An update from Northumberland Ferries regarding the timeline for a return to service between Caribous and Wood Islands with the MV Confederation, which has been out of commission since a collision at the Wood Islands wharf on September 15th.  The ferry company says repairs to the vessel are ahead of schedule with the work expected to be completed by December 3rd.  It’s anticipated that the MV Confederation will return to service on December 6th, and operate on a daily four round-trip schedule until the season finishes on December 20th.  Meanwhile, the investigation into the MV Confederation’s collision in September continues, but Northumberland Ferries says mechanical failure was not a contributing factor to the incident. The company says that once the investigation is fully complete, efforts will be made to ensure another such incident doesn’t happen again.

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The leaders of Nova Scotia’s three major political parties are facing off tonight in a televised election debate.

Tim Houston, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill and N-D-P Leader Claudia Chender are expected to participate in a 90-minute debate that is scheduled to run from 6 p-m to 7:30 p-m this evening.

The debate comes just 12 days before the November 26th election, with the Progressive Conservatives holding a significant lead in recent polls.

 

 

The N-D-P has released its election platform — a document that’s focused on affordability and housing.

Promises include building 30-thousand affordable rental homes and temporarily removing the provincial tax on gasoline while inflation is high.

Party leader Claudia Chender has also committed to increasing income assistance rates and removing the provincial tax on phone bills, internet services and groceries that are not already tax-free, if she is elected.

 

 

Stellarton’s newly elected Council was officially sworn-in during a ceremony on Tuesday night. The new Council includes Mayor Darren Stroud, Councillors Sandra Eis and Mark Fortune in Ward One, and Councillors Garry Pentz and Susan Campbell in Ward Two.

 

 

About 50-thousand Taylor Swift fans will likely be riding a wave of excitement all day before they head to Swift’s first Toronto concert tonight.  Swift is playing a series of six concerts over two weeks at Rogers Centre, with the first being tonight.  The economic impact for Toronto is expected to be more than 282-million dollars.

 

 

A sports note,

New Glasgow native Lane Sim has signed with the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League.  The 17-year-old forward played his rookie season with the Sarnia Sting, and he’s eager to make his mark closer to home now in the Maritimes.

Lane is the son of former NHL veteran Jon Sim, who played 469 games in the NHL.