Province lowers flags to half mast after remains of Indigenous children found in B.C.
Flags at the Nova Scotia Legislature and all provincial buildings are lowered to half mast today to honour the lives of the 215 children found buried on the grounds of the former Kamloops residential school in British Columbia. Premier Iain Rankin says he and all Nova Scotians are “deeply disturbed” by the shocking news. Rankin says it serves as a reminder of the damaging legacy of residential schools across the country, including in Nova Scotia. Flags are to be lowered for nine days or 215 hours, from sunrise today to sunset on June 8th. Nova Scotia’s schools are lowering their flags to half mast for nine days. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked that flags on all federal buildings be flown at half-mast. (With files from the Canadian Press)
215 potted plants have been placed along the sidewalk in Pictou Landing First Nation to remember the children
Facebook photo: @pictoulanding
Chief Andrea Paul of Pictou Landing First Nation says Sunday was a very powerful day as through generous loving gestures they were able to purchase 215 flower pots. She calls it a beautiful way to honour the children, families and communities. Chief Paul says they will nurture and care for the flowers as a way to show love for the children. 215 potted plants have been placed along the sidewalk in Pictou Landing First Nation to remember the children.
Nova Scotia reports 1 death, 20 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday
Health officials in Nova Scotia have reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 and one new virus related death. The death — a woman in her 80s who was a resident of the Halifax area — was the fifth reported over the weekend. A total of 85 people have died in the province since the onset of the pandemic. Nova Scotia has 505 known active cases of the infection, with 42 people in hospital including 17 in intensive care.
In-person classes will resume on Wednesday at all Nova Scotia public and private schools outside of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and Sydney. Also on Wednesday, licensed child-care centres and family daycare homes across the province can return to 100 per cent capacity.
Phase one of Nova Scotia’s 5-phase reopening plan gets fully underway at 8am on Wednesday. Each phase is based on COVID-19 activity, public health and testing capacity, hospitalizations and vaccination rates, and the phases are expected to last between two and four weeks as long as certain criteria are met in these areas. Starting Wednesday, June 2, key changes in phase one include most businesses opening further, outdoor visits at long-term care facilities, and outdoor gathering limits increasing. In subsequent phases, businesses will gradually increase capacity to the maximum capacity possible with public health measures such as physical distancing, gathering limits will further increase, events and activities will be allowed with increasing numbers of attendees, and border restrictions will start easing.
Restrictions are easing effective 8 a.m., June 2, as phase one gets fully underway:
— Nova Scotians can gather outdoors with a consistent social group of up to 10 people without physical distance
— the limit for indoor gatherings remains the people you live with; two households with one or two people each can still join together but they must be the same two households all the time
— faith gatherings can be held outdoors with a limit of 10 plus officiants when hosted by a recognized organization; drive-in services are allowed with no limit on numbers
— wedding and funeral ceremonies remain limited to five plus officiants indoors but can increase to 10 plus officiants outdoors; there can be no receptions or visitations
— restaurants and licensed establishments can open patios at their maximum capacity with physical distance between tables, a limit of 10 people per table and masks when people are not eating or drinking; they must stop service by 11 p.m. and close by midnight
— all retail stores can operate at 25 per cent capacity, ensuring physical distance
— personal services such as hair salons, barber shops and spas can operate by appointment only following their sector plan but cannot offer services that require removing the customer’s mask
— fitness and recreation facilities can offer outdoor activities with a limit of 10 people with physical distancing, or multiple groups of 10 that are distanced on their own property, as well as one-on-one personal training indoors
— outdoor pools can open with a limit of 10 people at a time with physical distancing
— organized sports practices can have 10 people outdoors without physical distancing, or multiple groups of 10 that are distanced
— professional arts and culture organizations can hold rehearsals with 15 people indoors and amateur rehearsals can have 10 people outdoors without physical distancing
— drive-in theatres can operate with no limit on numbers
— campgrounds can offer season and short-term camping following their sector plan with distance between campsites
— residents of long-term care facilities can have visitors outdoors; visitors must wear masks but no physical distance is required if the resident is fully vaccinated
— recreation activities and services such as hairstyling can resume for fully vaccinated residents of long-term care facilities
— fully vaccinated residents of homes licensed by the Department of Health and Wellness under the Homes for Special Care Act can resume access to their communities for work or school
— fully vaccinated residents of homes licensed by the Department of Community Service under the Homes for Special Care Act can resume access to their communities for work, therapy, recreation and family visits
— more people can get exceptions to enter Nova Scotia for end-of-life visits with immediate family members
— students from within Canada can apply to enter the province for in-person or virtual studies if they are enrolled in the summer semester
RIVERFRONT JUBILEE ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF 2021 MUSIC FESTIVAL
It was almost a year to the day that the Riverfront Jubilee volunteer board of directors announced, “Back together in 2021”. The board wanted nothing more than for that to be the reality. As a volunteer board of music-lovers the Jubilee board wishes an announcement to release the 2021 lineup was on its way. Until the most recent COVID-19 situation in Nova Scotia, the board had every intention of putting together three days of amazing Nova Scotian talent, complete with a health and safety plan in line with all NS regulations. However, the board of directors has made the hard decision to cancel. The vaccine rollout in Nova Scotia and across the country is going well. If this continues, the board believes by 2022 New Glasgow will ‘Rock the River’ once again at the Riverfront Jubilee, together and safely. Tickets from the 2019 Christmas sale and tickets won over the last year will continue to be honoured going forward. Ticket-holders wishing to receive a refund for tickets purchased can please email board.jubilee@gmail.com for more information.
Meanwhile, organizers of Air Show Atlantic have announced the cancellation of this year’s event because of ongoing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The air show was scheduled for August 28 to 29 in Debert. The Nova Scotia International Air Show Association says it has cancelled this year’s production because it can’t create a “safe, executable event” within the time required. Organizers say they can’t be sure that they will be able to bring performers into the Atlantic travel bubble once it opens. They also can’t currently get assurances from provincial health officials on what restrictions and quarantine requirements will be in place.They say most critically, they aren’t in a financial position to risk mounting a show that is largely dependent on gate revenues and good weather.
