It’s down to millions of you going out to exercise your right to vote today, and if the huge turn-out at the advance polls is any indication, people will be voting in a major way today.  The polls in our region open at 8:30 this morning and close down at 8:30 tonight.

There are only a few requirements to vote. You must be:

A Canadian citizen and at least 18 years or older as of today (election day)
If you aren’t registered now, you can always do it when you go in to vote. Just make sure you bring the proper documents.

You’ll need something that proves your identity and your current address. The easiest ID to bring is a driver’s licence but any ID that’s got your photo, name and address on it and has been issued by the federal government, the province or your municipality will do.

If you don’t have those, you can bring two other pieces of ID; both must have your name on it and one has to have your current address. This includes passports, blood donor cards, birth certificates, band memberships and dozens of other options, which you can find on the official Elections Canada website.

If you don’t have any ID, you can get someone to vouch for you. But they must be able to prove their own identity and address.
The most un-biased information can be found by visiting www.ereg.elections.ca and have your government I-D with you as you head off to the polling station that’s listed on your paper voter card from Elections Canada.  If you have any questions, the toll free line for Elections Canada is 1-800-463-6868.   We’ll be on the air here tomorrow morning at 6 with all the election results locally.

  WATCH FOR FAKE ELECTION NEWS TODAY

There will be online political views coming at you in various ways today, since it’s election day.  But a new system called SPOT Fake News Online has been set up for us to assess the truthfulness of what we’re reading on social media and links to it.
John Hinds of News Media Canada says 63 per cent of Canadians have trouble distinguishing between legitimate news websites and fake news stories. So News Media Canada has developed ‘SPOT’.  SPOT is to remind you of the four letters within in.
S: Is this a credible Source? Check the source of the article – and be skeptical.
P: Is the Perspective biased? Think critically and look for several different viewpoints on an issue.
O: Are Other sources reporting the same story? Be your own fact-checker and verify the validity of the story.
T: Is the story Timely? Check the date the story was published – sometimes, stories use old information to take advantage of a timely occurrence…..like today’s election.

If you spot unfamiliar vehicles checking distances and other technical tasks in neighbourhoods across Pictou County today, the Municipality of Pictou County says don’t panic.  The County has hired subcontractors to do their fresh assessments of current internet infrastructure in rural Pictou County.  So if you’re suspicious, just ask them if there part of what Pictou County is doing to speed up internet access.

  PROVINCE ASKED TO PROTECT LANDLORDS FROM DEADBEAT TENANTS

The minister in charge of the residential tenancies act says her department is looking into ways to protect landlords from tenants who don’t pay rent.  One of the suggestions from landlords groups is setting up a registry of deadbeat tenants.
Patricia Arab says her people are looking at different options after the case of Jason Selby, which we told you about last week.  He’s a first-time landlord in Cole Harbour who endured months of appeals to evict a tenant from his home. The tenant failed to pay $10,000 in overdue rent.
Eight people have come forward to say they were unable to collect rent from the same dead-beat tenant named Nadav Even-Har during tenancies in Antigonish and Halifax dating back to 2013.
The executive director of the Investment Property Owners Association is Kevin Russell.  Russell says if tenants don’t pay, it’s serious stuff, and the province needs to rectify the situation.

BEEF AND VEAL RECALL FROM FOOD INSPECTIONS AGENCY
Whole Foods and Walmart are the latest grocery chains affected by a recall of hundreds of beef and veal products across Canada.  Inspectors don’t want people taking any chances because of a possible E. coli contamination.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added more than 50 beef products sold nationwide at Whole Foods to a list of 800 sold at Walmart and other smaller chains.  The food safety watchdog says they’ve been sold by Ryding-Regency Meat Packers and St. Ann’s Foods Incorporated since late September. The CFIA has suspended the food safety licence for the slaughterhouse and processing plants, which are both located in Toronto.  We’ll post this story online so you can take a look at the brand names involved.
  RCMP SEIZE HANDGUN WITH SERIAL # ALTERED
Amherst RCMP have seized an illegal handgun and arrested a man and a woman from PEI following a traffic stop late last week in a parking lot along the border town’s section of the Sunrise Trail.  Police say an officer noticed a suspicious vehicle around 10 o’clock Thursday night.  When the plate didn’t match the computer’s listing for the vehicle, RCMP say he moved in and found a loaded handgun. Police say 46 year-old Steven Wallace Frizzell of Summerside is up on illegal firearm charges, and 32-year-old Trudy Lynn McKibbon of Kensington, PEI, is facing similar charges, in addition to identify fraud.  The two are slated to return to Amherst provincial court next month.

  PEPPER GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
Here’s an easy health tip for you.  Using the pepper shaker a little more often can help you shed some weight. Pepper is of course, derived from the plant product known as black peppercorns. And scientists have a new study showing that black pepper breaks down fat cells. According to Oregon Health & Science University, pepper’s piperine content also benefits the skin, decreasing our risk of skin cancer. Pepper also relieves nasal congestion, especially when boiled in a stew or soup. So, along with spicing up almost any meal, black pepper can help you shed some pounds, and when put in a stew, can literally help you to breathe easier.

LOCAL SPORTS
The Pictou Maripacs defeated Trenton Steelers Saturday 8-7 in Trenton. Scoring for Pictou was Leland Tobin with 4 goals, Ryan Chapman, Aiden Tingley, Tanner Heighton, and Austin Lyons all adding singles. Assists came from Tobin, Heighton, Caden Macdonald, Evan Stevens, and Lyons.

Steelers goals came from Ethan MacKay with 3, Amias Crossman 2, Owen O’Brien and Landon Martin adding singles. Assists came from Ethan Mackay, Brett Butler, Evan Charlton, O’brian and Martin.

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A game each on Saturday and Sunday in Moncton for the Subway Selects
On Saturday….
Subway Selects – 6
Moncton Rockets – 3

Goals: Abigail MacKenzie, Natalie MacKay, Alyssa Fitt, Landon Pitts, Allie Hood, Jaylen Langille

On Sunday
Subway Selects – 6
Moncton Rockets – 2
Goals: Alyssa Fitt, Tori MacPherson, Natalie MacKay, Jaylen Langille, Abigail MacKenzie, Sara Stewart

MHL:
The Weeks Crushers played twice this weekend,
On Friday night they lost to the South Shore Lumberjacks 5-4.
On Saturday they won in thrilling fashion 8-7 in a shootout over the Bearcats.
Junior B:
The Scotians lost to the Antigonish Bulldogs yesterday 6-2.
Hayden Burgess and Tyler Long with the goals for the Scotians.
NSMMHL:
The Weeks Major Midgets lost to Steel Subaru over the weekend by a score of 4-3.