A power outage Sunday affected more than 4500 customers in parts of Colchester and Pictou Counties.

The outage hit at about 2:00pm and Nova Scotia Power says power was restored to most customers by 8:00pm Sunday night.

 

 

Some Nova Scotia ratepayers say it’s time for Nova Scotia’s electrical utility and the provincial government to stop quarrelling and co-operate on making a plan to strengthen the grid for the next major storm.

The province is bringing in a law that will cap rate increases, but says there’s enough money for the utility to improve tree cutting and other measures to handle major storms.

The utility says the amount being set by the province is going around the regulatory process, and won’t be enough.

But some ratepayers say they just want the utility and the province to get together and make a plan before another storm like Fiona comes.

 

 

New Glasgow Regional Police continue to investigate after they were advised late Friday morning of a threat near a property adjacent to North Nova Education Centre School in New Glasgow.

New Glasgow Regional Police Officers immediately attended the property and the school. A thorough search of the surrounding area resulted in one person being arrested.

Police say the school was placed in Code Blue Lockdown as a safety precaution.

The school’s lockdown protocol was initiated during the investigation and was lifted once officers determined there was no threat to the school or community.

 

 

Hundreds of school staff are going on strike after rejecting a new contract offer.

Workers at the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education are going on strike today while workers at the South Shore Regional Centre for Education will begin a strike on Tuesday.

Sandra Mullen, president of the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union, says Locals 70 and 73 have been at the bargaining table for almost year with wages emerging as the key sticking point.

She says staff in the two regions currently earn less than staff in Halifax for the same positions, and that workers deserve to be paid the same “from one end of the province to the other.”

 

 

Some seafood processors in Atlantic Canada are concerned about meeting demand following setbacks due to damage from post tropical storm Fiona.

Jerry Gavin, executive director of the P-E-I Seafood Processors Association, says his organization is exploring ways to minimize the impact from storms in the future.

He says the storm caused significant damage to plants and infrastructure, with many seed and market-ready products obliterated.

The association estimates the industry losses could be as much as 70 million dollars, and it is working to prevent similar damage in the future.