(NS-Wildfires)
A 20-member fire crew and an incident management team from Ontario are expected to spell off some Nova Scotia counterparts today on the Long Lake fire in the Annapolis Valley.
Natural Resources Department official Jim Rudderham says the move is necessary because local crews have been fighting fires since earlier this month and need a rest.
Officials estimate the fire covers just over 80 square kilometres.
Officials say some homes in the area have been damaged but they say they will wait to release precise figures until residents are notified.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NL-Churchill-Falls)
Talks are continuing as Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador hammer out final agreements on a sweeping energy partnership.
The premiers of both provinces along with the heads of their power utilities met in St. John’s yesterday.
The utilities are negotiating a new deal to end an existing contract that allows Hydro-Quebec to buy most of the power from the Churchill Falls station in Labrador at rock-bottom prices.
Premier John Hogan says any halt to the negotiations could end the partnership, adding that the deal is a pivotal issue in his province’s general election expected this fall.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Wildfires-NS-Air-Quality)
Environment Canada has issued an air quality statement and air quality warning for parts of Nova Scotia.
It says an air quality warning is in effect for Annapolis County because of smoke from the Long Lake wildfire.
An air quality statement is also in effect for Halifax, Lunenburg, Kings, and Hants counties with smoke from the Long Lake wildfire significantly affecting the area.
The weather agency is asking people to limit time outdoors and reduce or reschedule sports and other outdoor activities.
(The Canadian Press)
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(Wildfires-NL-Patrols)
Police in Newfoundland and Labrador say they are conducting patrols using all-terrain vehicles in Conception Bay North.
They say officers are looking for suspicious or criminal activity in evacuated zones.
They say they are also looking for people who may be trying to access areas that have an evacuation order.
About two-thousand-100 people in eastern Newfoundland were driven from their homes this month by a wildfire spreading along the northwestern shore of Conception Bay, about 45 kilometres northwest of St. John’s.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NB-Crowns-Deal)
The New Brunswick government says it has reached a tentative collective agreement with the union representing Crown counsel in the province.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents about 50 lawyers working in legal and legislative services at the Office of the Attorney General.
The government says both sides have agreed to withhold details of the agreement until it is ratified.
(The Canadian Press)
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(PEI-Drug-Bust)
R-C-M-P in P-E-I say a 34-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman face drugs and weapons charges following a search in Kings County.
The pair were arrested Monday following a search at a home in Abney.
Police say they seized a loaded shotgun, ammunition, cocaine and other drug paraphernalia.
Both suspects are to appear in court at a later date.
(The Canadian Press)
