VIA RAIL TO LAY OFF 1,000 PEOPLE BECAUSE OF PROTESTS
Via Rail says it is temporarily laying off 1,000 employees due to blockades that continue to halt service on CN tracks in Eastern Canada.
The Crown corporation has suspended passenger service on trains serving Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa routes for about two weeks because of the protests that have disrupted rail service across the country. (Cdn Press)
PREMIER’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES FORESTRY INVESTMENT REBATE
The Premier’s office has announced a new Forestry Rebate Program to give companies back 25 per cent of what they invest to grow and diversify their forestry markets. To apply, forestry firms will need to spend at least $1-million and no more than capital $15 million. Companies could be eligible for a rebate of 25 per cent up to a maximum rebate of $3.75 million.
Eligible projects could include:
— better ways to create product or make better use of wood by-products
— establishing new forestry sector production facilities
— diversifying a local company’s product range and increasing capacity to enter new markets, with special attention to finding innovative uses for wood fibre. $5 million has been set aside for the program in each of the next two years. That’s on top of the $50-million forestry transition trust announced a week ago.
OTTAWA IS MAKING IT EASIER TO QUALIFY FOR A MORTGAGE STARTING APRIL 6th
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home, here’s some good news for you. Ottawa is changing the stress test used to get you qualified for a mortgage. Finance Minister Bill Morneau says it will ensure that people only take on mortgages that are appropriate for the situation, and it will now take into account whether rates provided by the banks actually go down or up.
The change tinkers with one of the major criticisms of the stress test in the first place, which was that the bar was set arbitrarily high. And non-bank lenders don’t like that the old rules had been giving the big banks even more control over the market than they already had. Sherry Cooper, chief economist at Dominion Lending Centres, says the banks would always drag their feet in changing their posted rates, no matter what was happening in the market, “because it’s the rate they use in calculating the penalty for breaking a mortgage. ” She says the new rules taking effect on April 6th will lessen the amount of mortgage control exerted by the big banks. So, money watchers say it might be time to call in a mortgage broker.
School buses are travelling on paved roads only today in the Chignecto Central regional Centre for Education. This includes the counties of Pictou, Colchester, and Cumberland, and also the Municipality of East Hants.
GOOD NEWS IF YOU’VE BEEN ON THE WAITING LIST FOR A DOCTOR
Four new internationally trained family doctors from Nigeria are getting ready to work in New Glasgow, Truro, Hubbards, and Glace Bay. The province says they’re the first to successfully come through the Practice Ready Assessment Program. It’s a way to make sure international physicians meet Nova Scotia licensing requirements. Government says these doctors will practice for the coming three years under certain conditions and supervision.
TWO MEN IN COURT THIS WEEK FACING MULTIPLE CHARGES AFTER BREAK AND ENTER IN SALT SPRINGS
Two men were at the courthouse in downtown Pictou yesterday facing multiple charges. That’s in connection with a break and enter at a business on West River Station Road in Salt Springs, and more charges could be coming. Police stopped a vehicle that was leaving the scene last Wednesday and arrested the two men inside. RCMP say there was also stolen property inside, so the vehicle was also taken to the compound. 31-year-old Bradley Mitchell Wong of Lansdowne and 36-year-old Thomas James Fulton of Rocklin each face charges of break and enter, possessing property obtained by crime, and theft under $5,000.Wong is also charged with possession of a controlled substance. They were held in custody until yesterday’s court appearance. In addition, RCMP searched a home on Lansdowne Station Road where officers seized a large amount of stolen property, including a second vehicle.
With the Emergency Debate underway in Parliament overnight to deal with the railway blockades that are causing layoffs and food supplies to spoil, Conservative MP Cathy McLeod has told the Commons the solidarity protests are less about human rights, instead calling them a “dress rehearsal” for any Trans Mountain pipeline protests in the future. She says the Trudeau Liberals have allowed something to fester that they didn’t pay attention to and it now lays at their feet.” Jamie Schmale, another Conservative MP, says some protesters have “no connection to this country” and is accusing them of only pretending to advocate for First Nations grievances because they aren’t even Indigenous. Close to 100 Nova Scotians have been laid off from their jobs at the Autoport in Dartmouth and economists say more are coming at the Port of Halifax.
PROVINCE ANNOUNCES CAPITAL PLAN THIS WEEK
Previously announced cash to do extensive work between Pictou County and Antigonish on Highway 104 is part of a record amount of provincial money that’s about to be spent on infrastructure. Finance Minister Karen Casey gave a sneak peak at the more than $1 billion in spending yesterday, on projects that include buying out several dozen P-3 schools and building more, along with hospital, tourism and community college upgrades. The new provincial budget comes down next week.
More than a half-dozen tenants have been temporarily displaced by a fire last night in a three-storey building containing six apartments on Braemar Court in Truro. A woman and man from two apartments are being helped by Red Cross volunteers with emergency lodging, meals and clothing. Tenants from the other four units stayed with family and friends overnight, and will be offered similar help from the Red Cross today. The fire was confined to one of the apartments, but there was widespread smoke damage.
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation has released its third-quarter results ending just before New Year’s Eve. The NSLC says drinkers in the province are taking a liking to ready-to-drink sales – which were up by almost 80 %, driven mainly by vodka coolers. Nova Scotia craft beer sales were up by more than 26 per cent, to $5 million. Nova Scotia companies producing their own whiskies, rums and other spirits saw sales grow by 20.8 per cent to $2.9 million while Nova Scotia wine sales were up by 3.8 per cent to $3.6 million. Total NSLC sales came in above $185 million during the final 3 months of last year. Cannabis sales during that time-frame totolled more than $17 million.
SPORTS:
Shout out to the Pictou Maripacs Bantam C hockey team on winning the Wayne Waugh Memorial Hockey Tournament in Tatamagouche last weekend! They went 4-0.
NSJHL:
The Scotians play tomorrow night against Eskasoni. That puck drops from the Wellness Centre at 7pm.
NSMMHL:
This weekend the Weeks Major Midgets will play game 5 of their series with Steel Subaru. The series is tied at 2, come out and support the Major Midgets! Puck drops from the Wellness Centre Friday at 7:30!
NHL:
The Red Wings defeated the Canadiens 4-3.
The Flyers hammered the Bluen Jackets 5-1.
The Penguins took down the Leafs 5-2.
The Senators hammered the Sabres 7-4.
The Blues blanked the Devils 3-0.
The Hurricanes defeated Nashville 4-1.
The Jets doubled the Kings 6-3.
