Price of diesel up in N.S. today after UARB uses interrupter clause
Diesel prices went up overnight in the province as the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board invoked the interrupter clause. At midnight Tuesday night, the price of diesel went up by 6.1 cents to 209.0 cents per litre locally. The price of gasoline was not affected.
Province’s Health Authority says over 350 employees off work due to COVID-19
Nova Scotia’s health authority says 358 employees are off work as a result of illness related to COVID-19 or because of exposure to the virus. Most of the workers — 161 — are off in the central zone. A total of 86 health workers are off in the eastern zone, while 68 are off in the western zone and 45 are off in the northern zone. Last week the health authority reported that 450 health care staff were off as a result of novel coronavirus.
Some Nova Scotia daycares reducing services to deal with labour shortages
Staffing shortages made worse by COVID-19 in Nova Scotia daycares are forcing some centres to reduce services. Bonnie Minard, chair of the Private License Administers Association for child care, says some daycares have had to close sporadically or cut operating hours due to a lack of workers. Minard says staffing issues in the sector are not new but the situation has been made worse by rising COVID-19 infections. She says there are far more job vacancies in early childhood education than there are applicants. Cathy Montreuil, the deputy minister of early childhood development, told a legislative committee Tuesday daycare workers who left the sector are expected to return when the new compensation structure is released. Montrueil says the department is reviewing the compensation structure, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2022. (The Canadian Press)
Nova Scotia Firefighters School fined in death of Truro firefighter
The Nova Scotia Firefighters School has been ordered more than $100,000 in fines and bursaries after pleading guilty in the death of a Truro firefighter. Skyler Blackie died after a fire extinguisher that he was using during a training exercise at the school in 2019 exploded. The school did not perform required routine inspections on its fire extinguishers. (With files from CBC)
Key governance issues persist five years after audit of Atlantic Lottery Corporation
Atlantic Canada’s auditors general say key reforms to the Atlantic Lottery Corporation recommended more than five years ago have not been undertaken. They released a followup to their 2016 report Tuesday that says the four Atlantic provincial governments have not implemented four of nine recommendations intended to improve the corporation’s governance and business agility. One of the non-implemented recommendations is a call to update the corporation’s shareholder agreement and bylaws, reforms the auditors general say haven’t been done in 10 years. The report says the corporation has also failed to review its underfunded pension plan, which has shortfall of $87 million. The region’s auditors general are also questioning why the chairman of the corporation’s board has been in his role since 2007 after having served as vice-chairman since 2000. They say that amount of time in the role is much longer than best practices recommend, adding that the corporation should implement term limits for that position. (The Canadian Press)
Three men face charges following theft of copper from vacant building in Sutherlands River
Pictou District RCMP say two men were charged, and a third was arrested, in connection to a break, enter and theft in Sutherlands River on April 16th. Police responded to a vacant building on School Road, and found copper pipes sticking out of a ground floor window. Three men were arrested at the scene and a reciprocating saw was seized. Officials say 40-year old Jonathan Lloyd Langille of Stellarton and 32-year old Benjamin Ryan Wallace of Thorburn, are each charged with break and enter with intent, possession of a break-in instrument, mischief and theft under $5,000. Langille, who is also charged with possession of stolen property, was remanded into custody to appear in court on Wednesday, while Wallace was released on conditions to appear in court in July. The RCMP say the third man, a 26-year old from Westville, was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in court in July to face the same charges as Wallace.
