NS SEX ASSAULT VICTIMS GET ACCESS TO FREE LAWYERS
Victims of sexual assault in Nova Scotia will now have access to free legal representation to help shield them from having to re-live their past sexual history. It’s meant to help in cases when a woman’s sexual history is requested as evidence in criminal court cases. Justice Minister Mark Furey says access to free lawyers is an important step in helping to make the road to justice and recovery easier for sexual assault victims. Victims looking for that representation will now be referred to Victim Services and lawyers will then be assigned. The move places Nova Scotia among the first provinces to provide sexual assault victims with free legal representation.
MACINTOSH-WISEMAN TO HEAD UP PICTOU CO. REN
The Pictou County Regional Enterprise Network’s Board has hired local lawyer Sarah MacIntosh-Wiseman as its first CEO. She’ll be at the helm of the economic development organization during its two-year start-up phase by taking a leave of absence from her job at Mac, Mac and Mac.
Board Chair Graham MacNeil says “Sarah is a perfect fit for this new role. Through her practice as a lawyer and her extensive local and provincial volunteer work.” He says she has a very strong sense of the strengths of the local municipalities and Pictou Landing First Nations communities, and will help her soon-to-be hired staff zero in on the areas where more support or innovative approaches may be needed.” MacIntosh-Wiseman begins her new position in April.
BOLD PICTOU COUNTY MEETS TO PLOT PATH FORWARD FOR A BETTER PICTOU COUNTY
A group that’s bound to have lots in common with the new REN meets in Stellarton tomorrow night at 6:30. Pictou County 2020 BOLD says ingenuity is not always easy when you’re creating the county you want to live in. So they’re hosting a brainstorming event tomorrow night in the Community College Gym. In 2014, hundreds of people came together to create a vision of a healthy, united, thriving and “Bold Pictou County” These meetings are meant to move things forward. They’re inviting people of all ages to join in conversation about those bold moves (large and small) that people in Pictou County are taking to make our county a better place to live.
6 NEW GLASGOW POLICE OFFICERS PROMOTED UP THE RANKS
New Glasgow Regional Police Chief Eric MacNeil says history is being made as Darryl Paris becomes the first African-Canadian promoted to Sergeant at Town Council last night and Claire Corkum-Timmons becomes the first female police corporal for New Glasgow police. Two other sergeants and two other corporals were appointed last night with Mayor Nancy Dicks and Chief Eric MacNeil presenting the promotions. The other 2 officers Promoted to Sergeant are Sergeant Ryan Leil and Sergeant Jason MacKinnon. The others promoted to Corporal are Corporals Nicholas Hirtle and Jason Lloyd.
The province is confirming the YMCA in New Glasgow is getting $100,000 for a new child care centre. It’s part of a $2.4 million dollar investment that will create more than 750 extra child care spaces province-wide. Early-Childhood Minister Zack Churchill says children need play-based child care to develop the skills they need to succeed in school and in later life. In addition, 13 operators will receive just under $700,000 to expand or open 455 child care spaces. Within that, more than $15-thousand in start up grant money will go to the Family Home Child Care Society in Pictou to support 3 new family-home child and infant care sites.
Changes to the province’s Emergency 911 Act are in the works. The plan is to expand services available during emergencies and severe weather events, which could include things like comfort centres with satellite phones or cell phone charging stations. The provincial government says the changes will also expand the mandate of the 911 Cost Recovery Fund. Like most provinces, Nova Scotia began charging a 43 cent per month fee on phone bills in 2001 to cover 911 services. The changes will also mean EMO plans to work with municipalities to identify their emergency preparedness.
The number of suspected human trafficking cases is on the rise across this province. RCMP and municipal police forces say more families have been stepping up to say their children, mostly daughters, have been forced into the sex trade and moved outside of Nova Scotia. Cpl. David Lane is the human trafficking co-ordinator for provincial RCMP detachments. He says here have been more than a dozen new cases since last January that look like human trafficking that are under investigation right now by the RCMP. There has also been a jump in the number of police and other agencies from outside the province contacting our own RCMP to say they are dealing with victims of human trafficking, or traffickers, from Nova Scotia. Lane says all front-line officers are now in line to get human trafficking in order to combat the problem.
Halifax-based chiropractor Dena Churchill, who posted controversial online statements questioning vaccination and immunization has surrendered her professional licence and admitted to being “professionally incompetent.” The details are contained in a settlement agreement posted by the province’s College of Chiropractors. As a result of the agreement, a competency hearing that was scheduled for this week will no longer proceed. Churchill is also ordered to pay $6,000 in costs to the college. The controversial chiropractor closed her practice last October.
Churchill still faces a 5-day professional misconduct hearing in May, which the college says is unaffected by this current settlement. Churchill had gone onlline to post unfounded views on vaccinations which have been promoted by the Anti-Vax movement. That movement is currently getting the blame for a number of measles outbreaks in Canada and the States, and its anti-vaccination views have been repeatedly been proven false by the scientific and medical communities. Churchill’s 5-day misconduct hearing is scheduled for May 22nd to 28th.
PICTOU COUNTY SPORTS
KEVIN MARTIN ANNOUNCES PINTY’S GRAND SLAM OF CURLING FOR N.G.
Olympic Gold Medalist and World Curling Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Martin was in New Glasgow yesterday to announce the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling Tour Challenge. That major event will come to Pictou County Nov. 5th to 10th. Sixty teams hit the ice for the largest event on the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling circuit with two tiers including a handful of local Atlantic Canadian teams aiming for an opportunity to move up into the elite ranks. Ticket packages go on sale today at a special early bird rate.
PICTOU COUNTY RAPTORS WIN BEDFORD CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP
Congratulations to the Pictou County Raptors on winning The 2019 Bedford Classic D4 Championship!!! Shout out to Coach Maureen MacDonald, Addison Snell, Cheyenne MacKenzie, Stella Canfield, Namara Clarke, Kayla Greencorn, Lilah Ross, Trinity Dlamini, Jorja Rorison and Assistant Yaya Sulla. Thanks Coach Maureen for the update!
North Nova Education Centre is hosting the provincial girls hockey championship this weekend at the Ivor MacDonald Memorial Arena in Thorburn. The March 8th-10th tournament will feature eight of the best female high school teams in the province. The winners from the various pools will be competing in the championship game to determine the provincial winner.
Schedule:
NNEC plays at 11:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, and at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The opening ceremonies are at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Semi-final games will be played on Saturday:
5:30 p.m. (#1 Pool A vs. #2 Pool B)
7 p.m. (#1 Pool B vs. #2 Pool A)
The championship game is at 1 p.m. on Sunday
The Midget C Challenge Cup is coming this weekend at the Hector Arena in Pictou and volunteers will be on hand collecting donations to go directly to Issac Fraser’s family. Issac is a local 6 year old boy with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. His family is in need of some renovations to keep up with his growing needs. Little Isaac will be making his puck drop debut Sunday before the 12:30 Championship game. A Go Fund Me page has also been set up for the Fraser Family:
https://www.gofundme.com/isaacs-next-stage?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_dn_cpgntopstickysmall_r
The PeeWee Triple-A Crushers see their next action this coming weekend as they travel to Yarmouth to compete in the NS Mainland League Championships to try and earn a spot to the Provincial Championship which will be held in Halifax later in the month. They’re coming off a fast-paced 2-1 win over the Halifax Triple-A Hawks last weekend. Scoring for the Crushers were Keegan Dalton and Caden Campbell with assists coming off the sticks of Landon Steele, Lane Sim and Clint MacLaughlin. Jorja Burrows and Alex Palmer were solid splitting the game between the pipes for the win.
