Chuck Boudreau

The proposed $10-billion AI data centre at Point Tupper is now at the center of a push to bring Nova Scotia’s Legislature back into session.

NDP Leader, Claudia Chender is calling on Premier Tim Houston to reconvene the Legislature for an emergency sitting, saying Nova Scotians deserve clear answers and legally enforceable protections before the project advances.

Her request has received support from Liberal MLA Becky Druhan, who has also written to Houston calling for the Legislature to be recalled.

EverWind announced last Friday that U.S.-based AI company Anthropic, the creator of Claude, has signed a long-term lease for data centre capacity at Point Tupper. The first phase is expected to require 95 megawatts of electricity, with the full development targeted at 420 megawatts.

The announcement has generated questions about the project’s impact on electricity rates, water resources, regulations and the benefits for communities.

Chender says the response from Nova Scotians has been significant.

“The bottom line is that no one asked for this,” Chender said in her statement, arguing the project could affect power bills and water use while creating relatively few long-term jobs.

Houston has said the Point Tupper proposal will be subject to environmental and industrial approval processes, with “many checks and balances” built into the process.

In a statement released in response to questions about the data centre, Houston responded to what he calls “misinformation that is being spread that your household power rate will go up” as being completely false.

Houston added, “The federal Liberal government has established guidelines for data centers. So have I.”

Druhan says that isn’t enough.

In her letter to the Premier, she points to questions she says she raised in the Legislature months ago about the government’s dealings with EverWind. She also notes that the Liberal caucus introduced the Data Centre Water and Ratepayer Protection Act during the September sitting.

Druhan argues the Legislature could now debate that bill and consider whether additional protections are required.

The two opposition parties are also emphasizing that they are not opposed to private investment or economic development in Nova Scotia.

The question now is whether the Legislature will actually be recalled.

Under Nova Scotia’s Rules of the House, when the House is adjourned for ten sitting days or more, the Speaker can give notice of an earlier meeting if, after consulting with government, the Speaker is satisfied that the public interest requires it. nslegislature.ca

That means the opposition’s request does not, by itself, automatically recall the Legislature.

After more than a year, RCMP is releasing the name of a man whose death has been confirmed as a homicide.

Emerson Elliot Dixon, 43, of Whitney Pier, was found deceased inside a vehicle on New Campbellton Road on August 30, 2025.

The death was initially considered suspicious before the Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit took over the investigation and, working with the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service, confirmed Dixon’s death was a homicide.

Dixon had been the subject of a well-being investigation in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality beginning August 28.

Investigators are now releasing additional information in hopes of generating new leads. The vehicle was a 2011 blue Chevrolet Malibu owned by someone known to Dixon.

Police are particularly interested in information about Dixon’s whereabouts and activities between August 23 and 27, 2025, as well as any other information that could assist the investigation.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police are asking anyone who may have information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the RCMP.

Drivers using Bay Street in Antigonish should plan for some delays this week as the Town carries out asphalt patching.

The work is scheduled for October 20 and 21, covering Bay Street between the railway tracks and the main entrance to the Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital.

Stop-and-go traffic control will be in place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on both days.

That means motorists heading toward the hospital or travelling through the area should expect some additional travel time while crews are working.

The Town of Antigonish apologizes for any inconvenience and is thanking drivers and residents for their patience while the work is completed.

The announcement of a $10-billion AI data centre in Point Tupper has brought a new focus to the region’s resources, and the Ecology Action Centre says there are still many important questions that need answers.

Thomas McNeil, Senior Energy Coordinator with the organization, says the technical briefing and announcement left the EAC with questions about the project’s potential impact on water users and power rates.

One of his concerns is the difference between the amount of water EverWind says it expects to use and what McNeil says the project is permitted to use. He argues that the public needs to understand what limits are actually enforceable, and adds the permit, as he understands it, allows significantly more water use.

EverWind says the project will use a closed-loop cooling system. Under its current design, the first phase is expected to use about 100,000 litres of water a day, increasing to about 500,000 litres at full 420-megawatt buildout. The company says most cooling will rely on air, with water-assisted cooling during the hottest weather.

Richmond’s Warden Lois Landry shares that the approval for water comes under the jurisdiction of the Landrie Lake Water Utiltiy and “If we set in writing the conditions and the amount of water that they can have and they exceed that, the regulations permit the suspension of that service.”

McNeil questions whether voluntary standards set by the Premier provide enough protection for water users and power rates, arguing that government needs to establish enforceable requirements for private companies using the province’s resources.

“If the government abdicates its responsibility to regulate these companies… then they are going to leave Nova Scotians at the mercy of American billionaires”, says McNeil.

The company is expected to begin community engagement sessions in the Point Tupper area in early November, providing an opportunity for residents to ask questions about water, energy and other aspects of the proposed development.

A Port Hood fisherman is about to see a remarkable chapter in his life play out on the big screen.

Dennis Cameron is one of the central figures in “Bite to Bite”, a feature documentary that follows an Atlantic bluefin tuna from the waters of Nova Scotia to Japan, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the people, fishing industry and global seafood trade connected to one fish. Bite to Bite

For Cameron, the story began long before the cameras arrived.

The Port Hood fisherman has spent more than two decades working with scientists studying Atlantic bluefin tuna. That work involved catching, tagging and releasing tuna as researchers gathered information about the fish and their movements.

It was that experience that eventually put Cameron on the filmmakers’ radar.

Cameron says he initially wasn’t convinced about getting involved. But after encouragement from fellow fishermen, he reluctantly agreed to take part.

“I figured, okay, that’s never going to happen. But no, it did,” he recalled.

What followed was anything but ordinary.

Cameron and the film crew caught a bluefin tuna off Nova Scotia, brought it back to Port Hood and had it processed at the local Fisherman’s Co-op. Then they boarded a plane and followed the fish to Japan.

They were there when it reached the auction floor in Tokyo, watched it being cut and followed part of its journey to a restaurant, where Cameron eventually got to taste the tuna himself.

The experience also gave Cameron a glimpse into a world far removed from his home waters.

He spent five days in Tokyo visiting the famous fish market and says the history of the people working there made a lasting impression.

“The history there is incredible,” Cameron said, describing one shopkeeper whose family had operated from the same location for 13 generations.

Now, Bite to Bite is bringing that journey to audiences at Devour! The Food Film Fest in Wolfville.

The film screens Thursday, October 22nd at 5 p.m. at the Al Whittle Theatre.

Cameron will attend, along with director Kelly Lipscomb, and the event includes an in-theatre tasting, featuring tuna.

Premier Tim Houston says his position on data centres has evolved, opening the door to potential projects in Nova Scotia, but he insists the province won’t allow new industrial demand to drive up electricity costs for existing customers.

A data centre is being considered on the site owned by EverWind Fuels in Point Tupper.

In June, Houston indicated the province would only consider data centres once major generation projects were operational.

Houston says the sentiment behind those earlier comments remains the same: protecting ratepayers.

But, now, several things have changed including developments around geopolitical and the federal government’s approach to data sovereignty.

Houston says those federal considerations have influenced how his government is looking at potential data-centre proposals.

Rather than simply asking whether Nova Scotia has enough electricity to accommodate another large industrial user, he says the province wants to establish a broader set of requirements.

Those would include understanding the environmental impact of a facility, its water usage and its effect on electricity rates.

Houston says any data-centre proposal would have to meet or exceed the requirements established federally and demonstrate that the project is “good for Nova Scotia”.

That represents a shift from the Premier’s earlier position, but it does not amount to an open invitation for data-centre development.

Instead, Houston says the province would consider opportunities on a case-by-case basis, with conditions attached.

Regulation or legislation?

Houston says his government is not waiting for a future legislative session before setting expectations.

He has already established what he expects from potential proponents.

“I’ve set my own regulations pretty clearly on what will be required”, says Houston.

He adds that Nova Scotia is willing to have the conversation about data centres, but not at the expense of existing electricity customers or the province’s broader environmental and resource priorities.

Fans of the Cape Breton Eagles are expressing frustration following a lacklustre start to the club’s 30th anniversary season.

In a message released Wednesday, owners Irwin and Trevor Simon say the beginning of the season has not gone the way anyone expected.

The Eagles entered the season with significant expectations. The club was ranked second in the CHL’s preseason rankings and unveiled a roster featuring 15 new players.

But the early results haven’t matched those expectations.

Following Monday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Sherbrooke Phoenix, the Eagles sit at 2-5-and-2 in the standings, with eight points through nine games.

That record has prompted plenty of online frustration among supporters, something ownership says it recognizes.

In the club’s statement, it says, “You have every right to expect more, and we hold ourselves to that same standard.”

The statement doesn’t point to a specific problem with the team or identify any individual as being responsible for the disappointing start.

Instead, ownership says it is evaluating where improvements are needed and taking steps to get the team moving in what it believes is the right direction.

What would you do to make Richmond County a better place to live?

That’s the question being put to Grade 5 and 6 students across the county as the Municipality launches its 2026 ‘Council for a Day’ contest.

The contest is part of the lead-up to Municipal Awareness Week, November 1 to 7, an opportunity to help residents learn more about local government, municipal services and how decisions are made.

The Municipality wants to hear directly from the students.

The challenge is to come up with an idea that could make Richmond County an even better place to live.

Students can submit their idea as a video, song, poster, poem or letter.

The contest is open to students who attend school or are homeschooled in Richmond County.

The Municipality’s challenge to students is summed up on the contest flyer: “Think it up – Dream your big idea for making Richmond County even better!”

There is a payoff for the five students selected.

The winners will become Warden and Councillors for a Day on Tuesday, November 24, from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

They’ll get to tour the Municipal Administration Building, sit down for a meal with the Warden and Councillors and take part in a mock Council meeting.

They’ll also be interviewed by Telile Community Television and receive a Richmond County prize pack.

Entries must be submitted by 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 21.

The five winners will be announced at the Regular Council Meeting on October 27.

One of the ideas submitted by a Grade 5 or 6 student could be something Richmond County hasn’t thought about yet.

You will soon have your chance to voice your concerns and ask your questions about a proposed data centre in Point Tupper.

At Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Richmond Warden Lois Landry shared that EverWind Fuels is ready to begin community engagement sessions over the much talked about project.

Everwind has been exploring the possibility of a data centre for over a month in the Richmond County industrial park. Data centres house technology used to store, process, and manage digital data.

Landry says there have been informal discussions with EverWind, but to-date, the county has not received a detailed development proposal.

However, community engagement sessions are set to begin late October or early November.

Water is likely to be one of the most closely watched issues.

Landrie Lake is located in Richmond County and supplies the raw water used for Port Hawkesbury’s drinking-water system. Landry says no commitment for approval can be made until the utility understands the project’s requirements and is satisfied they can be accommodated sustainably.

Data centres are known to use large supplies of water, however it is not yet known how much this project will require.

“If they have the water to give, we’re happy to give it. If they do not have the water to give, they cannot have it”, says Landry.

Landry says a development of this scale should provide more than property tax revenue.

Landry says the County would expect local employment, opportunities for Strait-area businesses, workforce development and training, and infrastructure investments that could support additional development.

But there are other things to consider.

Landry adds major industrial development can require new infrastructure, but the goal should be to strengthen existing systems and create additional capacity. The appropriate costs, she says, should be borne by the project proponent.

In addition, Landry says the Municipality’s role will include ensuring the development complies with local land-use bylaws. Because the proposed site is in the Point Tupper heavy industrial park, residential development is not permitted there, removing some of the concerns that could come with a major facility being located near homes.

And electricity is part of that equation as well. The County says data centres should pay the costs they create and should not increase rates for other Nova Scotians.

Landry says she remains open to supporting the project if the eventual proposal demonstrates that resources and residents are protected and that the benefits to Richmond County are significant. However, she adds, “They want to build this. They have to pay for all the things that go with it.”

Two Quad County volunteer fire departments are hoping a photograph, and a little help from their communities, can turn into new equipment for the people who answer the call when others need help.

The St. Peter’s and Mulgrave Volunteer Fire Departments are among the entries in the 2026 AA Munro Insurance: Nova Scotia Fire Hall Photo Contest, which runs until November 6 at 5 p.m.

The contest is about more than taking a great photograph. It is designed to help local fire halls buy protective gear, firefighting equipment and undergo training.

For St. Peter’s, the entry carries particular meaning.

On October 7, the historic old fire hall in the community was destroyed by fire. The photograph submitted to the contest captures the silhouette of a firefighter crossing in front of the burning building.

Firefighters from St. Peter’s, L’Ardoise and Louisdale worked together that night to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings and properties.

If St. Peter’s wins, the prize money would be used to purchase new gear and tools for the department.

The Mulgrave Volunteer Fire Department has taken a different approach with its photograph.

Its entry features a firefighter and his granddaughter, both wearing firefighting gear, a powerful reminder of the generations of volunteers who help keep their communities safe.

The department has a lengthy equipment wish list, including safety boots for new members, firefighting gloves, one-and-a-half-inch and two-and-a-half-inch nozzles, flashlights and high-visibility traffic control vests. It also hopes to purchase a training mannequin for its medical first responders.

Contest organizer, AA Munro Insurance, says, “Behind every helmet is a neighbour who leaves family dinners, workplaces and warm beds to answer the call.”

In the 16th annual contest, there is $19,000 in total prize money available across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

In each province, the photo receiving the most Likes earns $5,000, while the second-place photo receives $1,000.

There is also a new $1,000 Community Impact Award, which will be based on the story behind the photograph and what the funding would mean for the fire hall, not simply the number of Likes.

Other Nova Scotia entries include departments from Kemptville, Southampton and Five Islands.

For the Quad County departments, community support could make a real difference.

You can find the original photographs in the Nova Scotia album at firehallphotos.ca and Like the photo you want to support. Likes on shared copies don’t count.