PREMIER RANKIN ANNOUNCES BIG REBATES FOR ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES IN NOVA SCOTIA, PLUS MONEY FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOMES

Get ready for a surge in hybrid vehicle sales and more work for green home contractors across the province.   Premier Iain Rankin has announced that $19 million in rebates to support energy-efficient homes for low-income families and help Nova Scotians buy clean, reliable electric vehicles.

It will also move toward a new renewable energy standard, with 80 per cent of Nova Scotia’s energy coming from renewable sources by 2030.

Rankin says “Electric vehicles, more comfortable homes, healthier communities and careers in renewable energy and efficiency will help our province and the planet.”   Half of the $19 million will go into the HomeWarming and the Affordable Multi-Family Housing energy efficiency programs. That’s aimed at helping 1,200 more low-income Nova Scotians make their homes more comfortable and protect their family budgets.  The other half will be invested in a rebate program for new and used electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and e-bikes. Rebates will be $3,000 per new vehicle and $2,000 for used vehicles, plus $500 for e-bikes.  That’ll be on top of Ottawa’s rebate of $5,000 for brand-new electric vehicles.  

TIME TO LOOK AT RE-OPENING ATLANTIC TRAVEL BUBBLE?  PEI SAYS SOON

PEI”s Chief Medical Health Officer is musing about the idea of re-opening the Atlantic Bubble by April.  Dr. Heather Morrison says it’s likely to happen within 6 to 8 weeks, as long as COVID cases remain low.  P.E.I. is embarking on a four-week pilot project where it will use both rapid and regular tests for COVID-19 on people landing at Charlottetown Airport. (with files from CBC News)

COVID VACCINES ARRIVE IN PICTOU COUNTY

The first of the COVID vaccines are doing their work at Glen Haven Manor.  They arrived this week and Glen Haven CEO Lisa M. Smith says “they’re a tangible symbol of hope” as we move closer to spring.

MORE U-K VARIANT CASES ACROSS NOVA SCOTIA TODAY

There are three new cases of COVID-19 across the province, and three previous cases have been identified as U-K Variant infections.  The total caseload of original COVID and the variant infections in Nova Scotia now stands at 20 people. All of the latest 6 cases are either in the Central or Western Zones. For the latest exposure risk sites for COVID, and information on a COVID Variant risk from a Toronto to Halifax flight this month,  see the bottom of this page. 

WESTVILLE WIDOW ASKS FOR HELP FROM ALL MARITIMERS

(Kathy MacNaughton, from Facebook Video)

A Pictou County woman who lost her husband to esophageal cancer a few years ago is hoping anybody who hears about her experience will contact Members of Parliament of all political stripes.  Kathy MacNaughton says her husband David was only able to draw 15 weeks of E-I sick benefits after he learned of his terminal diagnosis.  But had he been healthy, she tells us he would have been entitled to 45 weeks of benefits.  As a result, MacNaughton says his final days of life were spent worrying about money,  instead of fighting the disease with some optimism.  MacNaughton says pressuring Members of Parliament from all across the country to make sure there’s an extension to E-I sick claim entitlements for people who are terminal could help change things.  She has the support she needs from the Canadian Cancer Society and a number of Liberal M-Ps, but is now looking for our listeners to contact every Member of Parliament they can to keep the issue high on the spring agenda.  In the words of her own M-P Sean Fraser, it should not be easier for Canadians to collect E-I when they quit a job, than it is when they are diagnosed with cancer. Fraser is also the parliamentary secretary to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. He says they’ve just wrapped up consultations on what’s expected to be a full spring budget next month, and budget priorities are now the big question mark.  (Story from Stingray News, Facebook Photo)

STELLARTON POLICE LOOKING FOR TRUCK AND DRIVER

The Premier’s new cabinet members and the shake-up in provincial departments that goes along with it is getting some negative spin from the PC Opposition. Premier Iain Rankin has unveiled a slate of 16 cabinet ministers, plus himself, for a total of 17.
There is also a new office aimed specifically at mental health services.  But that doesn’t satisfy opposition leader Tim Houston.  He says after years of a growing mental health crisis in Nova Scotia, the premier’s move to announce an office, but no Minister or Department won’t bring the quick changes needed.  Houston says “Nova Scotians worry that an office will be more symbolism than results – at a time when people need results.”

ZANN LAMENTS LOSS OF TRURO RCMP COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE

Today is the day the RCMP begins concentrating all of its communications facilities in the Halifax-Dartmouth area. That’s a major setback from the Truro area, where community leaders fought to keep it there, along with its jobs.  Their argument has always been that having two facilities in Halifax-Dartmouth puts them too close together, and they could both be knocked offline during a time of crisis.  Cumberland-Colchester M-P Lenore Zann says she has always opposed concentrating all of the jobs in Metro, and that hasn’t changed during her efforts to stop it over the past few years.

TRURO POLICE PROVIDE A SAFE ZONE FOR ONLINE BUYERS AND SELLERS

If you’re buying and selling goods in a private online transaction, police in Truro are happy to provide a safe place for you to do your exchange right inside their lobby.  Police Chief Dave MacNeil says you don’t have to book an appointment, and it’s a safe place to exchange goods for money with full audio and video security available.  He says it’s also well lit, and all public health regulations regarding COVID are followed.  In other words, wear a mask for your transaction, because the Truro Police lobby is open 24-7.  They also have a back parking lot for large online purchases, which is also under surveillance for your safety.

BIDEN VOWS TO HELP FREE THE “TWO MICHAELS” IN MEETING WITH TRUDEAU

U.S. President Joe Biden says Canada and the States will work together to secure the safe release of two Canadians — Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig – who are still detained in Chinese jail cells.

Biden’s remarks came after a bilateral virtual meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau late yesterday.

The U-S President says “Human beings are not bartering chips…..We’re going to work together until we get their safe return. Canada and the United States will stand together against abuse of universal rights and democratic freedom.”  The two leaders also talked about trade, the Paris Climate Accord and a host of other issues in a meeting that lasted longer than expected. (With files from Global News, Cdn Press Photo)

NS POWER ASKING CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR TIDAL POWER PLANT CLOSURE

Nova Scotia Power has decided to close down the only tidal power generating station in North America,  and wants its customers to pay $25 million over the next decade to write off its costs.   Leading up to the decision to mothball the plant in Annapolis Royal, the power company spent $13 million between 2012 and 2018 to keep it going.  Officials say when federal fisheries investigators determined that a crucial component inside the plant was causing serious harm to fish a couple of years ago, that was the nail in its coffin.   They filed the official closure papers with the provincial Utility and Review Board last week.  The station, which produced enough electricity to power 4,500 homes, but stopped operating in 2019.

COVID RISK SITES IDENTIFIED IN HALIFAX AREA AND ON LOCAL FLIGHTS

Health officials are advising of potential exposure to COVID-19 at four locations in the Halifax area and on various flights.

The locations are:

• Atlantic Superstore on Sackville Drive in Lower Sackville between 8:15 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on February 16th
• Winners Bedford Commons between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on February 19th
• Walmart Bedford Commons between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on February 19th
• Atlantic Superstore on Barrington Street in Halifax between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on February 19th

Anyone who worked at or visited these locations on the specified dates and times should immediately book a COVID-19 test.

COVID VARIANT RISK ON AIR CANADA FLIGHT FROM TORONTO FEB 10TH

In an update, the province also says there could be exposure to a variant of COVID-19 on Air Canada flight 7572, Sky Regional, which left Toronto at 2:25 p.m. on February 10th and landed in Halifax at 5:24 p.m.

All passengers of this flight are asked to immediately book a COVID-19 test, regardless of whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms, and continue self-isolating until test results are available.