A new masking mandate goes into effect today for Nova Scotia’s hospitals. Masking will be required for visitors and health-care workers in ambulatory and in-patient care areas. The senior medical director for Nova Scotia Health says they’re implementing these changes now to get ahead of the spread of respiratory illnesses that come along with cold weather. Masks won’t be required in common areas, such as cafeterias and elevators.
The Conservatives have a chance today to introduce another non-confidence motion to try to trigger an election.
The Official Opposition has already put the House of Commons on notice that two more non-confidence votes are coming.
The minority Liberals survived yesterday’s vote with the help of the N-D-P and Bloc Quebecois.
Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says his party has two bills it wants passed in exchange for his party’s support.
Ottawa has finalized a 500-million-dollar loan guarantee to help Nova Scotia Power keep rates from skyrocketing due to delivery delays of Muskrat Falls electricity.
Emera, the parent company of Nova Scotia Power, confirmed the deal — first announced September 16th by federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson — in a news release Tuesday.
The loan guarantee will reduce the amount the utility needs to recoup from customers for higher-priced fuel purchased due to the delivery delays.
In a filing to the board yesterday, Nova Scotia Power said that without the loan, the average rate increase would be 19.2 per cent, but with the bailout next year’s average increase would be 2.4 per cent.
The co-chair of a working group looking into support for Nova Scotia’s wine industry has stepped down. Premier Tim Houston created the industry group last spring after he paused a contentious subsidy program for two commercial wine bottlers. But Karl Coutinho of Wine Growers Nova Scotia says government proposals presented at a meeting last week were incomplete and had the appearance of being written on the back of a napkin. He adds the government is still pushing the idea of a subsidy for bottlers even though wine and grape growers are against it.
A sports note, the Pictou County Weeks Crushers host the Summerside Western Capitals tonight at the Wellness Centre in Maritime Junior Hockey League action.
