Curling: Finals Set At Tankard In Truro

It'll be defending champ Jamie Murphy of Lakeshore against Mayflower's Paul Flemming in today's Molson Mens Tankard Final in Truro. Murphy advanced last night with a 10-6 win over Mark Dacey. On Saturday, Flemming topped Murphy 8-6 to earn a spot in the title match.  The final starts at 2 o'clock. The winner will represent Nova Scotia at the Brier in Edmonton next month.

StormCentre: EMO Update For South Shore

Updates from local emergency management officials for the South Shore: This information has been kindly provided the Nova Scotia's EMO office and it's Facebook page.

Yarmouth - Very little snow accumulation.

Argyle - Flooding of one road in Pubnico during storm surge. (normal for this area). Road now okay.

Barrington/Clark's Harbour - Major storm surge. 1-2 metres. Several roads were awash at 8:30 but all are back open now. Wharf debris washed up on some roads. No one was a risk and no one was isolated. Anywhere with an eastern exposure was affected. Power outage has resulted in a comfort centre being opened at 11 am in Centerville Community Centre. ETR for outage is 11 pm.

Shelburne - Similar conditions as Barrington. All roads are back open now. TIR reported that storm surge is the biggest that they have seen in this area since Ground Hog day storm in 1976. All getting back to normal.

Queens County - Lower parking lot area of Liverpool flooding but this is normal. Western Head Causeway that was destroyed by Hurricane Bill had a couple of the 2000 lb barriers breached. These blocks were used to repair the causeway and have held up until today. Road is passable.

Lunenburg County - Flooding near Sobeys in Bridgewater at height of storm surge but this is typical. 25 cms of snow and still falling.

StormCentre: Serious Flooding Along Shelburne Waterfront

A number of communities along the South Shore are dealing with flooding due to elevated sea-levels due to storm surge. In Shelburne, officials with the municipality took to Twitter this morning to ask residents to stay home and away from Dock Street. The historic section of the waterfront in Shelburne is submerged in water. Here's a shot of the situation along the waterfront in Shelburne.

StormCentre: Lengthy Power Outage In Barrington

A lengthy power outage in the Barrington area has forced emergency officials to open a comfort centre on Cape Sable Island. EMO co-ordinator Jim Newell says the centre will be set up at the Centreville Fire Hall. Nearly 2,000 residents of the Barrington area have been without power for more than eight hours. According to Nova Scotia Power's outage map, crews hope to restore electricity late tonight (11PM). The outage is due to high wind gusts and snow. Newell says it will give people a warm place to stay and ride out the storm. He says they will offer residents some coffee, tea and light refreshments.

StormCentre: Dozens of Stores Closed & Events Postponed

Dozens of businesses and stores are closed today as blizzard and storm surge warnings remain in effect for the South Shore. Crews are working to clean up nearly 15 centimetres of snow that fell overnight in Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne. Forecasters are predicting another 30 centimetres of snow today for parts of Nova Scotia. Some areas of Queens and Shelburne counties are being whipped by winds of up to 100 kilometres an hour, cutting visibility to almost zero. Numerous flights have been cancelled at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The Maritime Bus Company has cancelled all of it's morning routes. Here is a complete list of cancellations

StormCentre: Power Outages, High Winds, Cancellations

High winds are behind power outages and tricky driving conditions throughout the South Shore. Roughly 8,000 Nova Scotia Power cutomers are without electricity this morning. The largest outages are in the Barrington, Pubinco, Shelburne and St. Margaret's Bay areas. Meanwhile, snow clearing crews are working hard to knock down massive snow drifts in many areas of the South Shore. The region is waking up to high winds and white out conditions after about 15 centimetres of snow fell overnight. Forecasters are predicting 30 to 40 centimetres of snow today for parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and up to 30 centimetres for Prince Edward Island. Some parts of Queens and Shelburne are being whipped by winds of up to 100 kilometres an hour, cutting visibility to almost zero. Dozens of today's flights have been cancelled at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. For a complete list of cancellations around the South Shore click here or visit our our web site at www.ckbw.ca

Nova Scotia Power's - Outage Map

Maritime Bus has cancelled morning routes - updates can be found here

Road Conditions - up to date information can be found here


Here is the latest forecast from Environment Canada: Blizzard and Storm Surge Warning in Effect.

Today: Snow at times mixed with ice pellets this morning. Snow and ice pellet amount 5 cm for Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth counties. Expect 10-15 centimetres of snow for Lunenburg county. Blowing snow. Wind northeast 60 km/h gusting to 80 except gusting to 120 along the coast this morning and early this afternoon. High minus 1 except temperature steady near minus 6 inland.

Tonight: Periods of snow ending overnight then cloudy (Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth). Amount 5 cm (another 10 centimetres expected for Lunenburg county). Blowing snow. Wind northwest 50 km/h gusting to 80. Low minus 9.

Sunday..clearing late in the morning. Wind gusts to 60 diminishing to 20 in the evening. High minus 3.

StormCentre: Full Coverage Of Weekend Storm

Environment Canada has issued blizzard and storm surge warnings for the South Shore. The weather agency says snow will begin late this evening and dump up to 15 centimetres on Lunenburg, Queens and Shelburne counties. The forecasts is calling for wind gusts up to 100 kilometres per hour for some coastal areas of the South Shore early tomorrow morning. Another 25 centimetres of snow is predicted to fall throughout the day on Saturday. Forecasters are also warning drivers of potential white-out conditions over the next 24 to 36 hours. Meanwhile, the EMO office in Shelburne is reminding residents of the area to be prepared for a major storm system packing heavy snow, wind and unusually elevated water levels. CKBW & HANK FM will provide up to the minute updates on conditions and cancellations during our storm centre coverage over the weekend.  Listen for updates, monitor our Facebook pages and follow us on Twitter at @ckbwradio and @HANK_FM.

Shelburne: Woman Charged With Drug Trafficking

A 25-year-old woman from Shelburne County faces charges after she was pulled over by RCMP Thursday night along Highway 103. Shelburne County RCMP stopped the vehicle around 10:30pm in the Port Mouton area. Police seized six capsules of a substance believed to be ecstasy and approximately 200 grams of marihuana. Stephanie Janice Benham was arrested without incident and is charged with Possession and Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. She is scheduled to appear in Shelburne Provincial Court March 13.

Shelburne: Drug Bust In Barrington, Pot Seized

Police in Shelburne County have taken down an indoor marihuana grow op. RCMP say they seized thirteen mature plants, 500 grams of harvested stalk and about 70 grams of bud. They made the find after searching a home in Barrington on Thursday. Police say a 34-year-old Shelburne County man was arrested at the residence and later released. He will be charged with production, possession and trafficking related charges. The accused is due in Barrington court next month.

South Shore: RCMP Seize Crack Cocaine After Traffic Stop

Lunenburg RCMP have seized an slew of drugs including some crack cocaine following a traffic stop near Exit 8. Police say two people were taken into custody after they pulled over a car last night around 6:30PM. Later that night, police conducted a search of a home on Collicutt Road in Chester and seized marihuana, prescription drugs, and other items in connection with the investigation. Twenty-nine year-old Brendan Gregory Levy and 29 year-old Jennifer Andrea Corkum of Chester are facing various possession and trafficking charges. Both of the accused had a court appearance earlier today in Bridgewater.

Queens MLA Uncertain About Her Future

At least one South Shore member of the provincial legislature is uncertain about her future. Queens NDP MLA Vicki Conrad says family will weigh heavily on her decision whether to run in the next election. She says its going to be a tough decision because she also happens to like her job of representing the people of Queens County.


Conrad was first elected to the legislature in 2006 and was re-elected in 2009 and hopes to make-up her mind about running again within a few days.

Chester, Barrington Kick-Off Junior 'C' Playoffs

Two South Shore Junior 'C' hockey teams will begin their playoffs tonight. The first place Chester Clippers welcome the Fundy Phantoms to the Eleanor Pew Morris Arena at 7:15pm. Also, the Barrington Sea Star Ice Dogs and Clare Lions hook up for game one at the Barrington Municipal Arena. Game time is 8pm. Meanwhile, the South Shore Wild begin their playoffs on the road Saturday night against the Spryfield Silver and Black Attack.

Long-Time LaHave River Ferry Operator Dies

A Lunenburg county native who operated the LaHave Ferry for nearly 35 years has passed away. Brady E. Himmelman was captain of the ferry service from 1948 until 1982. The long-time native of LaHave was an avid golfer, community minded and loved helping others. Himmelman was honoured by the Nova Scotia government in 2010 when the new $3.5 million dollar ferry bearing his namesake was christened during a ceremony in July. Captain Himmelman is survived by his wife, Romona and four daughters.

Chester Delay's Zoning Request For Health Centre

Council in Chester has delayed making a decision on a rezoning request for "Our Health Centre". The collaborative care project would be constructed in Shoreham Village, however, the current bylaws do not permit such a facility in that area of Chester. The area needs to be zoned "Institutional" before construction on the project could begin. Warden Allen Webber says they need to look at tweaking the municipalities streetscape plan in order to make the change in their zoning bylaw.



Some of the loopholes centre around where the parking lot would be located in the overall design of the proposed facility. Webber says he doesn't see deferring a decision on the rezoning request as any type of stumbling block for the project.

South Shore Health: Take Caution Around Queens General Hospital

South Shore Health is asking people to use extreme caution when visiting Queens General Hospital. The health authority says a combination of snow, ice, mud and construction vehicle traffic has created messy and slippery conditions in the parking lot. Facility Planning Director, Margo Walsh-Leaman, says people need to be careful when they're on the property.



Traffic is also being temporarily re-routed at the hospital so an underground pipe can be installed. People are encouraged to follow the designated signs when visiting the hospital.

PC Leader Calls For Insulin Pump Program If Elected Premier

Those money-losing Tim Horton outlets in Halifax hospitals should be closed and the 1.4 million dollar subsidy they're receiving be re-directed to fund a provincial insulin pump program for diabetic children. Thats what the province's PC's are committed to doing if elected to power in the next provincial election. Leader Jamie Baillie says kids under 19 need the support to improve their lives.



Nova Scotia and PEI are the only provinces in Canada that do not provide funding for insulin pumps for diabetic children. Baillie says if he's elected premier, this province will be struck from that list. Canadian country music star George Canyon, who's from Pictou, joined Baillie this morning in announcing the proposed program. Canyon has been a Type 1 diabetic since he was 14 and says life would have been much easier in those earlier days if he had been outfitted with a pump.

Chester Council Supports Sea Cadets Program

Chester council will lend a helping hand in support of their local sea cadet program. Councillors voted unanimously to purchase $250 worth of tickets toward the Toronto Maple Leafs alumni game set to take place at the Chester Arena later this month. The tickets will then be given to the pro kids program in the municipality and distributed to deserving children. Deputy Warden Floyd Shatford says the donation is for a great cause.



The 351 Llewellyn Sea Cadets program is trying to raise money for a trip to Chester, England later this year. The Leafs alumni game is a part of a fundraiser for the cadets program and will be held on February 26.

Forest Heights: Construction On Skilled Trades Centre Begins In March

A future skilled trades centre at Forest Heights is nearing the start of construction. Director of Operations with the local school board, Steve Prest, says a tender was awarded to Rikjak Project Inc. of Lunenburg and S P Dumaresq Architect of Halifax. The two companies will be on-site starting their work on March 1st. Prest says construction is expected to last until the end of May.



The project cost is roughly $283,000. The construction of the skilled trades centre is considered the number one priority by the operations department. Roughly 300 students attend Forest Heights.

Boiler Issue Causes Smoke To Funnel From Bridgewater Elementary

An issue with one of the boilers caused large volumes of smoke to pour out of Bridgewater Elementary this evening. Crews with the Bridgewater Fire Department received the call shortly after 5pm of a possible chimney fire. But, members quickly realized a boiler wasn't firing correctly, causing smoke to funnel out of the school. Deputy Chief Andy Wentzell says they handled the situation quickly.



Wentzell says a technician solved the issue with the boiler. Roughly 20 firefighters were on the scene at the time. No one was injured.

Retired Principal's Child Porn Case Delayed Until March

The former principal of a Lunenburg area school will return to court next month after he was charged with possessing and accessing child pornography last summer. Brian David Jobb was charged in August after police searched a home in Lilydale. The 62 year-old did not appear in court today in Bridgewater but was represented by his lawyer. Jobb retired as principal of Lunenburg Academy in 2006. The matter has been set aside to March 6th.