(Elxn-NB)
New Brunswick’s premier-designate has drawn up a list of her priorities for the coming weeks.
Liberal Leader Susan Holt says that after she and her 30-member caucus are sworn in on November 2nd, they will move quickly to provide financial incentives to retain nurses.
Holt says her Liberal government also plans to: remove the 10 per cent provincial sales tax from electricity bills; impose a rent cap; and eliminate the gas tax, saving motorists four cents on every litre of fuel.
In Monday’s provincial election, the Liberals won a convincing majority by securing 31 of the legislature’s 49 seats, while the Progressive Conservatives led by Premier Blaine Higgs won 16 and Greens held two.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Atlantic-Health-Care)
A new report says P-E-I has the highest percentage of residents without access to a regular health provider among the provinces.
The figures from the Canadian Institute for Health Information show 27 per cent of Islanders are without access to a regular provider, compared with 17 per cent in all of Canada.
Twenty-two percent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are without access to a regular provider, which is the second-highest rate among the provinces.
The report says Newfoundland and Labrador also has the country’s highest median wait time for mental health care — 51 days — though data was available for just seven provinces and territories.
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(NS-Tiny-Homes)
A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Suzanne Ley — a director with the Nova Scotia government’s department of community services — says though the village provides temporary accommodations for people experiencing homelessness, the units resemble a more traditional home.
The single units are 176 square feet, while the double occupancy units are 252 square feet.
The province put up 9.4-million dollars in construction costs last fall to build the homes and has committed 935-thousand dollars annually for the village’s operational costs.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Immigration-Acadian-Reaction)
The Société National de l’Acadie is reacting favourably to the announcement by Ottawa that it is going to reduce immigration numbers.
The Acadian advocacy group says there are serious problems with housing and social services that high immigration levels are making worse.
The current level of five hundred thousand immigrants annually is going to fall to 365-thousand by 2027.
Society president Martin Théberge says more efforts also need to be made to increase the percentage of francophone immigrants to the country, saying this is vital to the sustainability of the Acadian community.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Summerside-Suspicious-Fire)
Police in Summerside, P-E-I are seeking the public’s help in investigating a suspicious fire.
Investigators say that at approximately 1:57 a.m. on Sunday they received a 911 call reporting an explosion and fire at a construction site on Water Street East.
Fire Department personnel were able to extinguish the blaze that destroyed multiple pieces of heavy machinery.
Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to contact Summerside Police Services.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Atlantic-Heavy-Rain)
Environment Canada is asking residents in parts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia to brace for hazardous conditions as heavy rain begins tonight.
Central and eastern Newfoundland could see p to 120 millimeters of rain fall by Saturday, with downpours as high as 20 millimetres per hour.
The weather agency says flash floods, washouts and scattered power outages are possible.
Meanwhile, northeastern Nova Scotia could see between 40 and 60 millimetres by Friday evening, which could cause hazardous driving conditions and flooding in low-lying areas.
(The Canadian Press)
