MODL: Providing Funds For Lunenburg Arena

The Lunenburg Arena is getting a financial boost from its neighbouring municipality. The District of Lunenburg is providing $8,000 to the town to help pay operational costs at the facility. Mayor Don Downe says they're trying to lend a hand when they can.




The funding brings the municipality's total contribution for the rink to $15,000. Downe says the municipality has also agreed to review its policy on providing grants to towns and facilities before the 2014-15 fiscal year.

Baseball Playoffs: Bulldogs Take Down Halifax

In the Bantam AAA baseball playoffs in Bridgewater. The local Bulldogs got off to a good start thanks to some solid pitching Brice Zinn. The 'Dogs beat Halifax 5-3. Ryan O'Tool has a pair of RBI's in the victory to break the game open. The Bulldogs take the field again this afternoon at 3 o'clock. They will host Dartmouth.

Mooseheads Cut Brennan Bailey

The Halifax Mooseheads have parted ways with Lunenburg's Brennan Bailey. The 19-year-old defenseman was cut by the Moose Friday morning before their game against Cape Breton tonight at the Halifax Forum. Bailey was part of the club's Memorial Cup season last year, playing 14 games and notching a goal and an assist. Bailey was acquired by the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks at this summer's MHL draft in Pictou. He also played major midget hockey with the South Shore Mustangs.

Spts-Local Morning Sports Wrap

The South Shore Mustangs doubled the Valley Wildcats 6-3 last night in an exhibition hockey game in Bridgewater. Leading the scoring was Keith Getson with a hat-track. Singles were scored by Travis Parks, Joel Cottreau and Colby Muise. The Mustangs' next exhibiton game will be Sunday at 1 pm, again at the Bridgewater Arena, when the team hosts the Halifax MacDonalds.

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks hit the ice again tonight at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.
The Jacks will be hosting the Yarmouth Mariners for another pre-season MHL exhibition game. It kicks off at 7 o'clock.

The Bridgewater Bulldog Bantam Triple-A baseball team is hosting the Nova Scotia Provincials in Bridgewater this weekend.  Play gets underway at the Kinsmen Field this morning at 10 with Bridgewater facing off against Hammonds Plains.  The Bridgewater team also plays at 3 pm and again at 10 am & 3 pm on Saturday.

Port Mouton: Province Helps Blue Wave Seafoods

A long standing employer in Queens County is getting help from the Nova Scotia Government. Blue Wave Seafood in Port Mouton is getting a $500,000 loan from the provincial government to help restructure its operations. The loan is repayable over the next ten years. The company employs nearly 70 full and part-time staff and is a fish processor and exporter. Fisheries Minister Sterling Belliveau says the money will provide the company with working capital as it restructures to achieve long-term sustainability. Nova Scotia is Canada's third largest exporter of fish and seafood, with exports valued at about $922 million in 2012.

Chester Councillor Pleased With New Crosswalk

A Chester councillor is applauding the addition of a crosswalk near Chester Area Middle School. Brad Armstrong says parents lobbied for a crosswalk during the last municipal election and he decided to work on the issue. He says he approached the Village Commission and they agreed to pay for the crosswalk, painted by the Department of Transportation, and hire a part-time crossing guard. Armstrong says its good news.



He expects roughly 40-50 kids will use the crosswalk daily at Duke and Main streets.

MODL Provides Funding To Help Recruit Doctors

The Municipality of Lunenburg has agreed to provide up to $2,000 to help persuade nurse practitioners to the area. Mayor Don Downe says the money will help send people from South Shore Health to New Brunswick this fall to market the South Shore and recruit doctors. The municipality will match funding with the town of Bridgewater. Downe says they have to separate themselves from other regions in the Maritimes.



Downe says the one thing he's heard while traveling to local communities is the need for more family doctors.

Standby For NS Gasoline Price Hike

Gas prices have taken a hike in New Brunswick overnight. Regular self serve is up 3 cents a litre today to $1.37.1. Diesel is up even more to $1.39.7. With that in mind, prices are likely to jump overnight tonight here on the South Shore by similar amounts. The increase in gas prices is being fueled by whats been happening on the world markets. The price of oil world-wide is actually down $1.31 today so far after finishing yesterday at its highest close in more than two years. Oil is trading at $108.79 U-S a barrel.
The price jumped more than a dollar yesterday on jitters about a possible U-S-led military attack on Syria.

Ferry Partnership Head Optimistic Yarmouth-Maine Service Will Become A Reality

The man who heads up the International Ferry Partnership is optomistic a new ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine will be in operation by next May.  Keith Condon helped spearhead the move to get the ferry back up and running.  He says the provincial government will is there, compared to 2009 when it wasn't.



STM Quest is in negotiations with the Dexter government that may lead to an agreement between the two for STM to run the service.

Garden Centre Raises Over $5,000 For Breast Cancer Foundation

The Oceanview Garden Centre in Chester has raised thousands of dollars for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The centre held a pair of fundraising events and also collected bras to send on mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Employee Lauri McCulloch says $5,716.60 was raised for a good cause.


McCulloch says she expects the fundraising event is something they will hold again next year.

Waters Finishes Sixth At Paracanoe Worlds

A Fox Point paddler has a top-10 finish at the Paracanoe World Championships in Germany. Dave Waters finished sixth in the men's 200 metre V1 event, finishing just over a second behind the eventual winner from Spain. Waters posted to Facebook after the race, saying he was happy with sixth place because it was the hardest race he has have ever done. He finished in third place at last year's World Championships in Poland.

MODL: Plans To Market Osprey Ridge In The Works

The Municipality of Lunenburg is taking steps to find a company to market Osprey Ridge. The golf course, just outside Bridgewater, has been under the municipality's possession since they took over ownership late in 2011. Mayor Don Downe says they are preparing to issue a call for companies to submit proposals, showcasing how they could market the golf course effectively in hopes of selling it. Downe says the timing is right.



Downe expects the overall process to last months but is confident they can find a company that will keep the course publicly-owned.

Bridgewater's McIntosh Finishes Fourth In Holland

Bridgewater's Rachael McIntosh is back in Canada after a fourth place finish in a women's heptathlon event in Holland. McIntosh competed in the 11th International Meeting of Combined Events against some of Europe's top heptathletes. The 22-year-old narrowly missed out on the bronze medal. She finished with a total of 5,443 points, only 48 behind third place. McIntosh won the 800 metre run and finished third in the 200 metre run and shot put. (Photo Courtesy of Fiona Clark)

Belliveau Selected As NDP Candidate In Queens-Shelburne

Fisheries and Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau will be the NDP candidate in Queens-Shelburne for the next provincial election.  He was chosen at a nominating meeting last night in Liverpool.  Belliveau says he's inheriting a legacy of community service by retiring MLA Vicki Conrad.



Belliveau was unopposed for the nomination.  He says some of the issues in the riding in the upcoming election campaign will include jobs, aquaculture, health care and seniors programs. Belliveau also says he's proud to have helped the area re-group after the closure of Bowater.  As a result of electoral boundary changes, his present riding of Shelburne has been split in two parts, Queens-Shelburne (in which he will be running) and Argyle-Barrington.

Province Adding Relief Staff To Adult Day Centres

Four South Shore agencies are among 29 groups soon to benefit from staffing improvements in adult centres for persons with disabilities. The province announced roughly $900,000 in annual funding to provide relief staff in the centres when regular workers are sick or need to be away. The money will go towards salaries for relief staff and kicks-in January 1, 2014. Minister of Community Services, Denise Peterson-Rafuse, says its an initiative she's been working on for over a year.



Local groups that will benefit include The Ark in Bridgewater, Penny Lane Enterprises in Queens, the Shelburne Association Supporting Inclusion and Kaye Nickerson Adult Service Centre in Yarmouth.

Lunenburg Academy's Future In Question

The mayor of Lunenburg says the town has to regroup when it comes to the future of Lunenburg Academy. A plan to host a graduate school for music, starting this fall, has been scaled back after funding sources fell through. The program was looking for roughly $4.6-million to cover start-up fees and three-year initiation period for the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance, or LAMP. Rachel Bailey is optimistic they can find a solution.



Bailey says the town is providing roughly $250,000 in this year's budget for operating costs and capital repairs. She says council will meet to discuss options in the near future.

Bridgewater: Tickets/Fines If Caught With Grass? Maybe

If you're caught with a joint or a dime baggie full of grass you might be slapped with a ticket and fine. Canada's Police Chiefs are suggesting it might be the way to move forward after they supported the motion during a meeting last week in Winnipeg. John Collyer of Bridgewater Police says it would still leave the door open to proceed with criminal charges depending on how much pot the person has on them. He says by issuing a ticket, like they do for open liquor, it could give his members more time on the streets and in the community to deal with other matters.



However, Collyer was quick to point out, police do not support the legalization of marihuana. Police still have to work with government to amend legislation in order for the change to take affect.

Liverpool: Strike Vote At Queens Manor

Nursing home workers in Liverpool can legally go on strike. The 56 members of CUPE local 2648 at Queens Manor have voted 98 percent in favour of the action. The main issue deals with sick leave. The workers can strike after 48 hours notice to the Minister of Labour. However, both sides have agreed to bring in a conciliator to resume talks. A date hasn't been set for the talks. Unionized staff at the manor include continuing care assistants, cooks, licensed practical nurses and personal care workers.

Lumberjacks Make Cuts At Training Camp

The CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks have trimmed down their training camp roster. The Junior hockey club released five players following last night's inter-squad game including Josh Bowman, Ryan Campbell, Alex Rawding, Zack Foster and goaltender Dylan Frank. The cuts aren't the first to be made as Joel Cleveland, Brandon Barrett and Tim LaFleur were left go following opening ice times in Liverpool over the weekend. Owner Ken Petrie also revealed this morning that Josh Fitzgerald is heading back to Newfoundland to complete his grade 12 and play major midget. The cuts leave 33 players at training camp. The team has an off day today before players return to the ice in Bridgewater Wednesday.

Chester: Group Given December Target For Lordly Park

The Chester Municipal Heritage Society is on the clock to raise money to keep a section of Lordly Park. Proponents with the group asked municipal council to delay a decision to a later date regarding a parcel of land at the corner of Union and Prince streets. The society agreed to pay $80,000 to purchase the property. Warden Allen Webber says the group has struggled to meet its commitment.



The municipality indicated they would sell the property for another use, but community members opposed that idea, and want to keep the entire park as public space. A group of residents have agreed to match funding. The society has until December to raise enough money.