BREAKING: Bluenose II Launch Delayed

The scheduled launch of the Bluenose II has been delayed. Premier Darrell Dexter confirmed today the province's sailing ambassador isn't expected to return to the water until some time toward the end of the year.


 
Dexter says the plan was to have the schooner back in the water in time for a premiers meeting in Halifax later this month. However, the premier says that won't happen because the schooner requires more work at the Lunenburg shipyard. Despite the delay, Dexter says the refit is still attracting a lot of attention and he isn't worried about a loss of tourists.




The vessel is undergoing a $17-million restoration. The premier says there's a delay because it's a one-of-a-kind project.

VIDEO: Province Announces $460,000 For Boatbuilders Association

Lunenburg's mayor says the province's announcement to fund a new marine trade will go a long way for the town. Premier Darrell Dexter has announced $460,000 in funding for the province's boat building association. The money will be used to develop a new trade known as a marine service technician. Laurence Mawhinney says the future looks bright for Lunenburg.



The marine service technician would train workers to service, repair, refit and upgrade ships. The premier says the new training program will ensure boat builders have updated skills. Dexter made the announcement at the Bluenose II site in the Lunenburg Shipyard.

Giant Tiger Expanding Bridgewater Store

A retail store in Bridgewater is expanding. Giant Tiger is expected to begin a full renovation in early August and increase their capacity by an extra 5,000 square feet. Store Manager Shane Demmings says the store will be transformed.



He says the store will remain open through the renovations and doesn't expect customers to be impacted by the work. Demmings dosn't know how much it will cost to do the renovations. A grand re-opening target date is slated for November 24.

Jamie Baillie: Moving Civil Servant Jobs From Halifax Is Bad HR

NS PC Leader Jamie Baillie

The vast majority of Nova Scotia civil servants asked to relocate from Halifax to offices in smaller towns say they won't go. 71 unionized workers from three government departments were asked to relocate.  Only five have agreed.  57 have chosen to stay in Halifax and be shuffled to other departments, while 9 have quit their jobs altogether.  Provincial PC Leader Jamie Baillie tells us ... the Dexter government has been pulling a "fast" one on rural communites like those on the South Shore.



Baillie says its been all about ... PR ... and not very good .. HR ... on the part of the government. He also says you can't create jobs in rural areas by simply shuffling existing ones around.

MODL To Encourage Smoke-Free Outdoors

The Municipality of Lunenburg is looking to cut down the number of people smoking in outdoor spaces. Committee of the Whole approved a motion Tuesday to forward the "Smoke Free Outdoor Spaces" policy to council for decision. The policy does not prohibit smoking but will encourage people to think twice before lighting up in municipally-owned parks, playgrounds, sports fields and open spaces. CAO Tammy Wilson says the policy could be an effective way to cut down smoking on their property.




Council is expected to make a decision at its July 10 meeting.

Hurlburt Sentencing Held Over To Later In Month

Richard Hurlburt

A former Nova Scotia cabinet minister sobbed openly in Yarmouth court yesterday as he expressed regret for defrauding the province of just over $25,000.

Crown attorney Andrew Macdonald says Richard Hurlburt deserves a sentence in line with what was given to former Liberal Dave Wilson. Wilson was sentenced to nine months in jail for defrauding the public purse of 61-thousand dollars.

In Wilson's case, Macdonald says the court took into account ... his actions were driven by a gambling addiction.



Meanwhile, defence lawyer Stan MacDonald says Hurlburt deserves credit because he has shown remorse, apologized and paid the money back.



Justice David MacAdam reserved a decision on Hurlburt's sentence until July 27th.

Gas Prices: Here We Go Again!

It seemed too good to be true....a continuation of lower gas prices.  They did, as expected, and increased overnight at South Shore pumps.  When you haul into a service station today, you'll find a litre of regular self serve selling for 3.5 cents more at $1.22.4.  Diesel is up too ...  selling for two cents more at $1.24.4 per litre.

Vogler's Cove Bridge Could Re-Open Friday

A new concrete culvert has been installed on the Dollivers Brook Bridge in Vogler's Cove. The span has been closed for the last two weeks so workers with the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Renewal could replace the culvert. Operations Supervisor Glen Strang says the project cost just over $150,000. He says the work was a priority.



Strang expects the bridge to open either Friday afternoon or Saturday.

Lohnes Wins Bronze At Judo Nationals

Bridgewater's Whitney Lohnes has added a bronze medal to her collection. The 19-year-old finished third in the 48kg category of the senior's division at the Canadian Judo Championships in Toronto, Ontario. Lohnes says she's happy with the results but knows she has lots to work on to get better.




She's now preparing for the under-20 division competition on Sunday. Lohnes says she's trying not to be over-confident before hitting the mat.




Lohnes won gold at the 2010 judo nationals.

Martin Finishes Close Second At Moncton Meet

It was a near win for Jenna Martin in Moncton, New Brunswick. The newly-minted Olympian finished second at the Hub City Track and Field Classic Thursday evening, finishing two-hundredths of a second behind winner Carol Rodriguez of Puerto Rico. Martin clocked in at a time of 52.04 seconds while Rodriguez crossed the finish line at 52.02 seconds. Next up for the Bridgewater runner will be the Aileen Meagher track meet, held this Sunday at Saint Mary's University.

Composites Atlantic Increasing Workforce

A Lunenburg-based manufacturing company is hiring more staff to meet demand. Composites Atlantic is looking to add at least 30 production operators to its workforce. The company is getting more orders from their current clients, prompting the need for more workers. Composites Atlantic is expected to have about 340 workers when hiring wraps up at the end of the summer. The company is considered a world leader in the design, development and manufacturing of advanced composites for the aeronautic, space and defense industries

Former Bowater Workers Being Recruited

Premier Darrell Dexter says he's not surprised former Bowater Mersey employees are being recruited by other companies. Northern Pulp Nova Scotia in Pictou County and J.D. Irving Limited each held job fairs this week in Liverpool. Both companies are courting the former workers who lost their job when the Brooklyn mill closed last month. Dexter says its an indication the Bowater workers are highly skilled and in demand.



He says the government did the right thing when it offered $1.5 million to upgrade the skills of Bowater workers as part of a bailout package for the mill. Dexter believes the training will help some of those workers who lost their jobs find other work that might not be tied to the pulp and paper industry.

Chester: Screening Operation Shuts Down

An illegal screening operation within the Village of Chester has been dismantled. Chester council made the decision to seek a court order last week but work at the site stopped last Friday. An individual had been processing earth and rock without a permit in a location next to the Old Stone Bridge. The operation was also in violation of municipal bylaws in Chester. An official with the municipality says they will no longer need to pursue the court injunction. However, the individual will be fined an undisclosed amount for each day the work was taking place.

Hurlburt Will Be Sentenced Today

Sentencing will be held today in Yarmouth for a former provincial politician charged in the province's spending scandal.  Richard Hurlburt pleaded guilty in April to fraud and breach of trust. 

Hurlburt resigned from the legislature on February 9, 2010, following revelations that he had spent his constituency allowance on a generator and a 40" television, which together cost over $11,000.

The former Tory cabinet minister is the second former member of the legislature to plead guilty in the scandal.  Former Liberal Dave Wilson was sentenced in April to nine months in jail for defrauding the public purse of 61-thousand dollars.

Two More Fish Farms For Shelburne County Receive Federal Approval

Two proposed fish farm sites in Shelburne County have received the approval of Transport Canada.  They will be located in Jordan Bay, about 2 kilometers apart, and will be operated by Cooke Aquaculture.  Transport Canada says its convinced ... proper safeguards will be in place for wildlife and marine habitat and the project will not cause adverse environmental effects.  The province must now give its approval to the sites.

Health Services Foundation: Fundraising Complete For New Echo

The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore has reached their fundraising goal for a new Echo Ultrasound system. The 14th annual Hit it for Health golf tournament Wednesday raised $31,380, helping the group over the $244,000 mark to buy the equipment. A local anonymous donor also stepped up and provided funds to help the Foundation achieve their goal. Managing Director Arleen Stevens says the individual's donations helped their campaign become a big success.



Stevens adds, it was another successful year for the event.

She says they will now have to go through a purchase process, with hopes of getting the new equipment this fall.

Olympian Martin Races In Moncton

It will be the first event for Jenna Martin since she qualified for the Olympics. The 24-year-old Bridgewater native races in Moncton Thursday evening at the Hub City Track and Field Classic. Martin will compete in the 400 metre portion of the meet. She has the fastest time this season out of the seven competitors. The two-time Canadian champion is using the event as a tune-up and preparation for the Olympic Games, which start almost three weeks from today. Martin will run at 6:40 Thursday evening.

Habitat For Humanity: Family For Mahone Bay Build Needed

The need for a family is at an all-time high for Habitat for Humanity. The South Shore Chapter is about to start building a home in Mahone Bay, but doesn't have a family that qualifies yet. Some of the criteria includes the family's need, their ability to re-pay a no down payment or interest mortage and volunteering 500 hours towards building their home. Chair of Habitat's family selection committee, Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, says finding a family is a priority.



An information meeting is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:30pm at the United Church in Mahone Bay.

Women's Centre Advocating Against Violence

"Be a piece of the solution. Be the Peace we all yearn for." Those words are part of a new community project through Second Story Women's Centre. The centre is hoping to create a three year action plan to address relationship violence. A free three-day public gathering to discuss the action plan will be held at the Lunenburg Community Centre beginning Thursday night. The full schedule is as follows:


July 5th: 6:30 - 9:00pm
July 6th: 9:00 - 5:00pm
July 7th: 9:00am - 12:30pm


All meetings are at the Lunenburg Community Centre. For more information, you can call Second Story Women's Centre at 640-3044 or 543-1315 or visit http://www.secstory.com/ .

Dexter: Confident Michelin Announcement Will Happen

Premier Darrell Dexter says he's not worried over Michelin's decision to postpone plans for an announcement tomorrow at the company's plant in Waterville. The company didn't give any reasons in a news release for the decision to postpone its announcement, and a new date has not been set. Dexter says there's no reason to believe the announcement won't go forward at a later date.



The tire manufacturer has been looking at expanding its operations in the Annapolis Valley community. In May, Dexter announced funding for a study that would look at relocating the Waterville Municipal Airport to allow for expansion at Michelin.