Video: Governor General's Visit To Yarmouth

Mayor Phil Mooney

It was a warm welcome for the Governor General of Canada in Yarmouth on Wednesday. David Johnston was greeted by Yarmouth mayor Phil Mooney before heading into an informal meeting with community leaders and citizens at Town Hall. During his whirlwind tour of south western Nova Scotia, Johnson took in a first hand look of a lobster pound and embarked on a two hour boating excursion to do some lobster fishing in the harbour. On Thursday, Johnson will visit West Pubnico. It will mark the first time a Governor General of Canada has visited the historic Acadian community of Pubnico.

NDP: Dexter Shuffles His Cards As Election Nears

A major shake-up within the majority NDP government in Nova Scotia. Premier Darrell Dexter has shuffled his cabinet, appointing Maureen MacDonald as the province's first female finance minister. MacDonald takes over for Graham Steele, who announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election after an 11-year career in politics. Steele made his announcement during a speech to the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce.




Meanwhile, Bill Estabrooks also announced he will not run again after 14 years in public life, and his former job as transportation minister will be filled by NDP backbencher Maurice Smith. Dave Wilson will become the new health minister, and Leonard Preyra enters cabinet for the first time in Wilson's former job as communities, culture and heritage minister. Steele was first elected to the provincial legislature in a 2001 and sworn in as finance minister when Nova Scotia elected its first NDP government in June 2009.

Buyer Walks Away From Old Post Office Sale

Talks have broken down on a potential sale of the old Canada Post building on King Street in Bridgewater. CKBW and HANK-FM News first reported the potential sale of the property in March after a company spokesperson confirmed negotiations were underway. Mayor Carroll Publicover says the potential buyer has decided against the purchase.



Publicover wouldn't comment but a tentative plan was to create a microbrewery in the building. The mayor says there are other parties ''unofficially'' interested in purchasing the 109-year-old landmark. The spot has been for sale since 2010.

Lohnes Finding Stride Before Nationals

A Bridgewater judoka continues to excel on the mat. Whitney Lohnes finished first in the under-20 division and third in the seniors category at the Ontario Open in Toronto. She also placed third recently at the U.S. Open in Miami and fifth at the Miami World Cup. Lohnes will continue training ahead of junior and senior nationals, which are scheduled for early July in Toronto.

Seniors Warned About Door To Door Pitchmen

The Better Business Bureau is warning South Shore residents, especially seniors, to be extremely cautious when answering the door this summer to traveling alarm system sales people.  There have been complaints right across the continent of people being subjected to high-pressure sales tactics and felt deceived by the salesperson into buying an expensive personal safety alarm system.  The BBB's Atlantic President Don MacKinnon says many of these so-called sales people don't have a license to sell door-to-door or legally sell and install alarm systems.  He warns seniors to use caution.



You can always contact the Better Business Bureau for advice.  Last year, several South Shore residents were cohearsed into buying these systems and handed over thousands of dollars.

Bridgewater E-Voting By-law Passes First Reading

A by-law concerning electronic voting in Bridgewater has passed first reading. Council approved its first look of the 'Alternative Voting Method' for the October elections during their Monday night meeting. The potential move would see e-voting, like telephone and internet, available for residents 10 days before the ordinary polling day scheduled for October 20. The returning officer and staff believe paper ballots should also be provided. Mayor Carroll Publicover disagrees.



Second reading is expected to be held at council's June 25 meeting.

E-Voting Scrapped In Lunenburg Until 2016

The town of Lunenburg won't offer e-voting when voters head to the polls this October. Council and staff felt they didn't have enough time to properly implement the new voting system in time for municipal elections. Mayor Laurence Mawhinney says they didn't want to confuse voters so close to an election. Voter turnout in the last municipal election in Lunenburg was around 55 percent - well above the province average. Council is working to draft a by-law to introduce e-voting for municipal election in 2016.

Lunenburg: Active & Vibrant Despite Greying Population

Town of Lunenburg mayor Laurence Mawhinney says the town is a vibrant and active community. He was responding to questions surrounding census data released by Statistic's Canada on Tuesday. The latest figures indicate Lunenburg has the highest median age among the main communities in the province at almost 53 years. However, Laurence Mawhinney says the town continues its work to attract young families to the area.



In regards to employment, Mawhinney says major companies such as High Liner, HB Studios and Composites Atlantic are committed to the town and each feature a median age of 45 years and younger. Several new homes are also under construction which Mawhinney says is another positive step.

Governor-General In Yarmouth Today, West Pubnico Tomorrow

Governor General David Johnston

The town of Yarmouth will be hosting a special visitor today.  Governor-General David Johnston will be there to learn more about the area.  He will get a first hand look at a lobster pound, do some lobster fishing and have a private meeting with Mayor Phil Mooney to discuss the loss of the ferry service two years ago.
The Mayor says it was at the Governor-General's insistence that he better understand the impact of the ferry loss on the area.


 
The Governor General will present awards during a late-afternoon reception.  He will also visit West Pubnico on Thursday and then return to Halifax later in the day.

VIDEO: Province Releases Aquaculture Strategy

Sterling Belliveau

The province's fisheries minister is promising to increase oversight in the aquaculture sector. Sterling Belliveau released a strategy Tuesday to improve regulations and share more information with the public about the $50-million industry. He says he's trying to understand public concern over aquaculture.


 
Under the plan, the provincial government wants companies to report fish losses due to disease and mandate disinfection of aquaculture sites. The announcement comes a month after a fish farm near Shelburne was ordered to kill hundreds of thousands of salmon due to a viral outbreak. Infectious salmon anemia was found at a Cooke Aquaculture site outside Shelburne Harbour earlier this year.

Efforts To Get New Yarmouth Ferry Service Moving Ahead

A meeting in Stockholm, Sweden a few days ago may go a long way in re-establishing ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine.  The head of the Nova Scotia Ferry Partnership and an official of the province's economic development department met with officials interested in exploring the possibility of re-establishing the link.  Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney says the meeting was a forerunner of what may come in the not too distant future.

The mayor is hoping a new ferry can be in operation by next year.  Meanwhile, the special committee set up by the premier to examine the best economically- feasible ferry service for the area will be in Yarmouth next week, gathering information for its study.

UPDATE: Queens General Health Project

The final stage of prep work before a tender is issued for the Queens General Health Project is underway. Maintenance staff are in the midst of constructing temporary inpatient units at the hospital. The new units will keep patients comfortable and away from construction areas while the bulk of the work is being carried out. South Shore Health spokeswoman Liz Finney says a number of staff needed to relocate their offices in order to accommodate the short term units.



A work tender for the $16 million dollar project is expected to be awarded in July with construction scheduled to begin in August. The QGH Project includes a new primary care clinic and redevelopment of the 22-bed in-patient unit at the hospital in Liverpool.

Fawson Seeking Second Term On MODL Council

The current deputy mayor of the District of Lunenburg is looking for a second term on council. Frank Fawson will try and retain his seat in the October 20 election. Fawson has been on council since 2008. He says he's glad members are involved in "Your Council - Your Ideas" sessions to help councillors meet with the public. Fawson says he has work to be done.



Fawson expects sustainability, sewage in the LaHave River and renewable energy to be pressing issues for council in the near future. He says one council highlight includes reducing the overall debt by $2-million, with no new borrowing. He is running for District three councillor, serving constituents in Dayspring, Rhodes Corner and Crouses Settlement.

Lumberjacks Announce Co-Captaincy For 2012-13

A pair of 20-year-olds will lead the CIBC Wood Gundy Lumberjacks on the ice this season. Michael Crawley and Jacob Conrad have been announced as the co-captains this year. Head Coach Terry Rhindress says he isn't sure how a co-captaincy will work yet.



Rhindress says the two players will be expected to help younger players develop their games. Crawley led the Jacks with 78 points last season while Conrad rejoins the team after spending the previous three years with Gatineau in the Quebec league.

Shelburne: Border Services Intercept Illegal Weapons

A Shelburne County man faces charges after three packages containing illegal stun guns and pepper spray were intercepted by the Canada Border Services Agency. The packages - bound for an address in Shelburne County - were flagged at the Vancouver International Mail Centre in December. After a lengthy investigation, 23 year-old Scott Nickerson was arrested earlier this month. Manager of Criminal Investigations for the CBSA, Albert Price says 32 stun guns were seized along with ten cans of pepper spray.



In total, Nickerson is facing 20 charges including five smuggling related offences under the customs act. He is due in court June 14th in Halifax.

Governor General To Visit Yarmouth

The town of Yarmouth is gearing up to host the Governor General. David Johnston will visit the area Wednesday afternoon after he takes in a few events in Halifax Tuesday. The Governor General will visit mayor Phil Mooney, meet with education, business and environment representatives, visit a lobster pound, go lobster fishing in the town's harbour and present awards during an evening reception. He will also visit West Pubnico Thursday.

Chester Curling Club To Host Three Provincial Events in 2013

The Chester Curling Club will be a busy spot next season with three provincial events scheduled to hit their ice. The AMJ Campbell Provincial Junior championship rolls into the Village between Christmas and New Year's followed by the under-18 play downs in late February. In early March, the provincial mixed event will be in the spotlight. Bridgewater will host one Provincial bonspiel in 2013; the Under-13 Youthspiel championship in mid-February. The Molson Coors Mens Tankard is pegged for Truro next year while the Scotties has been awarded to the Halifax Club. The locations were announced at the Nova Scotia Curling Association's AGM over the weekend in Halifax.

Whalen Qualifies For NCAA Championships

Chelsea Whalen

A Liverpool native has punched her ticket to the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Chelsea Whalen had a javelin throw of 46.44 metres this past weekend at the East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Florida. Whalen's throw placed her ninth in a field of 48. She is currently ranked 21st in the nation heading into the competition, which will be held June 6-9 in Iowa.

Open Meeting For Potential School Board Candidates

A meeting will be held this week for people thinking about becoming a school board member this October. The regional school board is hosting the information session. The meeting is expected to provide potential members with an indication of what it means to be part of an elected School Board. It will also include information like how to run a campaign, the highlights and challenges of being a School Board member, and the role of governance and management. The meeting will be held Wednesday from 6:30-9pm at the School Board office in Bridgewater.

Facts And Folklore: Book to Be Launched

A book with quips and quirks about the South Shore will be launched Saturday at the Bridgewater Mall. South Shore Facts and Folklore was written by Vernon Oickle and talks about some of the region's history, culture and people. Oickle says the book is full of useful information.



The book is dedicated to current region of Queens Mayor and former teacher John Leefe. Oickle says Leefe taught him and inspired his interest in local history. The book will be launched at COLES Book Store from 1-3pm.