The Long Lake wildfire complex in Annapolis County remains out of control and now covers just over 82-hundred hectares. Officials say it could be another month before crews leave the scene.
Damage assessments are still underway, with no new reports of homes lost since the weekend. More than a thousand residents remain displaced under evacuation orders.
Air and ground crews continue to work around the fire’s perimeter, focusing efforts on the east side of Paradise Lake. Six helicopters and six planes are in the air, supported by more than 150 firefighters from Nova Scotia, Ontario, and local departments.
An Ontario incident management team has arrived to relieve Nova Scotia staff who have been on the fire since it broke out August 13th. Officials say weather — and rain in particular — will play a major role in bringing the blaze under control.
Pictou County RCMP arrested a man armed with a BB gun and an axe near the Pictou County Wellness Centre yesterday evening.
Police say they received reports around 5:15 on Westville Road, and quickly responded. The man was taken into custody about 15 minutes later.
No one was hurt, though the Wellness Centre was briefly locked down as a precaution. RCMP say there’s no further risk to the public.
The Nova Scotia Liberals plan to introduce legislation this fall that would ban children under 16 from using social media.
Liberal House Leader Iain Rankin says the bill would make Nova Scotia the first province in Canada to set a minimum age, citing research linking social media use to youth mental health issues. He says platforms’ algorithms expose kids to harmful content, and the legislation would hold companies accountable with fines of up to 250-thousand dollars a day.
In Canada, most platforms already require users to be 13, but the rule isn’t enforced. Quebec has recommended limits, but no province has passed legislation. Rankin says Nova Scotia’s bill could set a national precedent.
Dalhousie University’s Board of Governors is offering the faculty union a chance to end a week-long lockout.
More than a thousand professors, instructors, librarians, and counsellors were locked out on August 20 after contract talks broke down.
The university has offered interest arbitration, which would give both sides a fair hearing on compensation issues and allow the fall semester to begin on time.
Dalhousie’s last contract expired in June. The university has proposed a two per cent wage increase each year for three years, while the faculty association is pushing for a seven per cent hike in the first year, followed by four per cent increases after that.
If the union rejects arbitration, the lockout will continue.
A new gold mine in Guysborough County has been given the green light.
The province granted industrial approval today for the Goldboro project, owned by NexGold Mining. The mine is expected to create more than 700 jobs and contribute $2.1 billion to Nova Scotia’s GDP over 15 years.
Work is set to begin in 2026. The project is also projected to generate over a billion dollars in household income and more than $500 million in tax revenue.
NexGold has agreements in place with both the Municipality of the District of Guysborough and the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs.
The province says the approval comes with strict terms and conditions to safeguard the environment, with continuous oversight from construction through to mine closure.
