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Showing news for the month of February , 2012 | MARITIME STEEL STILL SEEKING PROVINCIAL SUPPORT | Friday 3rd February 2012 | | Abbass Jafarnia continues to play the waiting game.
The new owner of Maritime Steel in New Glasgow is still trying to get a provincial loan, so operations can start-up again.
The province's minister of economic development says his department has received more information from Jafarnia in the past week in support of his application.
But Percy Paris says he's not sure if the information addresses issues he raised several months ago.
The province turned down Jafarnia's application for a two-million dollar loan last June.
Paris says it would be unfair to comment on why the application fell short because of the negotiating process.
Jafarnia purchased the foundry with the help of Iranian investors, but that money line dried up because of the economic sanctions imposed against that country. |
| GAS STATION IN MOUNT WILLIAM TO REOPEN UNDER NEW NAME | Friday 3rd February 2012 | | Westville-based Hankin Fuels has purchased the old Ultramar service station and convenience store in Mount William.
The station was recently closed down.
Hankin Owner Wade Sullivan says the station will fly under the Fas Gas Plus marquee, a franchise that started in Red Deer, Alberta.
Sullivan says this will be the fifth Fas Gas outlet in the Maritimes coming on line, with plans to add five more.
Sullivan also says Hankin Fuel's Head Office will also be located in a section next to the station and convenience store, which is located at the corner of Foster Avenue and Westville Road.
He says re-opening is scheduled for mid-March. |
| GAS PRICES CLIMB AGAIN | Friday 3rd February 2012 | | Another mixed result in gas prices in Northern Nova Scotia this week.
The price for a litre of self-serve gasoline is one dollar and thirty-three point one cents as of Friday morning.
That is up less than two cents from last week.
Diesel did go down slightly though, to one dollar and thirty-four point six cents per litre.
The prices set every Thursday at midnight by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. |
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| VIOLA DESMOND HONOURED WITH CANADA POST STAMP | Thursday 2nd February 2012 | | Canada Post issued two stamps Thursday in celebration of Black History Month.
Director of Stamp Services at Canada Post, James Stevens, says inspirational Canadians like Viola Desmond and John Ware are a proud part of Canadian History for facing prejudice and overcoming racial injustice with such grace and determination.
Viola Desmond was arrested in a New Glasgow Theatre in 1946 for sitting in an all white's section, and fought the charge.
Unsuccessful at overturning her conviction, Desmond used her returned fee to fund activities of the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In 2010, the Nova Scotia Government formally apologized and granted Desmond a posthumous pardon, the first such to be granted in Canada.
Stevens says John Ware was the ultimate cowboy, a folk hero, who helped to create a viable and solid ranching industry in Alberta, after being born into slavery in the United States in 1882.
Minister of National Defense and Central Nova M-P, Peter MacKay, says Desmond and Ware are heroes who shaped and continue to define how we live as Canadians. |
| PROVINCIAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CALLS FOR COMMERCIAL TAXES TO COME DOWN | Thursday 2nd February 2012 | | The Nova Scotia Chamber of Commerce says commercial property taxes are more than double residential taxes in some areas of Nova Scotia.
The Chamber cites as an example the Town of New Glasgow, were residential taxes are 45-hundred dollars, but a business with the same assessment attracts a commercial tax rate of over 10-thousand dollars.
The Chamber also revealed figures in Halifax Regional Municipality and East Hants after releasing a spread sheet of all commercial tax rates across the province.
Chamber President Chris Atwood says recent announcements by municipal leaders in some areas of the province are encouraging, but actual results in consolidating service delivery are what all taxpayers are looking for.
Atwood says all municipal councils should hold the line on budgets and find ways to reduce costs, so that all taxes can decrease.
The Province of Nova Scotia had revised the Assessment Act to eliminate Business Occupancy taxes, but that ended last year. |
| STELLARTON YOUTH REMANDED INTO CUSTODY UNTIL NEXT WEEK | Thursday 2nd February 2012 | | A 16 year old from Stellarton arrested last weekend on a weapons possession charge will remain in custody until at least next week.
The youth, whose name cannot be published under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is also facing charge of breaching conditions of a court order in relation to the incident on Sunday.
The young male was brought to Pictou Provincial Court in custody on Monday for a brief appearance, where he consented to remain in custody until his next appearance on 6 February.
He is expected to enter pleas to these charges at that time, as well as other outstanding charges from unrelated prior incidents.
At that time it will also be determined if he will be eligible for release pending the outcome of his matters. |
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| SNOW PLOW HITS HOUSE IN TRENTON | Wednesday 1st February 2012 | | The front end of a home was extensively damaged on Chestnut Street in Trenton when a plow ran into it on Wednesday morning.
The plow was traveling on Egerton Street, and onto Chestnut Street, when the mishap happened just after 10am.
A woman was inside the home when the collision occurred, but was not injured.
The male operator of the plow also escaped injury.
The plow has been seized by the Department of Labour, who are investigating along with the New Glasgow Police Service.
Nova Scotia Power was also on the scene to cut off power to the damaged home. |
| ANTIGONISH MAN CHARGED WITH IMPAIRED DRIVING BY DRUGS CAUSING DEATH | Wednesday 1st February 2012 | | An Antigonish man charged in a fatal motor vehicle crash last year is now facing more charges.
30-year old William Lionel Edmund Byron Fogarty was charged with two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death following the accident on 25 November in Tracadie.
16-year old Kory Mattie of Harve Boucher and 17-year old Nicholas Landry of Tracadie died in the two vehicle collision.
Byron Fogarty is now facing two additional counts of impaired driving by drugs causing death.
He remains in custody, and appears in provincial court in Antigonish on Thursday. |
| WELLNESS CENTRE CONSTRUCTION IS ON SCHEDULE | Wednesday 1st February 2012 | | Construction is on schedule at the Pictou County Wellness Centre.
All structural steel work is now complete.
A spokesperson for the Centre says the building will be roof tight early in February.
Work is continuing on the interior slabs, arena bleachers and masonry.
The Wellness Centre is under construction just off Exit 23 on the Westville Road.
The 35-million dollar facility will host two NHL sized ice surfaces, a six lane, 25 metre pool plus a smaller warm water pool, gymnasium, fitness centre, walking track, a licensed child care facility and more.
The Wellness Centre is slated to open late this year. |
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| COUNTY MAN FACING SEX CHARGES HAS BAIL HEARING ADJOURNED | Wednesday 1st February 2012 | | A 70-year old Pictou County man will continue to wait to have a bail hearing on sex-related charges.
Dennis Gary Stewart was arrested on 8 January for luring a minor over the internet for a sexual purpose, invitation to sexual touching, and unauthorized use of a computer among other charges.
Stewart was scheduled for a bail hearing on Monday, but his lawyer did not have the disclosure on the case.
The lawyer requested an adjournment to Thursday, when the bail hearing will commence.
Stewart still has not entered pleas on the charges. |
| ANNUAL BANTAM MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT COMING UP THIS MONTH | Wednesday 1st February 2012 | | The Annual Memorial Tournament runs this year from 16 to 19 February with the primary locations John Brother MacDonald Stadium and Trenton Minor Community Sports Center.
Some early games will be played at the Hector Arena in Pictou.
Scotsburn Major Bantam Crushers will be hosting eleven teams from the Nova Scotia Major Bantam Hockey League, and the Pictou County Wonder Auto Center team will play host to seven teams in the Double “A” Bantam Division.
All proceeds from the tourney go directly to the Pictou County Minor Hockey Association to keep the costs for hockey as low as possible, and is the major fund-raiser for the association.
And the call is out again for volunteers to help out in score keeping, hospitality, 50/50 ticket
sales, rink coordinating and other areas.
If you want to volunteer, call 695-2839. |
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