Bridgewater: Councillor Concerned About Missing Civic Numbers

A town councillor is concerned about the status of civic numbering in Bridgewater. Wayne Thorburne says improvements have been made but there are still too many issues. He says some numbers aren't visible, others have contrasting colors and many are missing. Thorburne says that's a problem for emergency services, who have difficulty finding homes in the area.



Thorburne is looking for a by-law to be created to help fix the issue. More discussion is expected between council, the public and emergency officials.

Interim NDP Leader Making South Shore Tour

The interim leader of the NDP is making a swing through the South Shore. Maureen MacDonald says she will be meeting with some residents over the next few days to hear their concerns and gather feedback in advance of the spring session of the legislature. MacDonald says the party is moving on from a disappointing October election where they were left with just seven seats.



MacDonald says she will join MLA Sterling Belliveau for community consultations in the riding of Queens-Shelburne. There's no date for a leadership election for the NDP, who are seeking a new leader after Darrell Dexter stepped down following the last election.

Former Lunenburg MLA Eyes Federal Politics

A former MLA in Lunenburg is throwing her hat into the federal ring. Pam Birdsall has announced her intention to run for the NDP in the South Shore - St. Margaret's constituency in the next federal election. Birdsall spent four years in provincial politics before she was ousted from office by Liberal member Suzanne Lohnes-Croft in last October's election. Birdsall feels she's ready for a new chapter in her life.



Birdsall is the first person to announce their intention, and she expects to be challenged by others. She feels it's time to reign out the Conservatives.



The next federal election is planned for the fall of 2015 or sooner.

Halifax Wins Bid To Host World Men's Curling Event

Halifax will host the best men's curling teams in the world in 2015. The city has won hosting rights for the Ford World Men's Curling Championship. It will be played at the Metro Centre from March 28 to April 5 next year. It's the first time the world men's championship has been played in Nova Scotia. Halifax has hosted several major curling events in the past, including three Tim Hortons Brier events and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. They've also hosted the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials in 2005.

Snow In Forecast Closes Schools

Schools are closed all along on the South Shore. No classes for students under the South Shore or Tri County Regional School Board. The French School in Cookville and Waldorf School in Blockhouse is also closed today. Schools in the Annapolis Valley are also closed. Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater says in a tweet, exams will be written tomorrow instead. Environment Canada is predicting 10 to 15 centimeters of snow for the region.

Italy Cross: Couple Arrested, Face Murder Charges In Ontario

Two people were arrested Tuesday morning in Italy Cross in connection with a pair of deaths in Ontario. Sgt. Al LeBlanc says their major crimes unit assisted Peel Regional Police in helping carry out the arrests. Peel Regional Police Inspector George Koekkoek confirms 33-year-old Melissa Merritt and 36-year-old Christopher Fattore were arrested around 10am. They face first degree murder charges in the deaths of Caleb Harrison and his 63-year-old mother Bridget. Harrison was found dead in his Mississauga home last summer. His mother had died in the same home several years earlier. Her death had been considered suspicious. Koekkoek says it brings closure to the case for the families.



Both accused will make a court appearance in Halifax Wednesday morning. They're expected to return to Ontario on Friday.

Updated: Man In Serious Condition Following Barrington Fire

RCMP are investigating after a fire Tuesday afternoon in Barrington Passage. Police say a blaze broke out around 12:50pm in a mobile home that was under construction along Highway 3. A 69-year-old man from Barrington Passage sustained serious burn injuries and was airlifted by LifeFlight to the QEII Hospital in Halifax for further treatment. Fire officials were called to the scene along with police and EHS.

LaHave River Ferry Close To Return

The return of service for the LaHave River Ferry depends on the weather. An official with Department of Transportation, Pam Menchenton, says the ferry has to be moved to its original berth and it has to be attached to the cable. She says testing will follow, before the ferry can start crossing again. Menchenton says they're proceeding with caution.



She says they want to get it up and running as soon as possible to help local residents. The ferry broke free from its cable during a January 3rd snowstorm. It travels daily from East LaHave to LaHave.

Local Mayors, Wardens Push For Highway Twinning

The province is sticking to its plan when it comes to twinning Highway 103. Eight mayors and wardens from across the South Shore wrote letters to the minister of transportation and infrastructure renewal, urging him to consider a larger scale of the project. However, the minister says twinning the highway depends on cost-sharing opportunities with the federal government. Chester Warden Allen Webber says he understands the province's stance, but would like to see more being done.



The province is expected to start construction on phase one this year on a new interchange and connector road in Ingramport, which is included in their five-year highway improvement plan. Other phases are planned between Tantallon and Hubbards. They are currently in the planning and design work stages.

New Doctors Favour Quality Of Life, Shorter Patient Lists

A group representing doctors in Nova Scotia says they know many people in rural areas need a family physician. Kevin Chapman of Doctors Nova Scotia says shortages are creating pressure on the health care system across the province. He says 55 doctors have left their practice over the past five years. Chapman says it doesn't sound like a large number, but it's subtracting numbers from an already weak equation.



Meanwhile, Champman says new doctors are putting more weight into quality of life and balance when deciding where to open their practice. He says it's part of the reason patient lists are shorter than they were 10 or 20 years ago.

School Board Looks To Control Spending

Cost saving measures are being introduced within the South Shore Regional School Board in order to avoid a deficit. The belt tightening will hit substitutes in certain positions the hardest. However, Director of Finance Wade Tattrie says the cutbacks won't have any impact inside the classroom. He says if they kept the status quo, the board would be looking at a deficit of more than $360,000.



As of Monday - administrative, guidance and library staff will not be replaced if they can't be at work. Meanwhile, custodians will not be replaced on their first day off work. Tattrie says the board is confident they'll be able to save enough money to balance the books. The cost saving measures will be in effect until March 31.

Gas Prices: Diesel Shoots Up Over 6 cents

The price of diesel fuel is up more than six cents. The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board used a special clause to change the prices at midnight. Diesel is now selling for just over $1.50 per litre.
The regulatory board says the change is necessary due to significant shifts in the market price of oil. The price of gas did not change.

Nova Scotia: Diesel Could Go Way Up

There could be a big spike coming in the cost of diesel fuel. The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will invoke its interrupter clause at midnight. A news release says the change is necessary due to significant shifts in the market price of oil. The interrupter clause is only used when the price of a fuel changes by 6 to 8 cents per litre, and the price is sustained.  That means prices will either rise by at least 6 cents, or fall by at least 6 cents per litre. However, diesel prices have climbed significantly in Toronto over the past few days. That could spell bad news if you drive a diesel in Novs Scotia. For now, the price of gas will not change.

Provincial Funding For Yarmouth Youth Shelter

A homeless shelter for youth in Yarmouth and the surrounding area will be funded annually now on by the province. Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard was in Yarmouth earlier this afternoon to announce 350-thousand dollars in funding for the Supportive Housing Youth Focus Team, or S.H.I.F.T. Yarmouth MLA and Natural Resources Minister Zach Churchill says the provincial backing is long over due.



As a result of the guaranteed financial funding, SHIFT won't be forced year after year to appeal to Ottawa for assistance.

Health Minister Begins Consultations

A series of province-wide meetings begins today between the Health Minister and health board members, executives and other health care personnel. They'll be discussing how best to reduce the number of health authorities in the province from 9 to 2. The first meeting with be tonight and tomorrow with South West Health. The eventual change would mean a board for the IWK-Capital Health, and a provincial board, with four regional management zones. Health Minister Leo Glavine tells us its important to get lots of input to help establish the right kind of system for the province.



Another meeting will be held February 19th with South Shore Health. Reducing the number of health authorities was a key election promise by the Liberals before they took office in the October election.

Watchdog: Auditor General Reviewing Bluenose II

A watch-dog group wants Nova Scotia's Auditor General to investigate the Bluenose II restoration project. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation claims some materials purchased by the province for the project were sold at a 43 percent markup. For instance, new portholes for the vessel were bought for more than $12,000, almost $6,000 more than normal. Kevin Lacey is calling for an "independent" review to get to the bottom of it.



Meanwhile, Lacery says even the consultants hired to make sure Bluenose was finished on time and on budget, have charged more than a million dollars above the original contracted amount. He says its time to "smoke-out" those who've been profiting and using the Bluenose rebuild project to do so.

Queens-Shelburne: PC Leader Baillie Guest Speaker During AGM

The leader of the official opposition will make a stop this week in Queens County. Jamie Baillie will deliver the keynote addresss at the annual general meeting for the Queens-Shelburne PC riding association. It was a seat the Progressive Conservatives narrowly missed in the last election. NDP MLA Sterling Belliveau held on to the seat by 363 votes over the PC's Bruce Inglis. The meeting will take place on Thursday at the Lions' Hall in Liverpool. It gets underway at 7:30pm. A new executive will also be elected at the AGM.

Hurricanes Storm Past Pictou County

The BMO Western Hurricanes Major Bantam Hockey team had two big wins over the weekend as they hosted the Scotsburn Crushers. The Hurricanes defeated the visiting team Saturday 4-1 and a strong performance on Sunday saw the Hurricanes also defeat the Crushers with a score of 12-1. The Hurricanes play their next home game Saturday evening against the Breton Sport Cougars at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.

Whalen Posts New Record

Some more records for Chelsea Whalen of Liverpool. She threw an indoor personal best and set another new Nova Scotia indoor Shot Put record over the weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her throw of 16.08 meters was good for 2nd place in a field of 42 competitors. Whalen is back in action this coming weekend at the Arkansas Invitational.

Curling Championships A Big Boost For Liverpool & Area

At the end of the 10 day Canadian Junior Curling Championships, everyone in Liverpool is congratulating themselves for a job well done. And, rightly so, says the Region of Queens Mayor Christopher Clarke.



Its estimated those attending the championships, families, friends and players, contributed more than 2 million dollars to the local economy. Mayor Clarke says the success of this major event is not going unnoticed by the sporting community and he expects other events will be coming to Queens as a result.