Gasoline and diesel prices both increased overnight in Nova Scotia.  The price of regular gasoline increased by 3.5 cents per litre, putting the minimum pump price for regular self-serve gasoline at 144.7 cents per litre in the local area.  Diesel prices increased by 4.7 cents per litre, meaning the minimum pump price for diesel is 159.2 cents per litre locally.

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The RCMP had to impose a lane reduction Thursday night on a section of Highway 104 because of a collision.  Shortly before 10:00pm, Highway 104 westbound between exit 21 and exit 22 in Pictou County was reduced to one lane as first responders were on-scene.  The section of highway was fully opened by 10:30pm.  No further details are available from the RCMP regarding the collision.

 

 

U-S President Donald Trump is threatening to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports on August 1st.

The president posted a letter sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney on social media, saying that if Canada works to stop the flow of fentanyl, he may consider a tariff adjustment.

However, Trump also points to other issues, including supply management in the dairy sector and trade deficits, as aggravations.

Canada and the U-S had committed to working on a new economic and security agreement with a July 21st deadline for the deal.

 

 

Nova Scotia’s official Opposition is calling on Premier Tim Houston to re-establish a dedicated housing department with a full-time minister.

N-D-P Leader Claudia Chender sent a letter to the premier early Thursday morning criticizing his decision in December to combine the housing and economic development departments in the Department of Growth and Development.

She says the province needs a housing minister whose sole focus is protecting renters, making homes affordable and opening paths to home ownership.

Chender says seniors are struggling to keep up with massive rent hikes and many young people have lost hope of ever owning a home.

 

 

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says he wishes his government’s 1.35 million-dollar partnership with the home-sharing platform Happipad had resulted in more than just 60 leases over two years.

He says the program announced in August 2023 was one of many options his government has tried to ease the housing crunch.

The initial results from the 1.35 million dollar program indicate it wound up costing more than 22-thousand dollar per lease.

Houston’s government confirmed earlier this month that it had terminated the program and considered it to be a success.