Chuck Boudreau

A lasting tribute to the Sisters of St. Martha now stands near the main entrance of Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital, recognizing more than 120 years of compassion, service and community.

The monument was dedicated October 26 on behalf of Nova Scotia Health, hospital staff, physicians, learners and volunteers, along with the hospital foundation and auxiliary.

The dedication comes following the announcement earlier this year that the Mission Assurance Agreement between the Sisters, the Department of Health and Wellness and Nova Scotia Health would conclude September 30.

As the hospital prepared for that transition, recognizing the Sisters’ longstanding relationship with the site became an important priority.

Sarah O’Brien, site lead at Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital, says the goal was to create something that would remain for generations.

“We knew that we wanted a recognition piece that would be a lasting symbol of the Sisters’ commitment and connection to the hospital and one that recognized their legacy of compassion and care.”

The monument was made by Arsenault Monuments & Stone Work of Antigonish and installed near the hospital’s main entrance.

Amy Carver, executive director of the hospital’s foundation, says the Sisters’ influence remains deeply connected to the hospital’s identity.

“They created a culture of care, compassion, dignity and respect that makes this hospital a special place.”

Sister Brendalee Boisvert, congregation leader of the Sisters of St. Martha, says the Sisters are proud of the role they played in the hospital’s history and confident their values will continue.

“We know the spirit of those values will go forward with the staff and physicians and the hospital will continue to be a place where people are cared for with compassion, kindness and respect.”

The monument is not the final recognition planned for the Sisters.

A working group will be established to guide the development of a permanent indoor reflective space at the hospital.

The case of a 54-year-old Arichat man who was accused of misappropriation and theft of trust funds has had his case adjourned.

The Public Prosecution Service says the accused was represented in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court by his defense attorney on October 26, in connection with the allegations. Additional time was requested to review disclosure.

The investigation began in 2019 following complaints received by the RCMP. Project HUBRIS interviewed more than 100 witnesses throughout North America, and his law office was searched in 2021.

The accused is charged with fraud, theft, possession of property obtained through crime, and breach of trust.

The next scheduled court appearance is January 14, 2027, in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court when an election and plea is expected.

Mary Ellen Macdonald says grief is something we will all experience, but we still have a lot to learn about how to recognize it, talk about it and support one another through it.

Macdonald, who holds the J. and W. Murphy Foundation Endowed Chair in Palliative Care at Dalhousie University, brought that message to a Richmond County audience during a presentation focused on grief literacy, music therapy and community-based end-of-life care.

The Seniors Take Action Coalition hosted the “Good Life, Good Death” conference in Arichat on October 23.

Macdonald has spent two decades researching death, dying and bereavement and is co-founder of Grief Matters, a Canadian charitable organization focused on grief literacy, education and advocacy.

She says grief is much broader than the death of a loved one. It can follow any meaningful loss, including separation, divorce, illness, migration, aging, changes to our sense of identity and even climate change.

“We are all grievers,” she told the audience, emphasizing that everyone experiences loss in some form during their lifetime.

One of the challenges, she says, is that many people don’t have the vocabulary or comfort to talk about grief. It often isn’t taught in schools, universities or workplaces, and even health professionals may receive limited education about it.

Without that language, Macdonald says, people may have difficulty recognizing grief in themselves or knowing how to respond when someone else is grieving.

She also wants to challenge the idea that grief follows predictable stages or a straight path.

Instead, grief can affect people emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually. It can interfere with sleep and concentration, affect eating and exercise, and contribute to isolation.

Macdonald adds communities can become more grief literate by making conversations about loss more normal and creating spaces where people feel comfortable bringing their grief into the open.

That could mean community activities, peer support, grief cafés, creative projects or simple personal rituals that help people maintain a connection with someone or something they have lost.

The McCurdy Sydney Airport is celebrating a major achievement at the North American Level.

The airport has been named the recipient of the 2026 Public Relations Programs Award, Small Airport Category by Airports Council International–North America.

The prestigious award was presented earlier this week in Seattle and recognizes excellence in airport public relations across Canada and the United States.

It recognizes the work involved in communicating the airport’s story, promoting the region and highlighting the role the facility plays in connecting Cape Breton with the rest of the world.

“This recognition reflects the dedication, creativity, and commitment of our team, as well as the strong community partnerships that are central to our work,” airport officials said.

The airport says it is grateful for the recognition and for the community partnerships that have helped make its work possible.

The Fort MacMurray International Airport was the 2025 recipient of the award.

The debate surrounding the proposed $10 billion data centre in Point Tupper is moving beyond social media, with protests now being organized across Nova Scotia.

Benjamin Lauzon is one of the people helping organize the demonstrations, planned for November 7.

Lauzon says he became involved shortly after the data centre was announced on October 16. He says he felt residents needed an opportunity to have their voices heard.

Public outcry has resulted in significant social media posts, as well as an online petition with over 19,000 signatures so far.

The protests are being driven by concerns about transparency, environmental impacts and the public’s ability to make an informed decision about the project.

Lauzon questions whether enough environmental work has been completed specifically for the proposed data centre. He says, in his view, existing studies have relied on information from an earlier project rather than new studies focused on the current proposal.

“I personally don’t understand how this is even passing Canadian environmental law,” Lauzon said, adding that he believes more information is needed.

For Lauzon, however, the issue goes beyond someone stance on the data centre.

Lauzon says the central concern is public involvement.

“The fact that they are not giving the voice to Nova Scotians to make an informed decision is, I think, one of the big points of our protest,” he says.

Five protest locations are now planned across Nova Scotia for November 7. Lauzon says people who cannot attend a scheduled demonstration are being encouraged to organize their own local action.

A fifth protest has been added at Civic Square in Truro for the same date and time.

Lauzon says the focus is on learning more about the proposal and sharing information.

He adds the protesters want to demonstrate that Nova Scotians expect to be part of major decisions affecting their communities.

Lauzon shared he would like to see a public inquiry and believes greater transparency is needed before residents can make informed judgments about the project.

A West Bay woman facing 50 drug trafficking and weapons charges will return to Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court next month after having her case adjourned.

The province’s public prosecution service says Harriet Battiste appeared in court October 20.

Battiste, 61, was arrested at a home in West Bay following a search in June. Two men were also arrested at the same time, and officers found items that supported charges related to human trafficking, drug trafficking and weapons offences.

The investigation also resulted in charges against 63-year-old Hubert Alexander Matthews; he is facing multiple charges, including trafficking people, obtaining a material benefit from sexual services, as well as drug and weapons charges.

A second man was released pending further investigation.

Battiste’s next scheduled appearance is November 30, 2026, in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court. The appearance is scheduled for election and/or plea.

Nova Scotia’s Legislature will not sit for an emergency debate on EverWind’s proposed $10 billion AI data centre in Cape Breton.

According to the NDP, Speaker Danielle Barkhouse declined a request saying it was not in the public interest

Members of the Legislative Assembly last met on September 18 after a nine-day fall sitting.

The request to recall came after it was announced last week that U.S.-based AI company, Anthropic, had signed a long-term lease for data centre capacity at Point Tupper as part of the investment involving the data centre and new wind generation.

The announcement has prompted questions and criticism from across the province, particularly around electricity demand, water use, regulation and the potential benefits and costs to Nova Scotians.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender was the first to call for the Legislature to be recalled. Liberal MLA Becky Druhan also wrote to Premier Tim Houston supporting an emergency sitting and calling for answers about the project.

Under Nova Scotia’s rules, when the House has been adjourned for at least ten sitting days, the Speaker can give notice of an earlier meeting if, after consulting with government, the Speaker is satisfied that the public interest requires it. The opposition’s request does not automatically trigger a recall.

“This is unacceptable,” Chender said. “People are losing trust that this government is even listening, much less considering their interests.”

Power rates is one of Chender’s concerns

Chender says Nova Scotians have questions about potential impacts on power bills and water supplies and argues that additional regulations as well as written agreements should be in place before the project moves forward.

She also says the Legislature is the appropriate place to establish legal protections.

Premier Tim Houston has said the Point Tupper proposal will be subject to environmental and industrial approval processes and has emphasized that there will be checks and balances as the project moves forward. He has also said protecting Nova Scotia ratepayers is a condition of his government’s support for the project.

EverWind says the first phase of the data centre is expected to require 95 megawatts of electricity, with the full development targeted at 420 megawatts. The company says it will cover electricity infrastructure costs attributable to the project, so they are not passed on to existing ratepayers.

Meanwhile, the public are awaiting dates for community engagement sessions to be hosted by EverWind.

For hockey players, skaters, families and recreational users across Richmond County, there is now a clearer timeline for getting back on the ice at the Richmond Arena.

The Municipality of the County of Richmond says the facility has an estimated ice-in date set for the end of November.

The Richmond Arena was closed in the spring to undergo a retrofit of the refrigeration system.

A major step in the project was completed on October 15, when the new ice surface floor was poured.

But there is still some waiting involved.

The newly poured floor requires a 28-day curing period before the next stages of the project can move ahead. Once that process is complete, crews can continue preparing the surface and refrigeration system for the return of ice.

The municipality says it understands how eager the community is to get back into the facility and is thanking residents and arena users for their patience while the work is completed.

The Richmond Arena closure has also had an impact beyond Richmond County.

With the Richmond Arena unavailable, and the ice surfaces at the Keating Centre in Antigonish also out of operation, additional pressure has been placed on the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre to accommodate ice users from across the region.

That has meant finding room in an already busy schedule for hockey, skating and other ice-related activities.

The eventual reopening of the Richmond Arena could therefore provide more than just a return to normal for Richmond County users. It could also help ease some of the regional demand being placed on the Port Hawkesbury facility.

The municipality says it will continue to provide updates as the project progresses.

A new four-day hiking experience through some of northern Cape Breton’s most remote wilderness is moving closer to reality.

The Province announced October 19 that two agreements will allow the Municipality of the County of Inverness to build and manage the Jajiktek Seawall Trail through the Polletts Cove-Aspy Fault Wilderness Area.

The trail will cover about 48 kilometres, offering hikers coastal views, mountainous terrain, rugged wilderness and pristine natural areas. The route will begin near Red River in Inverness County and end in Meat Cove, close to the Victoria County line.

The experience is expected to take four days, with hikers staying in camping huts at three locations along the route. The trail is expected to open in approximately two years.

Environment Minister Timothy Halman says the project demonstrates that conservation and tourism can work together, describing the trail as an opportunity to experience a protected area while keeping conservation at the centre of the project.

There is also an economic component. The province says construction will create opportunities for local contractors, tradespeople and suppliers. Once open, the trail is expected to support accommodations, restaurants, transportation providers, guides and other businesses.

Inverness County Warden Bonny MacIsaac says the project is intended to contribute to the long-term economic vitality of rural communities while showcasing the region’s natural and cultural heritage.

The province has invested approximately $7 million toward designing and building the trail and its camping huts.

The Municipality of the County of Inverness will continue working with community partners and stakeholders to establish a not-for-profit organization responsible for the trail’s long-term operation, maintenance and promotion.

(The name Jajiktek is a Mi’kmaw word referring to the movement of crouching down and standing up while travelling along a difficult route close to water.)

If you plan to use Highway 104 near Dagger Woods… expect some extra time on the road.

Ongoing road construction continues in the area.

The Department of Public Works says traffic delays are expected on October 21 and 22, with motorists potentially facing delays of approximately 15 minutes.

Work is being done between 7:00Am and 6:30PM each of the days.

Public Works is also reminding motorists to slow down and use caution when travelling through construction zones.

The province recommends checking 511 Nova Scotia for the latest traffic information before heading out.