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ShelburneCountyTODAY... News Archive

CBC Radio to broadcast live from Shelburne... CBC flagship show Information Mornings will air live from Scotia Lunch in Shelburne on Wednesday as part of the show's "election roadshow" series. The show airs from 6:00am to 8:35am and features Don Connelly and Elizabeth Logan.

SWSDA investigation confirmed.... Frank Anderson, CEO of South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) apparently told his board of directors on Wednesday that the agency was being investigated by the Nova Scotia Ombudsmans Office and that he had been interviewed by investigators with the agency.
     There had been word in the past few months that an investigation by a Provincial agency was underway and Anderson's admission has confirmed that. It is understood by those familiar with the litany of complaints about SWSDA and Anderson over the past three years to various provincial and federal ministers, agencies and enforcement bodies that interviews have also been conducted with present and past SWSDA employees and board members, business people who have had unsatisfactory business dealings with SWSDA and others familiar with the workings of the troubled agency.
     The Ombudsman is authorized to investigate complaints of those who feel they have been treated unfairly by a provincial or municipal government body, or you have a complaint about a Nova Scotia government service ...
business. According to the agency's web site, the Office's work includes gathering facts and information, reporting findings, issuing recommendations and bringing reason and understanding to disputes.
     Complaints about SWSDA and Anderson have been filed with the RCMP, Premier's Office and Ministers of Economic Development and Justice.

29may2009:  Roseway ER closed 30% of hours in June... >>> see schedule here

29may2009:  Guest Editorial: NDP Best hope for Bayside... The Conservative government has been at the helm of our province for ten years. During this time, our community has sought an expansion to Bayside Home for our cherished seniors. After sweeping public outcry - and on the eve of the last provincial election - the Tories reluctantly promised to expand Bayside Home by forty beds. >>> read entire guest editorial by Shaun Hatfield (Ed Note: SCT does not endorse the opinions voiced in gust editorials, but has printed all guest editorials submitted over the past three years)

27may2009:  Black Bull 2Q losses increased to $1.6 million... exit from direct sales announced... $2.1 million to-date... Shelburne-based Black Bull Resources Inc. (TSXV:BBS) widened its second-quarter loss on a $1.25 million asset writedown. The loss for the January-March period increased to $1.6 million or 1.8 cents a share compared with year-earlier loss of $1 million or 1.1 cents a share. The loss brings to $2.1 million the losses to-date in the current year
    "We have put aside the idea of being a direct seller into the high-end, boutique specialty sand markets, such as pool plastering. These markets have proven to be too small and transportation too costly to compete outside of Atlantic Canada." says Richard J Shearer, President and CEO. "A reassessment of this business has led us to withdraw from the dried, processed quartz products and focus on selling unprocessed ("damp") quartz stone and, potentially, kaolin clay, from our unique quarry. Our high quality ore deposit is our unique competitive advantage."
     Most recently, Black Bull announced a deal to have their product marketed for use in swimming pools in the USA. The original application to operate the mine was based on extracting kaolin. That application was withdrawn amidst some opposition from environmentalists. Mica has also been identified at the mine site in Kempt.  >>> see news here

28may2009:  King George’s birthday party in Shelburne on June 4… As Shelburne’s existence as a town came to be via several edicts by King George III of England in the 1780s the 3^rd New Jersey Volunteers reenactment group will host a public birthday party on Thursday, June 4 for the sovereign who oversaw the settlement of Loyalist Shelburne and greatly increased the population of Nova Scotia.
     The celebration of George’s 249^th birthday will begin with a 6:00pm parade from the Cenotaph on King Street to the Historic Waterfront. At 6:30 at the Sea Dog on Dock Street the regimental soldiers will fire musket volleys, many toasts to His Majesty will be made over cake and a draught or two. The public is invited and a Loyalist meal will be available at a nominal cost.

28may2009:  Shelburne County Candidates Forum on June 3 in Barrington... new format welcomed... A candidates forum for the MLA prospects will be held at 7:00pm on Wednesday, June 3 at Barrington Municipal High School. Sponsored by the chambers of commerce in Barrington and Shelburne, the forum will encourage questions from the floor and will feature a chance of rebuttal for candidates. Questions are also being sought beforehand via email... >>> see flyer here

28may2009:  Barrington muni's business park is no-go for Community Development Trust... The Municipality of Barrington is not pleased to have its SWSDA-sponsored project rejected by Economic Development Minster... >>> full story

28may2009:  Ghosts haunting Perkins House in Liverpool... Perkins House is having a grand opening 2-4 p.m. on June 7 for a collection of new holograph ghosts to introduce themselves to the public. The museum is only the second in Nova Scotia to use this innovative technology to attract visitors... >> more

27may2009:  Yarmouth Industrial Commission $140,000 in arrears on rents to Municipality for Register.com... A dispute is brewing between Yarmouth AREA Industrial Commission (YAIC) and the Municipality of Yarmouth over the large sum owed by YAIC to the Municipality for $1.4 million invested in the headquarters for the internet firm Register.com.
     In 2001, the YAIC asked the Municipality to fund $800,000 of the construction of the firm's HQ in the Hebron Industrial Park and requested a further $600,00 for an expansion in 2005. The monies were to be repaid through YAIC as combined rents of $12,000 per month. As of May 15, the arrears amounted to $133,666, which would make the current arrears close to $140,000 and some of them more than one year overdue.. 
    At a recent Council meeting attended by YAIC General Manager Frank Anderson (also CEO of SWSDA), the Commission was given 90 days to correct the arrears. Including the YAIC funds, Register.com has been the beneficiary of $8.5 million in various government grants and loans since 2001. Calls to several Register.com officials were not returned by press time. 

27may2009:  Lobster Fest set to run in Shelburne County... The 23rd Annual Shelburne County Lobster Festival kicks off June 4 with a series of events, including bowling, variety show, jam session, lobster suppers and opening ceremonies. The event continues throughout the county through Sunday. >>> see full schedule here

25may2009: Campaign in county a dead heat, says McNeil during visit...  SWSDA audit certain... During a campaign stop in Shelburne Friday, Liberal leader Stephen McNeil told a room of party faithful that his take was that the MLA race in Shelburne County is a dead heat between the three major parties. McNeil reminded the group that the last election was a low point fir the Grits, but that there was a strong desire for change in the air. "You have a great candidate here in Darian Huskilson", added the leader, "and we think he has a real shot at joining us in the legislature.
     When asked by SCT whether he would support the call for an audit of the finances of South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA), McNeil reminded listeners that a call for an SWSDA audit was one of the first actions of the new leader more than a year ago. Rumour has it that following that announcement, McNeil got a call from SWSDA CEO Frank Anderson berating him for "sticking his nose in where it didn't belong."
    During the visit, McNeil and Huskilson were given a brief tour of Roseway Hospital by Hospital Foundation president Bob Legere. The Liberal platform promises a doctor for every family, 24/7 health care, among other items. 
     Huskilson is running against incumbent NDP candidate Sterling Belliveau and erstwhile Tory hopeful Eddie Nickerson.

25may2009: EDITORIAL:  We need a curfew now!... When I read the news this morning about Premier Rodney MacDonald’s plan to institute a curfew in Nova Scotia to address concerns of its citizens, I was thrilled. That is, until I read the small print and saw that the curfew subjects were hapless teenagers out for a good time.  From all of the news I’ve been reading – especially of the online sort – there is another curfew that seems most crucial for the well-being of taxpayers – especially those in Shelburne County .
     The government should put a curfew on lavish spending of our tax money by public officials. There should be an immediate law enacted which would forbid officials – including those purported to be working to increase economic development in the area – from spending hundreds of dollars late at night in bars and pubs and taverns in Halifax, London, Austria and elsewhere to entertain who knows who?
     Let’s say that we expect business being conducted on our behalf should be done during regular business hours – when folks are supposed to be working. At 8:00 pm , the curfew sets in. So a development CEO who decides to order six scotches and several other cocktails near midnight somewhere – maybe several times in a month - pays for the hootch himself. Likewise a five hundred dollar meal late at night. Likewise an early morning visit to an airport tavern at Heathrow. Likewise a New Year’s Eve party just down the road from his house.
     Now, there’s a curfew that folks in these parts can get their heads around.

22may2009:  No permission on lot sales... A senior official with the Department of Economic Development told SCT today that the government has not given permission for the current mortgagees of the former Canadian Forces base in Sandy Point to sell ten prime lots from the property. The department holds a $475,000 mortgage on the property and the South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) holds another for $1.75 million.
     According to several board directors of SWSDA, the agency has also not given any permission for the sale of the ten lots, once on the market for $195,000 each, which would have needed board approval. "The municipal taxpayers are ultimately on the hook for all of the mortgages on the property," says a regional property developer, "and now they have allowed these people to strip much of the value of the property without paying a cent on the outstanding mortgages. It's just crazy!"
     Jim Kendrick and Mary Barstow, who negotiated a two-year, interest and payment-free loan from SWSDA, recently sold off the ten prime waterfront plots to family members and the initial American investors in their SeaCoast Studios company. The dramatic view lots were parsed out of the original 106-acre property purchased by the pair last year at less than 10% of appraised value. The 2008 lot sales went to Kendrick's American relatives and investors in the struggling media business, plus to Seacoast itself. 

20may2009: SWSDA blog most popular in Nova Scotia... the runaway success of the newish SWSDA Accountability Blog has surprised even the most cynical observers of political and civic action in the often sleepy recesses of South West Nova Scotia.
     Boasting a readership well over 7,000 readers, the blog is by far the most popular web site of its sort in the Province.  A reader commented recently that the blog's popularity "shows us that the people of the area are interested." Author Ed Cayer has been spelling out daily the spending excesses and irregularities of the SWSDA CEO and the apparent lack of oversight of SWSDA activities by the mayors and wardens in the 13 municipal units in the region. Reader's comments range from mild amusement to wild rage at seeing the financial facts spelled out so clearly
      Other popular blogs in the province include SCT (80,000 readers in the past 12 months) Rod Hemeon's Streetscape blog in Yarmouth, the Hawkeye Blog  and The Contrarian, latest addition by former Sydney Tar Sands flack Parker Donham. Seems at least some of the folks in region like their news straight.

14may2009: Government defending SWSDA on blog...  In an unusual turn of events, the Nova Scotia Government (most likely the Department of Economic Development) issued what might be a blanket "party line" spin of the value of RDAs and the rigorous scrutiny given them by "professional staff in the Department of Economic and Rural Development" (headed up - coincidently or not - by Minister Richard Hurlburt). The item appears in the comments about a post about SWSDA CEO Frank Anderson's $6000 trip to Toronto .SWSDA Accountability Blog
     The blog and its readers have been expressing the general citizen outrage at the high-handed - and some say unprincipled - behavour of SWSDA management and board. The criticisms levied against Anderson and other SWSDA apparatchiks include expense account abuses, ignoring Supreme Court judges orders, possibly inflating charges against projects, accepting salary payments from other sources with no board authority, failing to pay HST due the federal government, among others.     

14may2009: Shelburne Town wants Team Shelburne to assess raison d'etre....  At the May 12 meeting, Shelburne Mayor Al Delaney asked Team Shelburne members to prepare to discuss in June the future role of Team Shelburne and the body was advised that Minister Richard Hurlburt has been silent to date on any monies forthcoming from government based on expected proceeds from the sale of the former Boys School (Note: despite the repeated requests for these funds, SWSDA CEO Frank Anderson has sworn under oath that they no longer exist, having been absorbed by SWSDA operating expenses) . 
     The bulk of the meeting was taken with discussions about physician recruitment and renovations to the medical clinic in Shelburne, including the offer by Shelburne Municipality to head up fundraising for the project. Medical student Tyler Green has offered to spend fours years of practice in the county in exchange for a $25,000 bursary for his medical school expenses.

13may2009: SWSDA CEO salary sharing big surprise to municipal leaders....  The revelation Tuesday that SWSDA CEO Frank Anderson has had another employer paying part of his total salary came as a complete surprise to his SWSDA board members, according to interviews with SCT.
     Warden Sherm Embree said that he and his council had no idea that the embattled CEO was collecting another paycheck. Former Shelburne municipal councilor Raymond Davis, who has been a solid SWSDA supporter and Anderson apologist at times,  was also unaware of Anderson's double-dipping in the employer pool.
     Lockeport Mayor and MLA candidate Darian Huskilson was obviously upset when advised about the fact that SWSDA has disclosed that a "third party" is paying some of Anderson's salary, but would not allow itself to be named.  No one on the board was aware of the double salary, according to Huskilson. "As far as I knew, we were paying for a full-time CEO and we were getting the full benefit of his day-to-day efforts." The "time-sharing" or "moonlighting" arrangement was not right, said Huskilson. "He should have been obligated to tell the board that he was being paid by someone else and that perhaps we were not getting full benefit of his services." Huskilson is one of the few SWSDA board members who have publicly challenged Anderson's imperious management style and undemocratic practices.
     Current MLA and former Barrington warden Sterling Belliveau sat as a SWSDA board member for more than six years and was never informed of Anderson's other paycheck, nor was Eddie Nickerson, former Barrington councilor and deputy warden and also an MLA candidate. "The NDP party has asked repeatedly for audits of SWSDA and their financial and management practices," added Belliveau, "and the government has refused."
     Asked if he was surprised about the revelation, Davis said, "Nothing surprises me anymore." (see letter from SWSDA here)

12may2009: Mystery funder behind big bucks for SWSDA CEO...   The shenanigans surrounding the financial dealings of the South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) and CEO Frank Anderson just got murkier yesterday when the public agency refused to divulge the salary compensation for Anderson.
     After stalling for more than five months on a request for details of CEO Frank Anderson's compensation, SWSDA officials said in a letter this week that "Mr. Anderson's salary is also paid by a Third Party, which has not consented to the release of their information."
     Given the constant controversy surrounding SWSDA and Anderson and the questionable value the agency and CEO have had over the years to economic development in Shelburne County, it is likely that this latest refusal of Anderson to clarify his and SWSDA's finances will raise more questions than it answers. 
     Who is paying Anderson? (Yarmouth Industrial Commission? Port of Yarmouth?  Yarco Holdings / Richard Hurlburt? PC Party?) If they are paying Anderson for development services, why are all expenses being borne by SWSDA and the municipal tax payers which support it?  If any of these entities are Anderson's real bosses, is it any wonder that Shelburne County gets left out of the development mix so often? 
     SWSDA pays Anderson $63,000 per year, but it is estimated that his real income may be as high as $150,000. SWSDA and Anderson are subjects of several lawsuits alleging untoward financial dealings. One suit claims losses of upwards of $5 million and another suit claims "fraudulent conveyance" of funds from SWSDA accounts. Anderson and SWSDA face a contempt of court hearing in October regarding alleged refusal to follow a court order in the fraudulent conveyance action. SWSDA declines to make any statements on record regarding Anderson or their business dealings.

11may2009: SWSDA to close Shelburne office?... In the midst of a din of criticism from Eastern Shelburne County about the business and management practices of South West Shore Development Authority and CEO Frank Anderson, the agency announced at its latest board meeting that it may close its offices in Shelburne. The report by Municipal councilor Townsend did not give any timeline, but the decision would seem to fly in the face of Anderson's repeated claims that SWSDA considers Shelburne county development an important part of his mandate.
    A recent report on the SWSDA Blog stated that, of the $25,000 in expenses claimed for one year by Anderson, not one expense was billed to any projects in Shelburne County.

8may2009:  $2 million waterfront land sale at Seacoast Estates in Sandy Point...  Jim Kendrick and Mary Barstow recently sold off ten prime waterfront plots to investors at their SeaCoast Studios property (former military base) in lower Sandy Point. The 10 lots are assessed at $75,000 each - but were on the market for $200,000 - and were parsed out of the original 106-acre property purchased by the pair last year at less than 10% of appraised value. The 2008 lot sales went to Kendrick's American relatives and investors in the struggling media business, plus to Seacoast itself.  >>> full story

7may2009:  Bite the bullet on medical clinic says warden... Warden Sherm Embree and and CAO Kirk Cox question slowness in building Shelburne medical clinic... >>> more

7may2009:  SWSDA blog big hit with readers... A web log (blog) dedicated to promoting transparency in the business dealings of the South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) and its CEO has become surprisingly popular in its short life, if reader's comments are any indication.
    The blog is the creation of Ed Cayer and has dealt with reader queries such as "Who does Frank Anderson report to?", "What economic benefits has Shelburne County seen from the sale of the Boy's School and military base?"  >>> more

7may2009 Frank Anderson's $320 London breakfast and $463 room service?... Amongst the receipts included in the SWSDA CEO's expenses, according to the new SWSDA Blog, is a receipt for a 9:00am London airport tavern bill for $277US ($320cdn)... The blog also notes that Anderson claimed reimbursement for $463.00(cdn) billed to another SWSDA employee's room.  The charges are part of the $250,000 Anderson is estimated to have spent in the past ten years in travel and entertainment expenses, purportedly directed towards economic development activities for the region...  >>>more

5may2009:  SWSDA blog outlines Boy's School irregularities...  In the latest posting from the SWSDA Accountability blog, SWSDA's role in ensuring that Ralston MacDonnell was the chosen bidder for the former Shelburne Boy's School is outlined. 

30apr2009:   Crystal Clear... New web site details SWSDA spending habits of public funds... A new web log (blog) - SWSDA Accountability to Public - has been launched to outline the controversial - and perhaps unlawful - spending habits of the management of South West Shore Development Authority. 
     In Wednesday's issue, the blog details the purchase by CEO Frank Anderson of a $300+ purchase of Swarovski Crystal at the Duty Free Shop at the International Airport in Vienna, Austria. A previous blog entry shows a $40 tip added to a $130 entertainment bill in Halifax, with no apparent accounting of what SWSDA business (if any) was being conducted at the lunch or dinner.
     The travel expenses of Anderson were the subject of a lengthy struggle by Anderson and SWSDA in which the public agency they spent a possible $50,000 or more of tax-supported funds in legal fees to keep the details of the CEO's travel costs secret from the public. The blog author, Ed Cayer, pressed the issue with the Supreme Court and, in late 2008, received a court order making the records public.
     Anderson's travel and entertainment expenses records for 2005 exceed $20,000 and include many sessions at the Triangle Ale House, a notorius hangout for politicos, and Rudders in Yarmouth, plus some expenses for his wife. (see previous editorial here). Cayer has been engaged in a 10-year legal battle with SWSDA, which is scheduled fo trial in January, 2010.        
     The blog states that its author hopes to create an "informed public participation platform" and also shows a link to the Province of Nova Scotia travel expense policy.

28apr2009: No second-year funding yet for crippled Oceans First task Force...    Despite the recent assertions by South West Shore Development Authority CEO Frank Anderson that he had no intention of honouring SWSDA's contract with the Nova Scotia Department of Energy to submit a full report of activity for the Oceans First Task Force, senior department officials insist that the $75,000 funding for year two of the project would not be forthcoming until Anderson and SWSDA delivered on the initial phase of the contract.
     The Task Force was ostensibly formed to assess the benefits and risks to the Tri-County region for oil and gas exploration in the areas surrounding Georges Bank. The Task Force has been mired in controversy from its inception, including questions about why a $150,000 untendered contract was approved by then-minister Richard Hurlburt to a business partner, how much of the initial $75,000 payment was spent on reportedly lavish spending on a junket to oil & gas operations in Norway, why a pro-drilling political crony of Hurlburt and Anderson was appointed chair of the steering committee and why the Task Force has yet to convene even one meeting in seven months.

28apr2009: Tourism down almost 10% for 2009... Statistics from the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism show that visits to Nova Scotia are down from 4 per cent (auto) to seventeen per cent (motor coach) over the same period in 2008. Citing the economic climate, Minister Bill Dooks said in a news release that the province "still faces challenges."
    Recent news stories have speculated that the swine flu outbreak and the new U.S. passport regulations coming into effect in June may exacerbate the situation also. Rick Howe, in The Weekly News says that bookings at bed and breakfasts for example, are down some 30% on average and that one motorcoach tour operator says his bookings are down 60%.

28apr2009: No swine flu yet in SW Nova...    There have been no cases of Swine Flu in South West Nova Scotia, according to SouthWest PR spokesman Fraser Mooney... >>> more

28apr2009: Queens councilor sets meeting for trestle trail interest....    Newbie Queens Region councilor Owen Hamlin wants to see the Trestle Trail in Liverpool opened year round, with winter plowing and maintenance and wants interested citizens to attend a Wed. eve meeting or to contact him... >>> more

24apr2009: Voluntary Planning Report says current natural resource management not sustainable... Voluntary Planning, the arm’s length government agency charged with documenting Nova Scotia’s concerns with forestry, mining, parks and biodiversity, released their final report on April 17 and, according to the Ecology Action Centre, the report captured Nova Scotians’ clear demand for change in forests and biodiversity policy. EAC's Raymond Plourdes called the report “A critical first step toward a new era of responsible stewardship."
     The report also called for transparency and communications in policy and decision-making by government, strong resistance to  uranium mining, more public input in use of crown lands and the siting of mining away from sensitive ecosystems, parks and protected areas, and calls for the mining industry to reduce or eliminate pollution from mining operations.”
    The report, according to EAC omits substantive discussion of impacts from climate change or specific highlights of coastal biodiversity, both issues that were reiterated by the public in the meetings leading up to the report.
    The report is part of a process to develop a new, 10-year strategy for managing forestry, mining, parks and biodiversity in Nova Scotia.  It can be viewed at http://gov.ns.ca/govt/vp/NaturalResourcesReport.pdf

21apr2009: Ultimate Canadian Road Trip arrives in Shelburne...   Photographer and blogger Tim Van Horn passed through Shelburne last week on his 15-month tour of Canada and posted some great photos of the people in the area, including boatbuilders, fishers and others.  You can see samples of Van Horn's visit to Shelburne on his Celebrate Canada blog or his Flicker page  

17apr2009: Great new Shelburne video...  Rick Davis at Explore Shelburne County has posted a new video on his sight which is a charming collage of the summertime activity in town in the summer of 2008. You can see the video and others at ExploreShelburneCounty.

 AbitibiBowater bankruptcy not to affect Brooklyn mill... yet... AbitibiBowater Inc., North America’s biggest newsprint maker, sought bankruptcy protection after U.S. lenders refused to accept a proposed debt restructuring.
     AbitibiBowater had assets of $9.9 billion and debt of $8.78 billion on Sept. 30, according to a Chapter 11 petition filed yesterday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. Thirty-one affiliates also entered bankruptcy. The Montreal- based company plans to seek court protection in Canada tomorrow.
     The saving factor for the Bowter paper mill in Brooklyn, Queens County is the plant is 49 per cent owned by The Washington Post Company Ltd. Officials from The Washington Post, a media company, refused again to answer questions posed about the mill.
     300 employees at the mill there are expected to return to work Monday after a five-week forced hiatus.  Union leaders have told CBC Radio and TV that they have no idea whether the separation from the current bankruptcy action will benefit he local mill in the long term. A shutdown at the mill would affect more than 500 jobs in the region.

17apr2009: Yarmouth big winner as Tories put the pork in "pork barrel" with $8 million-plus slush funds...   Online news service AllNovaScotia.com reports that the current government has doled out more than $8 million in previously unreported funds from "slush funds" controlled by ministers and directed mostly to 22 Tory ridings.  
    The web-based news service outlined cash awards in the area from the departments of Tourism & Culture and Economic Development of more than $1 million to the Municipality of Yarmouth and South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA).
    The April 17 edition also reports that the Department of Municipal Services overseen by Yarmouth MLA Richard Hurlburt has yet another unreported slush fund, much of which might be expected to arrive in his riding prior to the up-coming spring election.

17apr2009: Real estate sales down by 15% from 2008...  Nova Scotia’s March real estate sales activity was down 15 per cent from activity last March, according to the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® (NSAR).   In January 2009, the year-over-year decline was 32 per cent. The average sale price in the province ranged from $233 in Halifax to $85,000 in Yarmouth. 
    Home sale listings and sales took a downturn in the period compared to 2009, with sales dropping from 15 to 10 in Shelburne County and from 8 to 7 in Queens. The average sale prince dropped 20% in Queens County and a whopping 40% in Shelburne County, settling at $71,000. 
     “Despite the downturn, a number of buyers and sellers are taking advantage of the increased affordability the current market has to offer,” says the NSAR president Linda Smardon. "Activity during the rest of the spring market will depend heavily on what happens with interest rates and the consumer response to the federal budget incentive programs," she added.
     Typically, home sales in Shelburne County are affected also by the tourism traffic , which is expected to continue its several-year slide in the region.

15apr2009: Something for everyone coming to Shag Harbour... Plans are well underway for “Our Community – Something for Everyone on Sat.  April 25 . This year’s event will be held at E velyn Richardson Memorial Elementary School in Shag Harbour . 
     Our Community is sponsored by the Women’s Fishnet, South West Shore Volunteer Services, Children’s Wellness Day Committee and Shelburne County Recreation Departments. The purpose of the day-long event is to provide information on organizations, agencies, programs, activities and events that take place in the various communities that make up Shelburne County . 
     A number of booths and activities have already been booked. The Shelburne Longboat Society will have one of their boats on display outside the school. Musical performances for children and adults, demonstrations, presentations, games and fun are being planned. There will be numerous door prizes provided by exhibitors. >>> see poster here

15apr2009: Port La Tour fisherman fights off intruders...  >>> more   Shelburne County fisherman Freeland Reynolds says he caught two men trying to break into his house and was left shaken, not to mention bruised, after a bloody confrontation in his sun porch on the weekend.... >>> more

9apr2009: Arts awards gala and conference to Yarmouth...   The fourth annual Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala and Conference on Oct. 24 will use Yarmouth as a backdrop, according to council chair Paul Gallant... .>>> more

7apr2009: Lockeport tops province and Shelburne County shines in municipal survey... government bad at communications with citizens....   The Town of Lockeport took top spot in a new municipal report card on spending and services in Nova Scotia released today by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies in a survey to be released today. Also among the top one-half of the fifty-five municipalities were Town of Shelburne (5) Municipality of Shelburne (23) and Municipality of Barrington (25).
     The institute’s biggest finding is how bad government is at letting people know what they’re up to, said the Chronicle Herald in  story Tuesday. A weakness in public reporting, combined with some municipalities not considering as public that information which reflects how tax dollars are spent.
    "Of course, we are very pleased with the finding, Lockeport Mayor Darian Huskilson told SCT. "This speaks well of the tremendous effort our council and staff have put into developing sound financial management over the past few years. We believe that our commitment to create and sustain a certain quality of life under some trying circumstances has generated overall satisfaction by our rate payers." 
    The findings have taken the institute two years to collect and compile information on subjects like governance, police and fire service, taxation and recreation facilities. The project had the support of the Nova Scotia Chambers of Commerce. 
     The AIMS Performance Report grades municipalities based on the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery using a three year average (2005, 2006 and 2007). Efficiency examines how the municipality spends tax dollars and effectiveness examines the extent to which a service or policy achieves its intended result. These measures are further broken down into absolute, in-context and total.
     None of the fifty-five municipalities received an "A", but none received a failing grade. Seven municipalities, including Clarks Harbour, Clare, Argyle and Mahone Bay did not submit enough data to be rated.

7apr2009: Bowater bargaining chip?... AbitibiBowater Inc. has actually gained a little financial leverage to continue talking with lenders over restructuring its huge debt... >>> more 

7apr2009: $33 million hiway 103 by-pass funding announced... the Provincial and federal governments announced Tuesday that a total of $33 million has been equally committed to replace a controlled access, eight-kilometre section of Highway 103 between Broad River and Sable River. The by-pass will mean that the curved section of road which meanders through the village of Port Mouton will be replaced with a 100-series standard highway.
     Former Municipal councilor and Chamber of Commerce director Raymond Davis sat on the highway 103 committee for five years and was an avid lobbyist for the project. He couldn't be more pleased with the announcement, especially as it relates to another project he deems important to  the growth of the area. "This greatly improves the possibilities in developing Shelburne Harbour for container traffic," said Davis.
     In an interview with SCT, MP Gerald Keddy said that Tuesday's announcement was the culmination of a decade of lobbying on his part. "Ten years ago, on my first day on the job, I drove to Lockeport to discuss this highway project and have been working on it since." A key factor, or tipping point, added Keddy, was the buy-in by the provincial ministers whose ridings are most affected by the project and who he has assiduously lobbied over the years. They include Chris D'Entremont (Argyle), Richard Hurlburt (Yarmouth), Carole Bollivar-Getson (Lunenburg West), Michael Baker (Lunenburg, now deceased) and Judy Streatch (Chester-St Margarets)
     Shelburne Municipal warden Sherm Embree attended the announcement in Liverpool and was thankful that the region was getting the attention that it deserves in this important matter. "Lobbying for future improvements should begin right away," said Embree. "We should see this announcement also as the beginning of phase two," added MP Keddy.
     Surveying, land acquisition and detailed design work will be done before construction begins. A target date for completion has been set for 2013.  Provincial funding comes via the Building for Growth Plan.

7apr2009: AbitibiBowater impressive in changes to forest management..  Representatives of AbitibiBowater Inc. were at the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute the other night, talking about the company’s efforts to be environmentally responsible. Despite the recent and possibly dire business news surrounding the firm, the company is of fundamental importance to the South Shore... >>> more. 

7apr2009: Bridge safety meeting in Yarmouth productive...  A community meeting Monday night to discuss the unsafe conditions on the Raynardton Canal Bridge was successful, according to organizer Allan Winters. There were more than three dozen attendees, including a RCMP officer and Argyle MLA Chris D'Entremont. Yarmouth MLA Richard Hurlburt was unable to attend due to a death in the family, but his assistant Bob Manuel was there the entire evening.
    Although Winters invited at least two regional Department of Transportation officials, both declined to attend the meeting. Manuel announced that Hurlburt has arranged a mneeting for later in the month with community members and DOT officials...  >>> see previous Vanguard story 

6apr2009: Mad as hell voters should be activists, says Toronto Star columnist...  In a column titled "The quiet unravelling of Canadian democracy", James Travers describes a national problem not unlike that faced by Nova Scotia... muzzled ministers, politicized senior bureaucrats, unaccountable parties... Our democracy is in trouble and to fix it we have to connect the dots
     Ministers, bureaucrats and police officers can be forcefully reminded that their public duty is to the people, not to politicians. Even premiers can be told they are not monarchs.
    Advocacy requires effort, says Travers, but democracy is too important to delegate to politicians.  >>> read full article here

6apr2009: Gloucester eyes aggressive push for Yarmouth ferry...  Long-time ferry supporter and Massachusetts state senator Bruce Tarr told the Gloucester Daily Times  that "We are reaching out this week to the people in Yarmouth," in relation to the recent announcement that the new port strategy includes the replacement of the seasonal CAT ferry with a year-round, single-hulled ship.
     The new ferry, still in the planning stages, would target commercial truck traffic as well as passengers and land in Yarmouth, the province's traditional seaport connection to the United States.
     The Cat is operated by Bay Ferries, who also operate the Digby-St. John Ferry service. Bay Ferries CEO Mark MacDonald told SCT that Bay Ferries had not made any decisions about the future of the Cat Ferry and that a major decision about changing the ferry service would only happen after serious consideration of the financial models involved.
      The Nova Scotia government and ACOA have jointly commissioned what has been called an "exhaustive review" of the needs of Southwest Nova and why people are and aren’t using the Digby Ferry and other services. The study is supposed to get input from local communities and businesses in order to have as much detail as possible.   see transportation study story here

3apr2009: Farmer's Market meeting in Shelburne Thursday, April 16... Over the past year there has been a growing interest in establishing a Farmer’s Market in Shelburne. Through informal conversations on the street and at various meetings, people are expressing an interest in and demand for buying food grown and produced locally. There will be a meeting held in the Enterprise Square Conference Room on Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 pm. >>> full story      >>> see flyer here

3apr2009: Older workers successfully targeted in NSCC project...  The 17-week Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) program at the Shelburne Campus NSCC is designed to support unemployed older workers in communities affected by significant downsizing...   >>> more

2apr2009: Osprey nets $10,000 through the Arts Presentation Canada Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage...  Accordording to government news releases, the funding will support the Osprey Art Centre's upcoming season, which includes performances of dance, theatre, and music presented by more than 300 culturally diverse professional and emerging artists.
     "The Osprey Arts Centre plays an important role in bringing diverse artistic experiences to the people of Shelburne County," said MP Gerald Keddy. "Our Government believes that these contributions are a great way to ensure more local cultural activity-activity that helps build the social and economic foundations of our communities, while also building audiences for arts organizations."   >>> more

2apr2009: D'Entremont upset at land sale... province to meet with Irving... The MLA for Argyle has a bone to pick with the way J.D. Irving is trying to sell nearly 69,000 hectares of Nova Scotia land, according to a story in the Herald Friday.
     Chris d’Entremont, who is also minister of community services, said the New Brunswick company is asking too much for the land and "creating a public outcry" for its purchase.
    The minister met with members of the Buy Back Nova Scotia Coalition on Thursday where they presented him with a list of alternatives for saving the large tract of land in Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties. CBC radio reported on Friday morning that the province and Irving will be meeting again soon 
    The land is on sale on the internet, with a reported asking price of $170 million and with a sale date of May 2. Members of the coalition who are familiar with the proposed sale say that it is believed that the firm of Vladi's Private Islands, based in Germany and Halifax has submitted an offer for the land. The firm and its owner Farhad Vladi are renowned for marketing "luxury real estate" and currently have a property for sale within a kilometer of the Irving land.  That property has a "private island" plus a lakeside lot with home.
   There are up to seventy lakes and may be 20 islands in the Irving package.  >>> more from the Herald

2apr2009: Minister leaks $790,000 Cabinet agenda item in Yarmouth meeting...  In what some say might be a case of pre-election posturing, Municipal Affairs Minister and Yarmouth MLA Richard Hurlburt told Shelburne County officials on Monday that the Executive Council of Nova Scotia (cabinet) would be discussing the issue of a loan or grant to the group of $790,000 at Thursday's cabinet meeting.  >>> more

2apr2009: SWSDA to Energy Department on Georges Bank report - pound sand... In what some insiders are calling an abuse of his political sway with Cabinet ministers, South West Shore Development Authority CEO Frank Anderson has refused to meet the contractual requirements of the agency's $150,000 Oceans First Task Force project. "He seems to be so tight with the ministers and other Tory power brokers, he can get away with just about anything," said one source.  >>> more

2apr2009: Diesel-drinking crustaceans protest lack of action in barge sinking off Yarmouth...  An environmental group is keeping the pressure on Environment Canada to do something about a dredging barge that sank off the coast of Nova Scotia last November carrying 70,000 litres of diesel fuel. >>> more

1apr2009: Would AbitibiBowater bankruptcy hurt Brooklyn mill?... To the average worker, the murky world of bonds, debt swaps, bankruptcies and high finance is difficult to understand and impossible to control... >>> more. 

1apr2009: Bank-style bailout sought by lobster industry... Fearing a crash of prices, lobster fishermen and processors in eastern Canada are looking for bridge financing from the federal government similar to that being offered other industries around the world. >>> more

1apr2009 AbitibiBowater misses financing deadline... Bankruptcy filing possible... Newsprint maker AbitibiBowater Inc (ABH.N) (ABH.TO) said on Wednesday it is evaluating new restructuring alternatives after its debt exchange offer for its Bowater subsidiary failed to get sufficient support from its lenders. >>> more

1apr2009: Staring at a spring election?... Tories’ illegal $256 million in university spending will trigger confidence vote when legislature returns on April 30...  >>> more

1apr2009: $5 million increase in user fees... Nova Scotians can expect to pay more to get married, get a driver’s license or go fishing. >>>> more   >>> see complete list of fees here

1apr2009: Yarmouth port plans to sink Digby ferry?...  The recently unveiled port development plan for the Port of Yarmouth includes the replacement of the seasonal high-speed CAT Ferry with a single hull, ship providing year-round service directed to the commercial trucking industry.
     In a recent news stories, both Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Portland, Maine  have been cited as possible ports for the new service. Officials in Portsmouth welcome the opportunity, but officials in Portland say they have not been consulted about the idea, according to the news stories. 
     Digby municipal warden Jim Thurber was also surprised at the news about the proposed service and is concerned that it would spell the end for the Digby-St. John ferry service, which is largely supported by the commercial traffic targeted by the Yarmouth plan. Thurber has been the primary mover behind the push to save the Digby service. "There's not enough traffic to keep one commercial service going," says the affable politician, "so I can't see the viability of two." 
    Nova Scotia-based ferry consultant Christopher Wright is quoted in one the story as saying that it's unclear whether there is enough demand for shipping cargo between Nova Scotia and New England. In addition, a harbor maintenance tax levied by the U.S. government on all imports would add more than $300 to the shipment of a typical truckload.
     Another problem says the story is that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security likely will require that goods have to be declared to U.S. Customs officials 96 hours before arrival. Wright says that it's impossible for cargo that is fresh fish.

1apr2009: RCMP monitoring SCT after complaints filed...  In a surprising finding from internet traffic statistics, it was discovered Wednesday that the RCMP based in Ontario appear to be monitoring the SCT web site. SCT publisher Timothy Gillespie filed a formal complain with the Nova Scotia Police Complaints Commissioner, who then assigned the investigation to the RCMP National Investigative Unit in British Columbia, according to documents provided to SCT.
     The complaint alleges that two Shelburne-based RCMP officers erred in threatening Gillespie with arrest in order to have him leave a public meeting of the South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA). A Shelburne County resident says that he also filed more than five complaints about with the RCMP via their online "Tips Hotline", with subject headers including  "white collar crime", "tax evasion",  "stolen money", "Frank the CEO". Although the complainant says he received no response from the RCMP, he reports that the Tips Hotline no longer accepts tips or complaints via email.
    The RCMP complaint resolution process allows for an informal settlement if agreed to by both parties. Gillespie has received no expression of interest from the RCMP in mutually-agreed resolution.

1apr2009: Georges Bank , windmills, sewage and streetlights…
An open letter to Shelburne Municipal Council... former Shelburne Municipal councilor Raymond Davis opines on the economic development future of the region   >>> full story   

30mar32009: Lunenburg eying tax reform...  People living in this UNESCO heritage town are the highest taxed in Nova Scotia, and Lunenburg town councillor John McGee wants something done about that >>> more

30mar32009: Consult us! say native chiefs on Irving sale... More than 69,000 hectares of prime timberland in southwestern Nova Scotia is traversed by four beautiful rivers, contains over 60 lakes and has caught the attention of Mi’kmaq chiefs in this province.
     Since the provincial government knew over a year ago that J.D. Irving Ltd. would be selling off this beautiful swath of Nova Scotia, the Mi’kmaq chiefs wonder why it wasn’t brought to their attention through the group of negotiators trying to settle land claims.  >>> more

27mar2008:Clearwater claims huge losses...  Clearwater's parent company the Clearwater Income Trust gave a somber assessment of its losses and upcoming refinancing needs. Chairman and CEO Colin MacDonald said the company lost $255.9 million in 2008 compared to a loss of CDN $17 million in 2007, based on currency and other contracts with Glitnir, and a write down in the value of the income trusts assets. 
     The company has about CDN $102 million in refinancing to complete in June of 2009, and MacDonald expects it to be expensive and contain more restrictions. The company is selling non-core assets, cutting capital expenditures, and tightening receivables all to improve liquidity. Favorable trends include a positive exchange rate, lower fuel prices, and lower lobster raw material costs.

27mar2008:Barrington set for "shovel ready" projects... The Municipality of Barrington seems best poised to benefit from the up-coming stimulus spending by federal and provincial governments, according to interviews with municipal leaders and materials provided to SCT by the various local governments.  >>> full story 

27mar2008:Sunken Irving barge and 70,000 litre of diesel fuel pose "no threat" to marine life, says study...  In what has been described by some observers as an "incredible precedent”,  Irving-owned Atlantic Towing Ltd. was ordered by a government committee Wednesday to monitor the wreck of a sunken barge off Yarmouth and devise a response plan for fuel leakage
     The Shovel Master barge was being towed to Halifax from Saint John, N.B., when it sank Nov. 22 in rough seas off Yarmouth. Atlantic Towing commissioned two reports following the sinking that each concluded the wreck and  sudden release of all 70,000 litres of diesel would pose no threat.
     "We feel that 70,000 litres of diesel immediately entering the marine environment of southwest Nova Scotia poses a risk that we’re not prepared to accept,” Joe LeClair, supervisor of environmental response for the Canadian Coast Guard, said Wednesday.
     Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax said Thursday that Irving should be required to pump the diesel from the barge before it becomes a problem. “It makes no sense,” he said of the decision by the Regional Environmental Emergencies Team, a committee of various federal and provincial agencies.  >>> more

26mar2008: RCMP to investigate SWSDA meeting fracas...   The Vancouver-based RCMP Complaints Commission has advised SCT publisher Timothy Gillespie that his complaint of being improperly removed from a February 18 meeting in Shelburne of the South West Shore Development Authority directors meeting was being pursued by RCMP investigators.
    The March 6 complaint cited the lack of effort by the Shelburne RCMP detachment commander and constable in assessing the legitimate right for media and others to attend SWSDA meetings before threatening to arrest Gillespie if he did not leave the meeting.
     RCMP policy allows for informal resolution by both parties, but no attempt has been made to date by Shelburne RCMP to attempt a resolution. A formal investigation of the behaviour of the Shelburne officers now seems likely.
   In a related matter, reliable sources say that SWSDA CEO Frank Anderson has informed local municipal leaders that he intend to hold all future SWSDA meetings in Yarmouth to prevent "certain people" from attending. A tied vote (resulting in a defeated motion) regarding closed meetings at the March 18 SWSDA meeting was subsequently "converted" to a passing motion by Anderson and other directors. 
    Several of the SWSDA directors are known to be disturbed at the recent antics of Anderson which have generated widespread criticism of the way SWSDA conducts its business.

26mar2008:Shelburne High students big winners at Ottawa ceremony...  A group of five students from Shelburne Regional High School enjoyed the red carpet treatment at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa this week and met with MP Gerald Keddy for lunch. Their award-winning video "Reveal your disguise", was the only winning entry from Atlantic Canada in the "Racism... Stop it!" competition. >>> see photos and video HERE

22mar2008: Taken comes to Shelburne... Liam Neeson in the hit thriller 'TAKEN' is playing March 27-28-29 at the Capitol Theatre. For movie info and trailer >>>  www.shelburnecapitoltheatre.com

22marR2008: American real estate speculators looking for $6.5 million payoff in Shelburne land deal... two enterprising land speculators from New England have put a recently-purchased former military base on the market for a whopping $ 9,250,000, which would have them making $6,5000,000 profit in less than one year from an initial investment of $800,000.
     In early 2008, Jim Kendrick and Mary Barstow purchased the 173-acre former Canadian Forces Station at Sandy Point, in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, which also housed a little-used film sound stage. Kendrick is a former magazine ad salesman from Vermont and Barstow sold candles and tee shirts out of a factory in Pennsylvania.  >>> full story  For other Seacoast Studios news, click HERE

22mar2009: The Yarmouth Vanguard was judged to be the third best newspaper overall in Canada in its circulation group... The Yarmouth Vanguard picked up six awards in the Canadian Community Newspapers Association’s (CCNA) annual competition were announced last week. >>> more

22mar2009: Cape Sable Island seeks funding for lighthouse... Clarks Harbour mayor Leigh Stoddart thinks that the government should consider using some of its up-coming infrastructure budget to rehabilitate the Cape Sable Lighthouse.  "This is a great symbol of our marine heritage," Stoddart told CBC radio, "and, as it figures in our growing tourism industry, it shouldn't be left looking shoddy." The mayor estimates the cost for a coat of paint would approach $20,000.

22mar2009: Tourism internet boot camp coming to Shelburne... The Shelburne Community Business Development Corporation is sponsoring yet another internet workshop on Friday, May 27. This four-hour workshop is for tourism operators, managers and marketers and will focus on what can be done via web sites and email marketing to compensate for the expected downturn in visitors to the area in the coming season. Dixie Redmond, CBDC executive director, says that reservations are required, as previous workshops have been sold out. “These workshops are professionally done and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback to both the quality and value.”
     In the four-hour session, participants will learn practical and usable tips for site design, viewer loyalty, search-engine optimization and strategy, e-news and using past successes to generate future business. Local web sites will be used as examples of what to do or not to do with the internet... >>> download brochure

18mar2009:SWSDA opens legal opinions to public scrutiny... Directors of the embattled regional development office tell SCT that, in a move uncharacteristic of the generally secretive South West Shore Development Authority, the business agency CEO has determined that correspondence from its solicitor outlining a legal strategy surrounding CEO Frank Anderson's dictum that media and citizens are not to attend SWSDA meetings is a public document under the provisions of the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information Act and Municipal Act legislation.
     Anderson and SWSDA recently lost a Nova Scotia Supreme Court decision regarding access to information after Anderson refused for two years to divulge his expenses when requested by a citizen. Anderson had reportedly informed the board of directors at that time that he had legal advice that he didn't have to turn over the records.
    "SWSDA has a track record of making very bad decisions based on supposedly solid legal advice," says one authority on the workings of the agency. SWSDA is thought to have spent more than $50,000 in legal fees following the advice surrounding Anderson's expense records. The CEO and SWSDA face an on-going contempt action likely to be heard in April, plus a $5 million civil action which is slated for trial in January 2010. Legal costs for the civil action are expected to exceed $1 million, all of which is paid from tax--generated operating funds supplied by local municipalities and other government agencies.  

20mar2009: AbitibiBowater shares plummet as firm may be forced into bankruptcy protection... Company shares closed down 15 cents or 17.8 per cent to 69 cents, after initially tumbling by 26 per cent on market fears that a last-ditch effort to restructure $1.8 billion of debt at its Bowater, Inc. unit.Failure to successfully complete the restructuring would reduce the chances that Bowater could succeed with a separate attempt to restructure bonds at the Canadian unit, Abitibi-Consolidated. That, in turn, could push AbitibiBowater into a court-appointed restructuring that would raise the possibility of shutting more Canadian and U.S. paper mills..
     The Bowater paper plant in Brooklyn near Liverpool is on a 5-week hiatus, the second on 12 months. CBC TV reported Thursday that the drastic downturn in newspaper publishing may result in the plant being shuttered for good. A Bowater plant in New Brunswick shut down last year and is being eyed as a site for biomass energy generation.
     The banks, including Bank of America, Citicorp and Wachovia, hold a relatively small amount of AbitibiBowater's $6 billion US debt. However, their position as secured lenders means their approval is needed if the company is to successfully restructure $1.8 billion in debt at its Bowater Inc. subsidiary.
     Documents filed with the American Securities Exchange Commission show two former former Abitibi Bowater execs received more than $10 million in severance pay. CEO John Weaver’s pension was valued at $6.8 million, and his severance was pegged at just over $8 million. Senior VP Thor Thorsteinson’s severance package was estimated to be worth $2.3 million.

18mar2009: Tri-County School Board trying to curb in-camera impulses... The chair of the Tri-County Regional School Board admits the board talks about too many things in camera that should be discussed in a public forum instead. >> more

18mar2009: Deliberative democracy affords free and open expression... Any barriers to deliberation with the public erodes democracy and confidence in the government, says expert... >>> more.

18mar2009: Oceans First Task Force off the rails...  the troubled Oceans First Task Force has hit yet another snag in its bumbling attempt to provide the Nova Scotia Department of Energy with information regarding the benefits and dangers of developing oil and gas production on the sensitive Georges Bank marine habitat. >>> full story

13mar2009: Port Mouton fish farm expansion out of water indefinitely... Friends of Port Mouton Bay spokesperson and Region of Queens Deputy Mayor Darlene Norman apparently forced back tears on Thursday evening when Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald announced an "indefinite" moratorium on more fin fish aquaculture farming in the bay >>> more

10mar2009: NDP minority government coming with the spring thaw?... Nova Scotia should get ready for an NDP minority government, pollster Don Mills told a business luncheon in Halifax on Tuesday. Mills said his firm used a seat projector model to predict the NDP would get 22 seats, the Tories 17 seats and the Liberals 13. The Liberals were up by 3% over last year at this time, while both the PC and NDP were down that combined amount. >>> full story 
     An election is expected in the spring and current NDP MLA Sterling Belliveau has begun making calls requesting support for his bid. The Tory candidate Eddie Nickerson lost an election in October to retain his seat on Barrington Council and the Shelburne County Liberal Party just nominated Lockeport mayor Darian Huskilson as its candidate for MLA.

10mar2009: $2 billion Tory plan is pre-election spending spree, says opposition... The Nova Scotia government plans to spend $1.9 billion over three years on roads and other projects to create jobs and boost the economy. >>> more

10mar2009: SWSDA privacy questioned by local politicians... CEO Frank Anderson's decision to have the RCMP oust SCT publisher Timothy Gillespie from the February meeting of the South West Shore Development Authority has some municipal leaders concerned, according to this week's Shelburne County Coast Guard... >>> full story

10mar2009: Minister's office in SWSDA cover-up?... The office of Municipal Affairs Minister Richard Hurlburt has jumped into the controversy surrounding the South West Shore Development Authority (SWSDA) CEO Frank Anderson's determination to keep the prying eyes of the public and media away from his business.
     Hurlburt is a long-time friend, close neighbor and current business partner of Anderson's and now appears also to be a legal authority. A Shelburne County resident recently made an inquiry of the Minister as to why SWSDA was excluding the public from its director's meetings, which are almost exclusively attended by elected officials discussing the expenditure of public monies.
    Hurlburt's office replied that, "SWSDA is a not for profit entity and also is not governed by the Municipal Government Act. It is within their authority to determine who does or does not attend their board meetings." A local authority on municipal governance was disturbed by the Minister's unwarranted intrusion into a local issue. "It is outrageous for the minister to be trying to influence public opinion on a legal matter completely outside of his jurisdiction," the expert told SCT. "This is especially true," he added, "since the courts have just given a completely opposite view."
     Anderson has informed his board that the March meeting would need to be scheduled in Yarmouth and not Barrington, so a lawyer could attend and present a legal opinion on the matter. Anderson pursued legal action on the recent freedom of information lawsuit based on similar legal opinion. SWSDA and Anderson lost the lawsuit, which cost taxpayers in the region $50,000 or more.

10mar2009: Air cargo set to take off from Yarmouth.... Some Yarmouth businesses hope cargo flights to the U.S. via StarLink will take off at the Yarmouth Airport and it looks like they may get their wish... >>> more

10mar2009: Anderson and Hurlburt to receive $150,000 gift from Town of Yarmouth?... In a letter addressed to Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney and his council, a local resident questioned the decision by the Council to allocate almost $150,000 to extend a sewer line to vacant properties owned by development czar Frank Anderson and provincial Minister Richard Hurlburt, operating under the rubric of Yarco Holdings.
    In the letter, homeowner Rod Hemeon requests that council revisit the matter, which he considers a possible "gift" to the property owners, while raising tax rates. The letter also quotes one councilor as saying that, if he and other members had been advised about the history of the property, "the outcome [of the vote] would have been different."
     The property is near the Yarmouth Airport and is certain to become more valuable in the near future due to recent developments at the airport. Anderson and Hurlburt have instigated much of the airport development.

9mar2009: EBay swamp sellers and lawyers may face contempt charges... Carmen Blinn, her real estate firm and lawyers have ignored a court order for them to turn over important documents in an on-going case involving their alleged fraudulent land sales in Port Clyde using the eBay auction web site. The properties continue to be offered on the internet using the same materials that were described as "false and misleading" in the court cases.
     Blinn's lawyer, Stephanie Atkinson, was rebuked by Supreme Court Justice Patrick J. Duncan in December for withholding the documents from SCT publisher Timothy Gillespie for 11 months and then arriving in court unprepared to defend her actions. Justice Duncan granted Gillespie's motion for Blinn and Atkinson to turn over the various emails and drawings and issued an order for Blinn, et al, to produce the materials no later than February 7. The judge also ordered Blinn to pay all of Gillespie's expenses in the legal action. 
     To date, no documents have been produced and no payment has been made on the expenses from the hearing, which the judge said was made necessary solely as a result of the failure of Blinn and company to produce relevant facts to Gillespie. "This seems a blatant contempt of the judges order," says Gillespie, "and I have informed Mrs. Blinn and her lawyer that I intend to move for a contempt order from the court."
     Blinn and her partner have been the subject of several complaints to eBay, RCMP, Justice Department, Nova Scotia Real Estate Board and various law enforcement agencies in the USA. They are also the subject of other lawsuits in Nova Scotia Supreme Court claiming fraudulent sales practices in eBay land sales in Yarmouth County and Cape Breton. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

6mar2009: Ecology Action Centre Says Action needed to save Nova Scotia’s troubled shorelines... A new report from the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) is urging decision-makers to act now to protect Nova Scotia’s troubled beaches.
     The report, entitled “On the Front Lines: Strategies for Healthy Beaches in Nova Scotia,” outlines seven beach management goals, along with recommendations to help reach them.  
     “Communities across the province are sounding the alarm about a variety of beach threats including accelerated erosion, unchecked coastal development, habitat degradation, climate change and the loss of public access,” says EAC coastal researcher Sadie Beaton. “Despite these concerns, however, Nova Scotia is operating without a blueprint for beach management.” 

5mar2009:$20 million sought for Yarmouth port plan... The Port of Yarmouth unveiled a new port master plan study by the MacDonnell Group which calls for $20 million of infrastructure spending. The study details plans for developing Yarmouth as an international gateway, a new bulk terminal and ferry terminal, improved berthing and protected areas for local fishing fleets, haul out areas for vessel repair, a regional training centre for the fishing industry, new public housing and public venues, expanding marine tourism by attracting more cruise ships and berthing of luxury yachts.
    The study suggests cooperating with port authorities in Portland, Maine, Portsmouth N.H., and Gloucester and Boston and seeking U.S. government assistance in developing a U.S. customs pre-clearance facility for trucks, ferry passengers, non-commercial vehicles and air passengers.

5mar2009:5 week shutdown at Bowater as hundreds laid off at pulp and paper mills.... Two Nova Scotia pulp mills are temporarily stopping production to cut costs. Unionized workers at the AbitibiBowater newsprint mill in Brooklyn, Queens County, were told Wednesday they will be off the job for five weeks, starting March 15.
     Last Saturday, about 100 workers at Minas Basin Pulp and Power in Hantsport were sent home as the plant ceased operations for about three weeks >>> more

Dangerous hiring practices at Bowater, alleges union reps... Bowater Mersey Paper Company Ltd. has been increasing the number of managers while failing to honour a previous agreement that is allegedly endangering employees at the Brooklyn plant, says Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 141 President, Courtney Wentzell  >>> more

5mar2009:Hybrid boat engine research urged... Liberal fisheries critic Harold “Junior” Theriault has called for the federal government to assist Nova Scotia fisherman in switching to cost-cutting hybrid engines. "In these times of economic hardship, everyone is searching for ways to minimize costs and maximize production,” says Theriault. “The fishing industry in Nova Scotia helped to build this country and I believe that we must explore every option necessary to help this vital industry survive this economic downturn - hybrid engines are one of those options.”  >>> full story

3mar2009:UN says fishing most dangerous job... Thousands of people are killed every year because of incompetence and human error while fishing at sea, which could make it the most dangerous job in the world, a U.N. agency said Monday. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said that an estimated 24,000 people die every year out of a total of about 15 million workers engaged in full time marine fishing...  >>> more 

Big GDP drop expected as interest rates drop to near zero.... Canadians are being warned to brace themselves today for one of the largest economic contractions in almost a generation when Ottawa releases new recessionary data that analysts say will get worse before getting better. >>> more  

2mar2009:  Roseway Hospital emergency closed 40% of days in March... the South West Health Authority announced that Roseway Hospital emergency services would be closed for 13 days in March, due to physician shortage... >>> see schedule here

2mar2009:  Lobster marketing fund announced in Yarmouth... The federal Department of Agriculture and Agri-foods Canada announced a short-term lobster marketing fund of an estimated $455,000 in joint appearances in Yarmouth and New Brunswick. The money was first discussed at the Lobster Roundtable in Dartmouth earlier in the month, though no details about specific spending plans were available then. The Canadian Agriculture and Food International program is providing $328,750 to the Fisheries Council of Canada to kick-start the struggling industry. The Governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island will contribute an additional $126,250 to the project.  >>> full story