Dr. Robert Strang. Photo Government of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotians may not have to endure the stricter COVID conditions announced last week for as long as previously announced.

The province’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang says the fact new case counts have stayed in the low single digits for the past several days may allow restrictions to be eased.

“If the pattern continues that we’re seeing, we may be in a position to lift restrictions much earlier than March 26. I know that will be welcome news,” said Strang.

The one new case of COVID-19 being reported in the Northern zone is a close contact of a previously announced case.

Strang said public health will continue to examine the epidemiology and will have more to say on the subject at Friday’s briefing.

Strang also addressed comments he’s heard questioning why the restrictions were put in place for some activities but not others. He’s concerned people are trying to compare two things that are not comparable.

“There is a science on how the virus is transmitted. Players at hockey games or other sports are not masked and they’re making contact with other players on the ice. There’s no physical distancing,” said Strang. “At an arcade, people are wearing masks, they’re staying physically distanced, they’re handwashing and equipment is frequently cleaned. So the reality is that this is a much safer environment than playing hockey or other sports.”

The chief medical officer said making recommendations to government to limit activities and place restrictions on businesses is something he doesn’t take lightly.

“I’m fully aware of whether it’s limiting hours in restaurants, reducing opportunities for sport or theatre activities, I’m fully aware of what that means to people, so it’s not easy,” said Strang. “But I’m also fully aware of what happens when you allow COVID-19 to spread widely in a community.”

Strang said when it comes to the pandemic; he is always going to err on the side of caution.

“I’d much rather have to come forward and say we acted early and nothing happened and then look at how we can relax, perhaps earlier than we thought and explain that, rather than to sit here and explain why we didn’t act when we should have and have significant spread of the illness and all the impacts that will have,” said Strang.

Premier Iain Rankin also announced support is coming for some small businesses.

Premier Iain Rankin. Photo credit Government of Nova Scotia

A $7 million rebate program launched today will provide service sector owners a one-time rebate of a portion of their paid property taxes.

Nearly 3,300 businesses are eligible, including dine-in restaurants and drinking establishments; gym and fitness establishments; hair salons and barber shops, spas, nail salons and body art establishments.

Rankin said he understands the sacrifices being made by restaurants and many other small businesses and hopes Nova Scotians can follow their lead.

“They have stepped up and continue to do so,” said Rankin. “ I’m sure you’ve all read the reports of some pubs deciding not to open, for example, on St. Patrick’s Day. Obviously a tough decision but one that speaks volumes about our business owners being leaders and helping to contain the spread of the virus.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Fort Point Lighthouse. Photo Ed Halverson

Fort Point Lighthouse will be under new management whenever it reopens.

Region of Queens issued a request for proposals for anyone interested in operating the historic lighthouse that stands where the Mersey River enters the town of Liverpool.

Mayor Darlene Norman says whomever takes on the responsible is getting a great opportunity.

“We offer a great lighthouse, at no cost, to make money out of, from May to October,” said Norman. “I’m thinking, wow, if you were a young, bright, business student with a big imagination, you could make a buck out of there.”

The request for proposals closed on Thursday of last week (February 25).

Municipal staff couldn’t comment on how many applications had been submitted as they must now be reviewed, evaluated and presented to the council for consideration.

It’s expected those deliberations will take place and a winner chosen, at council’s second meeting of the month on March 23.

Norman is excited to learn what ideas are brought forward.

“You know, if you like people and you don’t mind putting a lot of hours in for five months, what a great thing it would be.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Region of Queens administration building

The Region of Queens is working to make council more accessible.

At Tuesday’s meeting council agreed to contract Catalyst Consulting Engineers to design the proposed new council chambers audio video layout, issue and evaluate the request for proposals, and oversee the final installation.

Mayor Darlene Norman says they needed to find someone with the expertise in these systems that wasn’t trying to sell a particular product.

“They’ve done other municipal council chambers across the province and they’ve done other related work and they don’t sell the gear and they’re not related to companies that do sell it. So this is the best way to get an unbiased viewpoint of what’s required,” said Norman.

Council has budgeted $11,000 for this phase of the project. Norman says the public may have sticker shock when the final bill comes due, but council sees the value in making chambers more accessible to everyone.

“If people were more readily able to access live feed, have good quality feed, if the council chamber were more accessible, et cetera, that we would have more engagement from the public,” said Norman.

Council has been given a ballpark number of $100,000 to properly outfit the chamber with the necessary audio/visual equipment and make it accessible. That includes new microphones, speakers and displays to improve the experience for people in the chamber and those watching council proceedings via live stream from home.

Part of the design will see council sitting around one large table instead of the individual desks and raised dais for the mayor. Norman says the chambers will also be rearranged to allow people to watch and present to council, no matter what range of mobility they may have.

“We’re not doing the cosmetics, we’re doing what it takes to have a council room that can look as equal and accessible as can be,” said Norman.

Catalyst Consulting Engineers will soon begin the work of assessing the council chamber and putting together the request for proposals.

Council will then take the consultant’s recommendations under advisement before approving the final budget.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Dr. Robert Strang. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Public health officials are warning Nova Scotians not to think we’re out of the woods with the coronavirus.

The province’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang says people are becoming complacent around social distancing and other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Even though we talk about a pandemic, we’re acting like we’re not in a pandemic in Nova Scotia. That’s important that we remind ourselves we need to be cautious. I recognize that COVID fatigue is real,” said Strang. “We’ve been at this for almost a year but as tired as everyone is, public health measures are as important now as they were last March and April.”

Three new cases of the coronavirus are being reported bringing the total number of active cases to 21.

Strang cautioned people to keep their socializing and social circles to a minimum.

“We need people to slow down for the next two to three months,” said Strang. “We need to still stay very focused on limiting our social activities, limiting the number of people, ideally [to] only a single social group of 10.”

Strang says the province expects to receive 14,700 doses of vaccine this week and vaccine deliveries are back on track to meet targets that were expected when deliveries were first announced.

“Vaccine supply is expected to be steady with weekly shipments of at least 10,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine until the end of March,” said Strang. “Meaning that we are on target to meet the outcomes for the first 90 days of our vaccine strategy.”

Strang says he’s heard requests for Nova Scotia to develop a vaccine passport to allow those that have been inoculated to be exempt from some of the COVID protocols. He says the province will not be issuing proof of immunization cards or vaccine passports until more is known about the effectiveness of the vaccines.

“We know that they’re very effective against preventing clinical and symptomatic illness but we don’t know yet whether they prevent asymptomatic transmission.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Iain Rankin sworn-in as premier of Nova Scotia. Photo Government of Nova Scotia

The province officially has a new premier.

Iain Rankin became the 29^th premier of Nova Scotia Tuesday.

Rankin and 16 of his caucus colleagues were sworn-in to their cabinet posts by Lt. Governor Arthur J. LeBlanc.

The event, held at the Halifax Convention Centre began with a smudging ceremony conducted by Queens County residents Todd and Melissa Labrador.

In addition to his responsibilities as premier of the province, Rankin will also serve as president of the Executive Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness. He is Minister of the Department of L’Nu Affairs, formally the Office of Aboriginal Affairs among others.

Deputy premier Kelly Regan will maintain her role as Minister of Community Services with responsibility for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. She also takes on the Department of Seniors.

Rankin’s opponents to become Liberal leader Labi Kousoulis and Randy Delorey will also feature prominently in his new cabinet. Kousoulis will assume the position of Minister of Finance and Treasury Board and Minister of Inclusive Economic Growth, which is the new name for the Department of Business.

Former Health Minister Delorey is now Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Minister of Labour Relations.

Former Education Minister Zach Churchill will now assume the health portfolio.

Derek Mombourquette is the new Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development and Chuck Porter is now Minister of Lands and Forestry and Energy and Mines.

There will be some new faces around the cabinet table as well as Kings South MLA Keith Irving was appointed Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Ben Jessome, the MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville, becomes Minister of the Public Service Commission, and Brendan Maguire, MLA for Halifax Atlantic, takes over at Municipal Affairs.

Premier Rankin used his first public opportunity to rally Nova Scotians to build a better province.

“All of you, not just the women and men that are serving in cabinet today have a role in building our future. Whether a union member, a business owner, a volunteer, retiree, still working, any age, you are part of building that future. It’s not just government. This is your province. This is your opportunity. This is our time to break through in Nova Scotia, so let’s get to work.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Seaside Centre. Photo Damien van den Berg

A local community centre is looking to collect funding from area residents property tax bills.

The Seaside Recreation and Community Centre is asking Region of Queens council to approve an area rate of four cents on every hundred dollars of assessed property value for residents of Beach Meadows, Eagle Head, West Berlin, East Berlin and Port Medway.

On a $150,000 home, the area rate would amount to an extra $60 on the homeowners property tax bill.

The treasurer of the volunteer board operating the Seaside Community Centre Damien van den Berg understands no one wants to see their taxes go up, but hopes when people understand the situation they will get on board.

“Even just putting paint on the wall is difficult unless you’ve got money to do that,” said van den Berg. “Primarily the challenge has been operating a building versus operating a community centre.”

van den Berg says the board would like to focus on repairing the basketball courts, fixing up trails and painting lines for pickleball to attract more users but can’t because they’re working on keeping the lights on every month.

Figures submitted by the board to the Region of Queens show an operating deficit of over $6,000 for 2020.

During the year, Seaside Centre received almost $2,000 in donations and raised $358 from an online raffle.

The group has applied to the federal and provincial government for grants to make the basement level fully accessible. The federal funding will build a ramp and renovate the existing washrooms. While the money from the province will go to install 7 heat pumps to lower the heating costs and provide better control over the temperature and humidity.

But neither of those grants will assist in the day-to-day operations of the recreation centre.

van den Berg is concerned the centre cannot continue to rely on donations to fund their activities and needs to find a steady stream of income to go forward. The area rate is expected to provide $35,000 each year

“The cost associated to that increase is quite low year over year, like $50-$60 a year isn’t a significant amount of money from an assessment perspective in order to have a facility that supports the community,” said van den Berg.

He believes the community is looking for the Seaside Centre to be more than it is. And if the area rate is approved, they will have the stability to return their focus from maintaining a building to upgrading the facility and improving their offerings.

“I like to say I’d rather buy a bunch of hockey sticks and hockey nets for the kids that are in the community than being able to turn the lights on,” said van den Berg.

Area residents will have a say in whether or not they’re willing to foot the bill.

A vote will be held on the proposed area rate at the Seaside Centre on March 3.

To cast a ballot, a person must be 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen and permanently reside in Beach Meadows, Eagle Head, East Berlin, West Berlin, or Port Medway on March 3, 2021.

The vote itself will not determine whether or not the area rate will go ahead. The results will be presented to Region of Queens council and used as part of their process as they decide whether or not to introduce the area rate during their annual budget deliberations over the next month.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Premier Stephen McNeil. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Friday marked the final time Premier Stephen McNeil would provide a COVID update to Nova Scotians.

McNeil noted the milestone was significant as it was the 100^th time he and the province’s chief medical officer Dr. Robert Strang appeared together to give the latest update on the pandemic and vaccinations.

The premier was asked to reflect on the last eleven months and if there is anything he would like to have done differently.

McNeil said it was important for officials to recognize what they didn’t know about the virus, such as the asymptomatic transmission but overall, was proud of the response by Nova Scotians.

“When we started early on, there were so many unknowns for us. That’s why we acted very quickly and aggressively in shutting down parts of our economy. I think those decisions early on, with the acknowledgement of what we didn’t know, allowed us to be in a position where good parts of our economy are functioning as long as people continue to follow the public health protocols,” said McNeil.

Dr. Strang announced new precautions for travellers from Newfoundland who aren’t required to self-isolate such as long-haul truckers.

Beginning Sunday, COVID-19 testing will be mandatory for anyone arriving by ferry.

Strang also unveiled the locations of 10 community based vaccination clinics, which will be rolled out beginning March 8 in Halifax, New Minas, Sydney and Truro.

Residents of the South Shore will wait to rollup their sleeves until March 22 when a clinic will be opened in Bridgewater.

Seniors 80 years of age and older are the first eligible to receive the injection. MSI will contact those selected by letter to book an appointment.

The province is reporting two new cases of COVID-19, one in the Eastern and one in the Central zone to bring the total to 15 active cases in Nova Scotia.

McNeil said getting to know Dr. Strang was something good that came out of this pandemic.

“Good male role-models are hard to find and last March I found one. He’s an extraordinary Nova Scotian who I think, all of us, owe a great debt of gratitude to. I’m really proud, not only of what he’s been able to do here, but I’m really proud of the fact that I got to know the man,” said McNeil. “I want to say to all Nova Scotians, he may be a great public health doctor but he’s an even better man.”

Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Strang was equally complimentary of McNeil.

“The premier’s been on the hot seat for a lot of things and I’ve learned a lot in the last year and I can understand why the premier is tired after seven years. But what I’ve seen is somebody who is principled and honest and as I said in my remarks, always, throughout the past year, has put the health of Nova Scotians first and foremost and I have great respect for the premier for that,” said Strang.

Incoming premier-elect Iain Rankin will replace Premier McNeil on Tuesday. McNeil addressed Nova Scotians directly in his final remarks.

“I can’t tell you what it has meant to me over the last 11 months, for you generosity of spirit and your kindness towards me and your thoughtfulness of supporting me and asking me how I’m doing. At the same time you wrapped your arms around each other,” said McNeil. “You know, we take for granted sometimes this beautiful province we live in. We have beautiful scenery, we have magnificent views, we don’t often look back and say you know, the people are pretty good too. You demonstrated that in spades over the last 11 months and I am deeply grateful. My family and I are deeply grateful for the kindness that you’ve shown.”

McNeil asked Nova Scotians to continue to show that kindness and support to Iain Rankin when he takes office next week.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Xaver Varnus and his newly installed pipe organ. Photo contributed by Xaver Varnus.

A musician bringing Bach to his venue in Brooklyn is hoping the public will help repair the building.

Organist Xaver Varnus bought the former pilgrim church in Brooklyn last year to transform it into a live music venue.

He has already installed a pipe organ and has now set his sights on restoring the exterior to its former glory.

Varnus has been gathering pictures from the early 1900s showing the church clad with brown brick instead of the white vinyl siding it has today.

“I really don’t understand why this fashion came in the 60s and 70s to cover most of the Nova Scotian churches with this, kind of, white condom but it’s terrible. Maybe it’s very good against the weather but it’s terrible for the look,” said Varnus.

However, before the siding can be replaced, there are some structural issues to contend with as time has caused the walls to go out of alignment.

The pandemic has cut into his plans for performances so he has turned to a GoFundMe page to help get the work done.

To date, he has raised over $6,000 of his $48,000 goal.

Varnus credits his popularity on YouTube for the number of donations he is receiving from around the world.

“I get donations from everywhere, from New Zealand, from Japan, from Korea, everywhere,” said Varnus. “And now I can realize how many people are listening to the YouTube recordings because the people are mostly reacting because of the YouTube Videos.”

Videos of Varnus playing some of the world’s most famous pipe organs have been viewed more than 15 million times.

The organ master has more grand plans for the former church including installing a clock in the tower, something that was not part of the original design.

Varnus says the work he has done on the newly christened Varnus Concert Hall is not going unnoticed by the classical music world’s elite.

“One of the most famous string quartet of Europe at this time is the Kelemen Quartet and they are coming to Carnegie Hall, to New York, at the end of August,” said Varnus. “They just called me two weeks ago and they said after the Carnegie Hall concert they are coming to visit me in Nova Scotia for a week and they want to play two concerts here in my church.”

Depending on what COVID restrictions are in place, Varnus is planning to hold a concert on March 21. Besides being the start of spring, the date is significant for him.

“I always play the great concert on the twenty-first of March because that is the birthday of Bach,” said Varnus.

He understands it can be difficult for someone who hasn’t been raised on classical music to find it accessible. But that’s a perception he hopes to change.

“Maybe I can take a little part of, for local people to opening the gate of the beautiful country of classical music for them.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Queens County Daycare. Photo Ed Halverson

The Queens County Daycare Association is turning to the Region of Queens for help to keep the doors open.

Association Chair Scott Christian appeared at Region of Queens council to ask the municipality for financial help of $50,000 this year and $30,000 over each of the next three years.

Christian says since taking ownership of the building from the municipality the association has burned through much of their cash reserves.

“We need to figure out how to get some revenue injected into the daycare right now so that we can meet our financial obligations and get the projects complete so that we can expand our services on the infant care side,” said Christian.

The daycare has lost most of the four-year olds who would normally be enrolled to the provincial pre-primary program.

In an attempt to make up for that revenue, the association is building capacity to begin infant care for children 18 months and younger.

Christian says the province has identified the need for those spaces and has contributed $250,000 towards the construction of a new infant care building on the daycare site.

Unfortunately for the association, that construction is over budget and they still need to contend with the upkeep on the old daycare building.

The association went from being a tenant to owners of the former Mount Pleasant school when they bought the building for one dollar from the region.

Christian says the list of repairs included the roof, windows and replacing a collapsed septic field.

Prior to buying the building, the association had $130,000 in reserves, and without additional funding, Christian says that money may not get them through the summer.

Christian says the provincial funding model doesn’t make sense for a non-profit daycare in rural Nova Scotia.

A statement from the department of education and early childhood development says private childcare centres in Nova Scotia have been given access to additional funding since 2017 to help them transition their business model to adapt to the introduction of the pre-primary program.

The province spends $11.6 million each year on professional development for early childhood educators and has provided about $30 million in COVID-related funding on top of about $25 million in regular financial support to childcare operators and staff.

Christian says the daycare is grateful for the support but it is not enough to meet their $400,000 operation costs.

“It just doesn’t make sense,” said Christian. “The numbers don’t add up. We receive $98,000 right now in provincial funding and you’d have to increase that by at least $50,000 per annum for it to be sustainable for us.”

Despite the bleak numbers, Christian says the association remains optimistic. He says the community recognizes the importance of the daycare.

Christian has already heard from some members of the business community who are willing to step up but that they are looking to see the municipality come to the plate first.

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says council will look into the association’s request as part of their budget deliberations over the next month.

In the meantime, Christian says parents needn’t worry about where they will send their children.

“We’re going to make this work, don’t need to worry about the thing closing. It could close in the summer, but it’s not going to, because the board is going to fight like hell and because something’s gotta give.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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PC Leader Tim Houston. Photo Ed Halverson

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court has ruled Nova Scotians should know how much the province is spending on the Yarmouth Ferry.

Leader Tim Houston and the PC party took the province and operator Bay Ferries to court to learn what Nova Scotians are paying in management fees to the company.

He calls the verdict a good decision.

“It’s only the government that wanted to keep it hidden. Everyone else knows it should be out there. So I’m happy that the Supreme Court has now seen what most Nova Scotians would know. That this is public information that should be made public,” said Houston.

Premier Stephen McNeil and successive ministers of transportation and infrastructure renewal have refused to release the details of the arrangement as they say it would put Bay Ferries at a competitive disadvantage.

McNeil argued the government has been forthcoming with the financial details.

“Every penny that has been spent on the Yarmouth Ferry has actually been accounted for,” said McNeil. “What we’re talking about is proprietary information of a company. Where I disagree, vehemently, with Mr. Houston is you should not be able to dig in and put a company at a disadvantage and I believe that’s what this does.”

In court documents, Bay Ferries Limited CEO Mark MacDonald says they considered the management fee to be the profit margin to operate the ferry.

The PC party filed a freedom of information request in 2016 to learn the details of Bay Ferries management fee and in late 2018, the privacy commissioner determined government should release that information.

When government refused to follow the commissioner’s guidance the PCs took their request to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.

In a 23-page decision released Tuesday, Justice C. Richard Coughlan said the evidence presented did not demonstrate either Bay Ferries Limited or the government of Nova Scotia would be negatively affected by the release of the management fee.

Under cross-examination, CEO MacDonald acknowledged while competitors may be able to glean how Bay Ferries approaches their fee structure based on this management fee, the amount the company would charge in a future circumstance could be different.

Houston says the PC party supports the Yarmouth ferry under the right circumstances.

“I see potential in the market but we have to find the right deal and that means at the right cost, that means at the right schedule, that means with the right vessel,” said Houston. “There’s a lot of moving parts to it and I think the taxpayer has been let down.”

Premier McNeil is concerned the ruling will scare private business from working with government in the future.

“This sends the wrong signal,” said McNeil. “It puts a chill over private-sector investment in this province and if that’s what the Conservative government wants to run in the next election, good luck.”

Premier Stephen McNeil. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Houston says whenever someone does business with the province of Nova Scotia, they should expect it to be made public.

“Just like when you make a political contribution to a party, it will be made public. That’s just the deal. The taxpayers always have a right to know where their money went and then they can decide. That’s what elections are for. People will decide if they think government made wise decisions with their money but they have the right to know what decisions were made with their money. That’s just the way it works,” said Houston.

The management fee was not released in court documents as Bay Ferries Limited and the provincial government now have 30 days to decide whether they will appeal the decision.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Mayor Darlene Norman speaking at the South Queens Chamber of Commerce Meet the Mayor breakfast. Photo: Susan MacLeod

Region of Queens mayor says the way for local businesses to enjoy greater prosperity is through cooperation.

Darlene Norman made the comments at a Meet the Mayor breakfast held by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

“Working together as a chamber, as a way to promote all of you is that, co-opitition word that my co-worker Donna Hatt always used,” said Norman. “Co-opitition, you might be competitors but you also need to cooperate and work together.”

As an example, Norman pointed to efforts being made by the North Queens Chamber of Commerce to partner with Parks Canada to create a Gateway to Kejimkujik campaign. The effort will attract visitors to the national park to spend time in North Queens as well.

She says council has spent the first three months in office learning about the needs of Queens County residents and the 53 communities in the 1,000 or so square kilometers that make up the Region of Queens are a diverse group.

While some are affluent, she says others struggle and are part of the 30 percent poverty rate so there is no quick fix to address everyone’s needs.

Norman said she has heard the arguments from some that tax increases should be linked to economic development, and, that by improving economic development, the commercial base can grow.

“We also have to keep in mind we have a lot of not for profits which are the backbones of our communities, that provide recreational opportunities and training and outreach,” said Norman.

Some in the crowd insisted the municipality should be providing incentives to attract business to Queens and help them thrive.

For legal reasons, Norman was quick to shut down that suggestion.

“We cannot do [that] as a municipality. We cannot give tax breaks, we cannot sell land cheap, we are bound by the municipal government act of the province. We are an unchartered level of government,” said Norman.

But they can provide marketing according to the mayor, and she encouraged attendees to use the Queens Coast branding established by the last council to attract visitors to Queens.

Norman says the municipality bought and paid for the branding so all of Queens could make use if it.

The breakfast attendees were keen to see action and some suggested creating a business directory to make it easier for visitors and residents alike to discover what services Queens has to offer.

The breakfast ended on a cooperative note as Norman agreed to take a plan back to council to look into establishing a group whose goal would be to assist in the development of an economic plan and directory for the region.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

The province is taking baby steps in easing off pandemic restrictions.

Beginning Monday February 7 Nova Scotians will be able to attend events and gatherings in higher numbers.

People still need to maintain their bubble groups of 10 but they can now do so in gatherings of up to 100 inside and 150 people outside.

That includes social, arts and culture events or sport and recreation activities. Faith gatherings, weddings with receptions, and funerals with visitation and receptions can also meet under the new limits.

Retail outlets and fitness facilities can now open to 75 percent of their capacity as well.

The province’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang says there’s good reason why there will be no change in the restrictions for bars and restaurants.

“Evidence tells us that late night social gatherings where alcohol and other substances may be involved present much higher risks than a youth club or a business meeting. That is why we can open up many types of gatherings but not all,” said Strang.

Bars and restaurants will need to maintain their existing gathering limits and stop service at 10pm and close by 11pm.

Sports teams can also continue to play against other teams they would routinely face but spectators can now be in the stands under the new limits.

However, Strang says when it comes to school sports and concerts, families still need to stay home

“Keeping the number of people in our school low has been an important part of our success in keeping our schools COVID safe,” said Strang. “Therefore we have to maintain the restriction that non-essential adults cannot be allowed into our schools at this time.

No new cases of COVID 19 are being reported today and, Nova Scotia currently has eight active cases. Two people are being treated in hospital and one of those is in the ICU.

In one of his last messages as premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil cautioned people to continue to be responsible.

“This is a test for all of us,” said McNeil. “We’re keeping our cases down but the moment that we see a shift or a surge, a change in the number of cases, we will not hesitate to bring back restrictions. It really is up to all of us.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Preliminary proposed design of park. Contributed by Queens universally designed play park committee

The Queens universally designed playground committee is closing in on their fundraising goal.

The committee is looking to raise $450,000 to build a playground that is accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

The group received an unexpected $5,000 donation this week from the South Shore chapter of Autism Nova Scotia.

Chairperson of the Queens universally designed playpark committee Debbie J Wamboldt says she had no idea the money was coming, despite the fact she is a member of the local Autism NS chapter.

“I didn’t have any say in this,” said Wamboldt. “It was something that the chapter wanted to do. They’ve supported the park from the very beginning and of course, our mandate is inclusion.”

The committee has raised $356,000 of the $450,000 needed to build the play park. They’ve received funding from three levels of government totalling $260,000, private donations of $10,000 from Telus and $50,000 from the J and W Murphy Foundation and approximately $36,000 from local community groups and individual donors.

The Region of Queens also donated the land at 72 Old Cobbs Barn Road, which will situate the play park next to the skate park and across from Queens Place.

Wamboldt says because the site is close to amenities but away from traffic and water it’s ideal for autistic children like hers, who may wander off.

It was a drive with her son a few years ago that motivated Wamboldt to push for the inclusive play park.

“When you’re a kid and you see all the other kids playing, we had a moment in the car where we drove by and he was crying in the back seat, asking me why we can’t go and we can’t play at a park with his friends. Because the parks are not safe for children with flight risks or children with disabilities,”said Wamboldt.

She says the group plans to break ground on the park sometime this spring.

They still need to issue a request for proposals, but Wamboldt says once a builder is selected, construction shouldn’t take longer than six weeks.

She admits the group is a bit concerned about starting work on the site without having the full amount in hand but says the support they’ve received to this point gives them confidence the funding will come through.

“You know, we’re throwing a Hail Mary and we’re really going for it,” said Wamboldt. “Behind the scenes we’re pushing, we’re looking at grants, we’re looking at who can we approach, who would be interested in having a hand in building this.”

Wamboldt says as far as she knows, the universally designed playpark will be the only one of its kind in Atlantic Canada, making it a draw for people from all around.

She’s excited the park will serve as an example of what inclusive design can mean.

“Once you make things accessible to people with disabilities, you make them accessible to everybody.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Snowstorm on February 2 with significant snowfall and wet conditions. Photo Ed Halverson

Snowstorms won’t keep help from arriving at your door.

Area manager with Nova Scotia department of transportation and infrastructure renewal Glen Strang says their workers are tied into the province’s 9-1-1 system.

“When people have an emergency, they really should be calling 9-1-1 and then we would be dealing with the emergency service provider and typically, we would dispatch the nearest plow to assist whether it’s an ambulance or the police or fire, whatever,” said Strang.

Following snowstorms like the one experienced across the province on Tuesday, people often wonder why it takes so long for snowplows to clear their road.

The Region of Queens removes snow within the town of Liverpool while Strang oversees a team of 20 people who are responsible for plowing all municipal roads between Halifax and Shelburne.

The province has established four levels of service standards that determine which roads will get more frequent or faster attention than others during a storm.

“Our top priority would be 100-series and trunk and route highways,” said Strang. “Those roads have the most traffic volumes on them. Our second priority would be secondary trunks and routes and what we would call medium-volume traffic roads. Then third priority would be local paved roads, paved subdivisions, residential streets, that sort of thing. And the fourth priority is non-paved roads, which could be gravel. It could be chip-sealed roads, sand-sealed roads.”

Those priority levels also have corresponding timelines to get the roads cleared. Once a storm has ended, the top priority 100-series and trunk highways need to be plowed clean within eight hours. Second tier roads must be cleared within 12 hours and crews have 24 hours after the snow stops to clear level three and four roads.

Strang says his crews are out during storms plowing the roads and often see people taking unnecessary risks.

“A lot of people will pass our plows. We don’t encourage that. The conditions in front of the plow could be much different than the condition behind the plow. Just be safe,” said Strang.

He says the best plan is to stay off the roads during a storm but anyone who has to go out should take some basic precautions.

“Just be aware of the driving conditions and drive appropriately,” said Strang. “Hopefully their car is in good working condition and they have good tires. Slow down, you know, the common sense stuff you always hear. Leave more room between you and the vehicle in front of you.”

Strang points out, it also makes the plow driver’s job easier when people don’t park cars on the street.

Anyone with concerns about snow clearing levels can reach the department of transportation and infrastructure renewal by calling their toll free number 1-844-696-7737.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Hank Snow Museum. Photo Ed Halverson

It’s Groundhog day for the Hank Snow Tribute show.

Organizers of the annual event, normally held each year in April, have announced the 2021 edition has once again, been postponed.

The 2020 edition would have been the 30^th anniversary of the event but was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Co-chair of the organizing committee Jessica Smith says they couldn’t go ahead with the capacity limits required to meet social distancing rules and the uncertainty around the vaccine rollout.

“We need to have as many people as we usually have in an arena,” said Smith. “There’s just no safe way for us to have that many people together, especially if the vaccine still isn’t done.”

Smith says they’ve already informed the musical acts and suppliers of the postponement.

She says everyone is very understanding and headliner Carroll Baker has already committed to performing next year.

The cancellation is the latest in a string of festival that have announced they will be postponing their events until 2022, including the Apple Blossom Festival in the valley and Liverpool’s Privateer Days.

Money raised from the tribute show accounts for the lion’s share of funding to keep the Hank Snow museum operating year-round.

Smith says the museum has been closed through the pandemic but is aiming to reopen in the coming weeks.

Going without their largest source of revenue has meant the museum has had to come up with other ways to raise money.

“We did a couple of different things. We partnered with South Shore Drive In. We started building the drive-in theatre and we opened in September. We were, kind of, thinking to the future because we knew that COVID wasn’t going to be something that came and went quickly,” said Smith.

Along with opening their parking lot for the drive-in, the Hank Snow Society also offered barbeques each Wednesday and partnered with QCCR in a 50/50 draw.

Smith expects to continue those projects and hopes to see the drive-in open as early in the season as possible.

She’s optimistic the 2022 edition of the Hank Snow Tribute Show will go ahead.

“Obviously people are disappointed. There’s a lot of people that enjoy going to the tribute every year and seeing old friends and camping and just having a good weekend in general. We’re hoping we can continue on with that and 2022 will be better.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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LFD new ladder truck beside their rescue boat. Photo John Long

The Liverpool fire department now owns their ladder truck free and clear thanks to a donation by Mersey Seafoods and the J and W Murphy Foundation.

Volunteers at the station were surprised when opening mail this week to discover a cheque for $50,000 to go towards the purchase of another truck.

The department determined before Christmas they would need to replace their ladder truck.

Hydraulics that lift the ladder had failed and the department learned repairing the equipment was not only costly but there was no guarantee the repair would pass an inspection to return the engine to service.

Liverpool fire department approached the Region of Queens for help to buy a replacement. The municipality stepped up with a $46,000 interest-free loan.

Members located a ladder truck for sale in New Brunswick and took ownership it earlier this week.

Captain John Long says the department had been exploring several options to raise the money needed to buy the ladder truck.

“We had sent out some letters requesting some help,” said Long. “This came through and it’s huge. Not just the number but the impact it has on us is huge. And we can work towards replacing our boat.”

Replacing their 1994 rescue boat had been the fire department’s focus before the issues arose with the ladder truck.

Long says the boat is showing its age.

“The ring is not holding air. We can use it in an emergency but we can’t really do any training with it,” said Long.

The new boat will need to be outfitted for rescue operations. A T-top, rear bench, console, steering wheel and search lights will need to be fitted to the boat. A new modern, sonar system will be installed and other safety equipment will be updated as well.

All told, Long says they need to raise $56,000 to turn out the new boat.

He says any money donated by individuals and businesses in the community towards replacing the ladder truck will be applied to the purchase of the boat.

Longs says thanks to the generous donation from Mersey Seafoods and the J and W Murphy Foundation the loan to the municipality has been repaid in full and the rest will go into the boat fund.

Information on how to donate to the Liverpool Fire Department is on their website: Liverpoolfirefighters.com.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Photo Ed Halverson

The province has unveiled its five-year highway construction plan.

More than 150 projects will be undertaken over the next year at a price tag of almost $500 million dollars.

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal minister Lloyd Hines says the focus will be on completing the twinning projects already underway on the 100-series highways.

“Twinned highways save lives. We know that. We have statistical information to illustrate that,” said Hines.

Chief Engineer at TIR Peter Hackett says the study and public consultation done by the department in 2016 identified the section of Highway 103 between Tantallon and Bridgewater for twinning.

The new plan will continue to twin Highway 103 from Halifax as far as Hubbards but will not extend further into the south shore in the near future.

“It’s on the radar from the department but it’s not currently on radar for funding at the present time,” said Hackett. “So somewhere down the road that will be looked at again as well as the other sections that we had identified in that program.”

Hackett says TIR is exploring alternatives to make those sections of Highway 103 not scheduled for twinning, safer in the short term.

“We are looking at other options such as more climbing lanes or as we have down in the Annapolis Valley, what they call two plus one lanes which are just extra lanes on a flat surface as opposed to a hill surface,” said Hackett.

He says an example of those safety improvements is the addition of climbing, or passing lanes being added between Exits 9 and 10.

The MLA for Queens-Shelburne Kim Masland is left with more questions than answers following today’s announcement.

“What’s the commitment to twinning the rest of the highway?” asked Masland. “What is the plan of the minister? What is the plan of the department? That needs to be communicated to Nova Scotians so they know what to expect. That’s what this five-year highway plan is all about. It’s supposed to be taking the politics out of pavement. It’s supposed to be making sure people know what projects are coming forward.”

Projects are prioritized based on a number of factors.

TIR has a process in place where each of the 51 MLAs meet with department officials to make their case for road improvements in their ridings.

The officials then measure those requests against priorities for highways construction, paving, or other infrastructure needs such as bridges, overpasses and roundabouts.

The need and technical requirements help to dictate how soon a project will be completed.

Queens won’t see any major infrastructure as part of the new plan. But in 2021 residents can expect to see fresh asphalt on a three and a half kilometer stretch on Trunk 3 from the Liverpool Town line south towards White Point, almost four kilometers of the Medway River Road from Bangs Falls to the end and on Beech Hill Road from Trunk 3 to the end.

Masland says those few projects don’t measure up to the support neighbouring constituencies are receiving.

“If you compare Lunenburg County to Queens County, it’s glaring and that’s very disappointing to see that we’re not getting our fair share,” said Masland.

In the next year alone, Lunenburg County will see two major projections along Highway 103: the passing lanes between exits 9 and 10 and the construction of a third interchange in Bridgewater between exits 12 and 13. Lunenburg will also see over 30 kilometers of new asphalt while TIR will be laying down less than 12 in Queens.

Hines says all 51 MLAs were consulted prior to the development of the five-year plan.

The minister says whether it’s transporting goods for business or driving to visit relatives, keeping up highways is essential to Nova Scotians.

“Roads is [sic] a critical investment in both the social and safety and economic well-being of the province. Roads are extremely important to those three considerations.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Liverpool FD receives replacement ladder truck in Digby. Photo contributed by Trevor Munroe

The Liverpool fire department has a new ladder truck.

Liverpool fire department Captain John Long says the vehicle had to be replaced after key mechanical components failed.

“We had some issues with the hydraulic system. Basically, the ladder’s been rendered useless at this point. The estimate was around $100,000 to get it repaired and even that was no guarantee that we were going to be able to get it certified, because there’s an annual certification,” said Long.

The new-to-Liverpool 1992 Spartan ladder truck is six years older than the engine it is replacing but has the same 75 foot ladder reach.

Long says as the only ladder truck in Queens County the engine is called out regularly.

“We run it to all chimney fires, so in the wintertime, fairly frequently. Any structure fires, it’s part of our protocols and certainly mutual aid calls within the county, it’s used fairly frequently,” said Long.

Liverpool fire department brought the ladder truck troubles to Region of Queens council’s attention at their last meeting before Christmas.

The municipality has an agreement in place with the five regional fire departments to provide $275,000 every year towards the purchase of one new engine. The chiefs from Greenfield, Liverpool, Mill Village, North Queens and Port Medway worked out a schedule for when each department would receive the funding.

Liverpool is in line to get the money in 2025 but because of the urgency around losing the county’s only ladder truck, hoped to be permitted to jump the queue.

A request was also made to increase the standard amount allocated from $275,000 to $350,000.

Council did not approve any funding at that time.

Mayor Darlene Norman says Liverpool fire department put forward a plan to buy a used engine at a special council meeting on January 20.

“The decision of the Liverpool fire department is that they needed this truck to get them through the time period,” said Norman. “It was the opinion of everyone on council that, yes, they need this.”

Council agreed to provide a three-year, interest-free loan to the Liverpool fire department for $40,000 plus HST for a total of $46,000.

They bought the ladder truck from the Hartland New Brunswick fire department and picked it up in Digby on Saturday.

Long says the work now begins to raise the money to pay off the loan.

“Well we’ve already started. We’ve had individuals and businesses making some donations to us,” said Long. “We had those start rolling in, actually, I had a lady call me the other day, I’ve got a cheque for you and a bunch of bottles. You want to cash them, come out. [I said] perfect, we’ll take it.”

Long says people can also help by buying tickets on the weekly 50-50 draw held on behalf of firefighters across Nova Scotia.

He says when buying tickets, indicate you wish to support Liverpool and a portion of the contribution will come to their department.

The $5,000 they’ve made from the draw last year will be applied towards repaying the loan as will the proceeds of the sale of the old ladder truck.

Anyone wishing to donate to the new truck fund can do by contacting the Liverpool fire department directly.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Screen shot from Mayor Darlene Norman’s apology video on Region of Queens Facebook page

The Region of Queens’ mayor is apologizing after decorated rocks were removed from a local park.

A post from the region appeared online late Tuesday evening explaining the beloved rocks along with other decorations were cleared from Pine Grove park.

The post stated, “While some consider these items an added feature of the park, others feel they detract from the pristine natural setting.” Which is why municipal staff cleared them out that day.

A Facebook group called Queens County Rocks is responsible for placing most of the painted rocks in Pine Grove.

Jane Dunlop-Stevenson, the woman behind the group, says she wasn’t surprised the public reaction to the announcement was so swift.

“I knew it meant a lot to them,” said Dunlop-Stevenson. “I knew people wouldn’t be happy and they certainly did speak up in a hurry.”

The post was flooded with comments explaining how important the painted rocks were to many people.

A large number of the comments highlighted how Pine Grove is attracting more families to explore the woods to discover the painted rocks.

Mayor Darlene Norman says she never intended to upset so many people.

“On the times that I’ve walked through Pine Grove, I’ve never seen painted rocks,” said Norman. “I have seen plastic things on the forest floor bed, I’ve seen things nailed into trees and I’ve seen artificial stuff hanging from branches.”

Norman was concerned about the amount of artificial decorations taking away from people’s enjoyment of the natural environment in the park so she brought those concerns to region staff.

Tuesday, she was informed staff had cleaned out the decorations, including the hand-painted rocks during their sweep through Pine Grove.

“I said, you know, that stuff’s been removed, we should notify people so that it doesn’t continue. So we did the Facebook post up late, I think it might have been five o’clock, we sent it out and then it began,” said Norman.

A torrent of support for the painted rocks began to fill the post.

“I got home and I looked and I read. My stomach turned upside down and I recognized people’s names and I read their heartfelt messages about grandkids going, and you can’t get them out the door and how much fun they have and it went on and on and I thought, oh no, what have you done?” said Norman.

The mayor reached out to Dunlop-Stevenson to learn what the Queens County Rocks group was doing in Pine Grove, how much enjoyment people were getting out of the rocks and that Dunlop-Stevenson felt she was operating with the blessing of the previous council.

After a restless night of tossing and turning Norman says she got up early and headed into the office to make it right.

“I’ve hurt council. People are assuming this is another evil doing of the nasty Region of Queens. I thought it’s not fair. It’s not fair to them, it’s not fair to staff, I just need to do this video, apologize to people I’ve hurt, put my hand up and say, here is who started this,” said Norman.

The region posted a video Wednesday morning with the mayor issuing a public apology, explaining how the events unfolded and welcoming the painted rocks back into Pine Grove park.

Norman says going forward, the region would like to work with Dunlop-Stevenson’s group, and others who have a stake in the park.

The mayor would like to bring the talents of people throughout the community together to ensure everyone can enjoy Pine Grove.

Dunlop-Stevenson has accepted the mayor’s apology and is eager to work with the region of Queens to bring more events to the park.

“I see it all as a positive thing in the end because I think what people can learn from this is that little things that everybody enjoys, nobody ever talks about, so much.”

Norman says now that this has been resolved, she may get in on the fun.

“I may even paint some rocks ‘cause I love painting rocks and just put them in there,” said Norman. “No name on them, just put them in there on behalf of [Queens County] Rocks.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Photo contributed by Privateer Days Commission

Privateer Days has been called off again this summer.

The annual event, normally held near the last weekend in June, once again fell victim to the effects of the coronavirus.

Privateer Days Commission chair Terrena Parnell says the organizers are heartbroken to cancel the event, but they had to put public safety first.

“We have thousands of people coming to Privateer Days every year and there’s absolutely no way that we can have people in there volunteering, chasing people around saying, wear your masks, social distance, that type of thing. It’s just impossible to try to deal with something on that large of a scale,” said Parnell.

Like almost every other festival in 2020, Privateer Days was cancelled last year because of the restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Parnell says many of the performers and suppliers scheduled to be part of last year’s event were waiting for the phone call to go ahead with this year’s event.

The commission has been keeping a close eye on the restrictions and the way the vaccine is rolling out across Nova Scotia and didn’t see how enough would change to allow the event to go ahead this year.

Parnell said, “We don’t think things are going to go back to normal for a while yet, and just felt that it was best for everyone involved, both spectators and the participants, to cancel early instead of waiting until the last minute and saying, oh, no, we’re not going to have it and have to turn everyone away.”

Parnell is aware some people think the event was cancelled too early but points out the logistics involved in mounting a festival of this size require time.

She says suppliers need to line up equipment and transportation to and from Liverpool. Uncertainty around border crossing rules between provinces could mean some suppliers, such as New Brunswick-based East Coast Amusement Rides may not be able to cross into Nova Scotia.

“With the restrictions and the bans in place, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,” said Parnell. “It may seem like we cancelled early, but it’s only six months away and those six months can go very quickly.”

Parnell says as the organization looks ahead to 2022 they are in a stable financial position. The commission is constantly looking for new sources of revenue, such as grants to fund the event.

But for next year, she would like to see locals dig in and show what the event means to them.

“I’m hoping that with everything being closed down for two years, that next year we’ll have the community and the business support when we do start our fundraising again to help us make a larger event a reality.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Eric Gouldon outside the former Milton Elementary School. Photo Ed Halverson

The old Milton elementary school is getting new life as homes for older residents.

It is important for developer Eric Gouldon to create units that are well-built, accessible and modern.

“You shouldn’t have low-end housing or something like that. Everybody deserves a good house,” said Gouldon. “I think these are good houses.”

While not specifically for seniors, Gouldon designed the units both with accessibility and privacy in mind. In addition to including all major appliances and laundry in each unit, electrical outlets and light switches have been placed within easy reach, doorways have been widened and kitchen faucets have been placed on the side so residents don’t need to strain to turn them on and off.

“A lot of them are seniors that have had homes all their life. The kids have moved out, sometimes the husband has passed on. It seems like there are a lot of women involved in this and we just basically looked at that and said, they’re not quite ready for the apartment, they like their independence,” said Gouldon. “So we cut in individual doors, so it’s quite literally town homes rather than apartments that you’re looking at.”

Renovated and landscaped Milton Elementary School now, the Milton Garden Homes. Photo credit Ed Halverson

Gouldon began renovating the former school in phases four years ago. Each phase created three new units and all six of the units built under the first two phases are already occupied.

Former classroom being readied for a transformation into a new apartment. Photo Ed Halverson

While he has roots in Shelburne County, Gouldon spent most of his working life in Ontario. In fact, it was a bit of luck that brought him to Queens.

“I was going to buy a condo in Halifax and I saw a Brian MacKay-Lyons house for sale down this way and Liverpool wasn’t even on the plan at that time. We looked at the house. It was on the beach. I think we looked at it at 10:00 in the morning, we put a deal together at noon,” said Gouldon.

It was after buying that house Gouldon met Steve Bowers, who was looking after the home and would later become his business partner.

Bowers had experience renovating older buildings and convinced Gouldon to become involved in restoring the old Advance building on Main street in Liverpool in 2013.

When they bought the former Advance offices and the adjacent building, which housed the KFC , Gouldon and Bowers were told they would likely have to be torn down.

Undeterred, the two set about restoring and bringing the buildings up to modern standards.

Gouldon and Bowers restored these two buildings on Liverpool’s Main Street. Photo Credit Ed Halverson

Gouldon says he is inspired by Bowers’ ability to look at a problem and work out a solution, a trait he says is shared by many Nova Scotians.

“People may not necessarily have paper credentials,’ said Gouldon. “But there’s a great ability among the fishermen and people that live along the shore and everywhere else in Nova Scotia, to be able to get things done.”

Gouldon says it’s that unique combination of people, skills and attitude that have helped shape his perspective on these redevelopments.

“This place is full of craftspeople. It’s full of art. I think the development of schools and so on and so forth is just an extension of art,” said Gouldon.

The final third phase of the Milton school development will begin in the next month. Provided the pandemic hasn’t interrupted the supply lines for building materials too drastically, Gouldon hopes to see the project finished this fall.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Dr. Robert Strang. Photo Nova Scotia Government

The COVID-19 vaccine is now being administered to frontline healthcare workers across Nova Scotia.

The Northern Zone was the final area to establish a vaccination clinic today at the Colchester-East Hants Health Centre.

Public Health is reporting four new COVID-19 cases today. One is close contact of a previously reported case in the Northern Zone. The other three are in the central zone and are related to travel outside Nova Scotia.

The province is also expanding the program to immunize residents of long term care facilities by adding two more homes in Sydney.

The expansion comes as the federal government announced provinces will be getting much less Pfizer vaccine than they had previously been told because of the manufacturer’s plan to revamp one of their production facilities.

Chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia Dr. Robert Strang says the province was set to receive 13,500 doses this month and is still waiting to hear from Ottawa how much of that we will actually receive.

Strang called it short-term pain for long-term gain.

“And we continue to be told that any reduction we’re getting for February will be added to the supply we can expect in March.”

Strang says their vaccine rollout plan is flexible to allow for increases or decreases in supply.

Since the first vaccines arrived December 15, 8,520 doses have been administered and 2,215 of those have received their second doses to complete their immunization.

Another 5,850 doses arrived in Nova Scotia this week bringing the total number of doses received to 28,850.

The Nova Scotia College of Nursing recently announced retired nurses will receive a conditional license, at no cost, as a measure to increase the number of people available to administer the vaccine injections.

Strang is pleased to see the number of people stepping up to help get the vaccine into Nova Scotians arms.

Based on the number of people who volunteered to assist with pop-up COVID testing clinics, the province is offering people the opportunity to again help out with the upcoming vaccination clinics.

“There was significant buy-in from communities putting their hand up and saying we want to come and help out in some way,” said Strang. “I really think that many Nova Scotians would be more than willing to come forward and say I’m prepared to volunteer my time to help support and run a COVID immunization clinic in my community; knowing, by doing that, they are contributing to their collective safety in that community.

A link to the volunteer page is on our website.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Dr. Robert Strang provides COVID-19 update. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health says until they can establish a stable supply of COVID-19 vaccine they will continue to hold back the second doses.

Dr. Robert Strang was commenting on news that the manufacturer of the two-dose vaccine Pfizer has said it will reduce the amount of vaccine being shipped to Canada.

That will allow Pfizer to temporary close one of their facilities in Belgium in order to expand production to meet demand.

Premier Stephen McNeil says the province has set up their vaccine schedule to protect against these kind of interruptions.

“We are continuing to give the first shot and hold back the second shot to guarantee people a full vaccination,” said McNeil. “We will continue to do this until we are guaranteed there will be no interruption in supply.”

The province has been allocated 140,000 doses of vaccine for the first 90 days of the year, 13,000 of which have already been received and administered or have been designated to be administered.

First in line in Nova Scotia are frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents. The second phase will see the vaccine enter the general population starting with the most elderly.

“We’re hopeful to be able to, not January but maybe February or March, to pilot a couple of clinics, one in Halifax, one in Truro,” said Dr. Strang.

He calls the COVID-19 vaccination program the most complex ever rolled out in Nova Scotia.

The province announced two new COVID-19 cases today. Since the start of the second wave in October there have been 461 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. Four hundred twenty-nine are resolved and there are currently 32 active cases, none of which require hospitalization.

The low case numbers indicate the public health measures have been working according to Dr. Strang.

He is concerned some people have not been completely forthcoming when contacted by public health officials. He and the premier assured Nova Scotians their information is kept confidential and it can help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Dr. Strang says he is pleased to see the majority of people are following protocols to keep each other safe and he had a message for those who don’t.

“I would ask any Nova Scotians who think that public health measures don’t apply to them, to think again and to stop. And think about the rest of the province, the rest of Nova Scotians and the sacrifices that so many of us have made.”

Dr. Strang was blunt when asked when he expected life to return to normal.

“That’s a million dollar question,” said Dr. Strang. “Public health people like myself, experts on the virus, I think we’re all on the same page that most of 2021, we need to continue to be following COVID restrictions and COVID protocols.”

Dr. Strang says officials need time to get vaccine out and get enough people vaccinated to create herd immunity. The also need to learn if the vaccine will keep people from spreading the virus even if they don’t show any symptoms.

He expects it will be six to nine months before we’ll begin to know how a post-COVID world will look.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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COVID-19 has spurred home sales in Queens. Photo: Ed Halverson

A hot housing market in Queens shows no signs of slowing down.

Kristopher Snarby, owner of Exit Realty in Liverpool and Bridgewater says the pandemic created a wild ride for sellers and buyers alike.

“It’s been a crazy year in a lot of ways. We started off, pretty normal winter, last January, February, March and then the pandemic hit and things slowed down for the early spring. Then May and June came and things really took off,” said Snarby.

According to the Nova Scotia Association of Realtors, 13,923 homes were sold in 2020, a 13% increase over 2019.

Kristopher Snarby, owner EXIT Realty in Liverpool/Bridgewater. Photo submitted by Kristopher Snarby

Snarby says Nova Scotia and the South Shore in particular have been getting a lot of attention from buyers outside the province.

“We just saw a lot of people from Ontario wanting to get out. Partly because of COVID,but also partly because they want a slower pace of life and the real estate prices here are so much cheaper,” said Snarby. “So we found a lot of people were choosing to sell their properties in Ontario and then buy something here, equally nice or nicer, at a fraction of the cost.”

That attention has gobbled up the inventory of available housing.

Snarby says many of those buying from Ontario are doing so without ever setting foot in the home before signing. Buyers will arrange to either have a friend look at the property or view it virtually through online videos. Snarby estimates he has sold 25 homes since May in this manner.

Because of the increase in demand, Snarby says he’s had to be proactive in finding homes for buyers.

“I’ve been making calls to people who I know who have been thinking of selling. I’ve been putting calls out on Facebook. A lot of our agents have been doing the same thing and through that we have had some people say, yeah, I’d like to sell,” said Snarby. “But the big challenge for them though, is that, a lot of times, there’s nothing for them to go to.”

Snarby says savvy sellers are watching the market for the home they want to become available before listing their houses.

When they do manage to find the right place, they’re paying 10 to 15 percent more than last year.

“It used to be that you could get a decent house in Queens County for $100,000 to $125,000. I would say, now you’re looking in the $150,000 to $200,000 range for the same kind of house,” said Snarby.

That’s consistent with the trends in selling prices across Nova Scotia. While that jump in price may cause sticker shock for locals, Snarby says Nova Scotia still isn’t seeing the drastic swings in prices experienced by other parts of the country.

“We’re not even close to the Toronto and the Vancouvers. You can’t get anything in Toronto for under seven-eight hundred thousand dollars. We’re definitely not there,” said Snarby.

He expects the hot housing market will continue into 2021.

“I think the secret of South Shore is out,” said Snarby. “I think people realize that we live in a great area with a lot to offer, close to the city but still that slower pace of life, it’s affordable, people are friendly.

Snarby suggests now may be the time for anyone looking to sell to put their home on the market.

“The thing right now is there’s still buyers out there who can’t find homes and there’s not much on the market. So right now, if you were to list a property, you don’t have a lot of competition. In the spring, you’re going to have more competition.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Trucks outside North Queens station. Photo Credit: North Queens Fire Department

The COVID-19 pandemic seriously hurt fire services fundraising efforts in 2020.

The North Queens fire department would normally hold suppers and events throughout the year to support the community and help pay for new equipment and trucks

Those fundraisers would usually net between $60,000 and $70,000 over the course of the year.

Because of the pandemic, those events had to be cancelled.

North Queens fire chief Chris Wolfe is optimistic about restarting the fundraising efforts in the new year as Nova Scotia has begun to administer vaccines and residents have been supporting efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“We’re hoping to get back to the way it was. It’s one of those things you’re uncertain of and you just don’t know at this point but we seem to be holding our own where we are,” said Wolfe. “ Of course with what’s coming up for truck purchases, it’s going to be difficult to do that if things keep going the way they are.”

North Queens is scheduled to replace their 25 year-old pumper truck within the next three years.

Region of Queens has an agreement in place with the five departments operating in the county to contribute $275,000 towards the purchase of any new truck.

That leaves North Queens on the hook to raise the remaining $225,000 to buy the half-million dollar pumper.

In an effort to continue to raise money, the department signed on with other fire services across the province last summer to participate in a weekly 50-50 draw.

“It was a slow start there, but as the jackpot climbed, we started getting more and more people buying. We’re going to use it towards the replacement of trucks,” said Wolfe.

The jackpot reached it’s highest total of $461,595 on New Years Eve with the winner taking home $230,798.

North Queens fire service share of the proceeds for 2020 is $4,550. That’s less than 10 percent of what their fundraising efforts would normally bring in.

Wolfe says there isn’t much that can be done until the pandemic is under control.

While many groups have petitioned public health for exceptions that would allow them to resume their functions, Wolfe says they have not contacted Dr. Strang and public health about any measures that could see their hall reopen to community or fundraising events

“We haven’t mentioned to much to him there. You know they’re doing a good job with what they’re doing, trying to keep the COVID down.,” said Wolfe. “So I’m basically just following the rules and waiting for things to improve.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.