RCMP continue to investigate the September 1^st sword attack in Seacow Pond.

The RCMP Major Crime Unit is conducting the investigation, and they say the primary focus is public safety and stress that if there’s any information that police can share that would enhance public safety, they we will do so.  RCMP say many details of such an investigation cannot be shared publicly as it could have serious impacts on possible court outcomes.  Police do say that no new information has come forward showing any intent towards any other individual or group.

Islanders are being encouraged to follow good home security practices like locking doors and windows, and keeping outside lights on.

Due to the forecast of strong winds in the region, Northumberland Ferries is cancelling all crossings for Saturday, Sept 16th from Wood Islands, PEI and Caribou, N.S.

Liberal Opposition Leader Hal Perry is calling on the provincial government to move quickly and remove the provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax from new rental builds in PEI.  He says it would serve as a critical and immediate solution to address the pressing housing crisis faced by Islanders. Perry says that by removing the provincial portion of the HST from new rental builds, the government can incentivize developers to prioritize the construction of rental units, thereby increasing the housing stock available to Islanders. The Opposition Leader adds that the reduction in tax burden would make such projects more financially feasible, encouraging investment in much-needed rental housing.

The Province has released a responsible gambling strategy for Islanders.  It’s a 5-year strategy that was created using the guiding principles of harm reduction; accountability; informed and healthy play; equity and inclusion; and supporting vibrant communities.  The Strategy outlines five priorities, which are Safe, Healthy and Positive Play; Increased Literacy Around Safer Gambling; Balance Access with Player Protection; Inclusive Programs and Services; and Minimize Harms from Gambling.   The strategy was developed by independent consultant, MRSB, contracted by the PEI Lotteries Commission. They spoke and consulted with mental health and addictions professionals, government partners, the harness racing industry and other stakeholders, and the people who are most affected by gambling across the province. Public input was gathered through a series of virtual meetings and online surveys.  The strategy updates and replaces the previous strategy that was created in 2008.

Municipal politicians and private developers were on hand for a ceremonial groundbreaking on a Summerside development that will bring 40 homes and new commercial space to the city's downtown.

Prince Edward Island will start feeling the impact of Hurricane Lee overnight Friday, and the winds will not subside until Sunday.

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission approved increases overnight in gasoline, diesel and furnace oil prices.  The price of gasoline increased by 4.0 cents per litre, putting pump prices for regular self-serve gasoline in the range of 190.8 to 191.9 cents per litre.  The price of diesel went up by 6.0 cents per litre, while the price of furnace oil increased by 5.0 cents per litre.  Including taxes, prices for diesel now range from 212.1 to 213.2 cents per litre.  The maximum price for furnace oil is 164.7 cents per litre.

Forecasters say Hurricane Lee will transition from a Category 1 hurricane to a post-tropical storm when it makes landfall late tomorrow night. 

But meteorologists say it will remain a threat because it will expand and maintain much of its strength across an area expected to extend 300 kilometres from its centre. 

The agency has issued hurricane watches for counties in southwestern Nova Scotia, while most of mainland Nova Scotia is under a Tropical Storm Warning, along with separate wind and rainfall warnings.

But in PEI, Environment Canada has not issued any warnings or watches to this point.   We’ll see heavy rain at times through the day Saturday after it begins Saturday morning.  Those periods of rain will continue through Sunday as well.  We could see as much as 50mm of rain over the two days.  Upwards of 60 to 80kh winds are expected for PEI, and that is strong enough that with the foliage on the trees, and saturated ground, we could see trees or branches bring down some power lines and cause some power outages.

The Province held an update Thursday on the potential impact of Hurricane Lee, and is encouraging Islanders to be prepared and review their emergency plans ahead of the weekend.

PEI’s Emergency Measures Organization says it has activated to a level 1 response at this point, which is basically Enhanced Monitoring of the hurricane.  

Officials say that extra shelter beds have been put in place in Charlottetown, Montague, and Summerside.  EMO is also finalizing locations for reception centres. 

You’re being encouraged to: 

• make a household emergency plan;
• update your preparedness kits, with extra food, pet supplies, water, masks and hygiene products;
• bring in or tie down outdoor furniture or equipment;
• ensure you have fuel for generators and vehicles, as well as propane for your barbecue;
• replacing batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Parks Canada says visiting PEI National Park during the hurricane is strongly discouraged for safety reasons. It points to limited emergency services, plus a number of hazards such as potential danger from rip currents, downed trees and localized flooding as well as potential coastal and cliff erosion.   Parks Canada also advises that it’s taking some steps to prevent damage.  That includes removing the accessibility ramps from Cavendish and Brackley beaches; as well as temporarily removing beach stairs throughout PEI National Park beaches.

Canadian Blood Services is asking those Islanders who have an appointment heading into the weekend to donate blood, to please keep that appointment.  If you can get to the Charlottetown donor centre on Fitzroy Street before the storm hits, they encourage you to do so to ensure hospitals have blood on hand over the coming days. Appointments can be made on Blood.ca or on the Give Blood app, and they have many same-day appointments.

Prince Edward Islanders are waking up to higher fuel prices across the board Friday morning.

After an enormous setback due to post-tropical storm Fiona last September, apple farmers on P.E.I. are anxious about what might happen with Hurricane Lee this weekend.

After seven decades, veterans with the 201 Wing are handing over the task of running the annual Battle of Britain memorial to a group of cadets. The young people say it's a privilege to be able to honour those who fought for their country.

The sexual assault trial against Jan (John) Vanderzwaag continued Thursday in Charlottetown, with one of the two alleged victims testifying. 

The Province held an update Thursday on the potential impact of Hurricane Lee, and is encouraging Islanders to be prepared and review their emergency plans ahead of the weekend.

While it is still too early to know Lee’s exact track, provincial officials say current forecasts indicate that the storm will bring winds ranging from 60 kilometres per hour to 80 kilometres per hour; heavy rain at times; and the possibility of storm surge in some areas.

PEI’s Emergency Measures Organization says it has activated to a level 1 response at this point, which is basically Enhanced Monitoring of the hurricane.

You’re being encouraged to:

• make a household emergency plan;
• update your preparedness kits, with extra food, pet supplies, water, masks and hygiene products;
• bring in or tie down outdoor furniture or equipment;
• ensure you have fuel for generators and vehicles, as well as propane for your barbecue;
• replacing batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms;

To this point, Environment Canada has issued a Tropical Cyclone Information Statement for PEI, but not any watches or warnings in regards to Hurricane Lee for PEI

At about 12:30 pm on Thursday, two persons of interest were arrested and charged in relation to the disappearance of Summer Kneebone. The two people arrested are both Island residents, but were arrested in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.  Charlottetown Police say they are 44-year old Donald Roy Holmes of Pembroke, PEI, and 32-year old Samantha Jemima Parlee- Bell of Pembroke, PEI.  The two were arrested under a Section of the Criminal Code that Charlottetown Police say is for neglecting, improperly or indecently interfering with or offering an indignity to a dead human body or human remains.  Charlottetown Police say that at this point they have not determined the location of Summer Kneebone and the investigation is still very much ongoing. Police are asking anyone who has had contact with Holmes and Parlee-Bell since August 5th to contact Charlottetown Police Services.

Bob Robichaud, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says Hurricane Lee is not expected to have the same intensity as Fiona at arrival — but he cautioned that it's a 'large storm' that people should prepare for, especially in western Nova Scotia and parts of southwestern New Brunswick.

The Government of P.E.I. has been targeted by a cyberattack that has led official websites to crash, according to the province.

A lack of ability to pump fuel at Irving's tank farm after post-tropical storm Fiona led to shortages across P.E.I. for days, but the arrival of a backup generator on Thursday should mean no repeat of that issue this weekend. 

The Global Climate Strike is Friday – part of a global effort to end the era of fossil fuels. The PEI edition of the Global Climate Strike is being held in Charlottetown on Richmond Street in front of the Coles Building.  Organizers say everyone is welcome and they’re asking participants to start gathering at 11:45am and then the event will begin at 12-noon.

Spokesperson Mille Clarkes says that for many years climate change was an issue that was intellectualized – it was something in our heads that we saw happening in the future.  But she says that after Hurricane Fiona last fall and the wildfires across Canada this year, she’s heard more and more Islanders this summer discussing the impacts of climate change.

The City of Charlottetown’s Planning Board is recommending that Council approve a couple significant variance applications.  One is for a one-year, temporary variance to establish an overdose prevention site in the Park Street area. The other is for a one-year, temporary variance to allow Park Street Emergency Shelter to continue to offer services.  The final decision to approve the variance applications will be determined by Council at a public meeting. The applications are considered active until a final decision by Council is made.

The City of Charlottetown's planning board recommended city council to approve two applications by the province at a special meeting on Wednesday night.

The Community Foundation of PEI has announced a new scholarship, Neil Robertson Memorial Scholarship Fund – established at the Foundation in 2022 in partnership with Sport PEI and the PEI Amateur Sport Fund. 

The Neil Robertson Memorial Scholarship Fund is intended for a PEI student who is in years 1-4 at UPEI or Holland College. The student must be competing as an ‘endurance sport athlete’.

While it is still far from the storm Fiona was, the forecast track for Hurricane Lee has shifted to the east in the last 24 hours, and that means a bigger impact on Prince Edward Island.

Summerside is getting set to host what’s being billed as the biggest kitchen party on PEI during the 2023 Fall Flavours Festival – it’s the inaugural Up West Kitchen Fest.  It will feature local chefs, farmers, producers, growers, and brewers, all bringing PEI to your plate. The festival will recreate dishes from Canada’s Food Island Cookbook in partnership with Dairy Farmers of PEI, showcasing a culinary experience with the best of PEI. Up West Kitchen Fest is a 19+ celebration that will be held on October 6 at the Credit Union Place. 

Two single vehicle collisions on Tuesday led to two impaired driving arrests.

First, at about 9:15am, Queens District RCMP got a call about a car in the ditch in Mayfield.  When they arrived on scene, police arrested the 32-year-old man driving the vehicle, and he’s facing charges for impaired driving.  

Then, at about 1:45 p.m., RCMP responded to a report of a camper that had gone into the ditch in North Winsloe.  Police located the driver of the camper, who they say was impaired. The 65-year-old man was arrested and will soon appear in court to answer to impaired driving charges.

No one was seriously injured in either incident.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre says that Hurricane Lee is shaping up to be a Saturday event for the strongest impacts, with lingering weaker conditions then on Sunday. It will be approaching as a category-1 hurricane and then becoming post-tropical at landfall.  While the centre of Lee could make landfall anywhere from Downeast Maine to western Nova Scotia as a strong tropical storm or post-tropical low late Saturday night or early Sunday, it is still expected to be a large and powerful system with impacts extending well away from the storm centre. 

P.E.I.'s environment minister says he's fully supportive of regulatory changes that would allow homeowners with solar panels to have backup battery storage in their homes, but the department in charge says that will have to wait.

A report examining the response to Fiona still hasn't been released. But Charlottetown Mutual Aid, a volunteer group that stepped up to help then, is hoping the province learned from that experience.

The wait for cataract surgery or hip or knee replacements could be 12-24 months, but it depends what surgeon’s list you’re on.

As Hurricane Lee makes its way toward the Maritimes this weekend, some homeowners on P.E.I. are still dealing with repairs related to Fiona almost a year ago. 

Birders on P.E.I. are thrilled by a crested caracara that has taken up residence on the Island this summer. But an expert says the bird's future on the Island isn't looking so bright.

P.E.I.'s newly proclaimed Missing Persons Act may have come into force too late to make a significant difference in the Summer Kneebone inquiry, says a mother whose family was helped by a similar act in Ontario.

The Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 Tuesday night. The Rangers extended their winning streak to four games and leapfrogged the Jays in the A-L wild-card standings. Texas moved into the second of three wild-card spots and also secured the tiebreaker advantage over Toronto should the teams finish with identical records. Seattle beat the Angels and tied Toronto for the third and final AL wild card spot.

Game 4 of the 22U Island Junior Baseball League Finals between the Capital District Junior Islanders and Stratford A’s has been rescheduled for Wednesday night at Memorial Field at 8:00pm.  Stratford is leading the best of five series 2-1 and can clinch the title with a win.

Melody Maker and Dale Spence took Tuesday night’s $3400 feature at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.  The Greg MacInnis owned and trained Melody Maker won in 1:53.4 .  It was one of four winning drives on the night for Spence.  Live racing continues Thursday evening at 6 P.M. at Red Shores Charlottetown. 

SCOREBOARD

Tuesday’s Scoreboard

MLB

American League

Texas 6 Toronto 3

Minnesota 3 Tampa Bay 2

Oakland 6 Houston 2

Seattle 8 L.A. Angels 0

New York Yankees 3 Boston 2, 1st game

New York Yankees 4 Boston 1, 2nd game

Chicago White Sox 6 Kansas City 2, 1st game

Kansas City 11 Chicago White Sox 10, 2nd game

National League

Atlanta 7 Philadelphia 6 (10 innings)

Pittsburgh 5 Washington 1

N.Y. Mets 7 Arizona 4

Milwaukee 3 Miami 1

Colorado 6 Chicago Cubs 4

L.A. Dodgers 11 San Diego 2

Interleague

St. Louis 5 Baltimore 2

Cleveland 3 San Francisco 1

Cincinnati 6 Detroit 5 (10 innings)

* * * * * * * * * *

Wednesday’s Games

(All times Eastern)

MLB

American League

Tampa Bay (Bradley 5-7) at Minnesota (Keuchel 1-1), 1:10 p.m.

L.A. Angels (TBD) at Seattle (Castillo 12-7), 4:10 p.m.

Texas (Montgomery 8-11) at Toronto (Kikuchi 9-5), 7:07 p.m.

Oakland (Blackburn 4-4) at Houston Brown 10-11), 7:10 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees (Schmidt 9-8) at Boston (Houck 4-9), 7:10 p.m.

Kansas City (Cruz 0-0) at Chicago White Sox (Clevinger 7-7), 7:40 p.m.

National League

Chicago Cubs (Taillon 7-9) at Colorado (Blach 2-1), 3:10 p.m.

Washington (TBD) at Pittsburgh (TBD), 6:35 p.m.

Atlanta (Strider 16-5) at Philadelphia (Sanchez 2-3), 6:40 p.m.

Arizona (Gallen 15-7) at N.Y. Mets (Senga 10-7), 7:10 p.m.

Miami (Garrett 8-6) at Milwaukee (Rea 5-5), 7:40 p.m.

San Diego (Snell 13-9) at L.A. Dodgers (Pepiot 2-0), 10:10 p.m.

Interleague

Cleveland (Allen 7-7) at San Francisco (Harrison 1-1), 3:45 p.m.

Cincinnati (Phillips 0-0) at Detroit (Rodriguez 11-7), 6:40 p.m.

—

(The Canadian Press)

The increasing cost of doing business — that’s the number one concern expressed by respondents in the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Membership Survey.

Over 75% of survey respondents marked inflation/cost of doing business as the most pressing concern or issue impacting their business. Additionally, almost 40% of respondents marked rising interest rates as a top concern. 

A 59-year old Nova Scotia man has been charged with refusing to provide a breath sample upon demand and is facing a court date.  Just after 2:00am on Saturday, Charlottetown Police spotted a vehicle being driven erratically on Kent Street and conducted a traffic stop.  Police determined that the driver was impaired by alcohol and placed him under arrest.  He was brought back to the Police Station where police say he refused to provide breath samples.

Their Excellencies, Governor General Mary Simon and Whit Fraser will wrap up their Prince Edward Island visit on Wednesday.  The Governor General ends it with a visit to Charlottetown Rural High School in the morning.  During her visit to the school, the Governor General will meet with students and participate in a Q&A session.   She will also meet with new Canadian students who are learning English. 

The Governor General will head to Nova Scotia in the afternoon for a three-day visit.

Hurricane Lee, which will likely hit the Maritimes this weekend as a tropical low, is not expected to bring anything like the devastation Fiona did last year. It will still be a significant storm, though, says CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin.

Kensington Police arrested a driver Tuesday morning after they failed a roadside screening device test.  It was the result of a traffic stop conducted by police at about 8:30 am.  Kensington Police say that the driver, a Kensington resident, later provided two breath samples that showed them to be more than double the legal limit.  Police also arrested the passenger of the vehicle for an unrelated matter.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax says Hurricane Lee’s strength will be sapped by cooler sea-surface temperatures as it continues to move north.  The storm is expected to lash parts of the Maritimes with heavy rain this weekend, but its wind speeds are not expected to reach hurricane-strength, which is 119 kilometres per hour.  Still, the centre says western Nova Scotia will endure the worst that Lee has to offer, which includes heavy rain that could start as early as Thursday.  But meteorologist Ian Hubbard says the storm will not be as powerful as post-tropical storm Fiona, which caused widespread damage in Nova Scotia, P-E-I and southwestern Newfoundland almost a year ago.

Charlottetown police say they are investigating five separate reports of rental fraud related to an apartment hosting short-term rentals.
One woman says she paid a 23-hundred dollar deposit on the one-bedroom apartment after meeting with a man claiming to be the property
manager — but the man disappeared as the move-in date approached.
The woman says she later discovered that the apartment was a short-term rental, and the man who had said he owned it was just staying there for the night.
Police say there are three similar investigations being done by the R-C-M-P in Stratford and two others in the Moncton area, but no charges have been laid. 

A group of senators is touring farms on Prince Edward Island to get a clearer picture of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and look at ways of improving it.

Health P.E.I. says it's keeping a close eye on the number of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu cases among staff and patients, as it weighs whether to bring back mandatory masking at its facilities. 

Jan Vanderzwaag, who also goes by John, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting two boys more than 20 years ago.

Profits at the P.E.I. Energy Corporation were slashed by more than half last year, with auditors warning revenues will drop even further as the Crown enterprise tries to repair one of the province's biggest wind farms.

A P.E.I. man accused of trying to kill the mother of his child in late June pleaded not guilty to all charges in Charlottetown Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Jori Livingston discovered the apartment she thought she'd rented wasn't a long-term rental at all, and the person who appeared to be renting it to her had actually rented it himself on Airbnb.

With a deadline for proposals from other ship suppliers passed, Transport Canada is negotiating for the purchase of MV Fanafjord to replace MV Holiday Island, which caught fire and burned in the Northumberland Strait in the summer of 2022.

The City of Charlottetown is part of a pilot project to add two more safe-disposals to the city, but some city councillors wonder how effective they will be.

The RCMP says its Major Crime Unit continues to investigate the sword attack earlier this month in Seacow Pond, and is following up on tips. Anyone with information that could assist in the investigation is asked to reach out to West Prince RCMP at 902-853-9300.  The RCMP says rumours are circulating that an arrest was made in the investigation, but those rumours are false. 

On day two of the visit to PEI by their Excellencies, Governor General Mary Simon and Whit Fraser, the Governor General is to visit Abegweit First Nation and Abegweit Biodiversity Enhancement Hatchery.  During the visit, the Governor General will also meet with members of the Abegweit First Nation community.  A focus of this visit is reconciliation, and yesterday the Governor General met with Chief Darlene Bernard of Lennox Island First Nation, and Chief “Junior” Gould of Abegweit First Nation.  This afternoon, the agenda also includes a visit to the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation in St Peters Bay.  

The Canadian Hurricane Centre says the track of Hurricane Lee could take it anywhere from Maine to southeastern Nova Scotia by this weekend.   

In the Centre’s first statement on the storm released Monday, it says Lee will likely approach the Atlantic region as a weak hurricane or strong tropical storm that could dump heavy rain over the area.   

The centre says that as the hurricane moves northward, it is expected to grow in size, but it is not expected to gain strength by merging with other weather systems. 

Lee is expected to make a turn to the north on Wednesday, which will slow its progress and could weaken the storm as it lingers over cooler waters to the north.  At this point it looks like the storm should hit land late Saturday night.