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 split their weekend playoff games with the East Hants Penguins, but still hold a 2–1 lead in the series.
The Penguins evened the series in Game 2 with a 6–1 win on home ice. Nate Grafstein scored the lone goal for the Lumberjacks, with Jack Piper and Brennan Coleman picking up assists.
South Shore bounced back in Game 3 with a dramatic 3–2 overtime victory. Brennan Coleman scored the game-winner in extra time, while Will Cook and Jack Piper also found the back of the net. Piper added an assist in the win, while Kyle MacIntyre, Leo MacLean and Cohen Westlake each recorded helpers.
With the split, the Lumberjacks now lead the best-of-seven series two games to one.
The series continues Monday when the teams return to East Hants for Game 4.
Drivers in Fredericton are being warned after a chemical spill spread across several roads late last week.
The New Brunswick government issued a public advisory Friday night after testing confirmed traces of potentially harmful substances in material spilled along the Vanier Highway.
Officials say the spill included sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, and chromium. The province estimates roughly one thousand litres of the material was released across about 14 kilometres of roadway.
The affected area includes sections of the Vanier Highway, also known as Highway 7, between Fredericton and Oromocto, along with Vanier Industrial Drive. Authorities say the spill may have occurred between Thursday and Friday afternoon.
Public Health is advising anyone who may have driven through those areas to avoid touching any visible residue on their vehicles. People are also being told to keep children and pets away from any contaminated surfaces and to wash their hands thoroughly if they come into contact with the material.
Cleanup crews began closing parts of Wilsey Road, Vanier Industrial Drive, and the Vanier Highway interchange at Alison Boulevard Friday afternoon to deal with the spill.
The province says an environmental consultant is assessing potential impacts on the surrounding area, while testing and sampling continue.
Officials say more information will be shared once results are available.
A driver from Alberta is facing a stunt driving charge after being stopped by police near Nipigon.
The Ontario Provincial Police say an officer with the Nipigon detachment was conducting speed enforcement using a LiDAR device around 5:07 p.m. on March 8 when a 2015 BMW was clocked travelling 141 kilometres per hour in a 90 zone.
Police conducted a traffic stop and charged a 20-year-old from Calgary with stunt driving for excessive speed.
As part of the charge, the driver received a 30-day administrative licence suspension and the vehicle was impounded for 14 days.
The accused is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date.
Police say they continue to target aggressive driving through enforcement and encourage the public to call 9-1-1 if they see dangerous driving on area roads.
Most highway closures across Northwestern Ontario have now been lifted after poor weather and road conditions forced several routes to shut down overnight.
Conditions have improved across much of the region, allowing travel to resume on several major highways that had been closed earlier.
Motorists are encouraged to monitor provincial highway updates for the latest information on reopening times.
Schools in several Northwestern Ontario communities are closed today after an email threat was received.
The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says all schools in Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Dryden are closed today, along with the board office in Dryden.
The board says the closures were made out of an abundance of caution while the threat is being addressed.
All other schools within the district remain open today. That includes schools in Kenora, Vermilion Bay, Ear Falls, Pickle Lake, Ignace and Upsala.
The board has not released further details about the threat but says the closures will remain in place until the situation has been resolved.
Nova Scotia has expanded who can be nominated for the Order of Nova Scotia, marking the most significant update to the honour in nearly two decades.
Under new regulations, anyone who lives in the province or has a meaningful connection to it can now be considered, even if they are not Canadian citizens.
The province has also increased the maximum number of annual appointments from six to ten, allowing more exceptional contributors to be recognized each year.
Premier Tim Houston says the changes modernize the honour on its 25th anniversary and bring it in line with similar awards across the country.
Another major update introduces a formal process allowing a member to be removed if they are convicted of a crime or serious professional misconduct.
Nominations remain open to the public, with an advisory council reviewing submissions and recommending recipients to the lieutenant‑governor.
A stretch of Northwestern Ontario is under a freezing rain warning as a system moves through the region.
Environment Canada says the area seeing freezing precipitation extends from just west of Winnipeg across Northwestern Ontario toward Sault Ste. Marie.
The system is bringing periods of freezing drizzle and freezing rain while temperatures hover near the freezing mark, creating the potential for icy conditions on roads, sidewalks and other surfaces.
Fog patches may also develop in some areas, which could reduce visibility at times.
Communities along the eastern and northern shores of Lake Superior could see heavier freezing rain compared with other parts of the region.
Conditions are expected to gradually shift to rain or drizzle in some areas later in the day as temperatures climb slightly, before colder air returns and precipitation changes to snow overnight.
Drivers are being reminded to slow down and allow extra time for travel as icy patches can develop quickly, particularly on untreated roads and elevated surfaces such as bridges.
Provincial budget cuts are raising concerns in Lunenburg after funding for the Bluenose II was reduced as part of Nova Scotia’s latest spending plan.
The schooner — often described as Nova Scotia’s sailing ambassador — is facing a cut of about 20 percent to its provincial operating grant. The funding supports vessel operations and crew salaries and had been set at roughly $1.189 million, meaning the reduction amounts to nearly $240,000.
Lunenburg Mayor Jamie Myra says cutting tourism funding during a time when the sector remains a key driver of the provincial economy is difficult to understand.
“Any cuts to tourism right now during these times I don’t think are wise cuts,” Myra said in an interview. “Tourism is a big business in this province and in this country.”
Myra said the Bluenose II plays a significant role in attracting visitors to Nova Scotia and particularly to Lunenburg.
“The Bluenose II has been the ambassador of not only Nova Scotia and Lunenburg, but of all of Canada over the last number of years,” he said. “Any cuts to that boat could be devastating to not only Lunenburg, but to the surrounding area.”
More than 60,000 visitors crossed the deck of the vessel during the summer season last year, according to figures referenced by the mayor.
“The majority of them talk to the crew when they’re on, and they’ve told the crew they planned their entire vacation to Nova Scotia around the dates they could get a cruise on the Bluenose II,” Myra said.
The Bluenose II regularly travels throughout the Maritimes and also welcomes visitors aboard while docked in Lunenburg, offering deck tours and sailing experiences during the tourism season.
Myra said other tourism-related organizations are also facing reductions. The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, located next to the schooner’s dock on the Lunenburg waterfront, is dealing with a budget cut of about 20 percent.
The mayor said the arts, cultural and tourism sectors are closely tied together and help draw visitors to communities across the province.
“We’ve really become dependent on tourism for about four months of the year, and tourism is our third biggest industry in this province,” he said.
Operators of the Bluenose II have not yet indicated what the funding reduction could mean for the vessel’s programming or operations this season.
