The Department of Municipal Affairs issued a tender this week for companies to bid on a year-long contract to provide emergency potable water.

The province says the tender would allow municipalities that run bottled water programs to tap into an affordable price.

The provincial government has said it will not cover the costs of bottled water for municipalities dealing with drought this year.

As many Nova Scotians continue to struggle with the high cost of living, the province’s largest food bank says it’s preparing for a high-demand summer.

Feed Nova Scotia’s executive director says the food bank has seen a 50 per cent increase in demand since 2019.

Ash Avery says the charity supports two-thousand people who regularly access its network of food banks, shelters and meal programs.

There were 111-thousand food bank visits between January and March, which is up seven per cent compared to last year.

The Town of New Glasgow has presented The Shepherd’s Lunchroom with a $500 grant in support of its lunch program.  The Town says that through nutritious meals, kindness, and a welcoming environment, Shepherd’s Lunchroom continues to make a meaningful difference for individuals in the community.   The Shepherd’s Lunchroom is a community-based program provides hot meals to anyone in need.  It is open every Thursday from 11:30am to 12:30pm and is located in the Trinity United Church basement, accessible through the MacLean St. entrance.

The Pictou County Pride Festival kicks off today and runs through June 21st.  Pride Week gets underway with six flag raising events across Pictou County. There are flag raising today at 9am in Pictou at Market Square; at 9:30am for the Municipality of Pictou County at the Municipal Building; 11am in New Glasgow at the Glasgow Square Gazebo; at 12pm in Stellarton at Town Square; at 12:30pm in Westville at the Municipal Building; and at 1:30pm at the Pictou Landing First Nation Health Centre.

In sports,

The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 to win the Stanley Cup.  The Canes won the series 4-games-to-2.