Another increase at the pumps in N.S.
Fuel prices continue to rise. Gas prices rose 2.4 cents per litre overnight, putting the cost of regular self-serve gas at 145.1 cents per litre locally. Diesel prices rose 3.5 cents per litre overnight, with the cost of diesel now locally at 143.7 cents per litre.
Nova Scotia law would create protest buffer zones around health-care facilities
Nova Scotia is proposing legislation aimed at prohibiting protests that block access to hospitals and other health-care facilities. The Progressive Conservative government says the Protecting Access to Health Services Act will also ban protests at the homes of patients who receive care where they live. The legislation would establish a 50-metre “safe access bubble” around hospitals and other facilities such as doctors’ offices, where protests would not be permitted. Premier Tim Houston says while people have a right to protest, they can’t be allowed to disrupt access to health care. The Nova Scotia bill includes a fine for individuals of $5,000 and up to six months in jail for a first offence, and a fine of up to $10,000 and up to one year in jail for people who violate the order a second time. (The Canadian Press)
N.S. searchers find body of missing fishing captain from Mi’kmaq community
Maritime Forces Pacific Facebook
Searchers have found the body of a missing fishing captain from a Mi’kmaq community who went overboard during his vessel’s journey back to harbour. The Halifax rescue co-ordination centre says the man’s remains were found today at about 2 p.m. after searchers located some of his personal effects floating on the water. The search began about an hour after the man, whose identity has not been released, was reported missing at about 4 a.m. on Thursday. A spokesman for the rescue co-ordination centre says the captain had been at the wheel of the vessel Miss Janet as it travelled from Shelburne to Saulnierville, but when one of the three crew awoke at 3:30 a.m. he was no longer there. Sipekne’katik Chief Mike Sack has confirmed the man is from his First Nation and he thanked the search and rescue teams, private boat operators and commercial fishers in St. Marys Bay “who have graciously joined the effort to bring our brother home.” Sack says the community is requesting “privacy and support” in the coming days. (The Canadian Press)
Province releases new details about who will qualify for 3rd vaccine dose
Photo credit: The Canadian Press
Nova Scotia will begin allowing some residents to start booking third doses of COVID-19 vaccine starting next Tuesday. Those eligible include people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised or who are taking medications that substantially suppress their immune system. Third doses will also be available for people who received two different vaccines and need to travel for work to a country that does not recognize mixed doses.
N.S. reports 26 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday
Nova Scotia reported 26 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 recoveries yesterday. There are 23 cases in Central Zone, two cases in Western Zone and one case in Eastern Zone. Nova Scotia now has 198 active cases of COVID-19. Of those, 12 people are in hospital, including two in ICU. As of Thursday, 76.6 per cent of Nova Scotians were fully vaccinated.
The Nova Scotia government has begun delivering take-home rapid tests to students across the province. Education Minister Becky Druhan says that by the end of the week, 320,000 rapid tests will have been distributed to schools, destined for families of students in pre-primary to Grade 6. Since the beginning of October, there have been nearly 40 COVID-19 exposure notices at schools across Nova Scotia, mainly in the Halifax area. (With files from the Canadian Press)
There are now more than 11-hundred active cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick after health officials reported 133 new cases and two more deaths Thursday.
Moment of quiet reflection replaces daily prayer at Nova Scotia legislature
Photo credit: Communications Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia legislature is replacing its daily prayer with a moment of quiet reflection. Premier Tim Houston’s suggestion to change the rule was adopted Thursday at the House of Assembly. Houston says the change is about making Nova Scotians feel welcome in the legislature regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, language or religion.
The Nova Scotia government has introduced changes to allow its independent police watchdog to also act as the oversight body for New Brunswick. Changes to the Police Act will allow Nova Scotia to enter into partnership agreements with other provinces and allow its Serious Incident Response Team to provide police oversight in those regions on a continuing basis.
Nova Scotia communities that want to pursue clean energy projects can now apply for funding through the Low Carbon Communities program. The program is open to community groups, municipalities, First Nations, post-secondary institutions, businesses and non-profit organizations with projects that benefit communities within Nova Scotia.
Students with work experience on a farm can still apply for a 2021-2022 Nova Scotia Agriculture On-Farm Student Bursary to help them pursue post-secondary studies. More than 200 Nova Scotia students have been awarded the bursaries since they started in 2019, with 180 farms participating. The program is open for applications until November 30.
Chamber of Commerce and PCREN launch Shop Here Pictou County Program
Photo: Heidi Sinclair, Interim CEO, Pictou County Regional Enterprise Network and Jack Kyte, Executive Director, Pictou County Chamber of Commerce partner on bringing a program to support local retailers. (submitted)
Retailers in Pictou County are invited to apply to the Shop Here Pictou County program, a joint initiative between the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce and the Pictou County Regional Enterprise Network (PCREN). The Shop Here Pictou County Program will provide successful applicants a feature space at pictoucounty.com, access to a series of digital marketing workshops, support for product photography, and Pictou County branded online and in print promotional materials. The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, through the Shop Local Funding Initiative, is contributing $40,000 to support the Shop Here Pictou County program. Applications can be found at pictoucounty.com. Deadline is October 28th at 4 p.m.
Local sports note:
The Amherst Ramblers defeated the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 6-2 last night at the Wellness Centre. The Crushers are on the road to take on the Valley Wildcats tonight.
