FEDS AND N.S. ANNOUNCE $$ FOR PICTOU COUNTY SKILLED IMMIGRATION
Central Nova MP Sean Fraser has announced a grant of $42,500 for the Pictou County Regional Enterprise Network as they work to identify labour market shortages and draw skilled workers into Pictou County, where a number of companies can’t find the properly-skilled people they need to fill their job openings. The group also works closely with local businesses to connect them with immigration programs that target skilled labour. Fraser says Ottawa’s investment is meant to support the local immigration pilot program. The province is matching that contribution. The group is also asking local businesses to fill out an online survey to get a better sense of the challenges, successes, and opportunities employers are facing in recruiting skilled employees here at home. To learn more, visit their website: www.Pictoucounty.com
(PCREN’s Sarah MacIntosh-Wiseman and Central Nova M-P, File Photo)
DRIVING WHILE TEXTING GETTING EXTRA ATTENTION FROM NGR POLICE
New Glasgow Regional Police are starting a new campaign aimed at people texting while they’re behind the wheel. Their slogan is an easy one to remember, says Constable Ken MacDonald. He says “better left unread than dead” is to remind us of evidence showing we’re 23 times more likely to be an accident when we text, compared to leaving these phones far away from us while driving. To keep winter accidents to a minimum, MacDonald tells us his officers will be out in full force this week and over the next number of weeks with a full crackdown on texting and driving.
The fine for using a cell phone or texting while operating vehicle is $237.50 in Nova Scotia with fines for second and third offences at $352.50 and $582.50, respectively.
To report a driver that is driving in a way that is an immediate threat to public safety, you can call New Glasgow Regional Police at 902 752-1941 or call 911 when it is safe to do so. Include as much detail as possible, such as the location, direction of travel, vehicle and driver description and license plate number.
MISSING TEENAGER IS NOW SAFE *** Updated 1030 AM MONDAY
Pictou County RCMP have managed to find the 15-year-old girl they had been looking for since Saturday morning. She is safe and police would like to thank people who offered caring tips and help.
CLEARWATER DEAL PASSES FINAL HURDLE TO BECOME INDIGENOUS-OWNED
A billion-dollar deal that marks the single biggest investment in Canada’s seafood industry by an Indigenous group has been finalized.
Vancouver-based Premium Brands Holdings Corp. and a coalition of First Nations in Atlantic Canada say their acquisition of Clearwater Seafoods Inc. has been completed.
The Mi’kmaq First Nations partnership and Premium Brands have each acquired half ownership of Clearwater through a new partnership, FNC Holdings Ltd., at a price of $8.25 a share.
The $1-billion transaction, including debt, is also expected to see the Indigenous coalition hold Clearwater’s Canadian fishing licences within a fully Mi’kmaq owned partnership.
Membertou First Nation Chief Terry Paul says this is major news for the Mi’kmaq, noting that it will transform how they take part in the commercial fishery. (Canadian Press)
In case you missed it, there were no new cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia on Saturday, and only one new case yesterday. That means the number of active Coronavirus infections across the province sits at 19. The new case is in the central health zone and is a student at Dalhousie University. Public Health says that student lives off campus, is from Nova Scotia and is self-isolating while they investigate. The latest list of possible exposure locations is found on this link. Potential COVID Exposures | Nova Scotia Health Authority (nshealth.ca)
Premier Stephen McNeil says the low number of cases is encouraging, “but…some of the recent cases are more complex than others.”
Mobile COVID testing clinics in Wolfville over the weekend drew in good numbers in the wake of last week’s positive infection on campus at Acadia University.
Starting today (Monday), sports teams will be able to play some of their games, but with limits on travel and spectators. Art and theatre performances can take place without an audience, so if they’re taking place, some groups are mulling over the idea of live-streaming some of their shows.
The commission leading the investigation into last April’s mass shooting across Colchester, Cumberland and Hants Counties has named 6 directors to support the federal-provincial inquiry.
Thomas Cromwell, who is a former Supreme Court justice, has been named Commission Counsel Director. The directors also include Barbara McLean, a deputy chief of the Toronto Police Service, who is originally from Antigonish, and is the country’s foremost scholar in complex criminal matters related to violence against women. Others on the panel include leaders in human rights as well as mental health and wellness.
The Trenton Minor Sports Community Centre is taking part in the 2021 Kraft Hockeyville contest in the hopes of winning a massive $250,000 cash prize and the opportunity to host an exhibition NHL game! The nomination and rally phase is now open until February 14th: www.krafthockeyville.ca
SCAMMERS TARGET TWO MARITIME BUSINESS OPERATORS
At least two businesses in the Maritimes have had their online contests hijacked by scammers in the past week. The businesses, Nimrods’ restaurant in P.E.I. and the snack-food company Made with Local in Nova Scotia, are warning customers not to be fooled by scammers telling them they won a contest and asking them to provide personal information such as credit card numbers. The bottom line from police in all of this is that if you’ve won a contest, you should never be asked to give out any of your credit card numbers.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT HOW AND WHY JULIE PAYETTE CAME TO RESIGN
The Privy Council Office will be giving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advice this week on selecting a new governor general after Julie Payette resigned amid a scathing report into harassment and a toxic work environment at Rideau Hall. About 100 public servants volunteered to be interviewed during a third-party review into the workplace culture at Rideau Hall. Quintet Consulting’s final report brought out “overwhelming evidence” that Payette and her second-in-command, Assunta Di Lorenzo, were responsible for a toxic and poisonous workplace environment at Rideau Hall. Government insiders say Payette will likely be replaced within a month, since the Trudeau Liberals would rather put the whole affair behind them.
