Nova Scotia reports five COVID-19-related deaths, 492 new cases
On Tuesday, Nova Scotia reported five deaths related to COVID-19 and 11 new hospital admissions along with nine discharges. Four of the deaths were reported in Central zone and the other was in Eastern Zone. There are 92 people in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving care in a COVID-19 designated unit. That includes 15 people in ICU. An additional 492 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported in the province. There are an estimated 4,250 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. Premier Tim Houston and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, will provide a COVID-19 update this afternoon at 3 p.m. The update will be livestreamed at: https://novascotia.ca/stayinformed/webcast
Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library says they have a limited number of COVID Rapid Test Kits from Nova Scotia Health available. An update on social media this morning says there’s one box (which includes 5 tests) available per person at all Antigonish & Pictou County library locations. They’re also expecting more kits next week and will update on their website and social media.
N.S. Health says residents of rural communities in the Northern Zone will no longer have to travel to one of the larger testing centres to pick up a rapid test kit. Four health care facilities in the Northern Zone will act as a distribution point for those who qualify for rapid testing, including North Cumberland Memorial Hospital, Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital in Tatamagouche, All Saints Springhill Hospital, and Bayview Memorial Health Centre in Advocate Harbour. Residents will still need to complete the online assessment and book an appointment.
Truckers from Atlantic Canada preparing to join “freedom convoy”
Truckers and supporters depart on a cross-country convoy destined for Ottawa to protest a federal vaccine mandate for truckers, in Delta, B.C., on Sunday, January 23, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Darryl Dyck)
Truckers from Nova Scotia and the rest of Atlantic Canada are preparing to join the national “freedom convoy” that’s headed for Ottawa for a massive rally on Saturday. Some Nova Scotia truckers will meet up with other truckers from the region in Moncton on Thursday, and then they’ll leave for Ottawa to join truckers from across the country. Truckers will be voicing their concerns regarding the federal vaccine mandate that requires truck drivers to be fully vaccinated to be able enter the country without having to quarantine. Meanwhile, a large crowd turned out in Winnipeg to greet a convoy of truckers and their supporters heading to Ottawa for the rally. One of the many people lining the Trans-Canada Highway said the demonstration was about more than vaccines, it was also about freedom and “losing our rights.”
Truro-area man charged with attempted murder
A 54-year-old man from Truro Heights is facing a charge of attempted murder, accused of stabbing a 51-year-old woman multiple times. The RCMP says it was called about a stabbing on Anita Crescent in Truro Heights late Sunday afternoon. Officers arrived to find the woman who had been stabbed multiple times in the head and upper body. She was taken by ambulance to the Colchester East Hants Health Centre with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and then later transferred to Halifax. Police say the suspect was arrested at the scene and is facing charges of attempted murder, uttering threats and failure to comply with a release order. He’s in custody and is to appear in court today.
Funds for memorial to the victims of Nova Scotia’s mass shooting shifts to municipal leadership
Funds for a memorial to the victims of Nova Scotia’s mass shooting are being shifted to a municipal government trust, while some communities and families have been pursuing their own fundraising efforts. The permanent memorial project was initially led by the registered charity Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society, which was formed by a group of volunteers after the April 2020 shooting deaths of 22 people. However, the charity will shift about $200,000 to other groups to manage, with $90,000 of that money going to a trust held by the Municipality of Colchester County. (The Canadian Press)
6-year-old found safe early Tuesday afternoon after Amber Alert issued in Miramichi, N.B.
RCMP shared this photo on social media, thanking New Brunswickers for their assistance during an Amber Alert on Tuesday. (RCMP New Brunswick/Facebook )
New Brunswick RCMP confirmed Tuesday afternoon that a six-year-old boy who was the subject of an Amber Alert had been found safe and his mother was in custody. Police say they issued the alert after the boy was allegedly abducted early Tuesday morning in Miramichi by his 33-year-old mother, who they say was possibly armed. The Mounties say the pair were located a short distance from a vehicle that was found near a snowmobile trail in the Whitney area, about 15 kilometres west of Miramichi. Police say the boy is fine and was quickly returned to family members.
B.C. First Nation finds 93 possible burial sites at former residential school
In this file photo, dried flowers rest inside a pair of child’s running shoes at a memorial for the 215 children whose remains were found at the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School at Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops, B.C., on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, June 4, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
There’s another discovery in Canada of apparent human remains buried near an old residential school. This time a First Nation in British Columbia’s central interior says a preliminary geophysical investigation has identified 93 “reflections” that could indicate a number of children buried. Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation says only excavation would confirm the presence of human remains and much more work is needed to make final determinations.
Atlantic premiers meet to discuss clean energy loop, COVID-19 management
Photo credit: Communications N.S.
Premier Tim Houston and the three other Atlantic premiers reiterated the importance of the five-billion dollar Atlantic Loop clean energy project during a virtual meeting Tuesday. Houston hosted the meeting and says that the premiers believe the project is key to the region achieving a “clean-power future.” It will connect the four Atlantic provinces to green energy from Quebec and Labrador. The premiers also discussed the impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the need to ensure health-care systems can continue to provide important services.
Local Chapter of Habitat for Humanity building first home this Spring
The Pictou County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity is building its first home for a family in need of affordable housing. On a lot donated by the Town of Stellarton, the chapter plans to break ground in early spring 2022 and deliver the home to the partner family by the end of the year.
Sports:
The Canadian men’s hockey team is going to have a mixture of youthful exuberance and battle-tested experience for the Beijing Olympics. Thirty-seven-year-old Eric Staal and last year’s first overall NHL draft pick Owen Power have been named to the team, along with Alex Grant of Antigonish.
