Gas and diesel prices went down overnight in Nova Scotia.

Gas prices decreased by 5.6 cents per litre putting the minimum pump price for regular self-serve gasoline at 157.3 cents per litre locally.

Diesel prices decreased by 6.1 cents per litre, meaning diesel now costs 244.6 cents per litre in the local area.

 

 

Nova Scotia Finance Minister Allan MacMaster says the province will not use revenue from its fuel tax to help offset the effects of the federal carbon pricing plan.

MacMaster said earlier this month that the federal government had forbidden the province to cut the tax but federal officials have since said that’s not the case.

Still, the minister says he favours targeted cost of living relief and will continue to use the fuel tax to fix roads and highways.

MacMaster says the province is now looking at expanding its heating assistance rebate, which currently offers up to 200 dollars for low-income Nova Scotians who pay for their own heat.

 

 

There are currently 24 people hospitalized in Nova Scotia due to COVID-19, with four in I-C-U.

The latest figures for patients with the virus were released yesterday.

According to Nova Scotia Health, there are a total of 131 people in hospital who have the virus, but were originally admitted for other reasons.

There are also 107 Nova Scotia Health employees off work due to the illness.

 

 

With PEI’s damage from Fiona as the backdrop, the federal government announced its new national climate adaptation strategy yesterday.

The plan, introduced by Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, outlines Ottawa’s intention to eliminate deaths from heat and forest fires, protect homes and businesses at the highest risk of flooding and help get people forced to flee extreme weather back home faster.

Blair says the plan’s targets include better informing Canadians of the risks of climate change, ending all heat-related deaths and upgrading the national disaster financial assistance program.

 

 

Halifax is home to a new art installation honouring Black Canadian civil rights activist Viola Desmond.

Desmond was arrested for watching a movie in New Glasgow in 1947 at a segregated movie theatre.

Her case helped start the civil rights movement in Canada and she was posthumously pardoned for the arrest in 2010.

Artist Marven Nelligan created an art installation in Halifax that is a replica of the hair salon Desmond owned.

 

 

In the Maritime Junior Hockey league last night, the South Shore Lumberjacks beat the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 4-2.