Voters in the Pictou West riding will be heading to the polls in a byelection next month to fill the seat left vacant by the retiring Speaker of the House. Premier Tim Houston issued a statement Sunday saying the byelection will be held on May 21st. Progressive Conservative Karla MacFarlane, Nova Scotia’s first female Speaker of the House, announced her decision to leave politics on April 5. She announced her retirement after 11 years in the legislature and six months as Speaker.
Nova Scotia’s health authority says it is contacting more than 26-hundred people affected by a health information breach. The authority says a former employee of the St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish inappropriately accessed the information. The data included registration, demographic, and clinical information. Health officials say the R-C-M-P is investigating.
Public Health will be holding testing and immunization clinics this week for COVID-19, influenza and measles. Locations include:
NSCC Truro Learning Lounge – Forrester Hall
36 Arthur St., Truro
Monday, April 22 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Drop-in only, no booked appointments:
· COVID-19 Moderna vaccines for people ages six months and older.
· Measles-containing vaccines for those who are eligible:
MMR – Measles, Mumps, Rubella
MMRV – Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella (Chickenpox)
Nova Scotia Justice Minister Brad Johns has resigned after he made comments downplaying the severity of domestic violence. Premier Tim Houston announced the minister’s resignation Friday night, saying domestic violence is an issue his government takes very seriously. Johns said Thursday that while he agrees domestic violence is a problem, he doesn’t believe there are epidemic levels in the province. He made the comments on the anniversary of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting, which led to an inquiry that recommended treating domestic violence as an epidemic.
Today marks Earth Day and the global theme for this year is “Planet Versus Plastic.”
The environmental movement is calling for the end of plastics for the sake of human and planetary health.
Plastic production continues to ramp up globally and is projected to triple by 2050 if nothing changes.