interested in the facility. Vaughan says the numbers are good, but they're always on the lookout for more.



A grand opening of the Bridgewater collaborative health centre is expected by the end of March or early April. However, the clinic will be open to the public before that.

Financial Boost For Tourism Trail Project

Some major federal, provincial and municipal money will be pumped into a new project to attract tourists and locals on the South Shore. During a ceremony this morning at the Head of St. Margaret's Bay, $178,000 in funding was announced to create a continuous 109 kilometer hiking and cycling route between Halifax and Lunenburg. Known as the Destination Trail, it'll follow the former route and spur lines of the Halifax and Southwestern Railway and will include tourist promotion, signage and maps, information kiosks, improved access points, rest areas along the route and a mobile-compatible website. Lunenburg MLA Suzanne Lohnes-Croft says the trail will be a big boost to the tourism sector.



The trail will be promoted as a new way for visitors and locals to experience two of the province's most popular destinations and all the scenic communities in between.

Possible Overhaul Ahead For Municipal Taxation System

Updating the way Nova Scotia residential and commercial properties are assessed and taxed would be the focus of a proposed review. Municipal Relations and Service Nova Scotia Minister Mark Furey says its long overdue.



Property assessments across the province have increased this year and that will probably be reflected in tax rates set by the municipalities later this spring. Furey met with the mayors and councils of Lunenburg and Queens Counties on Thursday. He expects to do the same with others across the province in the coming month or two.

Queens Manor Facing Possible Strike

Management and workers at Queens Manor in Liverpool are hoping to avoid a strike. A conciliation officer has filed his report on the dispute with the province's labour minister. The 59 nursing home workers, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), will be in a legal strike position at 12:01am on January 29th. Both side have agreed not to take any action before then and they will meet again with the conciliation officer the day before, January 28th, to try and avoid a walkout. The CUPE members have already voted 98 percent in favor of a walkout. The main issue is sick time.

Gas Prices Rise

Gas prices have increased overnight. Regular self serve up at South Shore pumps by about half a cent to $131.4 per litre. High test has increased by the same amount. Diesel is up by about 3 cents though.

Weight Restrictions On Gravel Roads

Weight restrictions are now in effect on all provincial gravel roads in Lunenburg County. Trucks weighing more than 15-thousand kilograms are restricted from using them. DOT says the wet weather has made many gravel roads very soft and messy and thus the reason for the restrictions. Restrictions are also in effect on gravel roads in Hants and Annapolis counties.

Young Makes Lumberjacks Coaching Debut Against Summerside

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks host the Summerside Western Capitals Friday night in Bridgewater. The local Junior 'A' club will welcome Travis Young behind the bench in his debut as the team's new coach. He started running practices and drills with players on Wednesday night. He takes over a team that has struggled all season, winning only two out of 36 games. Young hopes to make strides with the club before the regular season ends.



Young says players were upbeat and he was impressed with their work ethic during practice this week. The Lumberjacks and Capitals square off at 7pm at the Clearwater Seafoods Arena.

Sports: 'Fever Weekend'; AtomMania Hockey Tourney

High school basketball players will catch a 'fever' this weekend. Park View hosts its annual 'Panther Fever Weekend' tournament in Bridgewater, starting Friday night. The opening game tips off at 6pm between Sackville and King's Edgehill. The hometown Panthers are up at 8pm against Middleton. Full schedule is listed below.

Friday January 17th
6pm - Sackville vs. King’s Edgehill
8pm - PVEC vs. Middleton

Saturday January 18th
9am –King’s Edgehill vs. PVEC
11am- Sackville vs. Middleton
1pm – PVEC JV vs. Forest Heights
3pm – Middleton vs. King’s Edgehill
5 pm – PVEC vs.   Sackville
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The South Shore Atom 'C' Ice Sharks are welcoming seven teams to town this weekend. The Ice Sharks host the RBC AtomMania Atom tournament at rinks in Bridgewater and Lunenburg. The tournament will consist of five teams from the HRM, one from Shelburne and another from Berwick.

Tops'l Tavern Closing In Bridgewater

One of the longest serving taverns in Bridgewater is closing its doors. The Tops'l Tavern on King Street is shutting down after 50 years. The bar opened in 1963. The tavern will close Saturday night. Roughly 15 employees will be out of a job. Owner Sheila Rhodenizer Mackay has confirmed the details with our newsroom.

Queens General Health Project Behind Schedule

The Queens General Health Project is behind schedule. Contractors informed South Shore Health this week that the project is delayed by roughly three to five months. The project was expected to be complete early this year. CEO Dr. Peter Vaughan says the delay is being caused by a lack of materials and human resources to do the job.



Vaughan says it's disappointing news for staff, but work will continue at a slower pace. Construction of the new medical unit and primary health care centre began in October 2012. The project includes the redevelopment of the 22-bed in-patient unit at Queens General Hospital. South Shore Health is expecting to receive the facility in May. They expect time for off-gassing before they move in sometime in July.

Duckworth Qualifies For Semis At World Cup Event

Kingsburg's Alex Duckworth is making her case to be named to Canada's Olympic team. The 26-year-old qualified for the semi-finals at a Snowboard World Cup event in Stoneham, Quebec today. Duckworth finished ninth out of 27 competitors in the women's half-pipe, good enough to earn the final spot in the semi-finals. She is the only Canadian to make the semis, which happen at noon on Saturday. This is the final Olympic qualifying event before the remainder of Canada's team will be finalized next Tuesday.

High School Hockey Tournament Underway In Barrington

The 18th Annual Tim Hortons Lobster Trap High School Hockey Tournament is underway in Barrington. The tournament runs until Saturday, with the championship game at 3:15pm. Teams participating are; Barrington, Par-en-Bas, Yarmouth, Clare, Bridgewater, Hants East, Parkview and Richmond Academy. Game, Day and Tournament passes are available. Here is the schedule:

Thursday, Jan. 16

10:45 – Barrington @ Bridgewater
12:30 – PEB @ Yarmouth
2:15 – Hants East @ Bridgewater
4:00 – PVEC @ PEB
5:45 - Yarmouth @ Clare
7:30 –  Hants East @ Barrington

Friday, January 17

8:00 – Bridgewater @ Richmond
9:45 – PEB @ Clare
11:30 – Skills competition
12:30 – Richmond @ Hants East
2:15 –  Clare @ PVEC
5:45 -  Richmond @ Barrington
7:30 – PVEC @ Yarmouth

Saturday, January 18

10:00 – Semi-final #1
11:45 – Semi-final #2

3:15 - Championship

Uncertainty Over When LaHave Ferry Will Return To Service

Don't expect the LaHave River ferry to be back in operation right away. The ferry broke free from its cable and drifted down the river and grounded at Oxner's Beach during the January 3rd snowstorm. Officials with the provincial Department of Transportation have been assessing the situation. The cable drum assembly was damaged and it could take some time to make repairs or even replace it. DOT has not given a date when the ferry will resume daily service between LaHave and East LaHave.

NS Health Minister: Pharmacies Great Help In Flu Shot Rush

More influenza vaccine has been ordered by several provinces and territories as they try to meet this winter's unusually high public demand for flu shots. Among them are BC and Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the only provinces not seeking to buy more is Nova Scotia, which has enough vaccine to cover half the population. The province's health Minister Leo Glavine is today heaping praise on pharmacies for being able to handle the work load.



Nova Scotia's chief medical health officer Dr. Robert Strang says no more vaccine will be bought for now because the window on making a difference this flu season is closing.

South Shore Gas Prices Will Likely Increase Tonight

There's a pretty good chance South Shore gasoline prices will take a small jump overnight tonight when the utility and review board sets the coming week's prices at the pumps. In New Brunswick today (Thursday), the provincial regulator there has raised the maximum price for self-serve regular by one cent to $1.30.3 with most stations selling for slightly less. Diesel jumps up as well, rising 2.4 cents per litre.

Better Relations Sought Between Province & Municipalities

A better dialogue is needed between the province and its municipalities according to the Minister of Municipal Relations and Service Nova Scotia. Thats why Mark Furey is hitting the road today for the South Shore. Its the start of several weeks of meetings across the province to open up the channels between the levels of government that Furey says broke down some time ago.



Furey, who's also the MLA for Lunenburg West, will meet today with the mayors and councils in Mahone Bay, Bridgewater and the Region of Queens. He expects his meetings with all municipalities across the province will take him into the spring to complete.

Bridgewater: Early Morning Fire Not Suspicious

Investigators say the cause of an early morning fire on North King Street was electrical. The blaze broke out Monday shortly before 4 a.m. No serious injuries were reported. However, the home was completely destroyed.

Shelburne: Proposed Water Rates Concern Residents

Some residents of Shelburne say they simply can't afford a 70 percent hike on their water bills. The town is asking for the increase to help dig out of a deficit and stabilize the utility. If approved, it would mean household water bills would be in the area of $800 annually or $186 per quarter. Former Mayor PG Comeau says money is already tight for many people in the county.



Meanwhile, CAO for the town Dylan Heide says they can't maintain the status quo. The increase is needed or the utilities deficit will balloon to nearly $800,000 in two years. However, he is hopeful new customers - like Cooke Aquaculture and its proposal to build a new fish plant - will come online to help.



The Nova Scotia Utility and Review will file its decision by the end of March. If approved, the rates would take effect April 1.

Bridgewater: Community Christmas Group Seeks New Leadership

A holiday tradition in Bridgewater is looking for new leadership. Members involved with the Community Christmas are looking for a few dedicated volunteers to take the reins of the project as a new board of directors. The Christmas Day event first began in 2009. Group member Brian Braganza says they're hoping to mentor people through the transition.



The group's year-end meeting will be held March 31. They hope to have a new board of directors in place around that time.

MODL: Councillor Wants Province To Buy Area Schools

A councillor in the Municipality of Lunenburg is offering a number of district schools to the province for a dollar. Martin Bell originally focused on Park View Education Centre, but added to the list to include all schools in the municipality except for Blockhouse, the soccer fields at Centre and one near Riverport. He says Park View is preparing to receive a $13-million financial upgrade and its value will increase. Bell feels more schools should be on the table than Park View.



Bell says he doesn't want the municipality to be in a position to own any more schools or absorb costs. Former schools near Riverport, Blockhouse and Centre have been turned over to the municipality in recent years.

Former Acadia Coach Fills Role With Lumberjacks

There's a new man behind the bench for the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks. Owner Ken Petrie confirms the team has hired 31-year-old Travis Young as the new head coach. Young spent six years as an assistant coach with the Acadia Axemen. He recently returned from Europe where he was coaching a pro team in Hungary. Young replaces interim head coach Matt Church, who stepped down from the position.

Mustangs Beat Cole Harbour; Move Into Fifth

Jordan Messenger had a goal and two assists as the Charlie's Pizza South Shore Mustangs beat Cole Harbour 5-4 Tuesday night in Bridgewater. Riley Merry added two goals while Ty Duffus and Mitchell Baker also scored. The win propels the Mustangs into 5th place in the Major Midget League. The Mustangs will be in Cape Breton this weekend for two games against the West Islanders.

Safety Concerns Over Pate Sold At Lunenburg Farmers' Market

Its more of a precaution than anything but Canada's Food Inspection Agency has issued a warning about some liver pate sold at the Lunenburg Farmers Market. There are fears it may contain a certain bacterium that causes botulism. The Agency says Hausmacher Liver Pate from Webber Foods was sold in unlabelled glass jars at the market from Nov. 13th to Dec. 5th last year. The product was also sold at the Hammonds Plains Farmers' Market. Webber Foods owner Chris Webber says the fear is people might not store his product in a refrigerator as they should.



The Food Inspection Agency suggests consumers who have the product should just throw it out. Food contaminated with the toxin may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. There have been no reported illnesses associated with eating the pate.

Lunenburg: Board Of Trade, Composites Atlantic Receive Funding

Old Town Lunenburg is getting a spruce up. The Minister of ACOA along with the MP for South Shore - St. Margaret's announced over $79,000 in funding to the town's Board of Trade. The group will purchase items to enhance Old Town including a visitor information kiosk, park benches, bike racks and drinking fountains. The money will also go towards interpretive and directional signage to highlight Old Town attractions, augmented street lighting, waste and recycling stations and electrical outlets for special events. President Mike Smith says he hopes to have it all available for use by the summer.



Smith says the new features will add to Lunenburg's status as one of the top tourism destinations in the province. Earlier in the day, the minister also announced $18,750 to Composites Atlantic. The money will help the company engage a specialist to evaluate its management and Enterprise Resource Planning systems.

Bridgewater: Pothole Problem On North Street

A town councillor in Bridgewater is concerned with the amount of potholes on North Street. Andrew Tanner says the issue pops up every winter, but feels the road is a little worse for wear and is hoping something can be done about it. He says North Street is in bad shape.



Acting Town Engineer Larry Feener says workers are trying to fix the problem, but cold and wet weather conditions make it difficult to patch up the potholes. He says they've neglected North Street in recent years because of a potential upgrade. The street along with Aberdeen Road are listed as a capital project.

Bridgewater, MODL Support 2016 Telus Cup Bid

A pair of local governments are standing behind a bid to host the 2016 Telus Cup. The Municipality of Lunenburg and town of Bridgewater are preparing to give letters of support to the host committee. The committee is getting ready to send their proposal to host the national boys midget hockey championship to Hockey Nova Scotia. If it gets the thumbs up, the proposal will be forwarded to Hockey Canada for final approval. The Charlie's Pizza South Shore Mustangs are hoping to host and play in the Telus Cup for the first time.

Shelburne: Water Rate Hearing Set To Begin

Water rates in the Town of Shelburne will be the main agenda item during a regulatory hearing set to begin Wednesday. The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will host a hearing to discuss proposed new rates for residents hooked into the town's water system. The town has applied for an increase because their utility is facing a $200,000 shortfall. If approved, water bills in the average household could jump by as much as 70 percent. That could mean an extra $500 on annual bills. The town's utility is in the red due to declining consumption and cost overruns related to a major line extension project. The hearing will begin at 11 o'clock the Community Centre in Shelburne.

Property Assessments Mailed Out

Most residential and commercial property owners will see increases in their assessments this year. More than 600,000 assessments were mailed out yesterday. The value of all commercial and residential properties grew by $4 billion compared to $5.5 billion last year. Provincial assessment rolls now sit at $99 billion. Canadian Tax Payers Federation Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey says while assessments are up, there is still a silver lining in all of it for our area.



Which means about $20. to $30. more on average South Shore homeowners tax bills this year. There will likely be little change in commercial rates in the area. In Nova Scotia, 54 municipalities use the provincial assessment figures to set their tax rates later in the year.

Health Minister: Vaccine Supply In Good Shape

The province claims there's no shortage of flu vaccine and its still urging everyone to get immunized. Health Minister Leo Glavine tells us there's plenty of vaccine to go around but it has been challenging to keep up with such a huge public response, especially at pharmacies. He says there's a perceived shortage but its simply a matter of moving the vaccine stock around and getting more in.



The minister says the benefits of getting the flu vaccine diminish as the peak of the flu season nears in February. Glavine says the province brought in enough flu vaccine to cover 47 per cent of the population, which he says is more per capita than any other province in Canada and the response rate has been higher than anywhere else in the country.

School Review: Community Leaders Call For Change

Some prominent figures in Lunenburg County are calling for an overhaul of the school review process. A series of consultation meetings are underway across the province. The school review process determines the future of rural schools dealing with declining enrolment. Roughly 50 people attended a meeting last night at Park View Education Centre. Lunenburg Mayor Rachel Bailey says the process needs to put more emphasis on what's best for students.



Meanwhile, Municipality of Lunenburg Mayor Don Downe says old schools, many beyond repair, are creating a financial burden on taxpayers after they are closed. He'd like to see municipalities at the decision making table. A series of recommendations to reshape the process will be given to the education minister by the end of next month.

Downpour Expected

Get set! There is a major storm heading our way! This time though it will bring rain and a brisk wind. The rain will begin slowly as the day rolls along and turn into a heavy downpour over night. Environment Canada says we could get at least 25 mm of rain along the South Shore. That could mean possible flooding in some areas. The rain will taper off to showers Wednesday morning. We'll have rain on and off through most of the week.

New Home, New Name For Bridgewater Library

Bridgewater's new library is a best-seller. The chief librarian of South Shore Public Libraries is pleased with the amount of public feedback who are happy with the new space. The Margaret Hennigar Public Library features plenty of windows for great scenery and natural light. It also includes an open space concept and new technology. Troy Myers says there's also improvements for people with disabilities.



The library moved over the Christmas holiday from King Street and opened to the public at the beginning of the month. Myers says they still have a few kinks to work out of their system, but encourages everyone to check out their new facility inside the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre.

Tri-County: More Than A Year Later, African Seat Settled

It took 15 months, but residents of the Tri-Counties now have a representative serving as the African Nova Scotian member on the area school board. Michael Fells took the seat in a special election on Saturday. He captured 155 votes in the victory. The other contender - Darlene Lawrence - garnered 146 votes. Lawrence won the seat during the October 2012 election, however those results were thrown out in court after irregularities were found through the electronic voting process. Voting in the by-election was done exclusively by paper ballots.

Flood Risk Remains In Lunenburg County

The situation is improving, but the Regional Emergency Measures Organization says Lunenburg County residents aren't out of the woods yet when it comes to flooding. The province's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal is reporting Lapland Road between Albert Wyle Road and Veinot Road in Hebbville was closed due to flooding. However, it re-opened early this afternoon. Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer says peak water levels should have been reached within 24 hours of this weekend's rain. However, the concern now is with melting ice or ice-jams. He says people should report local flooding.



Collyer says REMO has contingency plans in place if the situation gets worse.

Liverpool Prepares To Welcome Thousands Of Junior Curlers, Families, Coaches & Followers

The countdown is on to the start of the M & M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Liverpool. Mayor Christopher Clarke says is an event that will be remembered for years ahead, not just for the championships themselves but the community as well.



The Mayor also says the championships will generate close to 3 million dollars for the local economy and not just to the local hospitality industry, motels and the like.



The championships begin on Saturday at Queens Place-Emera Centre and the Liverpool Curling Club.

Brothers, Joyce Qualify For Women's Curling Nationals

Heather Smith's curling rink out of Mayflower has won the 2014 Nova Scotia Scotties Tournament of Hearts championship. Smith scored three in the final end to top Dartmouth's Kelly MacIntosh 6-3 in Sunday's final. Smith finished the Sydney event with a perfect 8-0 record to claim her 5th Nova Scotia title. The rink, which includes Liverpool native Jillian Brothers and Luneburg native Blisse Joyce, will head to Montreal for the Canadian Scotties Championship starting February 1st.

School Review Public Meeting Tonight In Bridgewater

Public meetings studying the school review process across Nova Scotia are being held and there will be a session tonight in Bridgewater. The consultations committee, headed by Bob Fowler, will hold a total of nine meetings across the province. They're designed to look at ways of improving the process and examine how schools dealing with issues such as declining enrolment are closed. Fowler says the meetings have been engaging.



The session in Bridgewater will be held at Park View Education Centre at 7 o'clock this evening. Another one is set for Tuesday night in Yarmouth.

LCLC Aquatic Facility Pegged To Open This Spring

Things are coming together for the new aquatic facility at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre. General Manager Kevin Benjamin says a crew of more than a dozen workers have been putting in a lot of hours to move things along. He says there is lots of tiling happening along the floors and pools. Benjamin remains optimistic things will continue to move forward smoothly.



The aquatic centre hasn't opened because at least one of the three pools was losing water. However, Benjamin doesn't anticipate any further delays or problems with that issue.

Barrington Takes Lohnes Lumbermen Tourney

The Barrington Bay Lightning have repeated as the Lohnes Lumbermen hockey tournament champions. The Lightning defeated AuCoin Locksmith from Halifax 6-5 to win the Labatt's C+ division. The Spry Harbour Whalers won the Buck's Home Building Centre 'C' division with a 4-3 win over the local Eclipse Physio Rusty Blades. This was the 30th year for tournament. Games were played all weekend in Bridgewater.

Bridgewater: Fire Destroys King Street Home

Dozens of firefighters got an early wake-up call following a house fire on North King Street. The blaze broke out near Mainline Market just before 4 a.m. According to the Red Cross, two people were able to get out of the home safely. They were taken to hospital as a precaution. Fire Chief Michael Nauss says flames were roaring out of the home when they got on scene.



Nauss says the home is completely destroyed. He says they will begin an investigation later today to determine its cause.

Wind & Rain Storm Pounds Region

Nova Scotia Power crews are working to get the lights back on for a few thousand customers still reeling from last night's wind and rain storm. The largest outages being reported in Halifax, Dartmouth and Bedford/ A few hundred residents in Queens county are also waiting for power. Areas affected include Camperdown and Lapland. Streets and driveways were littered with tree branches, compost bins while flooding was reported in a number of areas. Environment Canada had issued wind and rain warnings, but they were lifted earlier this morning. At the height of the storm, nealy 18,000 homes were in the dark.

Shelburne: Medical Clinic Gets Much-Needed Funding

It appears the Shelburne Medical Clinic has gathered enough funding to expand. South West Health was facing a $441,000 deficit in their $1.4-million budget to retrofit the current facility. The CAO for the Municipality of Shelburne says council has agreed to pony up $250,000 to help the health authority. The contribution comes three years after the municipality approved $200,000 for the clinic. Kirk Cox says they hope to find the new financial commitment from this year's existing operating budget.



The Roseway Hospital Charitable Organization also increased its contribution to $300,000 while the province has set aside $658,000. A meeting will be held January 17 to discuss the next stage of the project.

Scammers Target Winter Vacationers

January is a perfect time for many South Shore residents to skip the cold and snow and head "south"! Its also considered by scammers as the perfect time to fleese vulnerble traveller wanna-bees. The province's Better Business Bureau says South Shore residents and other Nova Scotians have been getting calls offering free cruises if money is provided to collect the prizes. Jill Atkinson of the BBB says be wary of such offers.



She also says don't be fooled by familiar names being used by scam callers to lure you in ... names like Carnival Cruise Lines or Disney. Atkinson says these companies do not offer such prizes.

Former Lumberjack Butterworth Traded To Valley

Jeremy Butterworth is now a Valley Wildcat. He was traded from the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League for future considerations. Butterworth had 45 points in 49 games and was named Bridgewater's rookie of the year last season. He traveled to the United Staes Hockey League and spent time with the Fargo Force before he was traded to Brooks earlier this season.

LaHave Ferry Could Be Out Of Service Longer Than Expected

It might be a few weeks before the LaHave River ferry will be back in service. The cable-powered vessel broke free during last Friday's blizzard and ended up grounding down river on Oxner's Beach. Three people on board were not hurt. The vessel was towed off the beach on Monday and berthed in LaHave. Now, Pam Menchenton of the Department of Transportation says there was damage to the ferry's cable hydraulics which need more assessment and repairs.



When in operation, the ferry runs daily between LaHave and East LaHave.

Luke Warner Returns To South Shore; Traded To Mariners

A familiar name is coming back to the South Shore. Luke Warner has been traded by the Dieppe Commandos to the Yarmouth Mariners for future considerations. Warner spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Lumberjacks, posting nine goals and 17 assists in 131 games. He was traded by the club early in 2013 to Summerside where he won a league championship before he was dealt to Dieppe.

Education: Meeting To Discuss School Upgrades Planned

School board officials on the South Shore want to meet with the province to discuss their funding applications for upgrades to rural schools. Park View Education Centre is the only school in the region identified to receive money for improvements this year under the Nova Scotia governments capital priorities list. Schools in New Ross, both facilities in New Germany and the proposal for a new school serving Petite Riviere and Pentz were passed over for upgrades. Superintendent Geoff Cainen says he would like to know if there are gaps in their applications.



Meanwhile, Park View will see $13 million in new upgrades. Cainen is hoping the meeting with the province happens by the end of this month.

Lohnes Lumbermen Hockey Tournament Back For 30th Year

Three local teams will try their luck in winning this year's Lohnes Lumbermen hockey tournament, which kicks off tonight in Bridgewater. The Barrington Bay Lightning are one of them. They are back to defend their championship title from last year over the Aucoin Locksmith Blues, who are also scheduled to play this year. Other local teams include the Motor Inn Leafs and Eclipse Physio Rusty Blades. Games start tonight at 7:15pm and continue all weekend at the Bridgewater Memorial Arena and Clearwater Seafoods Arena. This is the tournament's 30th year.

South Shore Curlers On Top Team At Provincial Scotties

Mayflower's Heather Smith leads the way after two days of action at the Provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sydney. The Smith foursome, which includes South Shore natives Jill Brothers and Blisse Joyce, has a perfect 4-0 record after a 6-4 win last night over Mary Sue Radford. Defending champ Mary Anne Arsenault of Mayflower and Kelly MacIntosh of Dartmouth are next with 3-1 marks. Jocelyn Nix and Sarah Rhyno are still alive at 2-2. Round robin action in the eight team event continues through Saturday followed by tiebreakers and playoffs. The championship final is set for Sunday at 2pm. The winners will represent Nova Scotia at the Canadian Scotties in Montreal in early March.

Big Rainfall On The Way

Here we go again! The weather has been up and down all winter so far! Minus 20 one day ... plus 10 the next! Snow one day ... rain the next! After a low of close to minus 20 last night, we will see temperatures jump as much as 30 degrees by Sunday. Environment Canada is calling for heavy rain overnight Saturday into Sunday. Residents along the South Shore are being advised to check rain catch-basins outside and clear them of ice and snow to avoid flooding.