The Weather Network is predicting that Maritimers can expect an abrupt transition to spring in the 2nd half of March. Forecasters say winter weather will persist for most of the country over the next three weeks, followed by a sudden flip to mild temperatures around St. Patrick’s Day.
The network’s chief meteorologist says the sharp change in weather conditions across Canada doesn’t mean there won’t still be some colder days briefly interrupting the spring weather, but the trend for warmth should win out. So Chris Scott says the lasting cold will only hang on until the middle of March. He says by the final week of March and into the first half of April, all of Southeastern Canada from Toronto through to the south and central Maritimes (that’s us) can expect a warmer than normal month of April.
Farmers across Nova Scotia who lost money in the heavy and unusual frost we experienced last June are finally getting some relief. The province has announced $16.7 million for a frost-loss program that’ll cover up to half of each farmer’s losses. Those losses are calculated on average production values from previous years. Close to $34 million was reported by farmers thanks to frost hitting their plants last June. So the province says this deal should cover roughly half of what they lost in that freeze-up, which was followed by a 6-week-long heat wave last summer. The deadline to apply using the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture website is March 15th.
Today’s federal by-elections mean the NDP will learn if their federal leader Jagmeet Singh will get a seat in the House of Commons after months of delay — while the other parties are looking for results that will be clues to potential successes in the general election slated for this fall.
Besides that critical race in B.C.’s Burnaby South for Singh, there are two other byelections being held in the Ontario riding of York-Simcoe, which usually goes Conservative and Outremont in Quebec, where the Liberals say voters might lament the fact that the opposition has tried to create a scandal over the SNC Lavalin affair. Grit insiders say Quebecers will likely realize that the allegations show the PM was only trying to save Canadian jobs in that situation. So Ottawa watchers say there might be a narrow Liberal win in the riding of Outremont.
The Town of Dominion, Cape Breton is in shock after a fire claimed the lives of two women on Saturday.
The Office of the Fire Marshal could wrap up its investigation into the house fire by this afternoon.
The woman, ages 83 and 51, have not been identified. It’s not clear exactly why the two women were not able to escape the burning home.
People got suspicious and a little un-nerved when they say a number of young men in their late teens and 20’s were seen passing a gun around outside, near a beach in Halifax’s Point Pleasant Park over the weekend. Police say the call came in at about 3:30 Saturday afternoon, and officers spotted what they describe as an associated vehicle nearby. They stopped a car near the corner of Inglis and Young Avenue, in the city’s south end. Four men ages 18 to 21 and an underage boy were arrested without incident and a gun was found when police did a search of the car.
Halifax is allowed to install red light cameras to capture traffic violations, but under existing provincial law, those photos wouldn’t carry enough legal weight to be used in court, or even for a traffic tickets to be mailed out the car’s owner. A report on that issue is slated to come before at the city’s transportation committee today, and experts say it would apply to any other municipality in this province thinking about using cameras to cut down on the cost of police officers. Under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act, tickets for things like running a red light or speeding can only be issued to the person driving the vehicle and not the registered owner of the vehicle.
The 125th anniversary of the Pictou Advocate Newspaper has elicited a heart-felt salute from local M-P Sean Fraser. In his comments to the paper on the hard work on its reporters, Fraser is reminding Pictou County voters that unlike what happens in some countries, quality, independent journalism is an essential part of Canadian life. And in a not-so-veiled reference to Donald Trump and other world leaders who mimic the U-S President, the local M-P has posted on Facebook that – quote – “We see politicians around the world attacking independent media outlets, labelling them fake news merely because they produce unfavourable stories. We are not immune from this dangerous trend in Canada. Fraser says “In a world where news happens at a breakneck pace, the Pictou Advocate has stood the test of time, and he’s giving them a pat on the back for thriving over a period of 125 years.
The family of a Canadian man detained in Egypt is calling on the federal government to step in after they were informed that he is being held in a notorious prison without charge.Amal Ahmed Albaz says her family was “torn apart” last week when her father was stopped at Cairo International Airport and had his passport seized by Egyptian authorities. She says her father, 51-year-old Yasser Ahmed Albaz, who lives in Oakville. Ont, just west of Toronto, had been in Egypt on a business trip for his engineering firm since December. Albaz say she and the rest of the family don’t know why he was detained and questioned. But he is due to be questioned by Egyptian authorities again tomorrow, and she wants Ottawa to get directly involved. Global Affairs Canada will only say that the Canadian Consulate is involved, but is not yet able to give other details as his family waits and fears for his safety.
Maritime Hockey League:
The South Shore Lumberjacks beat Valley 5-1.
Despite the fact that the Crushers also picked up a win against the Wildcats on Saturday, the Lumberjacks have jumped the Crushers for that final playoff spot in the Eastlink South because they have more wins. Both teams have 49 points.
Pictou County Minor Hockey League:
Trenton Steelers defeated the Pictou Maripacs 5-1 last night in Trenton. Scoring for Steelers was Ethan Mackay 2, with Jake Maloney, Ross Swinamer, and Caden Macdonald adding singles.
Pictou’s Goal came from Ryan Chapman assisted by Tyler Dalton. The inning goalie was Derrick Mackay. Steelers last regular season game will be tomorrow evening (Tuesday) at 5:30 in New Glasgow to take on Bombers.
Congratulations to the Stellarton Royals Midget C for bringing home the Gold from PEI.
The Peewee AA Subway Selects won their last regular season game on Saturday 3-0 against Metro West Force Blue with goalie Caitlyn Cleary getting the shutout. Selects goals by Elisabeth MacEachern, Chloe Garcia and Reese Murray.
On Saturday the Pictou County Bantam AA Crushers traveled to Middleton and skated to a 10-0 victory over the host Western Valley Spartans. With the win, the Crushers clinched first place in the Nova Scotia Mainland League with a record of 24 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties. Pictou County will round out their league play this week-end when they travel to Springhill on Sunday to take on the Cumberland County Ramblers.
Peewee AA’s are in the playoffs in the Central Minor Hockey Federation League
Game 1: Friday Feb 22nd vs Truro Bearcats where they skated to a 5-0 Win
Game 2: Saturday Feb 23rd vs Bedford Blues 4-2 Loss
Next game this coming Friday Mar 1st 7:15pm at The Wellness Center as they take on Chebucto Atlantics.
In Junior B Action the Scotians picked up a big win yesterday in Eskasoni.
Scotians are letting the Dogs in tonight at 7:30pm Trenton rink, of course they’re tackling the Antigonish Bulldogs.
NHL
Arizona 4 Winnipeg 1
Calgary 2 Ottawa 1
Washington 6 N.Y. Rangers 5 (OT)
San Jose 5 Detroit 3
Dallas 4 Chicago 3
Minnesota 2 St. Louis 1 (OT)
NBA
Orlando 113 Toronto 98
Denver 123 L.A. Clippers 96
New York 130 San Antonio 118
MLB Spring Training
Baltimore 9 Toronto 8
Boston 8 Minnesota 5
N.Y. Yankees 8 Tampa Bay 5
