Recess just got a big upgrade at Meadowfields Community School in Yarmouth.
The school recently unveiled their brand new play structure and outdoor space.
Vice principal Kevin Gobien said the nearly $400,000 project was something the school had been looking at doing for nearly five years, and wouldn’t have been possible without community support and funding from local government.
“A few short years later and we have something that not just our school, but our community can be really proud of,” said Gobien. “Meadowfields is a community school, and this is a community playground, created in part by our students.”
Gobien said students helped by not only giving their input on what they want built at the new playground, but also came up with the idea to match the colours to the schools official colours.
He said they wanted to create a sense of connection and pride in the community for the students.
“This is a big example of what we try to do on a daily basis,” said Gobien.
The playground gets frequent use according to Gobien, and hosts a number of programs, day camps and other activities outside of school hours.
“The importance of play has so many health impacts…it’s not hard to find all the health benefits of outdoor play,” said Gobien. “We have an outdoor classroom, so just being outside experiencing nature… has so many health benefits, is good for mental health, physical health and respect for the environment.”
It was a day to remember for home improvement tv star Mandy Rennehan who made a very large donation to Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in the community that raised her.
Rennehan is known for her HGTV show Trading Up.
Tuesday morning gifted her six-unit Rennesouth luxury rental property to the charity to run as a social enterprise.
The journey started when she was looking for guidance on how to help her brother through addiction.
“I called them in the middle of winter and I said, somebody help me,” explained Rennehan in a speech. “I don’t know how to help my brother. I said, somebody help me, I can’t do this.”
Then she found out about Souls Harbour, an organization her brother now works for.
“So, I flew in a horrible day to Halifax in the spring and I met Michelle and her group.”
She said she wanted to do more and help people that had not found success like she had.
Fast forward to Tuesday when she passed over her luxury property to the charity.
“It’s fantastic,” said Rennsouth. “This is a type of serotonin that you can’t get from a pill.”
Rennehan’s family was alongside her for the announcement. Her father Gary said he could not be more proud of his children.
“I never believed in angles,” said Gary. “When my daughter came upon this earth, I started believing in angels.”
Michelle Porter, CEO of Souls Harbour said Rennehan is gifting them a living legacy.
“I want to thank you for your generosity,” said Porter. “But also your vision. Because you see where this can drive Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in order to help more and more people.”
A big day in Yarmouth on Tuesday, with a celebrity in Town to make a huge donation to a local charity.
Mandy Rennehan with HGTV and the home improvement show, Trading Up, is giving her iconic Rennesouth home to Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.
Souls Harbour is an organization dedicated to helping people face things like homelessness and addiction.
In a video posted to social media, Monday, CEO of Souls Harbour Michelle Porter said what Rennehan is doing is an incredible act of generous philanthropy.
“It’s shocking,” said Porter. “When I say it out loud, it feels not real.”
In a previous interview with Acadia News, Rennehan said her brother suffers from addiction and she used to feel powerless.
“Alcoholism and addiction have been in my family for a long, long time,” said Rennehan. “It’s a cruel, cruel thing.”
When she learned about Souls Harbour, it was a way of doing more. So, she is donating her six-unit Air BnB.
The Yarmouth mayor says the exhibit of one of Canada’s most beloved folk artists was hugely impactful.
Maud Lewis was celebrated at the Land’s End Arts and Culture Society all summer long, showcasing about 80 of her pieces. It wrapped up over the weekend.
Pam Mood says people came from far and wide to see the “world-class exhibit” and she hopes everyone who wanted to see it, got the chance.
According to the society’s page, Lewis was born in Yarmouth County and spent nearly half her life in the Town of Yarmouth.
She was known for her bright, colourful and cheerful paintings. Some of them have sold for up to $350,000 and others have been stolen.
“Each time I took in the room I was hit by how seemingly unassuming Maud’s work was,” says Mood in a post on social media.
Mood explains it was “seemingly” because her entire view of Lewis’ work would change when collector experts explained the pieces.
“She was a true artist, and we got to be part of how she shared her world.”
Mood thanks everyone who made the exhibit possible.
The Yarmouth Mariners scored the first goal of the game twice this weekend, but that was all the offence they could muster.
Carrying a 1-1 record after opening weekend, the Mariners hosted the defending champion Truro Bearcats Friday night, before a rematch with the Valley Wildcats in Berwick on Saturday night.
It was a well-played game from both sides Friday, the Mariners fell 3-1.
Yarmouth native Karter Bain opened the scoring in the second period for his first MHL goal.
“It was awesome, I’ve never played in front of this many fans in my life, and to score there was just amazing,” said the 18-year-old after the game.
“I tried to shoot low-blocker and it worked out. Truro is a good team, we only had a few shifts where we didn’t play our best, but we were with them the whole game.”
Head Coach and GM Laurie Barron says Bain is a feel-good story.
“We’ve seen him on this ice surface since he was four years old, he grew up playing minor hockey here. I’m proud of Karter, he’s played extremely well, and he’s done well in every situation I’ve put him in.”
Mariners forward Karter Bain scored his first MHL goal against the Truro Bearcats on Friday, September 18 at Mariners Centre (LFB87 Photos
But Bearcats would tie the game later in the period on a goal by Logan Trewin, and goals by Callum Aucoin and Matthew Vohra put the game out of reach in the third.
Barron says the game was there for the taking.
“In key situations we shot ourselves in the foot. I thought we had a great chance to win the game, a couple of big mistakes found the back of the net. Hell of a hockey game and we were right there with them, but this isn’t a try league, it’s a do league.” said Barron.
Brett Ruddy was solid in goal, making 31 saves in his second start of the season.
Attendance was 1,069.
Mariners fall big to Valley again
Yarmouth then hit the road Saturday to face the Wildcats, hoping for a better result than last weekend’s 10-1 home-opening defeat to Valley.
It ended up being much of the same, a 6-1 loss this time.
The game started well, with Ryder MacQueen scoring his first of the season on the powerplay late in the first.
But the Wildcats’ offence woke up, scoring three goals in the second and three in the third to chase Brett Ruddy from the net.
He finished with 41 saves, and the Mariners were outshot 58-33.
Chandler Bell played the last six minutes of the game and stopped 11 of 12 shots.
Special teams struggling
Penalty killing hasn’t been kind to the Mariners in their 1-3 start to the season.
They’ve allowed six power-play goals in four games, more than anyone else in the MHL.
The Mariners have scored one shorthanded goal (Jared Pitman vs. West Kent on September 13,) matching their total from last season.
Yarmouth’s powerplay has converted three times on 13 chances, they are 7th in the league.
Two games this weekend
The Mariners have back-to-back games against Eastlink North Division teams this weekend.
On Friday night, they’ll welcome the Edmundston Blizzard to town, and Saturday the Chaleur Lightning make their lone visit to the Fishtank.
Game times are 7 p.m, tickets are available at the Mariners Centre box office.
Public works minister Fred Tilley says there’s nothing new to report when it comes to securing a contract for the CAT ferry.
The ferry carries up to 866 passengers to and from Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and back. The current contract for the vessel leased from the United States ends after this year’s travel season.
Recently, a study from the Government of Nova Scotia showed the vessel plays a significant role in the economy of both the local area and the province, and that a majority of the users are American tourists.
Tilley has previously said that he understands the importance of the CAT to both the province and the local economy.
“We’re currently working on the best possible solution for Nova Scotians in 2027, we understand how important the ferry is,” said Tilley in a press conference on Thursday.
Earlier in August Tilley had said he expects to have more information about the status of the ferry “very soon“.
When asked about whether he’s considered using a different vessel for the contract, Tilley responded with a firm “no”.
According to Bay Ferries Limited, the company that operates the ferry service, 2026 has been the most successful season since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This robust growth is primarily driven by higher numbers of American tourists using this important service,” said Mark Wilson, the CEO of Bar Ferries Limited. “We look forward to welcoming all visitors to Nova Scotia and continuing to strengthen the relationships that make this cross-border connection so valuable.”
Should no deal be reached, the ferry will make its last voyage on Oct. 14.
Canada’s most iconic ship won’t be making its way to Yarmouth.
The Bluenose II has made the decision to cancel its Sept. 3 trip due to an incoming weather system.
In a post online, the Bluenose II team says that safety is their top priority, and while they are sad to miss Yarmouth this year, they need to do what’s best and safest for the crew and ship.
The historic vessel was originally scheduled to make port in Yarmouth for a day before setting back out to Lunenburg for maintenance.
Bluenose II will spend some time in Lunenburg for maintenance before heading out again, where it will make port in Halifax on Sept. 11.
The team entered championship weekend as favourites, having gone 15-1 during the regular season.
Head coach Stefan Newell said he was proud of the hard work of his team, staff, volunteers and parents for making this season possible.
“We worked hard all season,a lot of dedication… they had the mindset to always get better,” said Newell. “This weekend was really special. We had the opportunity to host provincials right here in Yarmouth in front of a lot of local fans.”
The team kept their strong season going into the playoffs, defeating the Sydney Sooner 6-0 in semi final play and then winning the championship over the Tri County Rangers 13-1.
“There’s lots of moments that will really stick around in my memories for a long time,” said Newell.
Next up for the Gateways is the Atlantic championships, which are hosted in New Brunswick September 18 to 20. Newell said there’s sure to be more challenges there, but that he’s confident in his team’s ability to do well and bring the championship back to Yarmouth.
The Town of Yarmouth has approved its 2026-27 operating budget.
The budget includes $22,710,919 in both revenues and expenses, meaning the budget is balanced.
Additionally, the budget also reflects $6 million in donations received for the Mariners Centre expansion, and the $6 million payment to the project, bringing the total budgeted revenues and expenses up to $28,710,919.
Residential and commercial tax rates will stay the same, despite some earlier concerns in Committee of the Whole meetings.
“We are living in difficult and uncertain times. Council understands that residents and businesses are already feeling financial pressure, and has made holding the tax rate a priority,” said Mayor Pam Mood in a press release from the town. “The town is experiencing the same rise in costs and we have worked carefully to ensure continued reliable services, maintain our infrastructure and manage taxpayers’ dollars responsibly. This is our ‘stay-the-course’ budget, focused on stability: continuing to move our community forward while recognizing that, right now, asking more from taxpayers is simply not where we want to be. We are in this together.”
Several significant expenses in this year’s budget are heating oil, fuel, chemicals, insurance, education and policing.
Policing saw an increase of 13.79 percent, or $400,000 for a total yearly budget of $3.3 million.
Town council also said they continue to set aside funds in reserve for depreciation, and are including $2.4 million in the 2026-27 budget.
The town also highlighted that they have been debt free since 2023-24, and are not making any debt payments.
Full details of the operating budget can be found on the town’s page here.
