Today marks the final day on the campaign trail before Nova Scotia’s election day on Tuesday.

All three major political parties have media conferences scheduled for this morning in Halifax.

Elections Nova Scotia says that early voting is down compared to the previous 2021 election.

As of Saturday, more than 147,000 early votes were cast, compared to 166,400 votes at the same point in 2021.

 

 

Polls suggest Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston’s decision to call an early vote will pay off.

They also suggest the real battle shaping up is between the Liberals and N-D-P for second place.

Alex Marland, a political scientist at Acadia University, says several factors were at play in Houston’s calculation to go early, including a lack of public attention or enthusiasm for an election.

As a result, he says there’s been an absence of “interest, anger or motivation” on the part of the electorate, and that benefits the Tories.

 

 

Pictou County District RCMP are investigating a serious crash following a flight from police in Pine Tree.  Last Wednesday night, shortly before 10:00pm, RCMP officers responded to several reports of a suspected impaired driver who may be in possession of a firearm.

Investigators learned that a man in a pickup truck was driving erratically along Hwy. 4. and had pulled into the carpool lot off Exit 27.

When RCMP officers arrived at the scene, the driver fled in the truck on Hwy. 4, and would not pull over when a traffic stop was attempted.

A short time later, officers located the truck on its roof in the ditch along Hwy. 4.

The 47-year-old driver was taken to hospital by EHS with life-threatening injuries.

During a search of the vehicle, a shotgun was located and seized.

 

 

Pictou County District RCMP are investigating the theft of a truck.  A grey 2019 Ford Ranger with Nova Scotia plate GFB 379 was stolen last Wednesday between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., from Greens Point Rd. in Hillside.

It has a front novelty plate that reads “Born in Cape Breton, living in exile.”

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Pictou County District RCMP or Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers.

 

 

The Pictou County Christmas Fund Telethon on the weekend was a resounding success in its 50th year.  It raised a grand total of  $106,519.  That’s a record for a single year.

 

 

In sports,

In the Maritime Hockey League, the Pictou County Weeks Crushers downed the Campbellton Tigers 9-5.