NB gas prices are up by one cent per litre this week. Diesel prices across the border are down by four-tenths of a penny. Nova Scotia’s new prices come in at midnight.
CLORIS LEACHMAN DIES AT AGE 94 – TWO OF HER FILMS YET TO BE RELEASED
Cloris Leachman, the decorated actress of stage and screen best known for her role as the annoyingly perfect landlady Phyllis Lindstrom on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died. She was 94. Leachman’s publicist said in a statement that the actor died of natural causes at her home in California.
Leachman, who appeared in three of Mel Brooks’ comic movies, kept acting regularly well into her 90s. She was a contestant on Dancing With the Stars at age 82 and appeared in the 2019 reboot of the comedy series Mad About You.
Two films that she made in 2019 and 2020 have yet to be released.
Asked in 2010 how she managed to keep professionally busy at her age, Leachman told the New York Times, “I don’t like that word ‘busy’ because that’s not how I live at all … When I do work, it’s not work; it’s great fun and exciting and fresh.” (Film Magic Photo)
CAPE SMOKEY PLANS FOR TREE-WALK TO BE 7 STORIES HIGH
The owners of Cape Breton’s Cape Smokey ski hill are moving ahead with plans to build a 7 storey-tall observation tower in Ingonish. They’re calling it a “tree walk” and it’ll offer a bird’s-eye view of the landscape around Ingonish Harbour.
The pandemic delayed last year’s construction season, so it’s a little behind schedule. But this year, things are back on track, and the project is still slated to open on July 1st – and since we’ll all likely be continuing our summer travels within the Nova Scotia pandemic bubble, that might become a destination for those of us here on the Nova Scotia Mainland. (Photo Courtesy Cape Breton Holding Ltd)
NEW GLASGOW REGIONAL POLICE DISTRACTED DRIVING TIP OF THE DAY
Police are out with their “driver distraction equals dangerous driving TIP OF THE DAY.” They’re reminding us that the legislature introduced a law against cell phone use in Nova Scotia in 2008 and this was the second province to ban hand-held cellphone use while driving. Other driver distractions can include, reading a newspaper, eating, having an animal on you lap, watching TV and using your GPS unit. All of these actions make driver distraction a leading cause of collisions as police across Canada say that distracted driving has caused more collisions than impaired drivers. That’s why New Glasgow Regional Police officers are clamping down on distracted driving, and that includes all of the above activities as well as smart phone use while you’re behind the wheel – with a special emphasis on the problem over the weeks to come.
PICTOU COUNTY PROJECTS ON HIGHWAY AND ROAD LIST PUT OUT BY THE PROVINCE & PICTOU COUNTY OFFICIALS
The Transportation Department’s 5-year plan for road and highway construction across Nova Scotia has a sizeable chunk of projects for our area. The plan puts $500-million into eleven major construction projects the rest of this year and into next year. They’re aimed at twinning parts of Highway 101, the 103, and the section of the 104 from Sutherland’s River to Antigonish,
The 150 projects province-wide include laying new pavement on the Trenton Connector.
Abercrombie intersection to be replaced. (MOPC Photo)
The new pavement to be laid runs from Highway 106 to Granton-Abercrombie Road and there’s also a plan replace the traffic signals with a modern roundabout, with a design plan for that now in the works. Nothing is guaranteed until tenders care awarded but the plan is for this work to be completed this year and next, as noted in the 5-year plan (barring any unforeseen circumstances).
Pictou County Council has been asking the provincial government for improvements to the area because the intersection has been the site of several motor vehicle accidents.
Other projects for Pictou County in 2021-22 include:
Highway Twinning in Sutherland’s River
Highway 104:East bound lane from Exit 20 to Exit 21 – 4.8 km repaving
Truck 6: from Battist Road to Three Brooks Road – 5.6 km repaving
Glengarry Road: from Dryden Lake Road to Lorne Station Road – 4.6 km repaving
Meadowville Station Road: from River John to Trunk 6 – 6.2 km repaving
Trenton Connector: from Highway 106 to Granton-Abercrombie Road – 4.3 repaving
East River West Side Road: from 2 km east of St. Paul’s Road easterly to Route 348 – 4.4 km maintenance paving
Route 347: from 2.8 km south of French River Road northerly – 4 km maintenance paving
Loch Brook Loop: from 5 km north of Maple Street northerly to Alma Road – 4.6 km double chip resurfacing
Brookland Road: from Trunk 4 easterly – 8.8 km Gravel Road Program
MacKean Road: from end of maintained to O MacLean Road – 2.6 km Gravel Road Program
Toney River Road: from 1.2 km north of River John Road to Trunk 6 – 7.1 km Gravel Road Program.
PANDEMIC EMERGENCY DOLLARS GOING INTO LOCAL CULTURAL FACILITIES AND GROUPS
The province has announced new emergency funding meant to help local arts and culture organizations stay afloat for the rest of the pandemic. A total of $2.1 million dollars is being spent to help theater and other cultural venues as the pandemic prevents people from attending their events. The deCoste Centre is getting $45,000 and Creamery Square in Tatamagouche picks up $2,000, with more than $3500 going to Creative Voices of Truro and Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre is getting a grant of $35,000.
FOUR NEW NS CASES OF COVID, VACCINATION VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR PICTOU COUNTY
With four new cases of COVID-19 in the latest provincial update, two are in the Central Zone, with two more in the Eastern Zone. There are currently 12 known cases of COVID in this province.
It appears COVID vaccination clinics are getting ready to move into Pictou County in the near future. A special volunteer pool is being created to provide support to COVID-19 vaccine clinics across Nova Scotia. Public Health says volunteer opportunities might end up existing at the Aberdeen Hospital the Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital in Pictou, along with other community vaccination centres.
You can fill out an online application here http://www.nshealth.ca/volunteer
Public Health has just announced another mobile testing clinic for our neighbours in Colchester County. That testing takes place today (Thursday) from 10 until 4:30 at the Peg Meeting and Convention Hall across from Masstown Market, just off highway 104. Public Health is encouraging anyone who is not experiencing any symptoms to drop in and get tested. Testing is available for all ages.
Premier Stephen McNeil is defending his rough relationship with unionized publicly-funded workers in the province. He says he wasn’t asking them to take nothing during his time in office, but to take a little less. McNeil leaves his job at the end of next week, and says if his successor wants to do well, whichever of the three men vying for that job who wins it will have to keep focused on immigration. Nova Scotia has set several new population highs in the past few years as people re-located here from other provinces and other parts of the world. McNeil made his swansong livestream to yesterday’s Halifax Chamber of Commerce event.
