Minor Damage After Fire at South Shore Concrete Plant

No major damage after a fire at a concrete plant last night on Cornwall Road. More than 30 firefighters from Cornwall and Blockhouse responded to a blaze at Lawrence Veinotte Enterprises around 7 o'clock. Fire Chief Steve Patterson says members were on the scene for almost four hours but were able to contain the blaze quickly. He described damage to the facility as minimal. The fire began in the back part of the plant but its cause is still under investigation. The family owned business has been in operation since 1976 and is located about ten minutes off Exit 11 on Highway 103.

Lobster Fisherman Receives Stiff Fine

Egg Bearing Lobster

A South Shore lobster fisherman has been fined $3,500. for having undersized and egg-bearing lobsters in his catch. Elmer Leon Jollymore of Little Tancook Island pleaded guilty to the offences in Bridgewater provincial court earlier this week.
DFO officers were conducting a routine inspection at the government wharf in Blandford last November 30th, when they found six undersized lobsters in an initial inspection of Jollymore's catch.
A more detailed search of 14 crates uncovered 12 undersized lobsters and two bearing eggs in more than 576 kilograms of lobster.
Jollymore has already paid the fine.

Evergreen Road not suitable for group home: Bridgewater Planning Director

It's a part of town that just isn't feasible. Bridgewater planning director Eric Shaw says LaHave Manor was inquiring about setting up a group home or home for special-care on Evergreen Road. Shaw says the problem is that part of town is classified as low density residential. He adds, since it is a secondary street, there cannot be any institutional-type development to accommodate a group home or home for special-care unless it fronts onto a primary road. Shaw says the town has many other places where a group home could go.

"We pride ourselves very much on being a very inclusive community that accommodates all sorts of different needs and this type of use is permitted you know, I would guess on hundreds, if not, over 1000 properties in town. But on this particular street, in this particular zone, it is not permitted."

Shaw says he would love to explore other options that would better suit LaHave Manor's needs.

MODL sends letter, awaits response on Centre Consolidated takeover

The mayor of the Municipality of Lunenburg says the ball is now in the province's court. Don Downe confirms he has sent a letter to local MLAs, the minister responsible and the premier regarding the takeover of Centre Consolidated. He says the municipality is not accepting the takeover and want to work with the province to come to an agreement.

"We just want to find a better solution than what we've got. We just can't afford, and the taxpayers cannot afford to take these schools and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars tearing them down or millions of dollars renovating them and we don't have the money to do it."

He says the municipality has spent thousands of dollars demolishing the Centre Jail, and have inherited the Blockhouse School and Riverport Community School. Downe says in the letter, he requests a meeting with provincial officials to see what can be done.

Western Hurricanes prepare to host provincials

The Western Hurricanes are out for redemption after losing in the semi-finals of last year's provincials. The major Bantam hockey club is hosting provincials beginning Thursday at the new Queens Place in Liverpool. The team is the number one seed heading into the tournament. But Head Coach Brad Muise doesn't consider his club to be the favourite.

"The difference between number one and numbers three or four or five in this league is minimal and no we definitely don't consider ourselves the favourite, we consider ourselves definitely a contender."

Muise says he likes his team playing on the bigger ice surface at Queens Place because they are built around speed. He says his team will need to be at its best to win the provincial title.

"It's been kind of our trademark all year that we out work a lot of teams and once we do that, it seems our skill level and our systems fall into place and takes care of itself but without that work ethic and desire any team in this tournament is going to be in trouble because its going to be hotly contested championship and the competition is pretty tough."

The Hurricanes face the Newbridge Academy Senators in the tournament opener today at 12 noon.

Full Schedule

Thursday, March 15^th, 2012

12 noon - Newbridge Academy vs. Western Hurricanes

2 pm - Cape Breton Cougars vs. Halifax Hawks

4 pm - Bedford Barons vs. Bay Gulls

6 pm - Opening Ceremonies

6:30 pm - Valley Wildcats vs. Newbridge Academy

Friday, March 16^th, 2012

 8 am - Halifax Hawks vs. Bedford Barons

10 am - Bay Gulls vs. Newbridge Academy

12 noon - Cape Breton Cougars vs. Valley Wildcats

2 pm - Western Hurricanes vs. Bedford Barons

4 pm - Newbridge Academy vs. Halifax Hawks

6 pm - Bay Gulls vs. Cape Breton Cougars

8 pm - Valley Wildcats vs. Western Hurricanes

Saturday, March 17^th, 2012

10 am - Western Hurricanes vs. Cape Breton Cougars

12 pm - Halifax Hawks vs. Bay Gulls

2 pm - Bedford Barons vs. Valley Wildcats

4:30 pm - Skills Competition

Top 4 teams from tournament play advance to semi-finals and are seeded based on tournament play

 Sunday, March 18^th, 2012

 8:30 am - 4 vs. 1

10:30 am - 3 vs. 2

2:00 pm - Championship Game 

MODL Council grants

Light notes from the municipal council meeting Tuesday March 13.

The Municipality of Lunenburg has approved a number of financial contributions for local projects including:

a $1,250 contribution for the Mi'kmaq Acadien Cultural Festival and Reunion on August 17 and 18 at the Fort Point Museum through the Municipal National/Provincial Event Grant Policy;

a $1,000 contribution from the current budget as well as $1,000 from the 2012-13 budget for the Atlantic Regional Firefit Championship being hosted by the Bridgewater Fire Department from July 19-21, 2013;

 a sponsorship banner at a cost up to $350.00 to use at the Atlantic Regional Firefit Championship and other local events.

Gary L. Wentzell hockey tournament begins

The Bridgewater and Lunenburg arenas are about to become a hotbed for minor hockey. Over 500 players will play in the Gary L. Wentzell Hockey tournament, kicking off at 8am Thursday morning. Teams from Queens, Shelburne, Acadia, Western Valley, Yarmouth, Antigonish and as far as New Brunswick will compete in six divisions including Atom 'A', Peewee 'B' and Bantam 'A'. The tournament goes until Sunday.

Building applications down in MODL

The Municipality of Lunenburg has received less applications to build this year compared to 2011. CAO Tammy Wilson says they have received 530 applications, compared to 535 at this point last year. February was a better month for the municipality, with 39 building applications this year to only 13 in 2011. She says its important because construction activity is an employment generator, but it also means their tax base is expanding and reduces the burden on the existing residential tax base. The 39 building applications received are 19 residential, 18 industrial and two demolition and are worth almost $1.9-million.

Bridgewater councillor recovering after heart surgery

Patrick Hirtle

Bridgewater council welcomed member Patrick Hirtle back this week after successfully undergoing heart surgery. The 29-year-old returned to council just two-and-a-half weeks after getting his aortic valve and most of his aortic root removed and replaced with Dacron tubing. Hirtle says its a frustrating situation for him to be in.

"The artificial valve they put in should last something on the order of 20-30 years before it needs to be replaced again, but of course, I have to go on blood thinners and as someone who is young and fairly active and plays a lot of softball, a lot of hockey, that sort of thing, I have to be extra careful not to, you know, make sure I suffer any significant cuts or anything like that because obviously the bleeding is going to be much more difficult to control now."

Hirtle says he's been advised to keep a low physical activity level including lots of rest and daily walks. He says he has lots of time right now to think about his future. Hirtle doesn't know if he'll have a very active lifestyle again.

"Am I ever going to get back to playing in a ball hockey tournament or on the ice at the rink or am I going to be able to play softball because at this stage, I really don't know what my physical limitations are going to be. This latest procedure was something completely new for me and I don't know what the long-term ramifications of having a synthetic valve in there are going to be."

He says there has been incredible support from family, friends and residents throughout the County. Hirtle expects to recover within six to eight weeks. The full interview with Patrick Hirtle can be heard on this weekend's South Shore Sunday Morning program from 8-9am on HANK-FM and 9-10am on CKBW.

St. Margarets Bay Residents Again Blast Province Over Connector Road Issue

Sean Kirby

The province jumped the gun and decided on a route for a planned road connecting highways 103 and 3 in St. Margarets Bay. That comment from area residents' spokesman Sean Kirby who says the transportation department paid no heed to the need to first undertake an environmental assessment on the route.
He says its another example of what he calls the government's strong-arm tactics in pushing ahead with the road. Kirby says: "At some point when an environmental assessment is completed, maybe this summer, we'll get a copy of it and have a chance to look at it. But right now, I think its further evidence of how inappropriately the government has been handling this issue."
St. Margarets Bay residents still haven't heard a decision yet by the supreme court on their attempt in January during a hearing to force the government to release uncensored documents pertaining to planning for the connector road.

More ER Shutdowns At "Fishermen's"

There's another South Shore hospital emergency room closure and at a location, familiar to this sort of thing! The ER at Fishermen's Memorial in Lunenburg is closed until 3:30 this afternoon.
Another shutdown is scheduled on Thursday night from 10:30 until 3:30 Friday afternoon. A hospital official says the closures result from a shortage of doctors.
Liberal health critic Leo Glavine says the NDP government was elected on a promise to improve ER service but that hasn't been happening.
He says: "Lunenburg County is one of six counties in the province that continues to keep its population, in fact growing some. I think we have to be cognizant of that and respond accordingly with good, strong emergency room service."
Glavine suggests the government set up a central data bank of emergency room doctors available province-wide and when a shortage develops in an ER, they can be sent there to cover-off a shift or two.

Car accident reportedly causes Power Outage

There was a huge power outage in Lunenburg County Tuesday night and for many people it seemed like it would never end. The power went out just before 6pm in places like Blockhouse, parts of Lunenburg, New Germany, Bakers Settlement and Calidonia. Nova Scotia Power says it was the result of a car accident, bringing down power lines in Barss Corner. Power wasn't restored until 2 o'clock Wednesday morning to the hundreds of NSP customers affected.

MODL awards landfill closure contract to Dartmouth group

A Dartmouth company has been awarded the contract for final landfill closure at the Lunenburg Regional Community Recycling Center. The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg selected ABL Environmental for the design and engineering services of phase two and three at a cost of almost $194,000 including HST. The project had a budget of $200,000. Mayor Don Downe says it's nice to see it remained under budget. The Municipality received five submissions for the project, with every proposal coming from either Halifax or Dartmouth. During phases two and three of the Landfill Remediation project, permanent caps will be put over the landfill cells at the LRCRC to protect the environment.

Keddy announces funding for Osprey Arts Centre

The Osprey Arts Centre is adding film equipment to its operation. South Shore - St. Margaret's MP Gerald Keddy announced funding to the Shelburne Centre Tuesday to help it buy a cinema-quality multimedia projector and projection screen to offer film screenings for local audiences. The new film equipment will also be used by a variety of performers such as dance and theatre organizations, musical groups, and the Maritime Concert Opera. The Government of Canada provided funding of $10,690 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Osprey Arts Centre also plans to use the new film equipment in workshops for youth and adults to help people develop an interest in film making.

Two Temporary Emergency Dept Closures at Fishermen's Memorial

A couple of closures are expected this week in the emergency department at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg. The first closure will begin Tuesday night at 10:30PM and last until 3:30PM Wednesday afternoon. The second closure will occur on Thursday night at 10:30PM with the emergency department expected to re-open at 3:30 on Friday afternoon. Anyone requiring emergency care during those times should call 9-1-1 or visit the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater.

Accused in Chester Basin Murder Appears in Court

The lawyer for an 18 year old man charged with second degree murder says his client will fight the charge. Pat MacEwen told reporters John Buckley maintains his innocence in relation to the death of 57 year-old Victoria Buckley. The accused teenager tried to address Judge Jim Burrill during a brief court appearance this afternoon but later declined on the advice of his lawyer. "I didn't know what he wanted to say at that point essentially he wanted to advise everyone in the room that he is maintaining his innocence and is looking forward to having this matter dealt with," John Buckley was arrested on Monday at the Atlantica Hotel in Western Shore and is accused of killing his mother on March 1st in Chester Basin. Her body was found the next morning at a home on Borgels Point Road. The case has been put over until April 11th.

Son charged with second degree murder

Charges have been laid in the death of a Chester Basin woman. RCMP say John (Jack) Buckley is charged with second degree murder in the death of 57-year-old Victoria Brauns-Buckley. The 18-year-old is appearing in Bridgewater Provincial Court Tuesday morning. Staff Sgt. Bruce Hill says RCMP aren't releasing information on how Brauns-Buckley died.

"That's part of the investigation that's now before the court, so I can't comment on that."

Sgt. Hill says they arrested the 18-year-old son Monday morning. Brauns-Buckley was found dead in her home on Borgels Point Road March 2.

Yarmouth Town Council Supports E-Voting

The Town of Yarmouth will introduce e-voting in time for municipal election in October. Council voted to eliminate the traditional paper ballot and polling booth in exchange for electronic voting by computer or phone. They will also do away with proxy voting in favour of voting electronically. Voters will be given a PIN number and use their date of birth when logging on to vote or calling in by phone. Mayor Phil Mooney hopes the move will increase voter turnout and adds the town will likely offer assitance for seniors so they can still vote. The town of Bridgewater will also move towards e-voting but residents will still give voters the option to use the paper ballots as well.  The municipality of Chester is looking at a similar style of voting for the upcoming election.

Seahawks holding learn-to-play football sessions

The South Shore Seahawks are holding free Try-Learn-Play tackle football sessions. The sessions are for kids between the ages of 9-12 and helps introduce the game to both girls and boys. President of the Seahawks minor football club, Gary Linthorne, says kids will get involved in a number of drills.

"Agility drills, hand offs, teaching a person how to receive a hand off, take a snap, give a snap, kick the ball, kids will have a chance to put on some equipment; helmet and shoulder pads and we'll let them run into a blocking dummy."

Tuesday night's session goes from 6-8pm at Bridgewater High School. All kids have to do is show up to play.
Another session is scheduled for Thursday night from 6-8pm at Forest Heights Community School.

Local Boxing Club seeking new home

A local boxing group is looking for a new home. The South Shore Boxing club is looking for a place to set up its equipment including a ring and heavy bags after leaving its former location at 416 King Street in Bridgewater. Club members Jared Mitchell and Brian Falkenham made a presentation to Bridgewater council Monday night. Mitchell is hoping council can help them search for a new location.

"I know there is a lot of empty buildings in Bridgewater, I don't know how accessible they are to you, you know the owners, you know more than I would about this and I'm just asking for a helping hand."

Mayor Carroll Publicover says it will be a challenge to find a place, but council will look into the matter.