Posted on May 17, 2012 | More Posts About: Guysborough County, Municipal Government

Guysborough council gives Guthro long service award.

Guysborough council welcomed Everett Guthro and his wife Muriel to the regular council meeting on Wednesday to present Guthro with a long service award for his many years as the garbage collection contractor in the Municipality of Guysborough.

Guthro, who has recently retired, has worked for the municipality for the past 37 years, keeping the municipality clean and running his garbage collection service on a timely schedule. Warden Lloyd Hines stated that over his many years on council a complaint about garbage service had never been heard and residents could set their watches by the arrival of the garbage truck.

Guthro was presented with an award and framed photo by Warden Hines in celebration of his service to the municipality and all wished him a long and healthy retirement.

Posted on May 16, 2012 | More Posts About: Amber Kirwan, Crime, New Glasgow, Pictou County RCMP, RCMP

A number of media sources are reporting that two people have been arrested in connection to the death of New Glasgow teenager Amber Kirwan. Both C-B-C and C-T-V have reported two adults have been arrested in connection to the homicide. The RCMP have called an official news conference for 9a.m. on Thursday morning where they say a significant update will be provided on the investigation. There’s no word yet on the identities of the two people arrested or when they were detained. The 19-year-old Kirwan went missing on October 9th after leaving a downtown pool hall in New Glasgow to meet her boyfriend just blocks away. Her body was discovered a month later on a wooded property off Heathbell Road in Pictou County.

Posted on May 16, 2012 | More Posts About: antigonish, Catholic Church, Crime, Diocese of Antigonish

The former Roman Catholic Bishop of Antigonish convicted of importing child pornography has been stripped of his duties. In a statement, the Diocese of Antigonish says the Holy See in Rome has dismissed Raymond Lahey from the Clerical State. The Diocese says its among the most serious penalties that be imposed by the Catholic Church. The dismissal means Lahey is no longer permitted to preside over religious services or sacrements. However, any sacraments that he performed prior to the dismissal by the church continue to be valid.   Lahey plead gulity to importing child pornography after hundreds of images and videos of young boys were found on his laptop at the Ottawa airport. He was sentenced to 15 months in jail and two years probation.

Posted on May 16, 2012 | More Posts About: Agriculture, antigonish, Antigonish County

The President of the Antigonish/Guysborough Federation of Agriculture says it’s worried about Antigonish Town’s move to force a tax-sale of the Exhibition Grounds.   The County of Antigonish owns the Exhibition Grounds but hasn’t paid its tax bill to the town since the province added the property to the taxable assessment list in 2003.   Dustin Swinkels says the property was donated to the federation in 1938.  He says the federation deeded the property to the county in 1964 to protect the land from being sold.  Swinkels says to have the property potentially sold at a tax sale is a concern.

Dustin Swinkels

Swinkels says the federation’s board of directors will be meeting tonight, and they will be discussing the issue and possible options.  Antigonish County Council has asked its solicitor to make some recommendations on how to respond to the town.  It has 14 days to settle the tax debt before the process begins for putting the grounds up for sale.

Posted on May 16, 2012 | More Posts About: antigonish, Antigonish County, Municipal Politics, Provincial Government

The County of Antigonish is waiting for a legal opinion before they respond to the Town’s move to force the tax-sale of the Exhibition Grounds. The County of Antigonish owns the Exhibition Grounds but hasn’ t paid its tax bill to the Town of Antigonish since the province added the property to the taxable assessment list in 2003.  At a meeting on Monday, Town council voted to reject the County’s offer to pay 56-thousand-dollars of the over 296-thousand it owes the Town in taxes on the property. In rejecting the offer, Town council cited concerns that the remaining debt couldn’t be legally written off and that town residents would be left to foot the County’s bill.  On Tuesday, the Town served notice to the County that they were moving ahead with forcing the tax-sale of the property under the Municipal Government Act.  The notice gives the County 14 days to settle the tax debt before the process begins for putting the Exhibition Grounds up for sale to the highest bidder.  After the County’s monthly meeting Tuesday night, council held a closed session to discuss the situation. County Warden Herb Delorey says council hasn’t made any decision yet on how they will respond.

Herb Delorey-Exhibition Grounds

Delorey says he expects the County will receive some recommendations from their solicitor within one-to-two-weeks. Delorey says he was surprised by the Town’s reaction to their offer to pay part of the tax bill. He says the James Street property is the only Exhibition Grounds in the province that’s currently taxed.  Delorey says the Exhibition Grounds benefits both the Town and County and should be tax exempt; something the Warden says would require resolutions by both municipal units to have introduced as a private members bill in the Provincial Legislature. Delorey says the County remains open to sitting down and negotiating with the Town, and adds that he hopes the situation won’t hurt the good working relationship the municipal units have established in recent years.

Posted on May 15, 2012 | More Posts About: antigonish, Municipal Politics

Posted on May 15, 2012 | More Posts About: Crime, Inverness County, RCMP

There’s been a drug bust in Cheticamp.    RCMP say on Friday, officers searched a home and found a considerable amount of marijuana.  Two people were arrested on the scene and charged with possession of a substance for the purpose of trafficking and trafficking.

Posted on May 15, 2012 | More Posts About: Cape Breton District Health Authority, Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority, Health Care

A senior manager with the Cape Breton District Health Authority will lead the organization for the next year.  Dianne Calvert Simms will become the authority’s chief executive officer beginning June 1st for a 12 month term She is currently vice-president of patient services and chief nursing officer, and replaces John Malcom who is retiring. Last week the the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority made a similar move, appointing Liz Millett as their CEO for a one year term.  Millett replaces Kevin MacDonald who retired in January.  Millett has been the Authority’s interim CEO since MacDonald’s retirement

Posted on May 15, 2012 | More Posts About: antigonish, Antigonish County, Municipal Politics

The future of the Antigonish Exhibition Grounds on James Street is in jeopardy.  A tax dispute between the Town and County may force the land to be put up for sale. The County of Antigonish owns the exhibition grounds but hasn’t paid its’ tax bill to the Town of Antigonish since the province added the property to the taxable assessment list in 2003.  The Town was recently informed by the province that under the Municipal Government Act, all properties that have been tax delinquent for more than three years must be put up for sale. At a meeting last night, Town council voted to reject the County’s offer to pay 56-thousand-dollars of the over 296-thousand it owes the Town.  After debate about the legalities of writing off the remainder of the outstanding tax bill, only Councillors William Cormier and Sean Cameron voted in favour of accepting the County ’s offer. Mayor Carl Chisholm says he trusts the opinion of Town C-A-O Stephen Feist, who says the Town can’t simply write off the remainder of the debt without having to legally recoup the money. Chisholm says that would leave Town residents on the hook for the County’s unpaid bill.

Carl Chisholm–Exhibition Grounds

Chisholm says that if the county doesn’t respond within 14 days, the process of putting the Exhibition Grounds up for sale to the highest bidder will begin.  Chisholm says he expects the Town would be among those interested in buying the land. Last month the County passed a motion to pay the town 56 thousand of the 296-thousand-dollar bill if the Town would seek to have the province officially declare the property tax exempt. The Town of Antigonish says the County could have made the property tax exempt in 2003 if they had deeded the ownership of the land to the Federation of Agriculture, which currently leases the exhibition grounds. The Town also says it’s the responsibility of the County as owners to try and have the exhibition grounds, currently valued at 1.1-million-dollars, declared tax exempt by the province.

Posted on May 15, 2012 | More Posts About: antigonish, Municipal Government

Residents of Antigonish will be paying higher taxes this year. The Town of Antigonish passed its 2012-2013 budget and tax rates at a council meeting last night. The overall budget is increasing by nearly 324-thousand-dollars to just under 7-million-329-thousand. The residential tax rate is increasing by three cents to one-dollar-per-one-hundred dollars of assessment; while the commercial rate is also going up by three cents to 2-dollars-and-fifty-three-cents. Mayor Carl Chisholm says the increase in tax rates reflects higher operating costs, planned improvements, and ongoing funding commitments to projects like the new library and sports fields.

Carl Chisholm–Town Budget

Chisholm says despite the tax hike Antigonish still has the lowest municipal tax rates of any town in the province.

Posted on May 15, 2012 | More Posts About: antigonish, Municipal Government

Canines in Antigonish now have a legal home-away-from-home.  Antigonish Town Council held a public hearing last night before passing two by-laws that regulate and license kennels for domestic animals. The issue first came to light after Happy Dogs Antigonish; a boarding, training, and dog sitting business opened on Court Street. The business prompted some public concerns about a kennel operating in a residential area. Under the new rules, kennels will only be permitted in industrial zones or through a case-by-case development agreement in areas that are zoned commercial.  The regulations also require one on-site attendant for every ten animals being cared for; with a maximum number of 20 pets being housed at any one time. Mayor Carl Chisholm says he’s pleased the issue has been settled and that Happy Dogs will continue to provide a service for pet owners at a new location.

Carl Chisholm-Kennels

At last night’s Public Hearing, Happy Dogs Owner Katie Jamieson informed council that Happy Dogs will be moving to a new location on Adams Street.

Posted on May 15, 2012 | More Posts About: antigonish, Federal Politics, Municipal Politics

Changes to the Loonie and Toonie are about to cost the Town of Antigonish some serious coin. The federal Government has announced that alterations to the dollar and two dollar coin will save the Royal Canadian Mint about 40-million-dollars in production costs. However, the new lighter version of the two coins will no longer work in the Town’s parking meters.  Mayor Carl Chisholm says the prospect of changing the Town’s meters is an unwelcome expense.

Carl Chisholm-Parking Meters

Town council hasn’t decided if it will buy new meters, purchase used parking meters that can adapt to the coin change or switch to a pay-parking kiosk system. Chisholm says downtown parking is something the Town plans to address under a wider strategy over the coming year.

Posted on May 14, 2012 | More Posts About: Nova Scotia Power, Port Hawkesbury, Utility and Review Board

An on-line petition started by a Port Hawkesbury man opposing rate hikes by Nova Scotia Power is gaining momentum.  62-year-old retiree Archie Stewart started his petition in late March, in anticipation NSP would seek another increase from the Utility and Review Board this year.  That petition now has more than 17-thousand names.  Stewart says  about 10-thousand people added their names within days after the power company filed its application for a three per cent rate hike in 2013 and 2014, and it took another jump after news that senior executives of NSP’s parent company Emera received big bonuses last year. Stewart says most people signing the petition are telling him they can’t afford another increase.

Archie Stewart

The petition asks the House of Assembly to use its power over the Utility and Review Board to deny any general rate application presented by NSP in 2013, 2014 and 2015.    Stewart is hoping to collect 100-thousand names before he takes the petition to Premier Darrell Dexter.  The petition can be found at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/deny-nova-scotia-power-a-rate-increase-in-2013/signature-map.html

Posted on May 14, 2012 | More Posts About: Antigonish County, RCMP

The Antigonish RCMP is investigating a suspicious fire in Maryvale over the weekend.  Police say the Saturday afternoon blaze destroyed a barn known to locals as the “Lime Shed”.   Route 245 was closed for a while Saturday while firefighters were on the scene.

Anyone with any information about the fire are asked to contact the Antigonish RCMP at 863-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477

Posted on May 14, 2012 | More Posts About: Richmond County

Parks Canada officials say there will be some closures at the St. Peters Canal Swing Bridge during the overnight hours this week.   The federal agency says the bridge will be closed to traffic in both directions for 30 minute intervals from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. until Friday.

The measure is being taken so repairs can be make to the bridge deck.  Parks Canada is working with emergency services and will accommodate emergency vehicles during these closures.