(NB-Nursing-Homes)
Two New Brunswick nursing homes will be joining the Nursing Home Without Walls program.
Villa St-Isidore, a 60-bed nursing home in Hautes-Terres, and Villa Saint-Joseph, a 79-bed facility Tracadie, are set to join the program.
The program helps older adults who want to remain in their homes by offering in-person social visits and activities aimed at reducing isolation.
The New Brunswick government says it now has 30 sites participating in the program.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NB-Temporary-Worker-Fines)
A New Brunswick seafood company is challenging a federal fine and ban it received from the country’s temporary work program.
Bolero Shellfish Processing says its Charter rights were violated and that Ottawa’s fines were disproportionate and unlawful.
The federal government said in September the company broke hiring laws and didn’t provide its employees proper pay or working conditions, before slapping it with a one-million-dollar fine and a 10-year ban on using the temporary foreign worker program.
Bolero says the federal government took four years to investigate, a time frame it says was unreasonable and prejudicial.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Cda-Us-Tariffs-Lumber)
Industry Minister Melanie Joly says financial relief from U-S tariffs is coming soon for Canada’s softwood lumber sector.
Joly made the announcement yesterday in Fredericton, saying Ottawa will soon provide funding through banks backstopped by the Business Development Bank of Canada.
She also says the federal government is working on a buy-Canadian policy that will promote the use of softwood from New Brunswick.
While the vast majority of Canadian trade is exempted from U-S tariffs because of the Canada-U-S-Mexico Agreement, U-S President Donald Trump has targeted Canada’s steel, aluminum, auto, energy and lumber sectors with duties.
(The Canadian Press)
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NL-Elxn-Wakeham)
Newfoundland and Labrador premier-designate Tony Wakeham says the way the Progressive Conservatives responded to frustration felt by rural voters was one of the key factors behind its election win this week.
Wakeham says rural residents have made it clear they feel like they’re being left behind in the province.
He says there’s also a sense of urgency about improving access to health care, paying less taxes and combating crime, all issues Wakeham says were championed by the Tories.
The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government Tuesday.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Assoun-Investigation)
Alberta’s police watchdog says it will investigate Nova Scotia police’s handling of a wrongful murder conviction.
Glen Assoun spent 17 years in prison for the 1995 murder of his ex-girlfriend Brenda Way before being acquitted in 2019, just a few years before his death in 2023.
In 2020, the province asked its police watchdog to start a formal probe into whether officers broke the law when destroying evidence relevant to Assoun’s case.
The police watchdog said in 2021 its B-C counterpart had agreed to take on the investigation to ensure transparency, before the case was dropped in 2023.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NL-Black-Bears)
Newfoundland and Labrador residents are being asked to help prevent black bear encounters as the animals get ready for winter hibernation.
The province says the bears are more active this time of year and residents can expect to see the continued presence of conservation officers in areas where sightings have been reported.
People are encouraged to ensure garbage is stored and disposed of properly in residential areas, campsites or work sites.
If you happen to encounter a black bear, remain calm and avoid direct eye contact while giving it space and a route to get away while backing away without running.
(The Canadian Press)
