One man dies, second in ‘life threatening’ condition in Peggy’s Cove incident***Updated***

Nova Scotia RCMP say one man who was pulled from the waters around Peggy’s Cove has died and another taken out of the ocean has suffered life-threatening injuries. RCMP say the two men slipped off the rocks about 8:30 p.m. Monday. Const. Guillaume Tremblay says the investigation is being assisted by the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner’s Office. Tremblay says RCMP officers, along with Halifax Regional Fire and Rescue, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and Coast Guard were called to the scene to assist. Boats and aircraft were also involved in the rescue mission. (The Canadian Press)

 

UARB invokes interrupter clause dropping the price of diesel

The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board invoked the interrupter clause overnight to lower the cost of diesel. The price of diesel is now 196.5 cents per litre in the local area, down 7.6 cents per litre.  The price of gas is unchanged at 166.3 cents per litre locally.

 

RCMP officer killed in Nova Scotia’s mass shooting died in exchange of gunfire

Commission counsel Anna Mancini presents information regarding the murders of RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson and Joey Webber at the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry into the mass murders in rural Nova Scotia on April 18/19, 2020, in Halifax on Monday, April 11, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

An RCMP officer who was killed in Nova Scotia’s mass shooting was on her way to help another officer when the gunman fatally shot her.  New documents say Constable Heidi Stevenson died following a frantic exchange of gunfire with the gunman after he had rammed into her approaching vehicle with his car on a highway entry ramp.  The incident took place April,19th 2020 near Shubenacadie. Forensic evidence indicates Stevenson fired off 14 rounds from her service pistol before being shot dead at close range.

 

Province extending paid sick-leave program until May 7th

Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Program will be extended until May 7th, the same date that Canada’s Sickness Recovery Benefit will end.   The province says program requirements for Nova Scotia’s voluntary program will not change.  The program had been scheduled to end March 31. The extension means that sick days between April 1 and May 7 may be eligible for reimbursement.  More information, including details on eligibility requirements, is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/paid-sick-leave-program

 

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is arguing before the province’s Court of Appeal that last spring’s government-ordered ban against COVID-19 protests in Nova Scotia went too far.  The rights group is challenging a court order granted to the Nova Scotia government in May 2021 that sought to prevent a rally against COVID-19 public health restrictions. While the order was aimed at two anti-mask protests, it extended to all public gatherings and it also banned their promotion on social media.  The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is arguing that the court order was too broad and infringed the charter rights of all Nova Scotians.

 

Nova Scotia Tourism Minister Pat Dunn has introduced an amendment to the Tourist Accommodation Registration Act which will require short-term rental operators to register their property with the tourist accommodation registry.  To this point, those operating a short-term rental in or attached to their primary residence have been exempted from registering the unit.  Dunn says the change will help in garnering precise information about the number of short-term rentals, including Airbnb units, in the province.  He says that not having that precise data has been a challenge for municipalities trying to regulate short-term rentals through zoning and planning bylaws.

 

Town Council passes new Noise Bylaw for use of fireworks in New Glasgow

New Glasgow Town Council has passed a new Noise Bylaw which requires anyone who wishes to set off fireworks in the Town of New Glasgow to obtain permission from Town Council to do so. An application for approval must be in writing to the CAO indicating the date, time and purpose of the fireworks which will be considered by Town Council.   Requests for approval must be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the event.

 

The Conservative Party of Canada has announced the dates for its leadership debates.  The leadership candidates will go head-to-head in their first debate on May 11, then again on May 25, and there’s the potential they could face off in August as well.

 

Nova Scotia libraries are getting on the Same Page to provide better borrowing, and April 21st is when many Nova Scotians will notice a big difference in how they access their public library.  A consortium of eight of the nine regional libraries, including Pictou Antigonish Regional Library, is moving to Same Page — a new online service that will provide access to almost a million items, including eBooks, magazines, audiobooks, and learning materials.

 

Mattea Roach wins fifth Jeopardy! match

Her Twitter bio now describes her as a five-time Jeopardy champ — and the Halifax native is still in the hunt for an even bigger number. Toronto’s Mattea Roach won last night’s episode of the American TV quiz show for her fifth straight win. The 23-year-old was in second place heading into “Final Jeopardy” in which the contestants had to come up with Oxford dictionary’s word of the year for 2021 — a three-letter word that is short for the Latin word for “cow.” Roach was the only one to write down “What is Vax,” and she won $12,600. That brings her five-day winnings tally to over $117,000 U.S. and she will be back on tonight’s show to try for win number six. (The Canadian Press)