SURVEY SHOWS NORTHERN PULP’S CLOSURE HURTING LOCAL FORESTRY CONTRACTORS
The gates of Northern Pulp in Abercrombie Point are now locked up. (Stingray News Photos)
There’s bad news and slightly good news from an updated survey showing the effect of Northern Pulp’s closure last year on local forestry contractor revenues. The survey taken last summer saw predictions of a 33 per cent drop in money coming in with the mill’s loss. With many producers now looking at actual year-end numbers, the loss has actually been slightly better, with a drop of 30 per cent on average. But last night’s presentation at Pictou County Council shows despite that 3 per cent improvement, the numbers still leave too many forestry contractors now borrowing, just to stay afloat. And contractors say the lack of Northern Pulp is now hurting our woodlands, with owners now cutting the best quality first, and leaving the rest for a future possibility that’s far from certain. The survey also shows motivation to stay in local forestry is at an all-time low.
PICTOU COUNTY SOLID WASTE REMINDS COUNCILLORS OF “PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY” LAW
The people at Pictou County Solid Waste are asking County Councillors to bear in mind that Nova Scotian municipalities collectively spend about $25-million a year to recycle consumer packaging after it leaves the retailer. Solid Waste presenter Deborah Searle says that makes Nova Scotians among the 20 per cent of Canadians who don’t require it to be done by the producer. She says legislation calling for Extended Producer Responsibility is currently before the provincial environment minister, so it’s something for our local councillors to keep high on their collective agenda.
VACCINATION BOOKING WEBSITE FOR SENIORS NOW BACK ONLINE
Service returned to normal at suppertime last night for Nova Scotians 80 years old and up looking for a COVID vaccination. The book of vaccinations in several parts of the province for next week was supposed to start yesterday morning. But the government’s third party website had to be taken down when too many people tried to book at the same time. There is a toll-free number set up as well. (1-833-797-7772) The functioning online link is now listed on our website. https://novascotia.flow.canimmunize.ca/en/c19vaccine
Nova Scotia is reporting one new COVID infection in the latest provincial update. That’s a person in the Central Health Zone. That means there are 35 active case province-wide as of last night.
Tory Leader and Pictou East MLA Tim Houston is calling on the Iain Rankin Liberals to implement COVID-19 testing at airports and set up 24-hour vaccinations.Houston says, “Nova Scotians are stepping up and getting tested. They have the right to expect the same from any person stepping into the province.”
RCMP are still working on a break and enter, assault and arson at a home in Lower Sackville on the weekend.
Police were called to a home on fire about 5:10 Saturday morning. They say the only person inside was able to get out and their injuries are not life-threatening. RCMP now says it appears an unknown man had entered the home, assaulted the occupant and set the place on fire before leaving.
Here’s another reason not to trust everything your vehicle’s GPS system tells you while driving in Nova Scotia. A person in the Annapolis Valley who had been driving a car about 7:30 this past Saturday evening, ended up following the vehicle’s GPS directions to turn off a road and onto a snowmobile trail near Aylesford Lake. After driving close to 5 km down the trail, the car got stuck and the driver called 911. Luckily, Valley RCMP located the driver inside the car with no injuries. A tow company was then brought in to remove the vehicle from the trail. This is also a good time, say Kings County RCMP, to remind us all to keep an emergency kit in our vehicles.
OTTAWA LOOKING MORE SERIOUSLY AT RISING CYBERSECURITY ISSUES
Ottawa is pushing a new playbook for the coming year aimed at cybersecurity threats that could hurt our economy and our energy supply, among other issues. Public Safety Canada says it plans to help develop a framework across the government to deal with the broad range of risks to Canada’s economic well-being.
The move comes as security agencies warn Canadians of the rising danger of hostile nations pilfering trade secrets and cybercriminals demanding ransom for sensitive files.
