The premiers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have agreed to apply for shared federal funding to shore up the Chignecto Isthmus.
Blaine Higgs and Tim Houston say they’re not accepting that the federal government will only pay for half the project, and will still go to court to argue it should cover the entire cost, now estimated at $650 million.
The two premiers have been in a conflict with the federal Liberal government for more than a year over whose responsibility it is to reinforce the road, rail and telecommunications infrastructure linking New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The federal government offered to fund up to half the project, and until Tuesday it wasn’t clear if the two provinces would even apply for funding on that basis.
Houston said his government will file a reference case with the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal to argue that Ottawa is obligated to pay the full cost of the project.
Canada’s inflation rate decreased to 2.8 per cent in June, putting it within the Bank of Canada’s target range for the first time in more than two years.
Statistics Canada said in its consumer price index report that the deceleration was broad-based, though lower gasoline prices compared with last year led the slowdown.
But Canadians continue to pay substantially higher prices for groceries, as prices rose 9.1 per cent year-over-year, slightly faster than in May.
Earlier this month, the Bank of Canada raised interest rates again in part because its now projecting inflation to stay high for longer.
They said they expect inflation to hover around three per cent over the next year, before steadily declining to two per cent by mid-2025.
The February 2022 disappearance of Jessie Morrissey has been added to the Nova Scotia Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program.
Jessie Morrisey was 26 years old when he was last seen in the Springhill area of Cumberland County on the evening of Feb. 13, 2022.
RCMP said he was traveling in a dark-coloured Jeep Patriot, which was later found abandoned on a snowmobile trail.
The program offers up to $150,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction in the case.
According to RCMP, investigators believe there are people who have information who have not yet spoken to police.
Tips can be submitted to the Nova Scotia Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program at 1-888-710-9090.
Those who want to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health Centre are introducing a new program that seeks to improve health care for Indigenous patients in the province.
Aaron Prosper, Nova Scotia Health’s first-ever Indigenous health consultant said the eight Mi’kmaq Indigenous Patient Navigators will act as liaisons and support staff, helping to co-ordinate patient care for Indigenous peoples in the province.
He said these positions were created in collaboration with Mi’kmaw health leaders, the Mi’kmaq Native Friendship Centre, Mi’kmaq communities and Tajikeimɨk, a Mi’kmaq health and wellness organization.
Two of the navigators will work at the IWK and the other six at Nova Scotia Health across the Northern, Eastern, Western and Central zones.
The program was approved in the province’s 2023-2024 budget, which included $1.9 million to improve equity in the health-care system.
