Caitlin Snow

The mayor of Bridgewater is reiterating that even with a dangerous man at large, the situation did not meet the criteria for an emergency alert and thanks police for how they handled the situation.

David Mitchell first addressed the issue Monday evening, but in a lengthy post on social media Tuesday afternoon, he went into more detail explaining why the word “dangerous” was used.

“Because of this individual’s past, he is considered dangerous by police for those past crimes but was not considered a danger to the public now,” says Mitchell. “He was wanted for skipping parole (not wanted for other things) and had not committed any offences while here 9for what appears to be a short time).”

Mitchell says police wanted to make sure people didn’t pick him up or approach him and he thanks officers for how they handled things.

It was Monday afternoon when Bridgewater Police issued a statement that they were looking for Latef Tag EL DIN. They had labelled him a “dangerous man”, which had many in town wondering why an alert was not issued.

Mitchell says he understands having the word “dangerous” in there created a lot of community stress but the man was not armed and had been sitting at a hospital for hours.

“When he left the hospital, based on the tracking by the K9 unit, he actively avoided the public while waiting for the preson who dropped him off,”adds Mitchell.

He says he is not trying to dismiss the public but only provide a little more detail.

You can expect delays on Highway 104 at the Pomquet interchange in Pomquet Forks.

The Department of Public Works says it will take place on Wednesday, April 8 and Thursday, April 9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can expect 30-minute delays

Cruise ship season is officially underway!

Port Halifax says Viking Polaris welcomed passengers, Tuesday.

According to Viking Cruises, the 665-foot ship was built in 2022 and carries 256 guests.

The Port says this season will have 189 visits from 28 cruise lines with approximately 363,000 guests with a “special” overnight visit from Queen Mary, July 7-8.

New this year, Norweigan Cruise Line will have spring and summer itineraries in Bermuda and Halifax.

“Cruise is a strong contributor to Nova Scotia’s tourism economy supporting local businesses, attractions, restaurants and shops,” says the Port.

The season runs from April 7 to November 5, 2026.

Canadian astronaut helps set distance record as Artemis II heads back to Earth

A Canadian astronaut has helped make history as the Artemis II mission completed its flyby of the moon and began the journey back to Earth.

Jeremy Hansen and his three crewmates broke the record Monday for the farthest humans have ever travelled from Earth, reaching more than 406-thousand kilometres from the planet.

The milestone surpasses the previous record set during Apollo 13 in 1970.

The crew also reached its closest point to the moon Monday evening, becoming the first humans to see parts of the lunar far side with the naked eye.

During the flyby, the astronauts spent hours capturing images and recording observations, including views of the moon’s surface and planets in the distance.

The mission included a planned 40-minute communications blackout as the Orion spacecraft passed behind the moon.

“It is so great to hear from Earth again,” mission specialist Christina Koch said after contact was restored.

The crew also witnessed a solar eclipse from space as the moon blocked the sun, with astronauts describing the views as “spectacular” and “surreal.”

The spacecraft has now turned back toward Earth, with the 10-day mission expected to end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

The search for a dangerous man in Bridgewater continues.

Police say Monday afternoon staff at the South Shore Regional Hospital alerted them about a suspicious man trying to get medical treatment after he was at the hospital for a number of hours.

They learned he was Latef Tag EL DIN who has been wanted under a Canada Wide warrant since January.

“During the investigation, police learned the wanted male arrived at the hospital in a red Dodge Caravan driven by a female,” says Bridgewater Police in an updated statement Monday evening.

There was a heavy police presence in the hospital, and the man was tracked down to LaHave Street with a possible sighting at South Shore Centre.

He was not found and believed to have left the area.

Police say at no time was the public at risk.

He was wearing a roots jogging suit, dark color toque and dark footwear.

Police say not to approach him and the hospital is on lockdown while he is missing.

If you see him you are asked to call police.

Mayor explains why no alert was issued

In a post on social media, David Mitchell addressed questions about why a public alert was not issued during the incident.

Mitchell said the decision was based on information from police, who determined there was “little to no risk” to the public.

He noted that while the individual was wanted on a parole warrant related to past gun offences, police confirmed he was not believed to be armed at the time.

The mayor also said alerts are not issued directly by police or the municipality, but instead must meet specific criteria before a request is made.

In this case, he said that threshold was not reached.

Mitchell added the wording used in police messaging, including the term “dangerous male,” is standard across Canada and intended to discourage people from approaching the individual.

He said the town will review how updates are worded going forward to improve clarity.

Long-term care workers across the province are one week away from walking off the job.

In a post on social media, CUPE Local 1635 says strike action will begin at 7 a.m. on April 13.

“This is something none of us want to do, but our government cares NOTHING about Nova Scotia’s long term care workers!” says the post.

“We are the lowest paid province in Canada and not just by a little!! So, as sisters and brothers we will stand together and fight for our residents and ourselves!!”

It was March 24 when talks between the union and more than 30 facilities broke down. Key sticking points are wages and improved recruitment and retention.

Meanwhile, Seniors and Long-Term Care minister Barbara Adams assured last month that plans are in place in case of a disruption.

“Those essential services are going to be maintained across every nursing home in the province. That’s a commitment that all long-term care facilities make, and we’re working closely with them,” said Adams after a February Cabinet meeting.

She adds they’ll make sure residents at the homes are getting the care they need.

-with files from Kevin Northup

For the first time in half a century, astronauts are on the way to the moon and a Canadian is part of the crew.

In a historic moment from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Wednesday evening, Artemis II launched into space.

Forty-seven-year-old Jeremy Hansen is part of the crew of four who have embarked on a ten-day mission to fly around the moon and back. Hansen is mission specialist and the first Canadian to ever make the journey.

The successful launch of Artemis II marks the first manned mission to the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

While on the journey, the astronauts will take observations and pictures and prepare for the Artemis III mission.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says is a remarkable achievement that Canada is now only the second nation on earth to send an astronaut on a lunar mission.

“This moment reminds us of what Canada has always been: a nation of explorers, builders, and innovators,” says Carney in a statement.

“Colonel Hansen carries forward the legacy of those who came before him – Marc Garneau, Roberta Bondar, Chris Hadfield – and the dreams of every young Canadian watching today’s launch.”

A missing 8-year-old boy in Antigonish County has been found.

RCMP say the boy was last seen around 12:30 p.m., Wednesday on Whidden Street, Antigonish.

At about 5:15 p.m., RCMP say he was located.

They the public for their help.

Nova Scotia Power has made good on two commitments it promised after last year’s cyberbreach.

The utility says all social security numbers have been permanently deleted from their systems and meter connections have been restored, with customer billing returning to normal.

However, Nova Scotia Power warns it may take a while for this to be reflected on your bill.

The utility gave itself until March 31 to deliver on both.

It follows a massive cyberbreach from March 2025 that gave hackers access to personal information of 900,000 customers.

Nova Scotia Power has been under fire since the attack with many questioning its reliability, including Premier Tim Houston who called it, “out of touch”.

The utility was just approved for a rate hike of 3.8 per cent in 2026 and 4.1 per cent in 2027. They had applied for 8 per cent over two years.

There has also been a leadership change. Former CEO Peter Gregg stepped down only weeks ago to be replaced by Vivek Sood, who promises to rebuild trust.