Nova Scotia Public Works Minister and Queens MLA Kim Masland announces cell service upgrades on Wednesday in Greenfield with Service Nova Scotia Minister Colton LeBlanc. (Rick Conrad)

It’s going to take a couple of years, but residents of Greenfield are finally getting cell service.

The Nova Scotia government is building 27 new telecommunication towers in unserved areas around the province at a cost of $18.6 million.

Public Works Minister and Queens MLA Kim Masland made the announcement on Wednesday at the Greenfield Fire Hall in north Queens.

She was joined by Colton LeBlanc, minister of Service Nova Scotia, municipal politicians and representatives from Build Nova Scotia and Rogers.

Masland said reliable cell service is a necessity and a matter of safety.

“We are adding to what is already the largest investment ever in cellular infrastructure by a provincial government. We are investing an additional $18.6 million to build 27 new provincially owned telecommunication towers.”

Last October, the province launched the $47.3-million Cellular for Nova Scotia Program. The province also announced $3.3 million last year to build four trunked mobile radio towers, which first responders use for emergency communication. The new funding brings the total investment to $69.2 million.

The province is also partnering with Rogers to upgrade infrastructure at 27 existing sites and connect them to the Rogers network.

“This will significantly improve connectivity for Nova Scotians over the next two years,” Masland said. “It’s what our province needs to keep pace with technology and population growth while improving safety in rural communities.”

The overall program is expected to connect more than 12,000 unserved civic addresses, which represents about 62 per cent of the more than 20,000 identified in a 2022 Cell Gap Study. It will also connect 562 kilometres of unserved primary roadways, or 56 per cent of the 1,010 kilometres of the unserved roadways.

The first four towers will be up by spring 2025, with the remaining new and upgraded sites ready between summer 2025 and spring 2027.

Some areas of the province, like Greenfield, are cellular dead zones. Residents and businesses have to rely on landlines or Wi-Fi calling.

The Greenfield work is expected to be completed by fall of 2026.

Fire Chief Moyal Conrad called it a “game changer” for rural fire departments.

“The public is going to be so much more protected with cell service in rural areas and with us being able to do our job easier and better,” he told reporters after the announcement.

Conrad said improvements to the mobile trunked radio network will also help departments like his serve their communities better.

“That trunk radio that’s what we do all our communications on. … All vital information goes across that. The Nova Scotia government is giving us (volunteer fire departments) all new radios this year, that’s another $100 million they’re sticking out there for us.

“This is very, very, very good news.”

Conrad said the lack of reliable cell service also affects recruitment efforts, at a time when it’s tough enough for rural departments to find volunteers.

“If you signed up today to be a fireman and you never got to a call, you’re not going to be very interested in coming. So the cell service, we’ll be able to put out more information. People will be able to know when there’s a call and they’re going to be able to respond.”

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman said the municipality had been putting money aside in a special reserve fund to build their own tower for Greenfield, or to try to partner with the neighbouring Municipality of the District of Lunenburg.

“This is absolutely amazing, not only for Queens but for all rural counties, all rural places that do not have cell coverage which is so very, very vital.”

Masland told reporters that it’s taken a while to address lack of cell service in some areas because of the difficulty in doing the work in many rural areas of the province. She likened it to climbing Mount Everest.

“This is just the beginning. We’re working concurrently, not waiting to make sure that we can keep climbing. This is going to take time. We are finally a government that has put its teeth into this problem and we’re going to solve it.

“We’ll get these 27 up and like I said, we’re not stopping, we’re going to continue to climb to the top and we’re going to make sure that Nova Scotians have the cellular service they deserve.”

The 27 new towers will be added to the more than 60 the province already owns. Under its agreement with Rogers, the government is pitching in 80 per cent of the cost, while Rogers will pick up the remaining 20 per cent or about $3.7 million.

The ultimate goal is to have 99 per cent coverage for basic voice call service and up to 85 per cent coverage for high-definition service for things like high-quality audio or video, internet browsing, email and streaming.

Masland said the province will also be applying to the federal government for help with some of the cost.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

An X-ray technician is seen in this photo. X-ray reports will soon be available through the YourHealthNS app. (Communications Nova Scotia / File)

X-ray results will soon be available through the YourHealthNS app.

Nova Scotians will be able to see any X-rays done from July 15 onward. The results will be on the app 14 days after the scan.

The report includes findings from the X-ray, a comparison with any previous X-rays, the patient’s history and a summary. Images won’t be available.

“This is just the beginning as we plan to make more records and information available that will help Nova Scotians take a more active role in their health care, ” Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson said Monday in a news release.

Earlier this month, the Nova Scotia government expanded access to health records through the app to everybody in the province 16 and over with a valid health card.

That was after a three-month pilot project involving more than 13,000 patients at six clinics, including Queens Family Health in Liverpool. 

The X-ray reports will be in addition to the other information available on the app, including lab and some test results, hospital and health visits, medications and immunizations.

More than 600,000 X-rays were performed in Nova Scotia in 2023.

The board that operates Region of Queens Home Support in Liverpool has given notice that it will terminate its contract with the Nova Scotia government to provide home-care services. (Rick Conrad)

UPDATED 2:30 p.m. Tuesday

A non-profit group that delivers home-care services in Queens County has decided to terminate its contract with the provincial government partly because of a “substantial” deficit.

Region of Queens Home Support has been providing services like personal care, respite care and meal preparation for people in their homes for more than 40 years.

The Queens Home for Special Care Society operates the agency. The board gave six months’ notice recently to the province that it would no longer run it. That means a new provider needs to take over by January.

But Christopher Clarke, the society’s chairman, says its 174 clients in Queens and Lunenburg counties won’t see an interruption in service, and employees will keep their jobs.

“For the clients, it will mean they will continue to get service,” Clarke said Monday in an interview.

“We have a strong commitment from government that they will continue to get service. For the employees, they will be working for another employer, but they will be providing service to the same clients as we currently have.”

A Facebook post from someone who said they have worked with Queens Home Support for more than 20 years was widely shared on Monday. She said she is a continuing care assistant and that staff were told on July 4 that Queens Home Support would be closing.

“Let me be clear before I say what’s on my mind – to any clients or family with clients under Queens Home Support – the transition is supposed to be smooth without much upset to the (clients’) routines, themselves or their daily care,” the post said in part. “They will continue to receive care as usual.”

The post also claimed that Queens Home Support’s deficit is $1.5 million.

Clarke confirmed that the agency has run a deficit the past two years. But he said that it isn’t as high as $1.5 million.

“We have a deficit, yes. The number is incorrect, but we have a deficit. I’m not going to go into that. It’s substantial, so we have to work through that with government.”

He said the deficit is one of many reasons why the board decided to end its contract with the province. 

“There were a number of other problems too, but that’s the main issue that caused us to make the decision,” he said.

“I’m not prepared to go into them in any sort of detail.”

Much of the funding for Region of Queens Home Support comes from the province. Based on clients’ income and the kind of care they need, other costs may be paid by the client.

Clarke said the agency’s income dropped because their service hours decreased, but its expenses didn’t.

“We got compensated on the basis of service hours, those are hours that we actually service our clients. But there are a lot of overheads in addition to that, and those overheads don’t change even though your service hours diminish.”

Clarke emphasized that clients will continue to get care. And he said the approximately 60 employees will retain their jobs. 

“Government has assured us that they will continue to provide the services we provide under another agency. … And the employees will all be virtually employed by whatever the new agency is.”

Kim Silver, director of home and community care with the provincial Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care, said Monday that when an agency notifies the province it’s winding down, officials immediately start looking for options to ensure services are maintained.

“Obviously, it’s concerning for clients and staff. For clients, they should know that there will be no impact to their care. The acting administrator has been in there for a little while now. She knows the organization well and she’ll continue to operate that organization until there’s a solid plan in place where we can seamlessly transition clients. In terms of staff, the plan certainly includes considerations for staff. We want to make sure everyone is treated fairly.”

Annette Hartlen, the agency’s executive director, is on leave. Kerry Hobbs, executive director of Lunenburg Home Support, is the interim director in Queens.

“We have options thankfully,” Silver said. “We’ve got a number of agencies in the province. Typically, we would have conversations with ones that make sense to see if they would be interested in taking over geographies. … We’re looking at other agencies in the area to support the clients.”

Silver said various factors could contribute to a reduction in service hours.

“Agencies are funded based on the number of service hours that they deliver on an hourly basis. So if service hours are lower, the funds the agency’s paid are lower. It could be a drop in clients, it could be that some clients have different care needs that might take a different amount of time. It could be that there’s more travel time involved. There are a whole lot of factors that can play into it.”

As for Queens Home Support’s deficit, Silver said that will be worked out between the province and the organization.

“It’s really about the sustainability of the organization. It’s a deficit that’s built up over time and would continue to be added to if the agency kept going.”

Queens MLA Kim Masland posted to her Facebook page on Tuesday morning and said that she’s working to make sure there’s no interruption in service.

“I commit to updating the community frequently as plans become finalized,” she said. “I want to be very clear that government did not cut funding!”

Clarke said that cancelling the home-care agreement was a tough decision for the board to make.

“Obviously, it’s not a decision that the board made lightly and obviously none of us feel good about it, but it’s something we had to do.”

Silver said they should have more information for clients and staff in the next few weeks.

“We’re working with the board to put a plan in place, to make sure people continue to get care, and that employees are treated fairly. Our primary focus obviously is our commitment to client care, so we’re working on solutions to make sure that we can continue that and have a smooth transition.”

Most of the agency’s clients live in Queens County, but a few live in neighbouring Lunenburg County. Clarke said that’s left over from when the agency had too many employees for its Queens County clients, so it took on some from the county next door.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Michelle Thompson, Nova Scotia’s health and wellness minister, announces at a news conference on Wednesday that the YourHealthNS app will be expanded to all Nova Scotians over 16. (Communications Nova Scotia via Zoom)

The Nova Scotia government is expanding access to a $15-million smartphone app that lets patients see their own medical records.

The government gave early access to 13,824 patients in six clinics around the province from January to April to the YourHealthNS app. One of those clinics was Queens Family Health in Liverpool.

After gathering feedback from users in the pilot, it announced Wednesday that anyone over 16 with a valid Nova Scotia health card can now download the app and access its features.

The biggest draw of the app is the ability for people to access their own medical records, prescriptions, lab and test results and immunizations. It also allows you to see your hospital, clinic or other medical appointments.

Patients can also schedule some appointments through the app.

Michelle Thompson is Nova Scotia’s health and wellness minister. She said the app helps give Nova Scotians control over their own health care.

“We started small with a test-and-try approach, but the results were huge,” Thompson said at a Wednesday news conference. “Those who used it liked it. It improved their health care experience, gave them more control over their care, but most importantly, it put health care back in their hands.

“You can now carry your medical history in your pocket wherever you go.”

Officials with Nova Scotia Health told reporters at a technical briefing that more than 300,000 Nova Scotians have already downloaded the app.

Of the pilot project participants, 98 per cent said they would continue to use the app, while 30 per cent said they felt they didn’t need to see their primary care provider because they had access to their records. 

Officials could not say how many people actually used the app. They said that because of privacy concerns, they did not track individual users and how they used the app. The information came from a voluntary feedback survey in the app. Officials did not know how many people responded to the survey.

“We know from our evaluation here but also from other jurisdictions around the world, this empowers patients,” said Dr. Aaron Smith, medical executive director, Northern Zone, and provincial medical executive director. 

“This allows patients to manage their own health. And the impact on providers is also profound. We know folks feel more engaged in their health, they better understand their health. It allows a significant numbers of folks to avoid unnecessary visits to both emergency department and primary care facilities. It allows physicians to really focus on what they need to do, which is care of acutely ill people.”

The YourHealthNS app has cost the government $15 million in total, with $2 million of that spent on the pilot project and another $3 million for the rollout to all of Nova Scotia.

Officials said Wednesday that protecting people’s privacy was one of their primary concerns.

“We are ensuring that people’s information is safe and citizens can see their own information and other than a few folks who will do audit functions to ensure everything is fine, there will be nobody else that can see that information,” Thompson said.

During the pilot phase, some participants in Queens County said that they either had no information available or the information they saw changed from day to day. Others said they could see all their records.

Scott McKenna, chief information officer for Nova Scotia Health, said that everybody should be able to see their health records now.

“Those are the lessons we’ve learned from the pilot. Now we’ve matched records a little bit differently, put some new algorithms in place to make sure we’re matching records based with a high level of confidence on health card number and date of birth. … Those individuals would see their health records now.” 

Thompson said she’s confident that people will see information that’s reliable and up to date.

“The point of a test and try is that we bring individuals into the pilot. We understand the technology, we understand the interface with the people who are using the technology and we build on their feedback and their experience.

“We’re very grateful to those initial pilot participants. It really gave us the opportunity to understand the app, build the app, get their feedback, see what the experience was and move on from there. And so I feel very confident in the team and their ability to continue to deliver the iterations of this app. And I do believe the app will be of huge benefit to Nova Scotians.”

More records like primary care visits with doctors, nurse practitioners or through pharmacy clinics will be added over the coming months, Thompson said, with the goal of having all of that information available by the end of September.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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The South Shore Open Doors Association will receive $25,000 in provincial funding to help those who are housing insecure.

The South Shore Open Doors Association will receive $25,000 from the Nova Scotia government to help people in Queens and Lunenburg counties in precarious housing situations.

It’s part of a total of $500,000 in one-time funding announced this week for community groups across the province.  

“Our government continues to invest in initiatives that support vulnerable Nova Scotians,” Queens MLA Kim Masland said in a news release.

“This funding is another step in assisting our residents who require safe and affordable housing.”

The money will be used to assist with costs such as rental arrears, overdue power bills and other expenses that could affect someone’s ability to get or maintain housing, according to the release. 

People will also be directed to other supports and services to help in the long term.

Ashley Christian is president of the South Queens Chamber of Commerce. (Rick Conrad)

The Nova Scotia government announced this week that as part of a settlement agreement, Northern Pulp will study the feasibility of opening a paper mill in the Liverpool area.

We asked some people at the South Queens Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting on Thursday for their reaction.

Here’s what they said. 

Premier Tim Houston speaks to reporters on Thursday about an agreement with Nova Scotia teachers. (Nova Scotia government Facebook page)

Nova Scotia will likely avoid a teachers’ strike as government and union negotiators reached an “agreement in principle” late Wednesday night.

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union entered conciliation talks with government negotiators on Monday and Tuesday with a 98 per cent strike mandate. More than 10,000 teachers and educational specialists voted last Thursday to go on strike if an agreement couldn’t be reached.

Teachers are concerned about rising levels of violence in schools, teacher recruitment and retention, and compensation for substitute and permanent teachers.

Premier Tim Houston joined the talks himself on Monday night. 

Houston told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Thursday that he believes the agreement addresses many of the union’s concerns.

“I think it’s an agreement that teachers can be proud of,” he said.

“I did personally attend the bargaining table late on Monday evening and tried to make it clear at that point that we heard the voices of teachers and the NSTU and that this government shares their focus on students, student outcomes and classroom conditions. I think teachers will see significant investments in these areas in the agreement. It’s an agreement that responds to the call that students can’t wait. … Our government has great respect for teachers and our focus was on reaching a deal that was fair to teachers and ensured improved classroom conditions for students and teachers.”

Ryan Lutes, president of the teachers union, said in an interview Thursday that the premier’s presence at the bargaining table seemed to move things along.

“The premier was helpful,” Lutes said.

“Up until that point, I would say our negotiating team saw very little movement on the issues that mattered to teachers and students. The premier shared his commitment to improving classroom conditions, to improving work-life balance for teachers and his desire to invest in public schools, and I think that spurred his team along into eventually getting an agreement with teachers.”

So far, it’s only a verbal agreement. Lead negotiators for both sides are still hammering out the language. As soon as the union’s bargaining team sees and signs off on the document, they can call it a tentative agreement.

Lutes said it will likely take another week or two before teachers see something they can vote on. Details won’t be released until that happens.

“I don’t believe the premier would have spurred along his own negotiating team without the strong strike mandate. I think our members were really important. The message came through with the strong strike mandate that members aren’t going to accept an agreement that doesn’t move their priorities forward. And I think the premier heard that. He was able to pretty positively contribute to that discussion on Monday night.”

The premier said his government shares teachers’ concerns about classroom and working conditions. 

“We knew the importance of the negotiations for sure. That was never diminished and that was never a second thought in our mind. So we’re really happy that we’ve been able to reach the agreement in principle. When it’s all said and done, this is an agreement that teachers can be proud of and I’m optimistic about the path forward from here.”

The government and NSTU have been negotiating since last June. Their last contract expired July 31, 2023.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Ryan Lutes is the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. (Nova Scotia Teachers Union YouTube channel)

Nova Scotia teachers and educational specialists have voted 98 per cent in favour of strike action, on the eve of conciliation talks with the Nova Scotia government. 

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union released the results Thursday evening of the provincewide electronic vote by 10,313 NSTU members.

Ryan Lutes is the teachers union president. He called the strike vote a “resounding wakeup call to government.”

“The potential of job action is not something that teachers take lightly,” he said in a video statement posted to the NSTU website.

“Nobody wants a strike. But teachers are frustrated by rapidly declining conditions inside our schools and by government’s lack of attention to provide safe and healthy learning environments for students.”

Negotiations began last June.

Lutes said teachers would prefer not to strike, but they will take job action unless the Nova Scotia government addresses their concerns. 

In a union survey by 2,534 members in March and April 2023, 55 per cent said they had been the victim of a violent act or threat at work, while 92 per cent said that they’d witnessed violence “first-hand at school.” Nova Scotia’s auditor general is investigating the issue of school violence. 

A union survey of 3,519 members in February found that 84 per cent of teachers have considered leaving the profession in the past five years because of burnout, high workload, lack of resources, lack of respect from government and concerns about school violence.

“Teachers want to see an end to the escalating levels of violence they and their students are experiencing,” Lutes said.

“They want to see resources allocated to help solve the mental health crisis inside our schools. They want to see a plan to eliminate the teacher shortage that focuses on retention and ensures our substitutes aren’t amongst the lowest paid in Canada. And teachers want the government to come to the table and be prepared to negotiate a fair contract in the best interest of students and teachers but so far that just hasn’t been the case.”

The union has not revealed what kind of a salary increase they’re seeking. According to Statistics Canada, the median hourly wage for secondary school teachers in Nova Scotia in 2022 was $41.76. The national median hourly wage was $45.30.

Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia’s minister of education and early childhood development, said in a statement released Thursday evening that she is disappointed by the vote result, but not surprised.

“Teachers were put in the difficult position today of voting while bargaining is ongoing and before they know what is on the table,” Druhan said.

“Today I want to reassure parents that the outcome of this vote has no impact on school operations and does not trigger a strike. This vote is only a distraction that has caused confusion and anxiety for students and their families.”

Lutes said the union has shared the government’s opening offer with teachers. He said their offer has gotten worse since negotiations began.

“It’s time to fix our schools, and our kids deserve better. It’s my sincere wish that government will see the results and come back to the table prepared to engage in meaningful discussions.”

Druhan said the province is committed to getting a deal done while keeping teachers and students in school.

“The government’s energy remains focused on working toward a negotiated agreement on the terms and conditions of teachers’ employment during our next meetings with the NSTU.”

Negotiators for the government and the union return to the table on Monday and Tuesday with the help of a provincial conciliator.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Queens MLA Kim Masland. (Rick Conrad photo)

The Nova Scotia government has given Parks Canada in mainland Nova Scotia $27,250 to help promote sites like Kejimkujik National Park.

Queens MLA Kim Masland said in a news release that the money is part of the Tourism Digital Content Marketing Initiative. It helps organizations create engaging digital marketing campaigns.

“Kejimkujik is a world-class park that gets thousands of visitors every year. This increased marketing will bring even more tourists to our communities in the future,” Masland said. 

“More tourists means more money for our local businesses. This investment is great news for the residents of Queens County.”

Masland says the funding will help bring even more visitors to Keji and more tourists to shop at Queens County businesses.

Rosalee Smith is one of the Queens County residents participating in the YourHealthNS app pilot project. (Rick Conrad)

It’s been about six weeks since the Nova Scotia government launched a pilot project to allow some Nova Scotians to check their medical records through the YourHealthNS app.

Some 12,000 patients at four clinics around the province were given early access to their lab and X-ray results, list of medications, and visits to the ER and their primary care provider.

Nova Scotia Health says it’s part of giving people more involvement and control over their care, and to help them make more informed decisions.

About 3,700 patients at Queens Family Health in Liverpool are eligible to participate. The other project sites are in New Waterford, Westville and Greenwood.

For some, it’s been a frustrating experience.

Rosalee Smith of Eagle Head said she was eager to sign on to the app when she heard about the pilot project.

“I found it frustrating, because I guess my original understanding (was) perhaps there was going to be a little more information available than maybe what there is.”

Smith says she seems to get different information every time she checks the app. 

“I’m not sure how valuable that piece will be until I understand what the information’s supposed to provide. I’ve gone on to the app several times. And sometimes there’s records there and sometimes there isn’t. I’ve never seen any records of my primary care visits, never seen any records of my blood work results.”

A week after initially speaking to QCCR, Smith said she could see a partial list of her medications, her lab results, ER visits, but no bloodwork results and no primary care visits.

Her mother, who has a different primary care provider, was able to see all of her health visits, but her medications and lab results were incomplete.

She says friends of hers had the same experience — sometimes their records were there and sometimes they were incomplete. She said other people told her their records were complete.

Smith filled out three feedback surveys through the app. When she didn’t get a response, she contacted Nova Scotia Health directly and sent a two-page form to correct her medical record. 

She even left a comment on a sponsored Facebook post on the weekend from Nova Scotia Health about the app.

No one had responded to any of her concerns, until Wednesday afternoon, when she got a reply in response to her Facebook comment. She was told her complaint was forwarded to the department’s technology department and that someone would contact her directly.

“I think it’s a good app,” Smith says.

“I think the features and the types of things that we’re trying to put out here for information, it’s good. But let’s do it right. And if we’re in the pilot project, listen to us when we make the comments.”

Andrew Danylewich of Liverpool checked the app when the pilot project launched. He said he was able to see only a list of his hospital and health visits. And that hasn’t changed since.

“But I haven’t been able to see my labs and medications. I did check to see if my prescriptions were up and they weren’t there yet. It’s not terribly useful yet, but I can see potential in the future once they get it rolling properly.”

Officials with Nova Scotia Health said this week that patients are giving them some good feedback on the app, and that people seem eager to use it.

Scott McKenna, chief information officer with Nova Scotia Health, said in an interview on Monday that if people send their questions or concerns via the survey, someone is supposed to follow up.

“We need to ensure that we’re getting back to every citizen,” he said.

“Our teams are doing a really good job at that. Obviously, there are some individuals who we need to get back to on that. The intention of our staff is to look into every issue. … Because we have to make sure it works as it’s intended to work.”

Dr. Tara Sampalli is Nova Scotia Health’s senior director of implementation science and evaluation and global health systems planning. 

She said department staff review the feedback every week so they can address concerns as they come up. 

“Everybody is reviewing everything. Nothing is going unnoticed. We improve in real time. And that’s part of this. We want to hear. You’re providing us some really good information from the community and what people are seeing or not seeing.”

McKenna says that overall, response to the app has been positive. And that it seems to working for the majority of participants. But he urges people to keep sending feedback on the app, even though they may be frustrated.

He said staff are trying to consolidate records from disparate parts of the health care system, and that they’d rather give an incomplete record than an incorrect one.

The pilot project runs to the end of March. Those who have access to their records now won’t lose it when the pilot is over. 

Sampalli says the department is working on a broader information update for Nova Scotians. 

Rosalee Smith says she looks forward to that. 

“I don’t want it to be political. This is about our health. So I think it’s good progress. I’m not here to bash. My point is if it’s not going to work right or if it’s got issues, then let’s figure out how to fix the issues.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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