Evan Taylor is a 2018 graduate of the journalism program at Fanshawe College. He is based in Bridgewater and covers stories across the South Shore and Nova Scotia. Contact Evan at taylore@radioabl.ca.
The South Shore Lumberjacks are moving on in the playoffs and now know what’s next.
The team secured its spot in the division final after a 4–3 win over the East Hants Penguins in Game 7 Sunday afternoon in Bridgewater.
The deciding goal came late in regulation, with Evan Amirault scoring with less than three minutes remaining to send the Lumberjacks through to the next round.
Owen MacDermid led the offence in the deciding game with a goal and three assists, while Jackson Spraggon and Will Cook also scored for South Shore.
The win capped a tight series between the longtime rivals. East Hants forced a seventh game after shutting out the Lumberjacks in back-to-back contests, but South Shore responded at home to advance.
The Lumberjacks now turn their attention to the Capstone Colts in the division final — a matchup that has become a familiar playoff battle in recent seasons.
Last year, the Colts edged the Lumberjacks in seven games before going on to win the provincial championship. The year before that, South Shore swept the Colts in four straight games before falling in the provincial final.
Environment Canada has issued weather alerts across much of Nova Scotia as a system bringing heavy rain and strong winds moves into the province.
The national weather agency says 40 to 60 millimetres of rain is expected, with locally higher amounts possible.
Wind gusts could also reach up to 80 kilometres per hour in some areas.
The system is expected to begin affecting western Nova Scotia Monday afternoon, spreading east through the evening. Conditions are expected to improve first in the west by Tuesday afternoon, with rain and wind tapering off across eastern areas by Tuesday evening.
Environment Canada says the rain could increase the risk of localized flooding, as frozen ground in many areas will limit how quickly water can drain away.
Residents are being asked to clear storm drains and drainage pipes near their homes to help reduce the risk of flooding as the rain moves through.
Yellow rainfall warnings are in effect for southern parts of the province and along the Atlantic coastline, where heavier rainfall is possible.
In Cape Breton, a yellow Les Suêtes wind warning is in effect from Margaree Harbour to Bay St. Lawrence, where southeasterly wind gusts could reach up to 120 kilometres per hour Monday evening through early Tuesday morning.
Canada’s annual inflation rate eased to 1.8 per cent in February, according to new data from Statistics Canada, marking a slowdown from earlier in the year and bringing price growth below the Bank of Canada’s two‑per‑cent target.
The decrease was influenced as prices were temporarily pushed higher a year ago when a federal GST break ended midway through the month. That comparison helped pull down the year‑over‑year figure, even as some costs continued to rise.
Food prices showed the most significant deceleration, largely due to slower increases in the cost of fresh and frozen beef.
Despite the moderation, Statistics Canada notes grocery prices remain dramatically higher than before the pandemic, having climbed more than 30 per cent since February 2021.
Economists warn that February’s report does not yet reflect the full impact of the conflict in Iran, which began on the final day of the month. In response to the conflict, energy prices surged in early March, setting the stage for a potential rebound in inflation.
BMO’s chief economist, Douglas Porter, says gasoline prices could rise sharply in the next report, potentially by as much as 15 per cent.
If that happens, he expects headline inflation to move back toward the three‑per‑cent range in the coming months, reversing some of February’s progress.
The Bank of Canada is expected to give it’s latest interest rate adjustment later this week on Wednesday.
Hundreds of students across Nova Scotia took part in a coordinated walkout on Wednesday morning to protest cuts in the provincial budget.
It started at 10 a.m., with demonstrations planned at schools and according to posts on social media, action was motivated by concerns over cuts affecting education, arts programming and scholarship funding.
In several communities, students also organized marches to local MLA offices to raise their concerns directly with elected officials.
Liverpool students raise concerns over arts and scholarship cuts
In Liverpool, around 100 students walked out of Liverpool Regional High School and marched through town.
Students first stopped outside Queens MLA Kim Masland’s constituency office before continuing to the Astor Theatre where local student band Life and Colour performed.
Students gather outside the Astor Theatre in Liverpool during a walkout protesting elements of the provincial budget, including concerns about arts funding and scholarships. (Evan Taylor photo)
Students gather outside the Astor Theatre in Liverpool during a walkout protesting elements of the provincial budget, including concerns about arts funding and scholarships. (Evan Taylor photo)
Students at the rally raised concerns about cuts affecting scholarships, grants and arts programming, saying those supports are especially important in smaller rural communities where families may have fewer financial resources.
A student holds a sign during a walkout in Liverpool as part of a province-wide protest over the Nova Scotia budget. (Evan Taylor photo)
Astor Theatre executive director Velta Vilkmanis said it was encouraging to see young people organizing around issues that affect them and this was a great way to express anger.
“For them to come out and actually organize this kind of a thing… I think it’s incredible,” Vilkmanis said. “A lot of these kids perform on our open mic stage. They participate in our clubs,” she said.
Halifax JL Isley high schooler’s take to streets of Spryfield
JL Ilsley High School students marched down Herring Cove Road toward the busy intersection near the Spryfield Shopping Centre, drawing attention from passing drivers—many of whom honked in support.
Acadia News spoke with several students who took part in the protest. Many said they were concerned about cuts to arts programming, the impact on student mental health, and the loss of independence tied to transportation changes.
Nora Pickrem had tears in her eyes when said arts give life meaning.
“I know that the arts have saved like more people than I can count including myself,” she says as cars pass, honking in support.
Despite feeling discouraged by the government’s decisions, the group says they have no plans to stop speaking out.
Port Hawkesbury students rallied against cuts to arts and culture
Nearly 100 students from Strait Area Education Recreation Centre (SAERC) came together to protest recent cuts to arts, culture, bursaries and scholarships on Wednesday morning.
Grade 11 students Shayla Spencer and Miranda MacRae were two of the organizers of the walkout from classes.
Organizers of SAREC Student Rally – Shayla Spencer & Miranda MacRae. Credit: Jessica Laing / Acadia Broadcasting
“The first thing that raised warning bells for me was when I found out the bursaries and scholarships, a lot of them were defunded or partially defunded, which really threw off my course for postsecondary,” shared Spencer.
She said she got involved because the proposed cuts impact her, her family and her classmates directly in an extremely negative way.
“We are hoping for Tim Houston to rethink his budget cuts and takes most of them back. Although he did take some back the other day, it’s not nearly enough compensation that what we deserve as students,” expressed MacRae.
She shared that their message to the government is that their budget cuts affect real people, and real people have voices and they will speak up.
Nunavut MP Lori Idlout has left the New Democratic Party and joined the Liberal caucus, a move that brings Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government closer to a majority in the House of Commons.
Idlout confirmed the decision in a statement released early Wednesday, saying she made the choice after reflection and conversations with people in her community.
She said the challenges facing Nunavut and the North played a major role in the decision.
“With new threats against our sovereignty and pressures on the wellbeing of people throughout the North, we need a strong and ambitious government that makes decisions with Nunavut — not only about Nunavut,” Idlout said.
Idlout said she plans to work with Carney and the Liberal government on priorities for the territory, including the high cost of living, housing shortages, food security and protecting land and waters in the North.
Idlout has represented Nunavut in the House of Commons since 2021.
Her move reduces the NDP’s presence in Parliament to six seats.
The floor crossing also strengthens the Liberals’ position in the minority Parliament. With Idlout joining the caucus, the government is now closer to securing a majority.
The Liberals would still need to win two of three byelections scheduled for April 13 to achieve a narrow majority in the House of Commons.
Idlout is the fourth MP to move from opposition benches to the Liberals since October.
Lunenburg council will weigh several options to address leaks in the roof of the historic Lunenburg Academy as the town prepares its upcoming capital budget.
A staff report says the building currently has several active leaks, prompting the need for repairs.
One recommendation would see council increase the project budget to about $1.27 million, including tax, and award the tender for the base portion of the work to Roof Tile Management at $991,554 That option would address the most urgent repairs.
Funding would include $300,000 from grants, $250,000 from the Lunenburg Academy Foundation, with the remaining $720,000 financed through town capital debt.
Council also has the option of completing the entire roof project now. That would require increasing the 2026-27 capital budget to about $2.3 million to cover both the base work and additional repairs that could otherwise be delayed.
A third option would see the town defer the project to a later date.
The roof repairs have been under discussion since 2024, when a condition assessment and design work were completed for the project.
A tender issued in 2025 for the full scope of the work received bids that came in significantly higher than the budget at the time. Council voted in August to defer the project and revisit it during the next budget cycle.
The current tender splits the work into two parts — urgent repairs included in the base bid and additional sections that could be delayed by three to five years.
Council is expected to discuss the project at its March 10 meeting.
A Hamilton man has been charged after Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigated a threat directed at Premier Doug Ford, marking the second such incident reported in less than a week.
According to provincial police, the investigation began on February 22, led by the OPP’s Protective Services Section, which is responsible for providing security for the premier and other senior government officials.
The individual was arrested and charged with uttering threats to cause bodily harm or death, and later released with a court date scheduled for April 13 in Toronto.
Police have not released details about the nature of the threat, citing the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and any upcoming court proceedings.
This is the second arrest in recent days involving a threat directed at the premier.
Late last week, the OPP announced a separate case involving a man from the Alliston area who was also charged after an investigation that began in mid‑February.
In that matter, police allege the threat was unrelated to the latest incident. The earlier accused is scheduled to appear in court on April 9.
The OPP has said it continues to actively monitor and investigate any alleged threats made against elected leaders.
Anyone with information related to the Hamilton‑based investigation is urged to contact the OPP or reach out anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
Correctional Service Canada has confirmed that Allan Legere, one of Canada’s most notorious violent offenders, has died while serving a life sentence at the Edmonton Institution.
He was 78.
Legere was widely known as the “Monster of the Miramichi,” a serial killer, rapist, and arsonist whose crimes in the 1980s left deep scars across New Brunswick.
He first entered the national spotlight following a 1986 home invasion in Black River Bridge, where an elderly storekeeper was murdered and his wife was brutally assaulted. Legere was convicted and sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in that attack.
His notoriety grew even further in 1989, when he escaped custody while at a Moncton hospital for medical treatment.
Using a concealed metal tool, Legere picked the lock on his restraints, fled the building, and evaded police for months.
During that time, he committed four more murders in the Miramichi region, prompting one of the most extensive manhunts in modern Canadian policing.
Legere was eventually recaptured in November 1989.
Correctional Service Canada says its internal review will look into the circumstances of Legere’s death, as is required whenever an inmate dies in custody. Both the police and the coroner have been notified. No cause of death has been released.
Legere spent decades in maximum‑security institutions, including time in Canada’s Special Handling Unit reserved for the most dangerous offenders, before being transferred to Edmonton Institution in later years.
The Thunder Bay Police Service is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing man last seen in the city earlier this week.
Police say 31‑year‑old Zachary Jim was last spotted on March 8, 2026, in the area of the Shoppers Drug Mart on Memorial Avenue at Queen Street.
Jim is described as a Black male, standing 6’2”, weighing roughly 200 pounds, with medium‑length black curly hair and brown eyes. His clothing description was not known at the time he was reported missing.
Investigators have released images of Jim to assist in the search, and those photos can be found on our website.
Police are urging anyone who may have seen Jim, or who may have information on his whereabouts, to contact the Thunder Bay Police Service at (807) 684‑1200.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1‑800‑222‑8477 or online at www.p3tips.com.
Nova Scotia RCMP say six illegal cannabis storefronts across the province were targeted last week as part of an ongoing provincial effort to crack down on unlicensed operations.
According to police, officers conducted coordinated inspections at storefronts stretching from Conway, near Digby, to Eskasoni in Cape Breton. The enforcement activity took place under the authority of the provincial Cannabis Control Act.
Five storefronts searched, products seized
In five of the six inspections, RCMP officers made seizures and laid charges.
Police say they confiscated a range of illegal items, including cannabis, hash, shatter, nicotine products, and cannabis edibles. Many of the edibles, investigators noted, were packaged to look like familiar snack foods — a practice that is not permitted under federal or provincial regulations because it increases the risk of accidental consumption by children.
In total, six people were charged for cannabis-related offences tied to the illegal sale and distribution of these products.
RCMP also say three individuals were issued notices for offences under the Nova Scotia Revenue Act related to illegal tobacco, though these were separate from the cannabis-related charges.
The sixth location inspected — a storefront in Weltons Landing — was found shuttered. RCMP say the shop had already ceased operating before they arrived, and no illegal product was discovered on-site.
Inventory and investigations ongoing
Police are still cataloguing the large quantity of seized material.
An exact count of all cannabis, derivatives, and tobacco products recovered is expected once the inventory process is complete.
The heightened enforcement comes after the province announced earlier this year that it intended to increase pressure on illegal cannabis storefronts.
Police warn that products sold through unlicensed retailers are not regulated, may be sourced from organized crime, and can pose significant health risks — especially when packaged in ways that mimic everyday consumer goods.
RCMP continue to encourage anyone with information about illegal drug activity to contact police or Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers.
