Gasoline and diesel prices both went down overnight in Nova Scotia. Gas prices decreased by 1.1 cents per litre, putting the minimum pump price for regular self-serve gasoline at 175.2 cents per litre. Diesel prices decreased by 3.9 cents per litre, leaving the minimum pump price for diesel at 207.3 cents per litre.
Health-care spending and disaster relief for extreme weather have helped push Nova Scotia’s budget deficit to 402.7-million dollars this fiscal year.
That’s an increase of 123.8 million dollars from the figure forecast in the spring.
Finance Minister Allan MacMaster says programs to assist with natural disasters accounted for one-quarter of the increased spending reflected in the budget update he released yesterday.
Overall, expenses increased by 363 million dollars from the spring, while total revenues were up by 411 million dollars _ a figure that includes 232.3 million in new revenue from things like personal income tax and the province’s motive fuel tax.
A section of Pictou Landing Road had to be closed for a period of time due to a fire. It was reported to be a fully involved vehicle fire and gas pump on fire. Pictou Landing First Nations Fire Station 22 responded and received mutual aid from Pictou Landing Fire Station 12 and Little Harbour Fire Department. EHS also responded to the scene. The fire was quickly extinguished.
The Transportation Safety Board says it has wrapped up its investigation into the July, 2022 fire on the M-V Holiday Island ferry following a crossing of the Northumberland Strait.
The federal agency says it will write a report that will be made public.
More than 200 people were evacuated from the ferry after a fire broke out in the vessel’s engine room as it crossed from Caribou to Wood Islands.
The chair of the committee overseeing the response to the Nova Scotia mass shooting inquiry says the public will be key in ensuring the inquiry’s recommendations do not gather dust.
Linda Lee Oland says her 16-member group does not have a “stick” to force the Mounties and government officials to do the right thing.
Instead, the retired Nova Scotia judge says the committee’s annual reports will provide a yardstick for the public to measure how much progress has been made.
The inquiry’s report concluded the R-C-M-P were ill-equipped to deal with a lone gunman who fatally shot 22 people during a 13-hour rampage on April 18th and 19th, 2020.
Sixteen projects under the Provincial Capital Assistance Program will receive over $700-thousand, and three projects under the Municipal Innovation Program will receive $450-thousand. The projects receiving funds address access to safe drinking water, wastewater treatment or addressing flood risk.
Recipients include:
— Town of Westville – $15,500 for the water source assessment project
— Town of Pictou – $51,371 for the East End Water Distribution Improvements project
The Stellarton Fire Department now has a new piece of equipment to assist with fire calls. A new fire truck was purchased by the Town as it borrowed $670,000 to fund the capital item and officials are pleased that it is with the Fire Department in time for Fire Prevention Week, which runs October 8-14. There will be an open house at the Stellarton Fire Hall to kick off Fire Prevention Week on Saturday, October 7, from 1-3pm, and the new fire truck will be on display.
It was 20-years ago today that hurricane Juan slammed into Nova Scotia’s coastline.
The storm made landfall west of Halifax on September 29th, 2003, with gusts at over 170-kilometres-per-hour.
The storm was blamed for the deaths of eight people, and it caused 192-million dollars in insurable damage.
A sports note, in the Maritime Junior Hockey League, the Summerside Western Capitals beat the Pictou County Weeks Crushers 10-7.
