ONE NEW COVID INFECTION FOR NOVA SCOTIA TODAY 

Updated – 11:55 AM

As of today, Oct. 27th, Nova Scotia has six active cases of COVID-19. One new infection was identified Monday, Oct. 26th . The new case is in the Central Zone and is related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada. That person has been self-isolating, as required.

 

NSLC PROFTS UP, PEOPLE SPENT MORE PER VISIT OVER THE SUMMER SEASON

People didn’t visit their local NSLC locations between June and September as frequently this year, but when they did go, they spent more each time.   In releasing its quarterly financial results today, the provincial liquor commission posted a 6.3 per cent sales increase to $216.6 million.  That puts actual earnings up by 5.4 per cent.

The growth was driven by a boost in store sales, due to the summer’s pandemic restrictions on bars, pubs, and restaurants that lasted until the end of July. There was a 10.9 per cent decline in the number of transactions, but the average dollar value each time a customer visited a liquor store cash registers was up 21.8 per cent.

….NSLC ALSO EYEING HOME DELIVERY OF BOOZE

The NSLC says it’s a matter of meeting changing customer expectations, which is why it’s planning for home delivery of alcohol to begin in this province.  The corporation’s Bev Ware says if all goes well, the service could be up and running by next spring. Canada Post currently makes money through home delivery of cannabis.

 

 

NEW BUILDING FOR DUSTIN THANKS TO NEW LOCAL BUSINESS

Dustin Madden’s donation boxes in Stellarton are getting a new building to house them in the bad weather.  Dustin tells us a new company here in the Pictou County area, “Rushton’s Structural Lifting” has agreed to help out. And they’re wasting no time.  That 10 by 12 shed appeared in Dustin’s driveway last night.  He’s now talking with another company about getting the new shed completely set up in the front yard.  For more, check out Dustin’s Community Free-Share pantry on facebook.  His motto is “Take what you need….leave what you can.”  That’s on Acadia Avenue in Stellarton.

 

 

LIBERALS WIN BOTH FEDERAL BYELECTIONS AND SASKATCHEWAN PREMIER KEEPS HIS JOB

Last night’s federal byelection wins by the Trudeau Liberals were close, but they still managed to hang on to Toronto Centre, where broadcaster Marci Ien fended off a strong showing by newly minted Green party leader Annamie Paul.

They also hung on to York Centre, by about 700 votes.

The results were surprisingly close for two ridings that had been considered longtime Liberal strongholds.

Tory Leader Erin O’Toole says “These results in two of the safest Liberal seats in the country show Canadians are losing faith in Justin Trudeau.”

The incumbent government led by Premier Scott Moe also picked up a major win in the Saskatchewan provincial election.

 

 

TEACHERS AND PROVINCE STRIKE A DEAL, RATIFICATION NEXT

The tentative agreement between the provincial government and the NSTU will be shared with close to 10-thousand teachers province-wide over the next few weeks.   The union’s Paul Wozny says it’ll cover Primary to Grade 12 school teachers.  If union members ratify it, the agreement will replace the one that expired in the summer of last year, on July 31^st.  The deal was reached this past Friday after a two-day negotiating session.

 

APPEAL DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR FOR TRENTON MUNICIPAL RESULTS

Any appeal of this month’s municipal election results in the Town of Trenton will need to be filed by November 7^th.  Questions arose over the voting process about ten days ago, and the report from the returning office is now in the hands of Trenton Town solicitor Greg MacDonald.  The rules say MacDonald’s role is to act as an advisor to Trenton Town Council when it comes to the report’s contents.  Anyone filing an appeal needs to pay a $500 fee for things to proceed to an investigation.

ANOTHER COVID CASE IN NOVA SCOTIA

CHAD Transit is celebrating some new faces on its Board of Directors.  Chair, John McDavid is leaving with CHAD’s best wishes and a big thank you from staff and fellow board members.  CHAD’s new Executive Committee is gender balanced. Rosemary Hayter is the Chair, Faus Johnson is the Vice Chair, the Treasurer is Stephen Roop and Stacy Munroe is the Recording Secretary.  The names of the remaining board members are Rick Parker, Thivjan (Div) Tharmaratnam, Nancy Dicks, Jenny Cosh, Jonas Cosh and Craig Aucoin.

 

A Cole Harbour woman convicted of defrauding Ottawa of more than $25,000 in E-I benefits has been hit with a fine that’s large enough to show the courts take it seriously.  39 year old Melissa MacKinnon pleaded guilty last month in Dartmouth provincial court to 18 counts of fraud under the Employment Insurance Act. The Crown and the defence jointly recommended a fine of $68,826 for MacKinnon, a single mother of three has had several other fraud convictions since 2001 and was sent to jail  in 2013.  The judge has ordered her to start paying that amount, and return to court in a year to make sure that’s what’s happening.

 

ST F-X HOSTING U-S ELECTION PANEL THIS FRIDAY AT MULRONEY INSTITUTE

The Brian Mulroney Institute at St-FX is taking next week’s American election quite seriously, with a panel discussion on the vote the rest of the world is watching on their schedule between 3:30 and 5:30 this Friday afternoon.  (Oct 30^th)  It’s called “Fighting for the Soul of a Nation,” and experts from several St-FX faculties will be on hand for that.  Social distancing and masks will be mandatory.

 

TRUMP TAKES A VICTORY LAP AMID FEARS OF DEADLY COVID-19 COVER-UP

President Donald Trump claimed a place in history Monday when Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation secured a dominant conservative majority on the Supreme Court, but the pomp of his victory lap could not disguise the reality of a pandemic that has placed his presidency in deep peril a week before the election.

© Oct 26th, Reuters Photo

A glittering ceremony on a crisp fall night at the White House carried deep political overtones that will only exacerbate the fury of Democrats who feel Republican maneuvering stole two Supreme Court seats. It will also drag the court further into a toxic political battle that has already tainted its reputation for non-partisanship.  (WITH FILES FROM CNN)

 

DFO SEEKS INPUT ON TONEY RIVER DREDGING PLAN

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is looking for public input on a proposed dredge site in Toney River. Information on the government plan can be found by clicking this link.

https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/81062?fbclid=IwAR028vQZKoSOzqJhfAtHthBKqhT9NIaX-_ZaiPaBpAA6gDkFdIYxa4Y0TFk

The deadline to have your submissions into the federal government is Saturday, Nov. 7^th.

 

 

People living in New Glasgow are being reminded they can help make trick-or-treating accessible for children of all abilities this coming Saturday evening. Free Accessible Trick or Treating signs are available for pick up at New Glasgow Town Hall from 8:30am until 4:30pm today until Friday October 30, 2020.

Here are some tips on how you can make your home accessible while handing out Halloween treats:
🎃 Place an Accessible Trick or Treating sign on your front lawn
🎃 Create a trick-or-treating station at end of your driveway
🎃 Clear driveway and pathways
🎃 Make sure the path to your trick-or-treating area is well lit
🎃 Refrain from the use of strobe lights
🎃 Move cars out of the driveway to allow better accessibility for trick-or- treaters
🎃 Make sure any pets are kept safely away from the front of the house
🎃 Follow provincial covid-19 Halloween guidelines www.novascotia.ca/halloween

For more information visit: www.treataccessibly.com