Happy Friday 😜😜😜😜
(NB-Nurses-Roles)
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has stopped a plan by Horizon Health that would have moved registered nurses and other professionals into new roles in the areas of public health and mental health and addictions.
In a statement on social media Holt says she is “extremely concerned to hear about potential changes” that were presented to Horizon nurses and other staff at two meetings on Wednesday.
The premier says she and her ministers “have asked that there be a stop to these activities until meaningful consultation is done” with front-line staff.
Following Holt’s statement, Horizon C-E-O Margaret Melanson issued her own, saying Horizon was in “the early stages of a transformation” to improve public health and addiction and mental health services. (CBC News)
—
(NS-Chignecto-Isthmus)
Nova Scotia’s minister of public works says it will be “several years” until construction begins to protect the Chignecto Isthmus from flooding.
Fred Tilley said yesterday the province is continuing pre-engineering work and consultations with New Brunswick for upgrades to the land bridge between the provinces.
The eventual goal is to improve dikes that would protect rail, road and communication lines in the event of powerful storms.
However, the cabinet minister says, “There’s a lot of work that has to happen before the work starts” on the 650-million-dollar project. (The Canadian Press)
—
(NS-Environmental-Racism)
The minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs says she has read a report about environmental racism in her province, but she won’t comment on what it says.
Twila Grosse told reporters following a cabinet meeting yesterday the report is the responsibility of the Office of Anti-Racism.
The government appointed an eight-member panel in June 2023 to study how racism affects a community’s natural environment and it delivered its findings to cabinet last year.
Grosse says a meeting will be scheduled soon with a group of ministers and the panel to discuss the findings, although a date hasn’t been set. (The Canadian Press)
—
(NL-More-Moose-Fence)
The Newfoundland and Labrador government has set aside one-million dollars to extend a fence along the Trans-Canada Highway to prevent moose from colliding with vehicles.
An additional 5.5 kilometres of moose fencing will be attached to a recently completed section near Route 90, also known as the Salmonier Line.
That section of the highway is known to be an area where numerous moose-vehicle incidents have been reported.
Work on the project is expected to begin later this year. (The Canadian Press)
—
(NS–Alcohol-Retail-Expansion)
The Canadian Public Health Association is criticizing the Nova Scotia government’s proposal to expand alcohol sales into convenience stores and other private retail outlets.
The association says increasing access to alcohol will have predictable consequences for public health and health system sustainability.
Ian Culbert, the director of the group, says the research is clear: when alcohol becomes easier to buy, “more people drink, more people get sick, and more people die.”
The association says Nova Scotia already experiences more than 570 alcohol-related deaths and over 44-thousand alcohol-related hospital and emergency room visits annually. (The Canadian Press)
—
(Memorial-Investment-Fund)
Memorial University has launched a student-managed investment fund.
The Fairhead fund is based in the Centre for Social Enterprise in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and allows students to gain hands-on experience evaluating organizations and recommending investment decisions.
Fairlead’s first recipient, Home Again Furniture Bank, attended an event yesterday at the university to accept a cheque for 75-thousand-dollars.
As the only furniture bank in the region, Home Again provides “gently-used” furniture to individuals and families in need. (The Canadian Press)
—
