(NB-Budget)
Out-of-province vehicles will soon need to pay a toll to use the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick.
As part of the provincial budget, the government says it will install tolls at Aulac, near the Nova Scotia border, by 2028.
The province expects the tolls to raise an extra 10-million dollars a year.
Tuesday’s budget included a 1.4-billion dollar deficit, the largest in New Brunswick history.
(The Canadian Press)
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(PEI-Obit-Mark-McLane)
Mark McLane, the Progressive Conservative MLA for Cornwall-Meadowbank, died Tuesday following an unspecified medical condition.
He was first elected in a 2021 byelection and reelected in 2023, quickly becoming a senior voice in the government.
He served as minister of finance and chair of Treasury Board before being appointed minister of health and wellness.
Premier Rob Lantz said in a statement McLane served Islanders with dedication, integrity and a deep commitment to his community, adding he brought compassion and practical leadership to every role he held.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NL-Churchill-Falls)
The chair of a panel reviewing the Churchill Falls memorandum of understsanding for Newfoundland and Labrador says its deadline is still achievable.
Former Emera C-E-O Chris Huskilson says the three-person panel is still aiming to finish by April 30th.
He says, however, that the panel has decided not to speak to the media about anything else until the review is complete.
Premier Tony Wakeham assembled the panel in December to review a draft energy deal with Hydro-Québec about power from Labrador.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NL-Bay-du-Nord)
The press secretary for Canada’s finance minister is clearing up confusion about international royalties for Newfoundland and Labrador’s Bay du Nord offshore oil project.
John Fragos says Canada will pay the royalties that come due under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He also says ballpark estimates that the fees could total one-billion dollars over the project’s lifespan are fair.
He says he believes the federal environment minister made a mistake when she told a standing committee last week that Canada was still in negotiations with the province.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Indigenous-Funding)
The federal government is putting 1.1-million dollars towards the creation of a new Indigenous-led cultural and tourism centre in Nova Scotia.
The money will help build a new road to the Mi’kmaway (Mic-ma-way) Debert Cultural Centre, north of Truro.
The site will share Mi’kmaw history and culture with visitors from around the world.
The funding is part of six-million dollars for Indigenous tourism projects across the country.
(The Canadian Press)
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(NS-Long-Term-Care)
Staff at 40 Nova Scotia long-term care homes are poised to strike if they don’t get a deal with the province next week.
New Glasgow’s Glen Haven Manor is the latest home where staff have voted in favour of striking.
The government and the union haven’t met since last month and the last day of conciliation is set for next Tuesday.
Wages are the big stumbling block, with the union saying Nova Scotia long-term care workers are the lowest-paid in Atlantic Canada.
(CTV News)
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(Atlantic Update by The Canadian Press)
