The Canadian Hurricane Centre is keeping a close eye on the progress of Hurricane Ernesto, as the storm is expected to intensify and affect Bermuda this weekend.
The storm strengthened into a hurricane yesterday as it dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and disrupted power to wide swaths of the island.
The National Hurricane Center in the United States is forecasting Ernesto will move through open waters and make its closest approach to Bermuda tomorrow and Saturday.
The hurricane is expected to become a major Category 3 storm in the upcoming days and then weaken slightly to Category 2 as it nears Bermuda.
The family of a boy who died during flash flooding in Nova Scotia in July 2023, is suing the province for negligence.
Tera Sisco, the mother of six-year-old Colton Sisco, is named as the lead plaintiff against the provincial government and West Hants Regional Municipality in a notice of action filed July 17th.
The lawsuit doesn’t specify the amount of financial compensation sought and in a written statement the mother says she hopes the legal action will allow her to “pursue answers” on what happened.
Sisco alleges that the municipality and province failed to send an emergency alert in a “reasonable time frame.”
Nova Scotia is investing in 62 municipal projects to the tune of 2.3-million-dollars. The province says 25 projects involve helping communities to create inviting spaces with the goal of attracting more visitors. Twelve projects will create job opportunities for youth and the unemployed to gain skills and experience. The province says the remaining projects will involve infrastructure improvements, innovation and community development. There are a number of projects in our region that will receive funding.
The province says it is extending its travel assistance program for patients who must travel within the province for surgery.
The Department of Health had previously offered travel support through a pilot program which began last summer.
That program — which offers reimbursement for mileage and up to 85 dollars a night for travel beyond 50 kilometres away — will be extended until May 31st, 2025.
The surgery travel assistance program is open to people with a confirmed surgery or endoscopy date that have a gross family income of less than 35-thousand dollars per year.
The federal government has announced 2.4-million-dollars in funding to hire eight new emergency management coordinators for Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia. Ottawa says the funding will come over five years and is aimed at enhancing emergency management assistance in eight First Nation communities. The goal is to better prepare the communities for responding to emergency events quickly and in a way that is culturally relevant. The executive director of The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq says today’s announcement is a significant step forward in strengthening resilience in Mi’kmaq communities.
