Good morning. A Special Weather Statement is in effect for Pictou County, with heavy rain expected through Thursday afternoon. Rainfall totals of 30 to 50 millimetres are possible, with higher amounts in thunderstorms. Meanwhile, Water may pool on roads and in low-lying areas,   

Officials are encouraging people to avoid unnecessary travel during heavy downpours, never drive through flooded roads, and make sure emergency kits and mobile devices are ready. Emergency crews and municipalities are monitoring the situation, while residents are being asked to stay up to date with weather alerts and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.

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Nova Scotians will soon have more options to buy Canadian-made beer, wine and spirits. Yesterday, Premier Tim Houston joined seven other premiers in signing a direct-to-consumer alcohol agreement at the Council of the Federation meeting in Charlottetown. The deal allows Nova Scotia producers to sell directly to customers in seven provinces, while giving Nova Scotians access to products from those provinces as well. Houston says the agreement removes internal trade barriers, gives consumers more choice and makes it easier to support Canadian producers. Ontario signed a similar agreement with Nova Scotia earlier this year.

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Twenty seafood and aquaculture companies across Nova Scotia are getting support to cut energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The province is investing two-point-two-million dollars through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Energy Efficiency Innovation Fund to help businesses adopt new technologies, including solar power and more efficient equipment. Fisheries Minister Kent Smith says the funding will help reduce carbon footprints while lowering operating costs. The three-year program, administered by Efficiency Nova Scotia, will provide six-point-five-million dollars in total support for climate-focused projects across the industry.

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Sobeys says it’s making changes aimed at boosting competition in the grocery industry. Parent company Empire says it will stop creating new property controls that can prevent competing grocery stores from opening nearby, and it won’t enforce existing restrictive covenants on properties it has already sold. The move comes as the Competition Bureau continues investigating the use of property controls in Canada’s grocery sector. Empire says the agreements aren’t inherently anti-competitive, but acknowledges growing scrutiny over how they’re used. Industry experts say the changes could improve competition, particularly in smaller communities.