Following a weekend spent fighting forest fires just outside Halifax, the province is reminding Nova Scotians that a burn ban is in place until at least June 1.

Jim Rudderham, acting manager for forest protection with the department of lands and forestry, says for the moment, that also includes a ban on brush burning, fire pits and chimineas.

“So as the weather conditions continue to dry, the whole province right now is in red, obviously, and you can’t burn. But as conditions improve and get better, and we are allowed to burn again, people have to make sure they check everyday at 2:00pm on our burn safe site, to make sure that it’s safe to have a fire.”

Rudderham says the restrictions are evaluated daily for each county across Nova Scotia and are put in place based on science and weather reports.

“It’s not there to penalize people. It’s there to make sure we all stay safe and don’t have to run to fire after fire and have homes evacuated and all that stuff. It needs to be followed.”

A fire in Porters Lake over the weekend burned more than 40 hectares, closed part of Highway 107 and forced the evacuation of 1,00 homes.

The response involved Lands and Forestry crews on the ground and in three helicopters as well as Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency personnel, RCMP, and crews from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal among others.

Rudderham says trying to maintain social distancing while fighting a forest fire is challenging and one more reason to try to prevent these fires in the first place.

“It’s very difficult to fight a fire and keep all these things in place. You know, you’re starting a pump, you’re grabbing a hose, it’s just very difficult. We’re trying so hard to avoid any kind of fire, so people really need to help us out on this as well.”

Precautions against the spread of COVID-19 extend even to the front lines of the fires.

Rudderham says hand-washing stations and hand sanitizer is provided and they’re careful about how crews are fed.

Even garbage handling is monitored to ensure the virus can’t be transmitted.

Rudderham is the also the area manager for Shelburne and Queens.

He was disappointed to learn while fire crews were working this weekend, someone cut down the sign to the McGowan Lake Depot on Highway 8 just outside Caledonia.

“I don’t know why people would do that kind of stuff, it’s very clearly vandalism against us. The ironic thing is, the firefighters, when they’re not fighting fires, they do a lot of maintenance, a lot of taking care of our parks, all that kind of stuff. So it’s our firefighters that are going to have to fix that sign.”

Rudderham says they didn’t file a complaint with police because it is unlikely anyone would be caught.

“We didn’t report it because there’s really nothing you can do about that. It’s just very frustrating and discouraging to our staff.”

To find out about updated burn restrictions you can go to the provincial website at novascotia.ca/burnsafe.

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

A popular trail outside Liverpool will be closed for repairs until the fall.

The Trestle Trail Bridge will begin a second phase of construction in June to finish repairs begun last summer.

President of the Queens Rails to Trails Association Brian Hatt says closing the popular trail is short-term pain for long-term gain.

“Well, it’s saving the bridge, basically. If we didn’t get on this we may have lost it forever. [It’s a] very important link to a lot of people.”

Hatt says once this round of the work is complete the bridge shouldn’t need any major work for ten years.

“Well, overall, if we can get everything done this year, then the public will be certainly happy to have it finished and hopefully we’ll stay open for a long time.”

J Mason Contracting of Fall River has once again been selected to perform the work after completing the first phase of the project including replacing an abutment and a pier, under time and under budget.

The bridge reopened in September 2019 after being closed for a good part of the previous five years.

Hatt says the association is very grateful to the J and W Murphy Foundation who committed to covering half the cost of all the repairs.

“We’re really fortunate to get that support. That helps us with getting other partners involved.”

Those partners included the Region of Queens, Province of Nova Scotia and Government of Canada who helped cover the balance of the estimated $1.5 million project.

Once it has reopened, Hatt says the bridge will form an important link between Halifax and Yarmouth.

“It gets everyone through Queens County. This would be for motorized vehicles, ATVs, dirt bikes, bicycles, it’s going to be an important link to get the South Shore connected.”

Hatt says Queens County is fortunate to have many trails people can use until the repairs are complete and the bridge reopens sometime in late October.

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

Queens residents looking to beat the heat at municipal pools will have to look elsewhere this summer.

Milton Centennial Pool and North Queens Aquatic Centre will not open in 2020.

That’s one of the measures included in a recent list released by Region of Queens CAO Chris MacNeill, intended to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.

Queens Director of Recreation and Healthy Communities Meaghan Roberts says each of the pools need certified staff to work at the facilities.

While there is no shortage of young people looking for those jobs, Roberts says getting them the courses they need in time for summer just wasn’t possible.

“So when we reached out to the governing bodies for those certifications, they didn’t feel like, at the time, that any certifications were going to happen prior to summer because of the public health restrictions and the limits on groupings and all the things that they have in place.”

Roberts says the community pools are very well used but the recreation department and municipality’s top concern is everyone’s safety.

She says older facilities such as these with smaller change rooms and more confined space make it difficult to maintain social distancing rules set out by the province.

Roberts says even if the staff could receive training in time, a pool presents a specific set of challenges to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

“Being outdoors, that is in your favour but in terms of the staff, you’re right in children’s faces. It’s very hard to social distance at a pool. Especially when it’s children involved, they don’t understand. So we had to think about the safety of people coming into that facility as well.”

Roberts grew up in the area and not only understands how important it is for residents to have these facilities in their communities, but what the loss of the pools this summer will mean.

“I get people’s disappointment, I do. Like I said, I’m obviously sympathetic to that because not only do I oversee the pools, but my kids use them. And those kids that wanted to work there, we still want to work with them.”

Roberts says the municipality has secured some grants to help them take certification courses, once they’re offered.

She is still hoping to help people find the positive in this situation.

“Yes, it’s this point in time, and it’s right now that the pools aren’t open but there’s other ways and they’re continually opening up more things. People are able to go to the beaches now. So there are other ways to get out there.”

Roberts says she is keeping a close eye on other provinces as they begin to reopen their public spaces.

She says because Nova Scotia is several weeks behind the pandemic we can learn what works and apply those lessons when it is Queens County’s turn to restore their services.

The Region of Queens also announced the full Canada Day celebrations at Privateer Park in Liverpool have been postponed but they haven’t ruled out the possibility of holding fireworks.

The summer concert series to be held at parks around the municipality has been cancelled.

And tax sales for properties in arrears have also been called off.

The full list of program and service updates is below.

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

A Liverpool woman, surprised to learn she was wanted by police, has turned herself in.

Teresa Stewart says her phone blew up Tuesday night after RCMP posted a warrant for her arrest on social media.

The 32-year old was wanted on a charge of Fraud Under $5,000 alleged to have happened in 2019.

Stewart says she was disappointed to see so many strangers comment on her situation.

“People that don’t even know me. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Everybody deserves a second chance, right?”

Stewart admits taking the money from her former employer and says she thought the issue had already been dealt with through an adult diversion program.

“There’s a few things that I should have done that I didn’t do, I guess, like write a letter, go to meetings and stuff like that. But at that time in my life I became a drug addict and because of reasons, I’m not really up to discuss[ing], it was a hard time in my life and I moved forward and here I am.”

Stewart made contact with RCMP immediately and presented herself in person the next day.

After taking to social media to make people aware she had turned herself in, many commenters rallied to support Stewart and wondered why it was taking RCMP so long to pull the post.

RCMP spokesperson Corporal Jennifer Clarke says social media can be a useful tool in tracking people down and from time-to-time investigators will contact their communications officers to ask for help to locate a suspect.

Stewart was concerned the post made her sound dangerous as it warned the public that she should not be approached.

Cpl. Clarke says the language used in the post is standard.

“We don’t want someone going up to the subject of one of those releases saying, hey, the police are looking for you, they have a warrant for you. If an altercation ensued as a result of that conversation, we don’t want that to happen. We simply want people to provide us with information, that’s all.”

Clarke says once the local detachment made her aware Stewart had been in contact, the social media posts were removed.

Stewart says she has turned her life around and has recently given birth to her second son.

She says she will make her court appearance in August to answer the charges but for now, her focus is on raising her two children.

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

Imagine having to deal with COVID-19 while living thousands of kilometers and sometimes continents away from your friends and family.

That is the situation in which international students in Queens find themselves.

Each year, Queens hosts approximately 25 of the 130 or so students from Europe, Asia and South America who come to learn on the South Shore.

When governments began to crack down on travel, those students had to make the decision to return to their home countries or ride out the pandemic in Nova Scotia.

Thirteen of the 27 students decided to stay and continue their education in the province.

Queens home-stay coordinator Ashley Saulnier says those who chose to stay are covering the material required.

“Whether they were in their own country or they were here in Liverpool, everyone was doing the same thing.”

But Saulnier points out, ensuring students complete their education was just one concern.

“Giving a student the most authentic Canadian experience as they could have as Nova Scotians or Canadians in general. There’s a lot of differences between us and how culturally, other people live in their countries.”

Usually, that would involve visits to cultural sights and participation in group events with other host families and the community.

But, because of COVID-19 restrictions, hosts have had to get creative.

International Students Program South Shore coordinator Carolyn Bolivar-Getson says online video calls have been a good way of ensuring students and hosts stay in touch.

“I think even the technology that we’re using to connect with our students, virtually, works well. I’ve watched teachers reach out to the students, even with some of their classroom friends and have virtual chats with them.”

Bolivar-Getson praises the work being done by the host-families and the home-stay coordinators under trying conditions.

She says sometimes maintaining connections is as easy as checking-in through socially-distant visits.

“You see a big smile when you drive in the yard because you know, that they’re not out doing things like they used to and they love to see someone.”

Bolivar-Getson says in some ways, the restrictions are creating tighter bonds between host families and their students.

She says on a normal morning, hosts would be off to work and students would head to school, only re-grouping in the evening to catch up on the day’s events.

Now, with many people working from home, most of the day is spent together.

“And they’re here, you’re helping them with their homework. It’s just a different environment, and I’m not saying it’s a bad environment by no means, but, it definitely has brought family units closer together.”

Bolivar-Getson says after graduating, many international students continue on to universities in Nova Scotia and most would be looking for flights back to their countries of origin at this point in the year.

Because travelling during COVID-19 comes with a raft of concerns, some of those students may choose to stay in Nova Scotia for the summer rather than traveling home for the break.

Each year, the centres for education across the province survey international students to learn how many plan to attend post-secondary in Nova Scotia.

Bolivar-Getson says while she waits for those numbers, she’s working to line up host families for the summer.

“We will have to survey each individual one to see if they will return home or if they will be here. We will have to make accommodations to see if home-stay families will host them over the summer. It’s not black and white at this point. But we’re gathering all that information to find out, but the students will be very well cared for if they have to stay.”

Bolivar-Getson says students have come to the South Shore from 36 different countries, and new countries are added each year.

She’s optimistic coronavirus restrictions will ease up before her organization welcomes another 130 students for the 2020-21 orientation at White Point Resort in September.

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

It’s time to pick your family favorite as Nova Scotia will begin easing up on its COVID-19 restrictions.

Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, announced effective Friday, May 15, the province is introducing the immediate family bubble.

This will allow two immediate family households to come together without physical distancing.

The families must be mutually exclusive to each other to minimize risk of COVID-19 spread.

Dr. Strang is asking people to take it slow.

“It’s important that people understand that this does not mean that families can get together in large groups for barbeques and reunions.”

Strang also says when selecting which other family household they’ll connect with, families should to consider three factors – age, occupation and health condition of all household members.

In addition to the loosened restrictions on family interactions, the province also eased restrictions on some outdoor activities.

Some of those include golf, paddling, sailing/boating and tennis so long as social distancing, environmental cleaning and participant hygiene can be maintained.

However, organized coaching or training, competitions, tournaments, regattas or similar events are still not permitted.

Public beaches are reopened as of May 16 at 8 a.m. but people must stay two metres apart and not gather in groups of more than five.

The province-wide b an on open fires within 1,000 feet of woods has been extended to Monday, June 1.

But the use of backyard appliances like chimineas and fire pits will be temporarily permitted for households.

The announced easing of restrictions comes as Nova Scotia is reporting four additional deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total to 55. The deaths occurred at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax.

As of May 15, Nova Scotia has 1,034 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Eight new cases were identified Thursday.

Nine individuals are currently in hospital, five of those in ICU.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 473 tests

There are three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19. Northwood in Halifax currently has 25 residents and 15 staff with active cases. One other facility has one staff member with an active case of COVID-19 and another facility has one resident with an active case.

Nine-hundred and eighteen individuals have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

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

The federal government has earmarked half a billion dollars to help the fishing industry.

Prime Minister Trudeau announced the $267 million Fish Harvester Benefit and the $202 million Fish Harvester Grant on Wednesday.

Eligible workers could receive up to $10,000 in benefits from either program.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Bernadette Jordan says the funding will provide income support while addressing overhead costs specific to the industry.

“We want to make sure that we’re able to help support them with things like their license fees, with their bait costs, with their insurance costs. Those are all things that are fixed costs that they’re going to have to pay no matter if they go out or not.”

The Prime Minister also announced changes would be made to the Employment Insurance system to allow self employed harvesters and sharepersons to claim benefits based on previous seasons.

Minister Jordan says the $62.5 million Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund established in April addressed the need for processor to get protective measures such as personal protective equipment and plexi-glass in place on the front lines.

She says it became apparent that benefits announced for other workers to deal with the downturn in the job market as a result of COVID-19 such as the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or access to small business loans from the Business Development Bank of Canada wouldn’t help fish harvesters because of the unique nature of the industry.

Jordan says these newly announced programs are the result of conversations her department has had with their provincial counterparts, industry organizations and individuals to ensure the fishing industry are also taken care of.

“We are looking out for the harvesters, making sure that they are able to access the funding that they need in order to get them through this hump.”

But the fisheries minister is also looking further down the road.

“It’s not just the immediate COVID-19 issue. It’s what’s the long-term look like and how do we address the concerns going forward in the industry? So I think it’s short-term measures, mid-term measures and then we have to look at the long-term and how we’re going to continue to make sure we have a vibrant fishing sector.”

Jordan says the department will continue to monitor how the programs are working to ensure the needs of the industry are supported.

The newly announced programs are not yet available, but the fisheries minister wants to assure fish harvesters that government is working to roll them out as quickly as possible.

“I think what’s really important is that the fishers know that it’s there, it’s coming and that they’ve got some piece of mind knowing that they’re going to have some help.”

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

The North Queens Board of Trade has landed federal funding to help revitalize the area.

Chair Laura Lee Johnson says the board was awarded close to $50,000 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to study the feasibility of making Caledonia a tourist destination.

They’ve hired Group ATN Consulting Inc. to undertake the study, which would determine if Caledonia could one day be the gateway to Kejimkujik in the same way Alma is considered the gateway to Fundy National Park in New Brunswick.

Johnson is very optimistic about what this investment could mean for the region.

“I think it shows that ACOA has put some faith into our community, and some hope. They obviously feel that it’s a good investment for them, which makes us feel really good.”

According to Johnson, both Parks Canada and the Region of Queens have agreed to participate in the ATN study.

Johnson says the consultants will be speaking with residents and businesses to find out what Caledonia needs to revitalize itself.

The area has been hard hit over the past five years, losing both its bank and gas station.

Johnson says the study may also lead to more ambitious projects finally getting underway.

“We’re hoping to do a boardwalk around our lake which is in the center of Caledonia. We’ve had that on our plate now for years, maybe twenty years, the board of trade has been talking about that, but we’ve never had the funds or the manpower to do it.”

The study should be completed by mid-July.

Johnson’s husband Gil is the regional councillor for North Queens.

He says once they have the data in hand, they can be strategic about attracting businesses to the area.

“We know from the work done at Alma, things like laundry services, these are things that campers are looking for, and if campers are looking for them, everybody going through will be looking for them.”

Councillor Johnson is also keen to leverage the recent rebranding by the Region of Queens to bring more attention to North Queens.

He says ATN is partners with M5, the group responsible for the “Queens Coast” strategy, so it makes sense to tie the marketing of Caledonia to that exercise.

“Instead of trying to sort it out for ourselves, we’re going to have the experts help us and then we’ll get a little bit creative with ways to be able to do that.“

Johnson hopes this study marks the beginning of a turnaround in North Queens’ fortunes.

He says once they have the report in hand it will then be up to the community to roll up their sleeves to ensure sure the work is done right and any businesses they bring in will be sustainable and in it for the long run.

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

Nova Scotia is reporting three additional deaths related to COVID-19, at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality.

That brings the total number of deaths related to the coronavirus to 51.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health was asked about the possibility of loosening safety restrictions as other provinces have done to allow two family groups to interact in what is referred to as a two-bubble household.

Strang says he has been exploring that option.

“The bubble family concept is actually fairly complex. We’ve had conversations with New Brunswick about that and they’ve had to invest a lot of time in communication, helping people understand that.”

Strang says the bubble model comes with many challenges.

“Making families make a choice potentially they can visit one set of relatives but they can’t visit another set of relatives, or maybe they have to chose between grandparents or grandchildren.”

He says as he looks at what will be included in phase one of the province’s recovery, he is exploring other options.

“Maybe the way to do this is not bubble families, but loosening off some of the restrictions around what types of gatherings and the numbers that are allowed.”

Premier Stephen McNeil says he is frequently asked when the province will reopen.

He says once he and his minsters have received advice through consultation with public health officials, he will come back with a date.

McNeil says he wants to ensure Dr.Strang is confident in the science and that Nova Scotians will be confident when the province opens up.

“This is not a competition. We are not in a race. We need to be safe. We need to continue to see a pattern of fewer cases. That happens, and I feel confident that we are getting closer to a gradual opening.”

Nova Scotia has 1,024 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after four new cases were identified Tuesday.

Nine individuals are currently in hospital, four of those in ICU.

Eight-hundred and seventy individuals have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 502 Nova Scotia tests on May 12 and has reported 34,604 negative test results to date.

There are three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19. Northwood in Halifax currently has 64 residents and 13 staff with active cases. One other facility has one staff member with an active case of COVID-19 and another facility has one resident with an active case.

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

COVID-19 will not delay this fall’s municipal elections.

Municipal Affairs Minister Chuck Porter confirmed in a letter sent to the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, Pam Mood, that elections scheduled to be held in October will go ahead.

Thinking of running for municipal council? The Fall 2020 Elections will go ahead as planned, Minister Chuck Porter of @dma_ns says in a letter to NSFM Pres @PamMood this morning. More: https://t.co/aTlwP61vBD pic.twitter.com/TAJqlcQUMh

— Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities (@nsfedmuni) May 13, 2020

Porter says this is an unprecedented time and it’s more important than ever to preserve citizen’s democratic rights.

He says he’s aware there are a number of municipalities with vacancies on their councils.

Porter writes, “If we delay elections beyond October, there will be thousands of Nova Scotians who will not have a representative at the table when those councils make important decisions about the future of their communities.”

Pam Mood, who is also Mayor of Yarmouth, agrees.

“It’s going to be a huge undertaking, more than a regular election at a regular time. But the democratic process is what we have and it’s the most important thing.”

In his letter, Porter says coronavirus precautions must still be followed during the election.

He encourages municipalities to use alternative voting methods such as voting by mail, telephone or online instead of, or in addition to traditional paper ballots.

The municipal affairs minister also suggests candidates use signs, printed materials, telephone, social media, or virtual options to try and woo voters rather than going door-to-door.

Mood says door knocking is one example where the federation will be looking to the province to ensure every candidate is treated fairly regardless of which municipality they‘re campaigning in.

“Either there is door-to-door knocking or there isn’t. It can’t just be in one place and not another. The rules, provincially, need to be followed.”

Mood says to achieve that level playing field may mean ministerial orders being issued by the department of municipal affairs.

Still, she has concerns the timing of the election isn’t great.

Mood says even if the COVID-19 curve is flattened, the recovery will take a very long time.

“The job that has to be done to ensure that we keep moving forward economically and on every other front is huge, it’s huge, and we will be running a campaign in the middle of a clean up. That’s daunting.”

Region of Queens Mayor David Dagley says COVID-19 will present challenges for candidates vying for office.

“I think it will be a bit difficult to certainly reach out to all residents during a campaign in municipal election in 2020. However the minister of municipal affairs is the one who has the authority to determine if the election will be held with a vote in October.”

Dagley says the municipality has been preparing all along for a fall election and the decision by Chuck Porter will certainly light a fire under those preparations.

NSFM president Mood says she will be discussing the minister’s decision with mayors and wardens from across the province and will bring their concerns to Porter.

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

A 59-year-old woman is safe and sound after the truck she was in drove into the Mersey River.

Queens District RCMP members responded to a call at 10:20 Sunday morning that a pick-up truck had driven off of Highway 8 into the Mersey River, near Milton.

The 65-year-old male driver of the vehicle was able to swim to shore, however, the 59-year-old female passenger was not and had difficulty keeping her head out of the water.

RCMP members, EHS and the volunteer fire department quickly assessed the situation and determined the female passenger’s condition was worsening due to the cold water.

An RCMP member tied a rope around his waist and swam out to the woman using a paddle board from a nearby residence.

The RCMP member and woman were pulled to shore by the other first responders.

The woman and the driver of the vehicle were transported to hospital where the woman was treated with non-life threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.

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

Students can return to school in two weeks to retrieve their belongings.

The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang made the announcement during Tuesday’s COVID-19 update.

“Beginning the week of May 25^th, a single student or family member will be able to access their local school by appointment.”

He says appointments are necessary to ensure social distancing is maintained and that schools will be in touch with more details.

Strang also addressed reports coming out from the World Health Organization around smoking and its effects on COVID-19.

He says smokers are more likely to develop a more serious case of COVID-19 than non-smokers

“That’s because of the direct links with smoking, the harms on the respiratory system. But, smoking also has negative impacts on our immune systems, increases the risk of other diseases which create vulnerabilities for COVID-19 such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.”

Strang says those diseases also increase the risk of developing more severe cases of COVID-19.

As of today, May 12, Nova Scotia has 1,020 confirmed cases of COVID-19. One new case was identified Monday, May 11.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 427 tests on May 11.

There are three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19.

Northwood in Halifax currently has 157 residents and eight staff with active cases.

One other facility has one staff member with an active case of COVID-19 and another facility has one resident with an active case.

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

The Astor Theatre has secured its place in the community for another 5 years.

Region of Queens council voted Tuesday to extend a new lease to the Astor Theatre Society.

The theatre has been closed since March and doesn’t expect to open until September at the earliest.

Because the society has no way to earn any money from the Astor whilst it is shut down, council decided to only charge the society $3,000 or half the annual rent for the first year of the lease.

The rent will return to the normal $6,000 annual rate beginning May 1, 2021.

The new lease will also see the municipality pick up the tab for the property tax on the theatre.

The Astor Theatre Society also won’t pay rent on the space left vacant by the departure of the Sipuke’l Gallery until October 2021 as they finalize how best to make use of the additional square footage.

That lease is also worth $6,000 annually.

Council also agreed to enter into a three-year cost-sharing agreement with the province for subdivision roads.

The agreement allows the municipality to work with its provincial counterparts when dealing with roadwork without committing to any specific projects.

Any work to be done would still have to be approved by regional council before any municipal money is spent.

Council also reviewed three options submitted by the RCMP to improve road safety on Old Falls Road.

Those included converting the road to a dead end or cul de sac to prevent through traffic onto Highway 3, installing a sign directing drivers not to use the road to access the Highway or converting Old Falls Road to a one-way street, eliminating the flow of traffic towards Highway 8.

Staff will now work on a report to determine feasibility before bringing it back to council in the future.

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

Queens Shelburne MLA Kim Masland

The Member of the Legislative Assembly for Queens Shelburne is worried about seniors being socially isolated as a result of COVID-19 precautions.

Before her election, Kim Masland was the senior’s safety officer for RCMP.

It was there she saw first-hand, the effects of isolation on the health and wellbeing of seniors.

“And now to think that we are where we are now with physical distancing and even further social isolating, it worries me, it actually troubles me and I do lose sleep about this at night.”

Masland says Queens County has a large seniors population, many of whom live alone.

Because many of their relatives live outside the region, these seniors are by themselves.

Several weeks ago, Masland put out the call on her Facebook page for volunteers to ensure the area’s older population was cared for.

“If that meant picking up the phone and just giving a call to say how’re you doing, and I do know that is happening. Whether it’s picking up groceries or medications, I’ve done that myself already for seniors.”

Masland says she has already seen others take up the challenge, demonstrating for her, yet again, why she is so proud and humbled by the generosity of the residents of Queens County.

“Every time I have an opportunity to talk about the people that surround me, that live in this community, my heart just overflows. We have the kindest people I’ve ever met in Queens County.”

The Queens-Shelburne MLA says while she’s out and about picking up groceries she sees real positivity.

Masland notices people are being kind to each, they make way for passers-by to maintain social distancing.

Others are making and donating home-made masks and she takes heart from the positive chalk messages being left on the sidewalks.

As restrictions slowly start to lift, she is hopeful that spirit of cooperation will continue.

“I do know that we are all going to get through this together, and I think that’s how a lot of people are feeling right now too. We need to be kind, we need to support each other, we need to lift each other up as much as we can, and that is happening.”

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

Fundraising for Liverpool Regional High School graduates has taken on new life online.

The annual LRHS Foundation auction, the main fundraiser providing scholarships to graduating students, was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Teacher Claudine LeBlanc has helped organize the event for the past number of years and didn’t want to break the 22-year tradition.

“I wasn’t willing to not have our graduates receive something, receive their due.”

With schools closed until at least May 15, she realized there wouldn’t be time to organize their traditional auction.

LeBlanc decided to reach out to the community through Facebook.

“I just sort of said, if anybody’s interested in donating, and truly in my heart I thought, ok, well, let’s start with $2,000 and see where we go.”

She was overwhelmed when 24 hours later the total was climbing past $6,000.

Each year, the Liverpool Regional High School Foundation hands out $20,000 in scholarships to its graduates.

LeBlanc says LRHS is one of only two schools in North America she has found that provides this kind of support for their students.

She says it’s only possible because of how invested residents of Queens County are in the school; and that makes cancelling the annual auction that much more disappointing.

“It’s one of those rare times you get to open the school up to the whole community. You open the doors, everybody comes in, everybody’s there for a reason. It’s so nice to see. For me, I always tell people, it’s the highlight of my school year.”

LeBlanc says since the auction began 22 years ago, the LRHS Foundation has awarded almost half a million dollars to over 400 students.

After teaching at Liverpool Regional High School for 17 years she has come to know just how giving the community is.

“I would not be surprised to see our total exactly where it would have been had we had an actual auction. We always aim for $20,000 but if we hit $18,000, that won’t surprise me that people will be that generous.”

LeBlanc says she plans to keep the Facebook donation page open until June first.

Usually, the foundation distributes 20 $1,000 scholarships each year.

LeBlanc says once the fundraiser closes, she and the foundation members will look at how much has been raised to determine if they will hand out a number of $1,000 scholarships or divide the total among a set number of students.

Anyone interested in donating to the Liverpool Regional High School Scholarship Foundation can follow this link.

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

Efforts to build a new universally designed play park in Queens got a boost from the province.

The project has just received a $100,000 grant from the department of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

Debbie J. Wamboldt, chairperson of the play park fundraising committee says this announcement brings the total raised so far to $ 289,000, almost two-thirds the way to their $450,000 goal.

Wamboldt says the group has received support from all three levels of government through donations of land or funding.

But it’s the people and groups in Queens who have really thrown their arms around this project.

“If you ask on the street, I’m sure you’ll come across someone who will say, oh yes, I know about the play park and I’ve been to this fundraiser, or I’ve donated through this way. It’s just amazing. It’s amazing to see our community come together for this.”

Wamboldt says the idea for the play park came about just before the last municipal election in 2016.

“A group of parents that are in my circle with children with different needs, we came up with a list of things that weren’t being discussed in the municipal election.”

That list and a letter were presented to the mayoral candidates.

Wamboldt says their list was well received and after the election Mayor David Dagley sat down with her in her kitchen to ask which issues were the highest priority.

She determined because most of the existing play parks are located either by busy streets or waterways a safe play area for the children belonged at the top of the list.

“That’s really a safety issue for especially for people who have autism and children with autism as they can either bolt into traffic or they’re drawn to water.”

Wamboldt and her group learned about the seven principles of design, which guide architecture or design to suit people of any ability or age.

They determined building a play park around those principles would be best not only for autistic, but the broader community.

“Play certainly builds community connection. So I think we can all understand a little better why this park is going to mean so much, to not just Queens County, but to the surrounding areas.”

The group is working with two different firms on a design for the play park and is still trying to come up with the rest of the funding.

Wamboldt says they waiting to hear back on a few more government grants but community fundraisers like their Touch A Truck event had to be cancelled due to COVID-19.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so through the Queens Universally Designed Play Park Facebook page.

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

The Hospital Hustle is the latest victim of COVID-19.

The annual event which raises money to purchase needed equipment for Queens General Hospital has been postponed until next year.

President of the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary Linda McKinnon says it doesn’t make sense to go ahead with the fundraiser as the province struggles with the pandemic.

“It’s close quarters because there’s a lot of people there and everybody is right next to each other. We just thought for the health and safety of our volunteers and people coming, it would be better to wait for another year.”

The Hospital Hustle began in 1980 with the aim of buying a large piece of needed equipment for Queens General.

McKinnon says hospital staff determine what is required then her team of dedicated volunteers sets out to raise enough money to make it happen.

She says, each year, Queens County residents support their efforts to the tune of $25,000.

The money raised last year will update equipment in the emergency room.

McKinnon says previously the Hustle has purchased an ECG machine, bladder scanner and portable ultrasound machines but the auxiliary also supports the hospital, buying smaller everyday items like chairs and blood pressure machines.

In addition to hospital equipment the auxiliary provides bursaries every year to Queens students wishing to study nursing.

She says the community generously supports their efforts by volunteering, donating money and items to the Hustle.

McKinnon says the curling club begins taking donated items in July and that, in part, is why they had to cancel.

“If we got a lot of items collected, we have no place to store them and what would we do with them?”

Aside from the Hospital Hustle, the auxiliary runs the hospital gift shop.

That’s been closed due to the coronavirus, leaving the auxiliary with little to no income this year.

McKinnon says despite those setbacks, she and the executive feel they can meet their obligations this year.

“We do have some money in reserve that we will be able to continue with our bursary program and the commitment that we already made to purchase the wish list of around $30,000, we’ll be able to fulfill that.”

McKinnon says the auxiliary is always looking for new members or volunteers for the gift shop.

“It’s really a worthwhile thing to do for your community and it helps all of us because unfortunately, all of us, at some point, do use our local hospital. And we’re very proud of our Queens General Hospital and the staff there.”

While the Hospital Hustle won’t go ahead until next year, anyone wishing to donate can do so by contacting Linda McKinnon at 902-354-5000.

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

A Scandinavian philosophy is helping staff and residents at Queens Manor navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Executive Director Andrew MacVicar says the long-term care home practices Arbejdsglaede, a Danish word that means, “happiness at work”.

“It is something that our staff brings to work every day. It’s the simple things, three simple things a day that you can think of, or reflect on at the end of each shift that really brought you happiness at work.”

MacVicar says all departments from the care and recreational staff, to the nutrition and environmental personnel work to make Queens Manor home for the residents.

And by ramping up recreation and nursing staff numbers, the manor can provide activities to smaller groups across the home.

When a resident first makes their home at Queens Manor they’re asked about their interests.

Whether it’s card games or puzzles or small group activities like bocce ball, bowling or washer toss, staff work to provide residents with activities to meet their needs.

“We have two wings here, an East and a West wing and within each wing we have a couple of different dining rooms with rooms around them. A dining room may have eight to ten residents located adjacent to it. So that is how we’ve been dividing our programming up.”

The effect is to maintain a warm atmosphere while being able to follow the social distancing guidelines required to limit the spread of COVID-19.

MacVicar says the measures learned from watching others cope with the virus seem to be working as Queens Manor has not had a single instance of the coronavirus.

“I’m not naïve to the fact that we’ve had the luxury of watching this virus move across the planet and the country ahead of us, and we’re using other people’s or other facility’s hindsight as our foresight.”

He is hopeful the current pandemic has opened people’s eyes to the conditions in long-term care homes.

“When you’re talking about infection control and you’ve got half your residents in double rooms sharing bathrooms, you don’t need to be a public health expert to see that that’s a struggle.”

Because of those conditions, MacVicar says it’s a struggle each year for facilities across the province to even deal with influenza, which is a virus with a vaccine and immunity.

“You multiple things with a virus that doesn’t have immunity with a population of people that are often immuno-compromised and the layout of these buildings, frankly, just don’t cut it.

MacVicar is optimistic that government, the health care system and society at large will learn the lessons COVID-19 has taught about the need to change the way Long-Term Care homes are built and operated.

“I really hope that the biggest silver-lining of this is that the powers that be see that these facilities, while they might be robust in terms of their structure, they’re just not designed for the population of people that are living in it from a functional and mobility standpoint and an infection control, prevention, standpoint.”

MacVicar says throughout the pandemic and everyday before that, the staff at Queens Manor have exhibited strength and dedication under trying circumstances.

“They’re underpaid and overworked. We deal with staffing shortages all the time. These people need to be commended for their dedication during a very fearful moment in their career.”

He says he and the entire leadership team are more than proud of the people that work at Queens Manor.

MacVicar encourages everyone to recognize the work the staff are doing each and every day.

“If you know a frontline healthcare worker in long-term care or acute care, reach out and give them a call and thank them because the work their doing is incredible and underappreciated.”

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

Following a weekend that saw eight more deaths from COVID-19, all at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax, the province is announcing another person has died at the same facility.

That brings the total number of coronavirus deaths in Nova Scotia to 38, 31 of which have occurred at Northwood.

Overall, the numbers of daily new COVID-19 cases are on the decline with another 14 being announced today.

To date, the province has 985 confirmed cases of the virus.

Six people are currently in hospital, two of those are in ICU.

Six hundred thirty-eight people have recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

As of May 3, there were 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19, involving 239 residents and 111 staff.

The number of negative test results in the province now exceeds 30,000 after the QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 455 Nova Scotia tests on May 3.

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

Photo Credit: Astor Theatre

The Astor Theatre won’t open its doors until at least September.

The move was made in response to the precautions being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The theatre’s board of directors made the announcement on their Facebook page Monday morning.

Board Chair Kristopher Snarby says uncertainty around when restrictions would be lifted to allow large groups to gather once again ultimately led to the decision to keep the doors closed.

“Given the nature of what we do with a 350 seat theatre. We just realized there’s no point in doing a week by week evaluation at this point because we know that there’s no way we’ll be able to open until the fall at the earliest. And even that, we still really have no idea when we’ll be able to open up again.”

When gatherings are permitted again, Snarby says opening the Astor to admit a smaller number of people could happen by getting creative with the seating.

“But then the challenge also becomes whether or not it’s cost effective and if we can pay the bills by doing that. There’s just so many unknowns right now.”

He says despite having to close for the pandemic, the theatre is on solid financial ground. It has just received one grant and the board is pursuing others.

Snarby says the board is discussing what can be done to keep live theatre alive in Liverpool while they’re closed.

He says they are batting around the idea of live-streaming one-man shows or other performances online similar to the one the Astor’s technical director Jonathon Paterson performed last month.

Snarby says the main goal is to ensure the theatre is healthy and ready to reopen once they’re informed it is safe to do so.

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

Nova Scotia is beginning the slow process of re-opening the province.

Effective Friday at 3:00pm Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health announced:

– provincial and municipal parks can reopen, but playground equipment will continue to be off limits

– trails are allowed to open

– people are allowed to use and visit community gardens

– garden centres, nurseries and similar businesses can open

– sportfishing is permitted from shore or boat, but fishing derbies are not allowed

– people can attend boating, yacht or sailing clubs for the purpose of preparing boats for use

– golf driving ranges can open, including those at golf clubs, but the course must remain closed; golf clubs can perform necessary maintenance and preparations for opening

– people can use their cottages. Use is restricted to one household unit at a time, travel must be directly to the cottage and back, and travelling back and forth frequently from cottage and primary residence is discouraged

– provincial and private campgrounds remain closed, but they can perform necessary maintenance and preparations for opening. An exception is recreational vehicles parked year-round at private campgrounds, which can be used but must follow the same rules as cottages

– drive-in religious services will be allowed, as long as people stay in their cars, they are parked two metres apart and there are no interactions between people in cars or between people in cars and others

People must still follow social distancing rules by keeping two metres apart and not gathering in groups of more than five.

Dr. Strang explained why kids still can’t venture onto playgrounds.

“Playgrounds have many challenges to maintaining social distance for kids, plus, have many high-touch surfaces that cannot be sanitized. So for those reasons, for now, we are keeping beaches and playgrounds closed.”

Premier Stephen McNeil also announced he has asked Health Minster Randy Delorey to begin discussions around opening day surgeries procedures and clinics as a first step in trying to understand how to open the health care system under new protocols.

The premier says Nova Scotians have been dealing with a great deal of death over the last month and concerns about people’s mental health prompted the action to ease some of the restrictions.

“We have not lost sight of the economy. We have not lost sight of how we are going to work with our private sector. Right now this is about Nova Scotians and try to help all of us deal with what we’ve been asked to deal with.”

In his parting remarks McNeil encouraged people to get outside, get some fresh air and hang with their family.

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

Even with the coronavirus restrictions currently in place, young Queens County musicians still have the opportunity to be heard.

The Queens County Music Festival, scheduled to be held this weekend was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But organizers say they will be moving the format online.

They’ve invited students who had been preparing pieces to record a video and post it a newly formed Facebook page.

Normally, the annual event showcases students from grades primary to 12 performing vocal or instrumental arrangements for a panel of experts to adjudicate.

Organizer, Charmaine Stevens says students deserve the chance to show their hard work without the pressures of a normal festival.

“The students are not going to be adjudicated, this is just for fun.”

Over 400 performances were scheduled over the course of the weekend.

This year would have marked the 75^th anniversary of the Queens County Music Festival, making it one of the oldest in the province.

Stevens says participants always do well with several making it to provincials each year and four even going all the way to nationals.

“We’ve had many, many students come from the Queens County Festival that performed every year for 15 years and many of them have gone on in musical careers, [and] studied music in university.”

Stevens says the organizers would love to see some of the past participants submit a video as well.

Anyone wishing to do so can go to the Queens County Music Festival Virtual Concert Facebook page.

You can do by clicking this link.

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

Liverpool won’t see pirates coming ashore this spring.

The Privateer Days Commission has cancelled their annual event due to the public health restrictions in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Chair Terrena Parnell says after Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang indicated Tuesday it would be several months before the restrictions on large gatherings were lifted, organizers felt it would be best to postpone until next year.

“It didn’t make much sense to move it forward to the fall not knowing when the restrictions will be lifted. Our volunteers, our participants, our attendees, their safety and health is of upmost importance to us and we didn’t feel it was a safe environment. So we felt it was best to postpone and we’ll come back bigger and better next year.”

Parnell says it takes hundreds of volunteers to pull off Privateer Days from firefighters setting off fireworks, to people manning barricades, to parade participants, the event really brings the community together.

It also attracts large crowds to Liverpool. Parnell estimates 20,000 people are drawn to town each year and she had hoped with plans to reintroduce the amusement rides, those numbers would double in 2020.

While safety is the primary concern for postponing the event, Parnell says there are other considerations as well.

“There’s also the issue of the businesses and the general public just not having the money available to back us and support us.”

Privateer Days relies heavily on support from local businesses and government grants each year and Parnell says organizers couldn’t ask those business owners to contribute when many are just trying to stay afloat.

She also worries for parents who may be feeling the financial pinch of coronavirus prevention measures.

“I don’t want to say no and have to disappoint a child and say, you know, I’m sorry we can’t afford to go this year, we don’t have the money to go.”

Parnell says Privateer Days isn’t the only organization facing adversity as many festivals, including the Hank Snow Tribute have already called off their events.

But says she views postponing until 2021 as an opportunity.

“There’s always a silver lining because now we have over a year, we can add to what we already have. We can look at the suggestions the public has given us and put out feelers for more suggestions, see what else we can incorporate into Privateer Days to make it more enjoyable for the people that are attending.”

Parnell says the 43^rd annual Privateer Days will go ahead June 25-27, 2021.

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

The province is coming to the aid of municipalities struggling to deal with tax shortfalls from COVID-19.

Premier Stephen McNeil announced a $380 million loan program to allow municipalities to borrow money at a preferred rate and continue providing essential services to their communities.

Many municipalities across the province are extending the dates to pay property taxes or service fees for residents struggling to make ends meet because of the pandemic.

McNeil says conversations between the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities and Municipal Affairs Minster Chuck Porter led to the creation of the program.

“Some municipalities have greater financial wherewithal to withstand that, some have higher capacity to go to lending institutions to acquire money to hold them over. We wanted to do something collectively.”

To apply for the program, municipalities first have to determine their need and submit their request to the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The money will be released to the municipal unit within 24 hours of the Nova Scotia Municipal Finance Corporation approving the amount and they’ll have six months to begin repaying the loan and three years to pay it off.

Mayor David Dagley says the Region of Queens will have to look closely at the program, but doesn’t think they will be pursuing it immediately.

“Expenses such as interest on loans would need to be passed to municipal taxpayers. As mayor I’m very conscious of adding any expenses to our taxpayers.”

Dagley say the region is better positioned than some other municipalities to weather the storm.

“We have a number of reserves that we have set aside for known future expenses and we have an ability to borrow from some of those reserves and then pay it back as taxpayers pay their tax bills.”

Tax bills will be coming out in early June and payment is due by the end of July.

The mayor says in addition to residents who are not impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions and continue to work, Queens has a large proportion of residents who are seniors on fixed pensions whose income hasn’t changed and will still pay their bills on time.

But Dagley assures those who may have trouble paying their taxes, region staff are there to help.

“We want to work with everybody to provide solutions and not cause more pain.”

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

Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang

The province has announced three more deaths as a result of the COVID-19 virus.

All three occurred in the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax.

Fifteen new cases of the coronavirus were identified Monday bringing Nova Scotia’s total number to date to 915.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 483 tests April 27, well below their capacity.

The Province’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Strang attributes that to a decrease in testing over the weekend.

10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia are dealing with cases of COVID-19, involving 218 residents and 95 staff.

Twelve people are currently in hospital, three of those in ICU.

Nova Scotia so far, has 26,902 negative test results and Dr.Strang says people shouldn’t overlook some of the positive outcomes.

“Fifty-seven percent or 522 of our cases have had COVID-19 and have now recovered. It’s important that we share that good news as well with Nova Scotians.”

Strang cautions people not to think we’re in the clear saying it is still too soon to lift the public health restrictions.

Premier Stephen McNeil announced as part of the slow and steady approach to reopening the province, schools and daycares across Nova Scotia will remain closed until the May long weekend.

“But as of now, we will be sending out another workbook for families to use as a guide to support their kids at home. Then we will make a decision around the rest of the school year at that point.”

Strang says as the conversation turns to trying to return life to normal, what will be considered normal is going to look significantly different for a long period of time.

“This virus is with us for a long period of time and we have to make sure we don’t give the virus a chance to get a stronger foothold, even as we try to lift some of the restrictions.”

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