Federal party leaders are prepared to finish the second week of the federal election campaign with events in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is scheduled to make an announcement in Halifax, joined by the local candidate Lisa Roberts. He will later attend the Elbows Up, Canada! rally in Dartmouth to show patriotism and support for Canadians amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats to annex Canada as the 51st state. Singh is also expected in Montreal to participate in Tout le monde en parle, a talk show often used by political party leaders to present themselves to Quebec voters.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will start his day with a press conference in New Westminster, B.C.

Yesterday on the campaign trail, Poilievre promised to cut bureaucratic red tape by 25 per cent in two years, while Singh promised to offer an additional one per cent in Canada Health Transfer funding to provinces that guarantee access to a family doctor.

Three weeks left until Canadians will decide on the country’s new prime minister, and polls indicate the Liberals are leading the Conservatives in voting intentions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is greeted at a campaign stop in Halifax on Saturday, April 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

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OTTAWA — Questions remain for Ottawa police this morning after a late-night arrest of a man who barricaded himself in Parliament Hill’s East Block on Saturday.

Ottawa police say they arrested the man without incident late Saturday night after an hours-long lockdown that began after the man “gained unauthorized access” to East Block in the afternoon and barricaded himself inside the building.

They initially released a warning for anyone in East Block, which houses parliamentary offices, to seek shelter in the nearest room, close and lock all doors and hide.

People were evacuated from the building and police shut down a significant stretch of Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, blocking traffic and pedestrians.

Before the arrest, Ottawa police Insp. Mark Bouwmeester told reporters the circumstances of the incident were considered suspicious, but offered no details on whether the man was armed or had made any threats.

A government official page says East Block houses the offices of Senators and their staff, but Parliament Hill is mostly quiet this month due to the upcoming federal election.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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Tactical police officers attend an incident at East Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

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Abbie McDonough remembers knocking on doors with her late grandmother, former NDP leader Alexa McDonough, when she was little. Volunteering in this spring's campaign has been a chance to connect with her grandma's legacy in her former Halifax riding.

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says he will meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday to discuss launching a Team Canada approach to support workers in the forestry sector in response to the latest U.S. decision on softwood lumber duties.

The U.S. Department of Commerce said on Friday that it has determined a combined preliminary anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duty rate of 34.45 per cent for Canadian lumber following an administrative review — more double the current 14.54 per cent levy.

Eby says the decision is an attack on forest workers and all B.C. residents, and it will also hurt Americans by driving up housing costs.

He says he will meet with Carney on Monday with plans to raise the issue directly to him since forestry workers and their livelihoods depend on the jobs which are now being targeted by the U.S. tariffs.

Kevin Holland, Ontario’s associate minister of forestry, and Ontario’s Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli, are blaming the U.S. for its plan to “drastically raise” duty rates on softwood lumber, sounding alarms about such measures could strain housing affordability for Americans.

Holland and Fedeli say that the U.S.’s decision left Ontario “deeply disappointed,” and “these unjustified and punitive measures” will drive up construction costs.

The two members from the Ontario cabinet say the province’s forestry sector generated close to $37 billion in revenue in 2022 and supported more than 137,000 jobs, and they stand firm that these duties should be lifted entirely.

Eby says he is hoping to see the same Team Canada approach be implemented soon to protect forestry workers, just like with the automotive and steel industry jobs in Ontario and Quebec.

Ottawa has slapped a 25 per cent tariff on all vehicles imported from the U.S. that are not compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement to match U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on vehicles.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April, 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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In an aerial view, logs are seen stacked at Gorman Brothers Lumber sawmill, in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, April 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

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It was a marathon session for players and spectators in Sydney on Friday night but the Cape Breton Eagles eventually triumphed 3-2 over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

Authorities in Ottawa are advising the public to stay away from Parliament Hill due to an ongoing police operation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The defending-champion Drummondville Voltigeurs were expected to easily beat a youthful Halifax Mooseheads team that barely made the QMJHL playoffs. But the Mooseheads, up 3-2 in their first-round series, may have actually benefited from their inexperience.

The scaffolding was ordered as a safety measure by the municipality after a person was injured by falling debris in June 2023, but the owners of Obladee Wine Bar say the property owner hasn't made repairs or taken action, until now.

Nova Scotia Public Heath is holding measles vaccine clinics at a number of schools in the Halifax area starting this weekend in response to a rise in cases in other parts of Canada.

Ben Collings-Mackay is a fourth-generation lobster fisherman who grew up knowing the dangers of the job. The St. FX student just received a $45,000 scholarship that he's investing in his business, which aims to revolutionize commercial fishing life-jackets.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Europe vowed retaliation. China plotted tariffs of its own. Mexico scrambled to blunt the blow. But while the world’s leaders were wringing their hands over President Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on U.S. imports, Argentina’s right-wing president was ebullient, feted at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.

As part of his enthusiastic outreach to Trump, Argentine President Javier Milei flew from one of the planet’s southernmost nations all the way to Palm Beach for 24 hours to receive an award honoring his libertarian agenda and, he’d hoped, to chat with Trump, who was also scheduled to attend the right-wing “American Patriot” gala.

“Make Argentina Great Again!” Milei bellowed from the ballroom stage at at Mar-a-Lago late Thursday.

It would have been the fourth face-to-face meeting between the leaders since Trump’s election victory last November as President Milei, who has imposed a sweeping austerity program to fix Argentina’s long troubled economy, offers himself as one of Trump’s strongest allies in the global culture war against the “woke” left.

Argentina waits for the bromance to bear fruit

Whether Milei’s staunch alliance with Trump can actually help crisis-stricken Argentina remains to be seen, analysts say.

“He has a special relationship with Trump that has been good for him politically, but he needs to translate that into being good for the country economically,” said Marcelo J. García, director for the Americas at New York-based geopolitical risk consultancy Horizon Engage. “He hasn’t managed to do that yet.”

Earlier this year, Milei pulled Argentina out of the World Health Organization after the U.S. announced its own exit.

He threatened to quit the Paris climate accord after Trump did. He outlawed gender change treatments for minors after Trump banned transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. He even promoted a cryptocurrency token echoing the $Trump memecoin — at great political cost.

Railing against socialism and feminism at speaking events all over the world — most recently, the Conservative Political Action Conference, where he gifted Elon Musk a giant chain saw modeled after the power tool he wielded during his 2023 campaign — Milei has fashioned himself into something of a MAGA celebrity.

While U.S. partners and rivals alike were criticizing Trump’s tariffs, a tux-clad Milei was holding forth beside a painting of Trump’s pumped fist, reveling in the opportunity to prove himself a dogged champion of the American president.

“As you can see, we conduct policy with actions, not mere words, and on that we agree with President Donald Trump,” Milei told the crowd at Mar-a-Lago, drawing cheers at the mention of the American president’s name as he spoke in Spanish.

A libertarian defends Trump’s tariffs

In Buenos Aires, Milei’s government sought to reconcile Trump’s major round of tariffs with its own radical libertarian ideology and fervent support for free trade.

“We do not believe this is an attack on free trade, quite the opposite,” Milei’s spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, said of Trump’s announcement. “I don’t see why there should be so much concern about this.”

For all the leaders’ mutual flattery, Argentina was slapped with a 10% minimum tariff. But officials framed it as uniquely preferential treatment. The front page of Argentina’s largest-circulation daily, Clarín, declared: “Trump raises the tax on our products less than on other countries.”

In Washington, Argentine Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein on Thursday held what he described as “highly productive” meetings with top U.S. trade negotiator Jamieson Greer and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, releasing rosy statements promising that Argentina was on its way to negotiating a free-trade agreement with the U.S.

Cash-strapped Argentina hopes for an IMF bailout

Milei praised progress toward the free deal in his Mar-a-Lago speech. But far more important to the Argentine leader is a hoped-for $20 billion bailout with the International Monetary Fund. The badly needed cash would help Milei keep his ambitious economic reforms on track as pressure mounts on the country’s sparse foreign currency reserves.

Milei has already used executive powers to remove the need for Congress to approve a new IMF program. But the loan hasn’t cleared the finish line, with negotiators still haggling over how much cash Argentina, a serial defaulter that owes some $44 billion to the fund, will be allowed to access up-front.

It was against this backdrop on Wednesday that Milei, accompanied by his economy minister, hopped on the plane to the U.S., the fund’s biggest stakeholder. He told journalists he expected “an informal meeting” with Trump, who was instrumental during his first term in helping Argentina secure a major $56 billion loan from the fund in 2018.

Milei mum on Trump meeting

But on Friday, Milei’s much-anticipated photo-op with Trump was nowhere to be found in his publicist’s slick montage of the Argentine president snapping selfies with fans on Mar-a-Lago’s red carpet.

The president’s office said nothing about his meeting — or, nonmeeting — with Trump, and did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Trump arrived at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach very late Thursday evening after attending an event with professional golfers at one of his golf courses near Miami. The White House didn’t say whether he and Milei met.

Major Argentine newspapers cited anonymous officials saying the leaders never met, drawing instant scorn from his political enemies.

“When I woke up, I thought I’d find on TV the photo-op with your ‘friend’ Trump that you went looking for,” left-wing former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner wrote on social media. “What a way to mess around and spend money on nothing.”

Isabel Debre, The Associated Press

Officials in southern Ontario believe prolonged power outages could last well into next week after a spring storm caused heavy damage.

Provincial utility provider Hydro One says more than 107,000 customers are still without power as of Saturday morning, with 3,900 crews working to get the power back on.

The ice storm caused severe damage last weekend in cities like Orillia, which has turned its recreation centre into a relief station where residents can access essentials and charge their devices.

Another storm system also passed through the province earlier this week and caused more outages, slowing down restoration work.

Hydro One says restoration efforts are set to last through the week, though it could take longer in rural areas.

Premier Doug Ford says crews from across Canada are in Ontario working with provincial crews to get people’s power restored.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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Ice is seen coating trees after a spring storm near Meaford, Ont., in a Saturday, March 29, 2025, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Sharon Leach, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

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OTTAWA — Federal party leaders are starting the second full weekend of the federal election campaign at opposite ends of the country.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is in B.C. while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is in Atlantic Canada.

Singh is set to make an announcement in St. John’s in the morning, before travelling to Halifax for a late-afternoon campaign event.

Meanwhile, Poilievre is scheduled to hold a press conference in Osoyoos, B.C. at 10:30 a.m. Pacific time.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney will make an announcement and hold a media availability in Oakville, Ont. in the morning before heading to Toronto.

With a little over three weeks left until Canadians vote on April 28, polls indicate the Liberals are leading the Conservatives in Canadians’ voting intentions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press

SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Max Verstappen of Red Bull will start from pole position in the Japanese Grand Prix after turning in the top time in qualifying on Saturday in his final attempt.

Lando Norris of McLaren will start alongside with teammate Oscar Piastri on the second row with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.

Norris and Piastri have won the first two Formula 1 races of the season. Now Verstappen is set up in good shape to win his fourth straight race in Japan.

The qualifying session was stopped with 8:26 remaining by a small fire in the grass on the fringe of the track.

Officials have decided to burn the grass at the edge of track in preparation for Sunday’s race. Four small fires broke out in Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions, the dry brush set aflame by sparks from passing cars.

Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, promoted to Red Bull last week from its second team, will start from the back of the grid after going out in the second of three qualifying sessions.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Stephen Wade, The Associated Press

As Canada finds itself caught up in an escalating trade war with the United States while simultaneously facing threats of annexation from President Donald Trump, one historian at McMaster University in Hamilton says he’s seeing subtle signs of support from Canada’s head of state, King Charles III.

“This is a tremendously awkward position for the monarchy to be in, largely because it’s never really happened before,” historian Justin Vovk explains. “Monarchy functions on this idea of precedent. They do things based on how they’ve done it in the past.”

In addition to teaching at McMaster University, Vovk is also a member of the advisory board with the Institute For The Study of The Crown in Canada, which studies the constitutional role of the monarchy as well as the functions performed by the sovereign, governor general and lieutenant governors.

As an expert on the Canadian Crown, Vovk says he’s observed King Charles making delicate gestures in support of Canada.

“We are seeing things like him meeting with both Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney in fairly short order. That’s quite unusual,” he explains. “We saw the King presenting a ceremonial sword to representatives of our Senate. We saw the King wearing what seemed to be very Canadian colours in press conferences and meetings he had after his meeting with Justin Trudeau.”

Still, Vovk doesn’t expect any direct statements from the Crown, given that the Royal Family is bound by tradition and constitutional mechanisms to exercise restraint.

“We’ve seen a lot of buzz around the Princess of Wales, Kate, at the Commonwealth Service, where she appeared entirely in red with an accent of white pearls, and everyone was jumping on that saying it must be a sign of support for Canada,” he added. “So these are the sorts of ways that we would see the monarchy lending that support.”

Given the monarchy’s typical pragmatic silence, Vovk believes the recent gestures from King Charles may be an indicator that he’s been asked to show support by the Canadian government.

“It means that our government has already said, we want these signals to happen. We are looking now for these signs of support from the Crown as this institution that is supposed to represent all Canadians,” he says, adding that the gestures are largely intended for the general public who are looking to see if the King is connected with the issues Canada is facing.

“They can look at a video of him planting a red maple on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, which happened in March as one of those signs [that] the king is conscious of Canada. He’s thinking about us,” Vovk explains.

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Torrential rains and flash flooding battered parts of the Midwest and South on Friday, killing a boy in Kentucky who was swept away as he walked to catch his school bus. Many communities were left reeling from tornadoes that destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed at least seven people earlier this week.

Round after round of heavy rains have pounded the central U.S. for days, and forecasters warned that it could persist through Saturday. Satellite imagery showed thunderstorms lined up like freight trains over communities in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, according to the national Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.

In Frankfort, Kentucky, a 9-year-old boy died in the morning after floodwaters swept him away while he was walking to a school bus stop, Gov. Andy Beshear said on social media. Officials said Gabriel Andrews’ body was found about a half-mile from where he went missing.

The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky — a city of 31,000 residents 72 miles (116 kilometers) northwest of Nashville — was submerged. A dozen people were rescued from homes, and dozens of pets were moved away from rising water, a fire official said.

“The main arteries through Hopkinsville are probably 2 feet under water,” Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam said earlier.

Tony Kirves and some friends used sandbags and a vacuum to try to hold back rising waters that covered the basement and seeped into the ground floor of his photography business in Hopkinsville. Downtown was “like a lake,” he said.

“We’re holding ground,” he said. “We’re trying to maintain and keep it out the best we can.”

A corridor from northeast Texas through Arkansas and into southeast Missouri, which has a population of about 2.3 million, could see clusters of severe thunderstorms late Friday. The National Weather Service’s Oklahoma-based Storm Prediction Center warned of the potential for intense tornadoes and large hail.

Flash flood threat looms over many states

Flash flood emergencies were issued Friday night in at least four cities in southeastern Missouri, according to the NWS. One was in Van Buren, where there were at least 15 water rescues amid heavy rainfall and a rapidly rising Current River, according to Justin Gibbs, weather service meteorologist.

“Unfortunately it’s been as bad as we were expecting it to be,” he said.

Heavy rains were expected to continue in parts of Missouri, Kentucky and elsewhere in the coming days and could produce dangerous flash floods. The weather service said 45 river locations in multiple states were expected to reach major flood stage, with extensive flooding of structures, roads and other critical infrastructure possible.

In Christian County, which includes Hopkinsville, 6 to 10 inches (15.2 to 25.4 centimeters) fell since Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service said Friday afternoon. The rain caused the Little River to surge over its banks, and 4 to 8 inches (10.2 to 20.3 centimeters) more could fall by Sunday, it said.

A pet boarding business was under water, forcing rescuers to move dozens of dogs to a local animal shelter, said Gilliam, the county executive. Crews rescued people from four or five vehicles and multiple homes, mostly by boat, said Randy Graham, the emergency management director in Christian County.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen downtown,” Gilliam said.

Hundreds of Kentucky roads were impassable because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides, and the number of closures were likely to increase with more rain late Friday and Saturday, Beshear said.

A landslide blocked a nearly 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) stretch of Mary Ingles Highway in the state’s north, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. A landslide closed the same section of road in 2019, and it reopened last year, WLWT-TV reported.

Flash flooding is particularly worrisome in rural Kentucky where water can rush off the mountains into the hollows. Less than four years ago, dozens died in flooding in the eastern part of the state.

Extreme flooding across a corridor that includes Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis — which have major cargo hubs — could also lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Swollen rivers and tributaries also swamped some parts in Ohio, and Gov. Mike DeWine said about 70 roads were closed. The southern half of the state was expected to see moderate flooding, which has not happened in four years, he added.

Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf. At least 318 tornado warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service since this week’s outbreak began Wednesday.

The outburst comes at a time when nearly half of National Weather Service forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates after Trump administration job cuts — twice that of just a decade ago.

Tornadoes leave a path of damage, and more could be coming

At least two reports of observed tornadoes were noted Friday evening in Missouri and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service.

“TAKE COVER NOW!” the weather service said on X in response to the one on the ground around the small Missouri town of Advance.

Earlier in the week, seven people were killed in the initial wave of storms that spawned powerful tornadoes on Wednesday and early Thursday in Tennessee, Missouri and Indiana.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said entire neighborhoods in the hard-hit town of Selmer were “completely wiped out,” after it was hit by a tornado with winds estimated by the NWS of up to 160 mph (257 kph). Advance warning of storms likely saved lives as hundreds of people sheltered at a courthouse, the governor said.

In neighboring Arkansas, a tornado near Blytheville lofted debris at least 25,000 feet (7.6 kilometers) high, according to weather service meteorologist Chelly Amin. The state’s emergency management office reported damage in 22 counties from tornadoes, wind, hail and flash flooding.

Bulldozers cleared rubble along the highway that crosses through Lake City, where a tornado with winds of 150 mph (241 kph) sheared roofs off homes, collapsed brick walls and tossed cars into trees.

Mississippi’s governor said at least 60 homes were damaged. And in far western Kentucky, four people were injured while taking shelter in a vehicle under a church carport, according to the emergency management office in Ballard County.

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Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky. Associated Press writers Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee; Jeff Martin in Marietta, Georgia; Obed Lamy in Hopkinsville; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

George Walker Iv And Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press

The Halifax Mooseheads defeated the Drummondville Voltigeurs 4-2 at the Scotiabank Centre, taking a 3-2 lead in the series.

Halifax and Drummondville traded goals in the first period. Ethan Gauthier opened the scoring for the Voltigeurs, Jacob Steinman making back to back saves before Gauthier finally buried the rebound on Drummondville’s third attempt. Brady Schultz tied the game from the top of the left wing faceoff circle, receiving a pass from Carlos Handel and firing a shot through the five-hole of Voltigeurs netminder Louis-Félix Charrois

Braeden MacPhee gave the Herd their first lead of the night 13 minutes into the second period. Captain Brady Schultz finding MacPhee with a lengthy pass from the Moosehead zone, MacPhee’s initial shot was stopped by Charrois but MacPhee forced a rebound and banked the puck off Charrois’s pad and into the Volt’s net. Steinman also earning an assist on the play.

Halfway through the second period the Mooseheads announced forwards Caylen Blake and Callum Aucoin would miss the remainder of the game with injuries.

The Voltigeurs tied the contest eight minutes in the third period as Yoan Tassé sent a backhand past Steinman. Lincoln Waugh restored Halifax’s lead for his first goal in a Mooseheads jersey, sending a puck on net that found its way through traffic and into the Drummondville net for the game winning goal. Liam Kilfoil added an insurance marker on the empty net to secure the win for the Herd at the Scotiabank Centre.

With the win the Herd now have a 3-2 series lead over the Voltigeurs as the series returns to Drummondville.

The Moosehead overagers earned the three stars of the contest. Jacob Steinman was awarded first star, making 29 saves in the win. Braeden MacPhee earned second star with a goal and third star went to captain Brady Schultz with a goal and two assists.

The Herd now have a chance to move on the the second round as the travel back up to Drummondville to face the Voltigeurs on Monday, April 7 at the Marcel Dionne Centre. Puck drop is at 8 p.m., and you can catch all the action here on 95.7 NewsRadio.

The only daily TV news package to focus on Nova Scotians and their stories

As Blair Rhodes reports, the teen said in youth court trial that he never expected the encounter to turn deadly and said he was shocked when it did.

Hincheys Rides and Amusements could be in danger of shutting down this summer. Kyle Moore has the story.

Marilyn Davidson Elliot said that if the pieces are resubmerged, it will be another example of Halifax losing its history.

The post Halifax Explosion survivor’s daughter wants monument created from suspected Mont Blanc pieces appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

In a letter, CEO Elizabeth Murphy said contracts were cancelled because of financial and resource challenges at the SPCA.

The post Nova Scotia SPCA ending enforcement, animal sheltering contracts with eight municipalities, towns appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

MONTREAL — Quebec’s Court of Appeal has refused the provincial government’s request to allow arbitrary police traffic stops to continue until a legal challenge of the practice is heard by the Supreme Court of Canada.

In a decision rendered earlier this week, the province’s high court said the negative impacts of random stops on racialized people outweigh the benefits to the general public of letting them continue.

Instead, Court of Appeal Justice Stéphane Sansfaçon allowed only certain types of traffic stops to go ahead while the case makes its way through the Supreme Court legal process.

Those include impaired driving checks during which police officers want a breathalyzer sample, or in situations when vehicles need to be pulled over by provincial roadside inspectors.

Last October, the Court of Appeal upheld a landmark 2022 lower court decision that said random traffic stops by police lead to racial profiling, and that gave the government six months to modify the Highway Safety Code.

In December, the province said it was taking the matter to the Supreme Court, and last month asked the Court of Appeal to extend the deadline to modify the highway code until the case is heard at the country’s highest court.

In a statement today, the province’s public security and justice ministers said Monday’s Court of Appeal decision partially agrees with the government’s position. They said the province believes that random stops are an essential tool for police work and public safety.

The initial ruling by the Quebec Superior Court in 2022 only affected random traffic stops and not structured police operations such as roadside checkpoints aimed at stopping drunk drivers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press

One person is dead after a house fire in Victoria County early Thursday. According to a news release, RCMP and fire services were called to a structure fire on Big Harbour Road at 2:30 a.m.

RCMP are investigating an alleged sexual assault involving a teacher at the Maple Grove Education Centre in Hebron, N.S., and a former student.

Billions of dollars in revenue was generated from visitors to Nova Scotia last year.

The province said in a press release that two million people visited in 2024, a decrease of 2 per cent in tourists from the year prior. However, the government says that tourism revenue grew 10 per cent reaching $3.5 last year.

“Nova Scotia is an exciting travel destination, and visitors love our stunning coastlines, rich cultures and world-class golf, seafood and wines,” Dave Ritcey, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, said in the release.

Some of the growth can be attributed to the new non-stop connections from places around the world. This can be seen in the 6 per cent growth in people coming to the province through the air.

In contrast there was a 7 per cent decrease in the number of people driving to the province.

 “We’re working closely with communities and businesses to raise our province’s profile and inspire people to choose Nova Scotia for their next vacation,” Ritcey said.

In 2023 the government launched a new marketing strategy in Ontario, Quebec, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts with an investment of $8.6 million in advertisement that year.

The fruits of the province’s labour was seen in some areas and not in others data shows. More visitors last year came from out west and the United States, while fewer came from the other Atlantic provinces and Ontario.

Hotel, motel and Airbnb operators said that three million room nights sold in 2024, a small decline of 1 per cent compared to the year prior.

Halifax a top destination in Nova Scotia

Discover Halifax says tourism in Halifax Regional Municipality reached another record year in 2024.

The organization the number of hotel room nights sold reached roughly 1,629,000 in 2024, up 2.6 per cent from the previous high in 2023.

Since 2019, the number of hotel room nights sold in HRM has grown 11.4 per cent, outpacing supply which has only grown eight per cent in the same period.

Houston and a delegation from the provincial government will travel to Copenhagen on Saturday, with plans to meet with new and existing trade partners.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The Trump administration’s expansive new tariffs will likely lead to higher inflation and slower growth, and the Federal Reserve will focus on keeping price increases temporary, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Friday.

Powell said in written remarks that the tariffs, and their impacts on the economy and inflation, are “significantly larger than expected.” He also said that the import taxes are “highly likely” to lead to “at least a temporary rise in inflation,” but added that “it is also possible that the effects could be more persistent.”

“Our obligation is to … make certain that a one-time increase in the price level does not become an ongoing inflation problem,” Powell said in remarks being delivered in Arlington, Virginia.

Powell’s focus on inflation suggests that the Fed will likely keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at about 4.3% in the coming months. That is likely to disappoint Wall Street investors, who now expect five interest rate cuts this year, a number that has increased since President Donald Trump announced the tariffs Wednesday.

Economists forecast that the tariffs will weaken the economy, possibly threaten hiring, and push up prices. In that scenario, the Fed could cut rates to bolster the economy, or it could keep rates unchanged — or even hike them — to combat inflation. Powell’s comments suggest the Fed will mostly focus on inflation.

Powell’s remarks come two days after Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs that have upended the global economy, prompted retaliatory moves by China, and sent stock prices in the U.S. and overseas plunging.

Weaker growth and higher prices are a tricky combination for the Fed. Typically the central bank would reduce its key interest rate to lower borrowing costs and spur the economy in the event of slower growth, while it would raise rates — or keep them elevated — to slow spending and combat inflation.

“The Fed is in a tough spot with inflation set to accelerate and the economy poised to slow,” said Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide.

Some positive news arrived Friday when the government reported that hiring accelerated in March, with 228,000 jobs added, though the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, from 4.1%.

Yet those figures measure hiring in mid-March, before the scope of the duties became clear. The tariffs have also raised uncertainty about how the economy will fare in the coming months, which could limit businesses’ willingess to invest and hire.

Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spring is in the air and so is the sound of music in Carbonear as the town gears up to host the annual Kiwanis Music Festival involving students from schools throughout the Western Avalon. This year’s event ran from March 30 to April 4 and was staged at the Princess Sheila Nageira Theatre, Bethany United Church, Salvation Army Citadel, Carbonear Academy, and Carbonear Collegiate.
“This is our fifty-second festival,” said Lynn Burke Evely, who has been a member of the Carbonear Kiwanis Club for about five years, and president of the Carbonear Kiwanis Music Festival for two years. “It’s still going strong despite the fact that there are other festivals in the province that have unfortunately folded due to low participation or other reasons.”
Burke Evely said the festival has received a lot of community support, which has helped it continue.
“We have a committee of Kiwanians who are focused every year, of course, on developing and carrying out all the elements of the music festival,” she said. “This year we’re happy to say that there seems to be a bit of a resurgence in participation. We’re up in the numbers of our participants over last year, and there seems to be more interest in some of the choirs and the bands from the schools in particular who are returning who may have had to take a break from participation for various reasons over the last few years.”
This year the festival has about 1,500 participants. There are 10 schools participating with primary choirs, junior high choirs, high school choirs, recorder groups, concert bands, rock bands, combination rock bands and glee clubs, and so on.
“Depending on what the music program looks like in the school, we have a class that would suit whatever that program is,” Burke Evely said. “So anybody who’s involved in music within the school can certainly have an opportunity to participate.”
Students of all grades participate in the festival.
In addition to students, the festival will see community groups perform. This year this includes four choirs — two youth choirs and two adult choirs — as well as five family music groups.
The family music class is popular and non-competitive.
“It offers families an opportunity to participate in the festival and make music together and showcase their talents in that way,” said Burke Evely.
Individual participants are also a big part of the festival.
“They would be school age because the class starts at six and under and would go up to high school,” said Burke Evely. “I think the highest age that we would see participants would be 18. So there are a number of private music schools and music teachers in the area who would be instructing students in voice and piano, and instruments such as violin and cello and guitar, trumpet, the whole gambit of different instruments that kids would be playing. And, of course, there’s the choral component, as well, which would be the choirs.”
The competition’s categories are comprised of various classes. Participants are assigned to a class based on age, experience, and type of music. Selections are made for first, second, and third place each competitive class. March 30th will focus on musical theatre. Classes in vocal, piano, and instrumental will be performed from March 31 to April 2, with instrumental continuing into April 4 and concluding the regular classes. The Rose Bowl Competition will be held on April 4th.
“That’s a little bit of a different competition than regular classes because you qualify to be recommended to compete for the Rose Bowl, which is like the big award of the festival if you participate in some of the senior classes in a specialty area,” Burke Evely explained. “It requires you to participate in a concert group class, where the participants of that class would perform three or more selections within a period of time, and they’d be chosen to participate for further competition in the Rose Bowl if they win that particular concert group class.”
The festival will have four adjudicators: Jill Dawe, Dr. Douglas Dunmore, Leslee Heys, and Melanie Jardine. Dawe is a trumpet player and music teacher in St. John’s who teaches middle school instrumental, choral and classroom music. She also has a private studio of young trumpeters, is a founding member of Saltwater Brass, and has been second trumpet in the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra since 2018. Dunsmore began his career in Saskatchewan working with singers and choirs, and later moved to St. John’s where he became Director of Choral Activities at the MUN School of Music. He has served as an officer of prominent choral organizations, as a guest clinician, conductor, adjudicator, and juror in various Canadian provinces, and has participated in international choral festivals. His work in the musical community has been recognized by ArtsNL, and he was recently appointed to the Order of Canada. Heys is a multi-faceted musician, and pianist for the award-winning choral ensembles Shallaway and Lady Cove, and a sought-after pianist and adjudicator. In the past year, her original works and arrangements have been performed by the likes of the Texas All-State Honor Choir, Amadeus Choir, Unisong, the University of Florida and University of Toronto, Shallaway, Lady Cove, and Newman Sound. Jardine has performed with the Canadian Opera Company and, since moving back to Newfoundland, with Opera on the Avalon, Best Kind Productions, Atlantic Light Theatre, Theatre St. John’s, and Terra Bruce Productions. She adjudicates at Kiwanis and Rotary Music Festivals throughout the province and has also been a Vocal Facilitator for the Growing the Voices: Festival 500 program, So You Always Wanted to Sing.
On April 9 and 10, the Carbonear Kiwanis Music Festival’s grand concerts will be held at the Princess Sheila Nageira Theatre. The concerts will showcase a variety of performers who competed in and possibly won awards in the festival, including the Rose Bowl competitors.
“It’s quite an awesome show to attend because it showcases all the talent in the area. Different ages, different types of music, different categories of music, all that stuff,” said Burke Evely.
The grand concerts are also where the festival’s awards are presented.
“At the end of the festival, we have thirteen thousand dollars’ worth of special awards that are given, and they are given to the best performances or the adjudicators’ choice as to who is deserving of a particular award within certain categories,” said Burke Evely.
Most of the awards are sponsored by local businesses, or have been given perpetually in memory or honour of someone in the community who supported the festival or was passionate about music.
Programs for the Carbonear Kiwanis Music Festival can be purchased at Bartlett’s Irving in Bay Roberts and Music Plus in Carbonear. Tickets to the festival events will be available for purchase at the door, and will cost five dollars for classes or ten dollars for concerts. A recording of the festival will also be available to watch via Eastlink at a later date.

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The Town of Paradise provided an update to the public on March 4 regarding the status of the construction of the new lift station No. 10 at the intersection of Topsail Road and St. Thomas Line. The Town stated the project is on budget. This information is false and misleading as the project is over budget as of that date by $ 3.6 million, according to the information approved by council and reflected in the council minutes.
The initial budget was $25.1 million for construction and engineering, and the total cost as of March 4, 2025 is $28.7 million.
A quick review of the Council Minutes will disclose the original budget and all of the change orders. I have attached a summary of all council motions pertaining to this project and as noted, the project is in excess of the budget by $3.6 million at this time.
Why does the Town continue to mispresent the facts with respect to this financial quagmire? Is it deliberate so that the cost of the project is presented with a positive political outcome? Is it possible that the people generating this information simply do not understand the math?
Perhaps the taxpayers of Paradise may wish to ask council members why this deception continues.
Allan English
Paradise

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By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spaniard’s Bay council will ask staff to look at some of the commercial signage near a busy stretch of the Conception Bay highway that has a gas station on one side and a pharmacy on the other.
Councillor Sherry Lundrigan brought forward the issue at council’s March 18 public meeting. Lundrigan said “the blind spot” near the Baccalieu Trail Pharmacy also has a set of Canada Post super mailboxes nearby.
There are signs located on either side of the Baccalieu Trail Pharmacy, she noted. The sign to the left of the building is for the pharmacy itself, while the sign on the right advertises Gosse’s Windows Doors & More. Lundrigan said the Gosse’s Windows sign is in a blind spot, obstructing the view of the turn in the road to the right of the building — anyone turning left when leaving the pharmacy parking lot would have difficulty seeing oncoming traffic.
Lundrigan said the pharmacy sign also obstructs the view of those turning right when leaving the parking lot, but it is not as significant an issue.
Mayor Paul Brazil said he uses an alternative exit when leaving the parking lot.
“When you’re turning to go down say towards Spaniard’s Bay, down our way, you can’t see nothing around that turn until the car’s almost on top of you because the sign’s right in the blind spot,” said Lundrigan, referring to the Gosse’s Windows sign. She suggested that moving the sign back three or four feet would rectify the problem.
Mayor Brazil said the sign might be on private property, but he would have a look at it. He noted that even if the signs weren’t there, vehicles coming around the turn are on top of each other quickly. If the sign is on private property, he added, council could make a request for the sign to be moved, but not a demand. It could also write a letter to the provincial Department of Transportation and Works about it.
Lundrigan said the issue has been made worse by the sign.
“You can’t see anything until the car’s past the sign, and then the (oncoming) car is almost on top of you before you actually pull out,” she said.

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By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Carbonear council is hoping to soon resolve problems with the phone system at the swimming pool.
Councillor Malcolm Seymour, who chairs the Town’s recreation committee, put forward a motion at council’s March 11 meeting to approve the supply and installation of a new telephone system at the pool by Alt Telecom at a cost of $5,980 HST included, plus a monthly charge of $145.
The pool’s previous phone system was supplied by Bell Aliant, but that company no longer provides the same service the town is looking for, Seymour said.
“They have a company out of Ontario that does all this stuff for them and the price range, when we looked at comparing it like we always have to do, Bell wasn’t even handy to what we got here,” said Seymour. “So, this is why we went this way.”
Alt Telecom is based in St. John’s. The proximity of the company found favour with Deputy Mayor Sam Slade.
“(It’s) always important, we say, that we get our maintenance as close to the area as we can,” said Slade. “That’s very important, that part of it. And that doesn’t only go for the phone system. Sometimes, when you’re a long way away from whoever’s supplying you, and you’ve got to pay for them to travel or come in here to fix or repair or whatever the case may be, that could become quite costly, too.”
Councillor Peter Snow expressed concern about the resolution.
“I know several businesses in the area that the phones have been down for two or three weeks and have been contacting back and forth with Bell,” said Snow. “My concern there, even though it might be a new company or a new company name, they’re probably piggybacking on Bell’s system. So it’s still the same lines then, otherwise, we’re just going to a new company for new equipment. I don’t know if it’d be wise to delay this resolution for a few more weeks or if you want to go ahead.”
However, Snow acknowledged that if Alt Telecom is going to be cheaper than Bell and its system works, council is obligated to go with the cheapest system as long as it’s functioning.
Councillor Danielle Doyle expressed concern about Alt Telecom’s cost.
“I’ve got no problem with the quotes or the package or anything like that,” she said. “I want to know what we are paying for that service in there because it is an increase from what we currently have.”
Seymour assured his fellow councillors that Alt Telecom had been well-vetted.
“This has been really looked at and really investigated into for the regards of where we need to channel and where we need to go with this,” he said.
Seymour said Alt Telecom has been in service for a long time and also operates in other areas of Newfoundland including Deer Lake and Clarenville.
“We did some background checks and everything on it, but in regards of what we’re doing here, we’re not going to jump to a conclusion and say we’re going to do this, but we did do our homework.”
Seymour said the malfunctioning phone system has been the biggest challenge for people wanting to contact the pool.
Put to a vote, the motion to hire Alt Telecom passed.

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By Ivan Morgan

I love walking into a set of offices and immediately knowing they are perfect. There’s no time to waste. You only need them for the next few weeks. Lots of parking? Yup. Good location? Check. Back rooms? There is a feel you get when the place is right. Cut a cheque and get moving.
Desks, chairs, tables, phones, internet access… already ordered but now we have an address. Running a political campaign is a lot of fun. It’s also a lot of hard work. I have run a few. I have participated in many. I have worked on political campaigns since I was six. It’s in my veins.
I have a decades old personal tradition. Just as the campaign is starting, I like to sit in the campaign office after hours, in the dark, late in the evening, and imagine the many characters who will soon overrun this space. I sit in the quiet and think of the days to come. What will it be like? I prepare to expect the unexpected. The planning, the arguments, the fights, the hugs, the laughter and the tears. That’s the first part of my tradition.
Go volunteer on a political campaign. There’s one on the go now and two more to come. It doesn’t matter which party, pick the one you like the most. Campaigns are unlike anything else you are ever likely to experience. While only a few short weeks long, you can make friends that can last a lifetime and collect memories that will last just as long. Not sure what you can offer? No worries – they’ll figure that out. As the old saying goes, 85 per cent of success is simply showing up.
If it’s done right, running a campaign is crazy busy from the get-go; getting all the gear in and installed while finding the people to do the work. The people… ahh the people. Campaigns get folks from every walk of life crammed together working for the cause. There’s nothing quite like it.
Politics is about people. Getting people to convince other people to vote for your people. Doors must be knocked on, homes have to be called, flyers need to be designed, printed and delivered. There are signs to be knocked together and placed all over the riding. It all should have been done yesterday. I was a sign manager once on a federal campaign. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from a CBC commentator (back when folks listened to that station) almost 30 years ago. “Signs! The only feller who’s got more signs up than (my candidate) is that fella STOP!”
If you volunteer to knock on doors don’t worry about people being unpleasant. I have been knocking on doors in various capacities for almost 60 years. I can count the rude people I’ve encountered on my fingers. The worst you will get is a curt reply or – and this only started happening over the last 20 years – no one answering the door. Knocking on doors remains my favourite (only?) part of politics. Want to know about the real issues – not the nonsense the parties cook up to distract you? Knock on 100 doors.
Done properly a political campaign is intense. So much to do. So little time. So many people all wanting different things.
I’ve been on winning campaigns and on losing ones. When its all over, to finish my political tradition, I like to sit again in the dark empty offices and remember. While dark and still, the office echoes with the highs and the lows, the laughter and the anger, the joys and the tears of the last few short weeks. It seems so odd to me that what days ago were rooms packed with hard working, passionate people are now empty, dark and quiet.
It starts with a bare set of rooms. Now that’s what it is again.
But oh the in between…
Ivan Morgan can be reached at [email protected]

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By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A family from Conception Bay South have won a prestigious Southcott Award for their work preserving an old house in Brigus.
The awards are presented by the Newfoundland and Labrador Historic Trust to recognize and encourage efforts to preserve Newfoundland architecture.
Stephen and Stacey Burfitt of Foxtrap earned the honour for their renovation and restoration of the Brigus home known as the Fowler House.
Burfitt said as a child, he often visited Brigus with his family. They had relatives there and would also attend events such as the Blueberry Festival. Years later, with a family of his own, Burfitt, his wife and three children started making their visits to the picturesque town.
It was on one of these excursions that he and Stacey noticed Fowler House. They had taken their children to Brigus for a picnic and, as they drove around afterwards, they spotted the yellow, three-storied structure and its “For Sale” sign. Stephen immediately called a realtor.
“We just knew we wanted to make it work somehow,” said Burfitt. “We just fell in love with the charm of the house. Kind of a love at first sight type of thing.”
The couple realized it was a fixer-upper when they purchased it in 2017. The realtor informed them that some funding would be available from Heritage NL for renovations. However, the Burfitts did not realize just how much work the building would require. By 2020, it became evident that if they did not do something with the house soon it would fall into even worse condition — they could see rot outside and near the windows. So, they put out a call for contractors, and contacted Heritage NL about funding.
Since then, the exterior renovations have been completed, and the house has been adorned with new clapboard, structural supports, insulation, and roof. Burfitt credits Brad Baldwin and his crew from BBMJ Contracting for the work. The house’s windows have also been evaluated, restored, or replaced where necessary by Neil Hammond of Hammond Woodworking. The wiring and the plumbing inside the house still needs to be updated. Though he works full-time with Konigsberg Maritime, repairing and maintaining electronics on supply vessels and shuttle tankers, Burfitt hopes to complete the bulk of the interior renovations himself.
A friend of the couple suggested they make social media accounts for the house and its renovations to garner community interest. The Burfitts did just that, making Facebook and Instagram accounts under the name “Brigus – Twine Loft House”. The couple is considering turning the home into an Airbnb to recoup the costs of the renovations, a plan which could also benefit from a catchier title.
While the Burfitts were aware Fowler House was a heritage home when they bought it, they did not know many details about its history. Since then, they have learned a lot about the house from others, many of whom they connected with thanks to social media.
The Fowler House was built around 1850 by William Green for the Garland family. It seems that Mr. Garland was a mariner. The house is one of few in Newfoundland that still has its original roller, a device for pulling up fishing nets to be mended. Mending took place in the house’s twine loft, which inspired the name given to the building by the Burfitts. Ms. Garland was a milliner who ran a hat shop in the building. Hats would be displayed behind the main front window. This shop became the setting of a Brigus ghost story. Ms. Garland would come down every morning to find that her displayed hats had been knocked over during the night. For decades, it was rumoured to be the work of an apparently hat-hating spectre. However, it was eventually revealed to be the mischief of children, who had discovered a small hole in the window and knocked the hats over with wire from the outside.
After the Garlands, the house had various owners, including the Fowler family for whom it came to be named. According to a timeline compiled by Megan Webb, the house was owned and lived in by members of the Fowler family from the 1920s until the mid-1990s.
Of the original house, the upstairs floorboards and twine loft remain. The house’s unique location is also worth noting: it is built into a cliff, and each of the three floors has a door on ground level. Burfitt said his family cannot wait to go back to the house, and that their kids love it there. He joked that, even if the house were not ready to be lived in, they would camp in it just to go back. He hopes that by this coming fall the house will have water, heating, and insulation. Ideally, he and Stacey would like to retire there someday.
The Burfitts did not know they had been nominated for a Southcott Award until they were informed they had won. There were four categories, with the Burfitts winning for Heritage Restoration. While they could not accept the award in person, they sent an acceptance speech to be read on their behalf. In it, they thanked Baldwin and his team, as well as Hammond. They also thanked Rex Passion for his knowledge of wooden windows and connecting them with Hammond, and Dale Jarvis and those at Heritage NL for their contributions to the restoration. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without you,” the Burfitts wrote, “and we promise to maintain this home for as long as we can, continuing our commitment to preserving some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s history.”

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By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Harbour Grace council is supporting more training opportunities for volunteer firefighters in the town and again promoting the annual breakfast fundraiser on behalf of the Harbour Grace Volunteer Fire Brigade.
The Town has received a number of pieces of correspondence related to training opportunities for firefighters, including one from Fire Commissioner Robert Fowler who advised council of a free online Alternative Fuel Training program.
The Provincial Fire Services Division also advised council of the Fire and Emergency Services Training School taking place in Gander from May 24 to 30.
Councillor Brendan Chafe, council’s fire department liaison, recommended the items to Town Manager Amy Dwyer, who in turn passed them on to Fire Chief Dave Earle.
Chafe also provided council with his regular fire department liaison report. The brigade will be having its annual steak and eggs breakfast fundraiser on March 15. Tickets for the event cost $20, with proceeds going to the fire department. There were tickets remaining at the time of the council meeting, though it was believed they were selling quickly.
“I will say to the public that it is an amazing steak and eggs breakfast,” said Chafe. “It’s not a little steak. It’s a steak.”
He noted that, given the current cost of steak, the ticket price for both steak and eggs is pretty good and recommended that anyone interested to buy a ticket and give it a try.
“It’s a good fundraiser to support our brigade,” said Chafe, adding that tickets were being sold by brigade members.
Chafe also offered citizens a friendly reminder on behalf of Chief Earle. “If you’re looking for information about the brigade or upcoming events, call 596-5151,” Chafe said. “This is not the emergency line. If there’s an emergency, call 911. Please don’t call 911 for information on our brigade, because it seems like there might be a little bit of miscommunication there on what numbers to use.”
Chafe also asked those trying to reach the department to be patient. “Leave a message and somebody will get back to you,” he said.

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By Mark Squibb

Two water and sewer projects approved by the Town of Paradise have come in under budget, although the Town will not reap any particular benefit as the projects had been funded by the provincial government.
Council approved installation of 100 metres of both water and sewer main, connections to two properties, hydrants, culverts, upgraded ditching, new asphalt, and the addition of a new turning circle along Bay View Heights, and installation of 500 metres of watermain, 300 metres of sewer main, connections to three properties, new hydrants, culverts, upgraded ditches, and a new asphalt and turning circle along Drovers Road.
Five companies bids on the Bay View Heights job. Mercer’s Paving submitted the lowest bid, $395,178, plus HST. The project is cost shared with the provincial government to the tune of $529,564, plus HST. The engineering contract is valued at $76,588, and for a total cost of $471,766, plus HST, leaving a surplus of $57,797.
Meanwhile, the Town received six bids for the work along Dover’s Road. Precision Excavation submitted the lowest tender price of $1.1 million, plus HST. The project is cost shared to the tune of $1.5 million. Engineering costs are valued at $126,945, plus HST, and construction costs are $1.1 million, for a total of $1.2 million, plus HST.
Councillor Glen Carew said he was happy to see two more streets on the Town’s priority list in the queue to receive services. He added that seeing both projects had come in underbudget, he had spoken with Town staff regarding whether the extra money could be shifted to other, similar projects.
The answer, said Carew, is that the Town could apply to the province to have the funds reallocated, but that such requests are not always successful.
Councillor Deborah Quilty also applauded the motion.
“It’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad to see we’re getting to the very end of that priority list that we set many years ago,” said Quilty.

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In five federal elections over 17 years, the riding has shifted back and forth like the tide, alternating between the Conservatives and Liberals. 

The post Nova Scotia’s South Shore-St. Margarets riding one to watch in federal election appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Spaniard’s Bay has acknowledged responsibility for damage done to a trailway bridge this past winter.
Councillor Sherry Lundrigan raised the issue at council’s March 18 public meeting.
Lundrigan said she has been contacted by a member of the trailway committee who sent photos of the damaged bridge at Northern Cove Pond.
The damage occurred when a Town excavator was driven over the bridge to another area of town where work needed to be done. This is not proper procedure in the town. Vehicles with mechanical treads instead of rubber tires are supposed to be transported to and from worksites by trailer, not driven over pavement or bridges.
“The trailer was there over on the other side of the bridge, so I don’t know why that happened,” said Lundrigan. “It was an accident, but it was an accident that should never have happened, because the equipment should not be anywhere near the bridge or trailways unless we’re doing work, and there was no work being performed on that bridge that day. It was just being driven over the bridge and that’s when all the damage happened.”
Lundrigan said the trailway committee raises money to maintain the trails, and it is upsetting and disheartening for its members to know a piece of Town equipment caused needless damage to the bridge.
Mayor Paul Brazil noted that from the photo of the damage it looks like some of the bridge’s guard planks were scratched. It will take some work to fix the damage, but it is aesthetic damage and should not affect the bridge’s integrity, he said.
Lundrigan made a motion that council contact the trailway committee to see if it would like the Town to fix the damage or make a monetary donation.
“We acknowledge our responsibility for it,” said Mayor Brazil, suggesting a donation towards the next project might compensate for the damage done.
Deputy Mayor Tammy Oliver seconded Lundrigan’s motion, which passed unanimously.

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By Mark Squibb

The Town of Paradise is moving ahead with major upgrades to Kenmount Road that will see the installation of storm, sewer, curb, and gutter, as well as the addition of a third median turning lane, sidewalk, and multi-purpose trail.
Deputy Mayor Kimberley Street brought forward the matter for discussion during the March 25 committee of the whole meeting.
Street explained that phase 1 of the project will include 500 metres of work from the McNamara Drive intersection to approximately civic address number 1250, and that staff received seven bids on the project. The lowest bidder was Modern Paving, which submitted a bid of just over $2.8 million. The highest bidder was Mercer’s Paving with a bid of $3.9 million. Both bids are exclusive of HST, and staff recommended that council award the contract to Modern Paving.
The project is cost shared with the federal government to the tune of $3.1 million, plus HST.
Construction is expected in begin this spring with completion later this year. As per the funding agreement, the project needs to be finished by July 2027.
“This is a high traffic area, and a major hub for our business community,” said councillor Patrick Martin, who applauded the addition of a turning lane in the plans.
Councillor Tommy Maher, meanwhile, said he was glad to see the project was competitively priced, noting all seven bidders were within a similar cost ballpark. Maher then asked whether the construction will have any impact on the Canada Summer Games, scheduled for August.
Deputy Mayor Kimberley Street said the impacts will be minimal.
“There are no lane or road closures going to happen, but they do anticipate times where traffic will be slow moving,” said Street. “There is no plan to stop the work, but they can adjust the workplan so it has the least impact on the Canada Games.”
Council had earmarked $246,000 for the design phase of the project in, but awarded the contract to Irvin Engineering at $164,657, well underbudget. Additional survey work brought the cost to $198,017, still under the initial budget.

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By Craig Westcott

You can have the hens, but you can’t have a rooster.
It wasn’t put as bluntly as that, but that’s the bottom-line response to an application by a resident of 43 Fowlers Road, Chamberlains who asked permission from CBS town council to keep a hobby farm.
Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilly said the resident will be allowed to keep nine chickens but with several conditions. The applicant must submit a manure management plan, register the farm with the Province’s farm registration identification program, obtain permits for the henhouse and any other structures related to the keeping of chickens, and that no roosters be permitted on the property.
“We don’t have any issue with the hobby farm provided that there is no rooster on the property,” Tilley said. “And for the record, it’s not that we don’t like roosters, but that’s part of the regulations and roosters are not allowed under the regulations.”
That remark drew a few giggles and grins.
“Noted, that councillor Tilley is unopposed to roosters generally, just when it comes to backyards,” said Mayor Darrin Bent, smiling.
In other development news:
An application to subdivide land at 5 – 9 Stanleys Road in Long Pond has been approved, but without the developer’s request for variances for all of the lots.
Council ruled the applicant can apportion the land into three building lots and that one of the lots can have a reduced frontage of 13.9 metres instead of the standard 15 metres. But the request for variances on the building line setback for the two other lots was refused.
Tilley said a shorter setback on those lots isn’t necessary because the existing regulation won’t prejudice their development.
And finally, council has approved the opening of a massage therapy clinic at 674 Conception Bay Highway in Kelligrews. That’s the same building that houses the Just for Men barbershop.
“This is considered discretionary under our zoning,” said Tilley. “We did have a public notice (published) and we had no real concerns raised by the public so staff is welcoming the new business to Conception Bay South.”

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford is set to visit some areas affected by prolonged power outages after a powerful ice storm hit central and northern parts of the province last weekend.

More than 172,000 homes and businesses were still in the dark this morning after the storm caused severe damage in cities such as Orillia and Peterborough.

Another storm system that moved through parts of Ontario mid-week caused additional scattered outages and slowed down restoration efforts.

Hydro One said power has been restored to more than 85 per cent of nearly a million affected customers, but there is “still a lot of work ahead” until everyone gets their electricity back.

It said crews continue to discover significant damage as they work on restoring power to customers.

The utility said its crew members have discovered 1,826 broken poles so far.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The $1 million March Madness wager between a pro gambler and an artificial-intelligence site will be decided by the winner of the Duke-Houston game in the Final Four.

The Vegas bookies project the gambler, who picked 5 1/2-point favorite Duke, should win.

The AI platform 4C Predictions, which picked Houston, says that’s why its smarter than them.

The bottom line: both pro gambler Sean Perry and the 4C’s AI program have done very well over the first 60 games of the tournament. Perry has missed only 13 picks. AI has missed only 10. They both picked all the Final Four teams correctly.

Alan Levy, who runs the 4C site, says ChatGPT — who else? — says getting 50 of 60 correct places AI in the 95th percentile of all humans “which has gone beyond even what we expected at the start.”

The leaders in some of the multimillion-person bracket pools on ESPN, Yahoo and CBS are getting 55 or 56 picks right.

Both pickers chose Auburn to win in Saturday’s other semifinal. Though AI has gotten more right, it could still lose because the picks become worth more points as the tournament progresses.

The tournament has largely been a bust for people who love upsets — good news for both these brackets, which largely stayed away from picking them. Both had Memphis and St. John’s winning multiple games. Memphis fell to Colorado State in the first round and St. John’s was gone after the second.

Levy said he is still analyzing Perry’s offer to increase the bet to $10 million.

“My prediction?” Levy wrote in an email. “You’ll be joining me and the 4C team in all the celebrations” after Saturday’s game.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Eddie Pells, The Associated Press

Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For Carbonear’s new Fire Chief Trevor Crawford, serving with the local volunteer brigade is a family affair.
Crawford was elected chief on February 12 along with the brigade’s new executive.
Born and raised in Carbonear, Crawford said he was inspired to pursue firefighting by his father, Tom Crawford, who has been a member of the department for 36 years and is himself a former fire chief.
“Growing up, as far as I can remember, he was in the fire department,” said Trevor. “When I was a kid I used to hang around a lot at the fire department and he’d be over there for functions and whatnot, so I just took an interest in it and when I was old enough I joined up.”
The new chief has served with the department for 16 years.
“It’s a great experience,” he said. “Getting to help people and doing the community good and stuff like that. It’s been all-around good, one of the best organizations I could ever imagine being a part of.”
It’s not Crawford’s first time on the executive. He has held the titles of lieutenant and captain, the latter for four years up to the recent election.
“I just decided to try to give the chief’s position a go,” said Crawford, who is an electrician by trade. “It was something I was interested in, and I actually wanted to do it before but due to work commitments and stuff and being away a lot of the time for work, I decided it wasn’t the right time. So, I gave it a lot of thought and figured now is as good a time as any to step up and give it a shot.”
Crawford is hoping to get as many training opportunities for his members as possible. He also wants the departmentt to train with other fire departments in the area.
“With mutual aid calls we will, from time to time, be working together with the other departments so it’s nice to also train with those people and get to know them and build up a relationship with the other departments, instead of the first time you’re ever running into them is at a fire scene one of these nights,” said Crawford.
The department has been doing a lot of training recently and has more scheduled in the near future. The department is also hosting a vehicle extrication course.
“I’m fresh into it now, only about a month in, so my first thing is trying to get this training stuff off the ground,” said Crawford, ”and it seems to be going good. There’s a pretty full schedule coming up.”

The post Fire department service seems to run in the Crawford family appeared first on The Shoreline News.

TORONTO — Canadian and U.S. stock markets continue to be roiled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plans today, which sent several prominent indexes nosediving Friday.

The S&P/TSX composite index opened down more than 2.5 per cent.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 2.6 per cent, the S&P 500 fell nearly three per cent and the Nasdaq opened down more than three per cent.

More coming.

The Canadian Press

Michelin Tire directly employs more than 3,600 Nova Scotians at three factories, in Bridgewater, Waterville, and Granton (Pictou County). Tires are the province’s biggest single export to the United States, worth about $1.3 billion a year.

The post Nova Scotia’s Michelin plants spared from Trump’s tariffs — for now appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Committee votes on 2025-2026 budget on Wednesday; property tax bills to go up by 4.7%.

The post Mayor Andy Fillmore calls flat tax rate for next year a ‘gift to our community’ appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Residents of a community near Wolfville, N.S. who are dealing with a massive rat infestation say they're frustrated by the lack of action taken to get it under control. 

Royal LePage is projecting an eight per cent increase in the price of waterfront properties in Atlantic Canada this year and Matt Honsberger says demand is still high, despite Nova Scotia's doubling of the non-resident deed transfer tax.

Nova Scotia's minister of early childhood development has not committed to creating a centralized waitlist for parents seeking care for their children, despite advocating for one while in opposition.