Blogging Nova Scotia - Old

Blogging Nova Scotia Relaunch

2008-05-29T21:33:00.000-03:00

On June 1st Blogging Nova Scotia will begin its third year on reporting news around the province. To coincide with the anniversary the site will be relaunched and tightly focused on provincial updates.

My goal will be to bring all Nova Scotians the latest updates from the provincial government and how they affect each of us. Law changes, ideas being considered, where tax dollars are being spent and of course the weekly gas price predictions and results. I will also show how each decision will affect both us and businesses in our area.

There will also be a new URL which will be found at http://bloggingnovascotia.blogspot.com so make sure you update your bookmarks. The site will debut on June 1st 2008 with a new design (currently in progress) and a better organization scheme.

Spread the word and thank you to everyone who has supported me in the past. I welcome any effort to help promote the relaunch and hope to see you all on the new site.

Relaunch

2008-05-21T14:39:00.001-03:00

I am almost ready to relaunch Blogging Nova Scotia, I just need to consider the direction I am going to take.

The blog before has been very unfocused and mainly just reposted some news that I found interesting. I would like to make this blog more useful by providing content not found anywhere else.

I am considering changing the blog to focus on decisions being made by the provincial government, both good and bad. Look at what they are doing and report on what is being considered and what they are implementing. I can then take their decisions and predict how it will shape the future of the province as a whole.

I am open to other ideas if you wish to comment here. There will be more information available once the relaunch nears. No date has been set as of yet.

Time Off

2008-04-30T22:14:00.002-03:00

I have decided that I am taking time off from Blogging Nova Scotia. I have no plans on closing it down but there is a lot going on in my personal life that demands my full attention.

I will be back once I get everything squared away and bring everyone the top news around the province.

Tuition Prices Hurting More Than Students

2008-04-28T09:43:00.005-03:00

The simple fact is that high tuition costs are hurting everyone in Nova Scotia. Over $2 million dollars have been written off as part of the Provincial Student Loan program. In addition to this figure is $10 million which has been turned over to the government from the Royal Bank for recovery. Student Loans are counting for almost 2/3 of all debts that the province has written off since 1999.

The 2008 budget, being released tomorrow, is supposed to have good news for students but how far they plan to go is still unknown.

The written off loans are from over 400 students who will now have bad credit to deal with for at least the next 7 years. Tax payers will have to swallow these debts since the loans are now paid direct to the province in an effort to lower the interest charges.

Related Links
Chronicle Herald

Gas Too High? Take The Bus

2008-04-26T11:50:00.003-03:00

The Premier commented today on the high gas prices. Stations across Nova Scotia are now charging more than $1.30 per liter for regular self serve. Rodney MacDonald is sticking to his guns that his government will not lower taxes to make up for it.

New Brunswick lowered their prices last year when gasoline prices started to get out of control. People near the border still drive across to fill up their tanks when needed to save a few dollars.

The Premier of Nova Scotia today said if you can't afford the gas prices, get a Hybrid car or take a bus. How can he expect us to do either in our current state? Hybrid cars are fairly expensive and unless you need a new car your not likely to buy one to get a few extra kilometers out of a fill up. The bus service is still such a joke that unless your willing to leave really early, you can't go anywhere. Not to mention that most places outside of Halifax don't even have a bus service.

More people would be willing to use public transportation if it got you to your destination in a timely manner. Transfers, delays and a route system that is impossible to understand is not doing the system any good. Rodney MacDonald is right about the taxes however. The province is not in a position to lower taxes anywhere right now, especially on one of the biggest cash cows they have.

Budget To Be Released Tuesday

2008-04-25T05:24:00.003-03:00

The Nova Scotia Budget for this year will be announced on April 29th.

We have learned that students are in for a very big treat this year and that the budget will be balanced. Everything else is fair game and may or may not be included.

Some of the hot topics this year which may be mentioned are (in no particular order):

Road conditions
Seniors
Smaller class sizes
Lower emissions
Debt levels
Crime and violence
Health care (wait times and beds)
Infrastructure
Tuition costs

If you have others include them in the comments section and I will add them. After the budget is released I will compare it to the needs we have identified. There will be a grade level for each section so we can determine if this is in fact a good budget.

Gas Price Prediction For April 25th 2008

2008-04-24T08:36:00.002-03:00

It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on April 25th 2008.

Your not going to believe this, but I predict another raise of 2-4 cents per liter

Gasoline Prices In New Brunswick
April 17th 2008 - 120.4
April 25th 2008 - 125.6
Difference -

Gasoline Price Globally
April 17th 2008 - $114.97 U.S. Per Barrel
April 25th 2008 - $118.28 U.S. Per Barrel
Difference -

To find out which zone you are located in, check out the map provided by Service Nova Scotia. You can also get a copy of the latest gas prices across the province by viewing the official report release.

This prediction is in no way official and should only be used as informational. Any decision to purchase or not to purchase gasoline on any given day rests with you. All prices are based on self serve regular unless otherwise specified.

Judge Defends Youth Act

2008-04-22T07:36:00.002-03:00

Judge Jamie Campbell was in Halifax to defend Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act. He believes the system is working and is proud to be a part of it.

"It recognizes that kids work differently from the way adults do, and they're developing (and) they're growing — they're changing a lot faster...It's a system that knows it's not perfect . . . and knows it's never going to get perfect, but we'll just have to keep trying,"
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1050949.html

The system is certainly far from perfect, which is what the public has been saying for years. It is designed to rehabilitate youth instead of punish them for their crimes. The problem is that the system is not doing enough to rehabilitate young criminals and does not recognize repeat offenders. If the same youth is in front of a judge for the second, third, forth time, rehabilitation is obviously not the answer.

The simple fact is that young people know they are likely not going to punished much at all for committing a crime. The act could even lead youth down a dangerous path later in life. If they start off committing minor crimes and not held accountable, the crimes could escalate as they get older.

If the system is not perfect, change it. Find out what is not working and change the act to reflect it.

Trailer Park Boys Want More Canadian Content

2008-04-19T09:47:00.001-03:00

Rob Wells (Ricky from the Trailer Park Boys), is asking that more Canadian Content be shown on television. At a CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission) meeting he said that his show would never have been aired had it not for the old laws forcing a percentage of programming to be Canadian. These laws have since been clawed back which has canceled other shows like Cold Case.

Radio stations are also forced to play a percentage of Canadian music on their station per day. This is why you can still hear classic Celine Dion or Bryan Adams when listening to todays biggest hits.

I love a lot of the Canadian content that is out there, but most of it simply does not compare to big budget shows like CSI or 24. The only Canadian show I try to watch faithfully is The Border and once in a while Corner Gas. It is pointless to force Canadian content on people if the shows are not worth watching in the first place.

While they are in the middle of making changes, they can consider lifting the regulations on American TV like HBO and others.

Before people start thinking I am anti-Canadian or supporting big media corperations, think about this. If Canadian shows are forced to be played on air, TV companies are going to pay very little money and create terrible content that is cheep so they meet the requirements. If the playing field was left open than great Canadian shows will still be aired as they are today and new shows will have to be worth watching to put on the air.

I see the television and radio similar to the internet. The best content will rise to the top while the people who put no effort in to their work will fail. Don't tell me what I can or can not see, watch, read or listen to because otherwise I will find my own way of getting what I am looking for.

Gas Price Prediction For April 18 2008

2008-04-17T09:28:00.002-03:00

It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on April 18th 2008.

I predict gas prices will go up by 3-5 cents per litre.

Gasoline Prices In New Brunswick
April 10th 2008 - 116.7
April 17th 2008 - 120.4
Difference - +3.7

Gasoline Price Globally
April 10th 2008 - $110.88 U.S. Per Barrel
April 17th 2008 - $114.97 U.S. Per Barrel
Difference - +4.09

Tempers Boils At Burnside Jail

2008-04-16T09:34:00.004-03:00

Due to the lack of space, all jails in Nova Scotia are going to be double bunking inmates. The cells, which were designed for one person mostly, will now house two criminals at both the Burnside and the Central Nova Scotia facilities. All other jails will transfer inmates to the double bunked facilities to lower the pressure on their staff.

The inmates at the Burnside jail are obviously not happy about this decision and are threatening to tear the building apart. The guards in the jail are in a bad situation if this happens since their staff has not been doubled, in fact they have been asking for more staff for years now.

As far as I am concerned they could triple bunk these criminals and I still wouldn't care. Make jail as unpleasant as possible and maybe they will think twice about committing another crime. If that is the plan however, there needs to be adequate staff on hand to keep the peace inside. Not only for the safety of the guards, but for the safety of the public. If a riot were to occur at the Burnside jail there is no telling the consequences.

"When it starts to happen and they do blow, we don’t have the manpower nor the equipment to keep them contained." (Unnamed guard in the Chronicle Herald)

Since this information has now hit the newspapers, all inmates are aware of the uprising. This could reach a boiling point before the jail is able to react.

Mounties Arrest The Farley Mowat - Captain Calls It An Act Of War

2008-04-14T09:40:00.002-03:00

The RCMP raided the sailing vessel "Farley Mowat" and arrested two senior members of the crew for coming too close to the annual seal hunt. They will appear in a Sydney court room and could face charges of $100,000 or a year in jail. Their ship was seized and being held in Sydney Nova Scotia.

The captain Paul Watson is calling the seizure an act of war since the ship was in international waters at the time of the arrest. The ship is registered in the Netherlands and not subject to Canadian laws.

On March 30th the Farley Mowat skimmed against an ice breaker that was responding to a call that the ship was too close to the hunt. Captain Watson claims the ice breaker ran in to his vessel and not the other way around.

The group that owns the boat (Sea Shepherd Society) claims to have sunk 6 vessels involved in whale and seal hunting, but no human lives were claimed. They have also been tear gassed in Japan during the 80's when they tried to stop a whale hunting ship.

Maybe someone should tell these people that human lives are also important. It is groups like this that give environmentalists a bad name. Rogue tactics and dangerous stunts do nothing to save the environment and hurt their cause in the end. This group needed to be stopped before they killed someone here.

Gas Price Prediction For April 11 2008

2008-04-10T07:10:00.002-03:00

It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on April 11th 2008.

I predict gas prices will go up by 2-4 cents per litre.

Gasoline Prices In New Brunswick
April 3rd 2008 - 114.4
April 10th 2008 - 116.7
Difference - +2.3

Gasoline Price Globally
April 3rd 2008 - $104.78 U.S. Per Barrel
April 10th 2008 - $110.88 U.S. Per Barrel
Difference - +6.10

Paul McCartney In Nova Scotia

2008-04-09T13:35:00.001-03:00

Rumors are flying around the city that the ex-Beatle may have a concert upcoming in Halifax. After his comments last year I am quite surprised he is even entertaining the idea.

On Larry King Live he called the seal hunt (which is fairly popular here), a stain on the character of the Canadian people. He even traveled to the North Atlantic to get a few pictures of him with the cute baby animals.

Now he may end up in our backyards looking for us to pay money to see him in concert. Kind of ironic in the grand scheme of things. Personally I could care less about his stance on the seal hunt, but I won't be going anyways. I am waiting for the city to attract big concerts from people still making hit music today.

More information will be available in the coming weeks.

Posting Delay

2008-04-09T00:27:00.001-03:00

Hello everyone

Just wanted to quickly explain why there have been so few posts lately. I am currently in Albuquerque New Mexico on business and finding time to dedicate to this site is hard this week. I will return on April 19th and can't wait to return home.

Until then I will continue doing my best to provide you with the latest news from one of the provinces last independent sources.

Head Harbour Pits Canada Against USA

2008-04-07T09:00:00.004-03:00

Canada and the United States are squaring off on the right to sail through Head Harbour Passage. The passage has been used by the American people for hundreds of years to reach ports in the North East and Canada has never objected. Recently however there have been plans to build a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) port in Mill Creak Maine. This has prompted Stephan Harper to consider placing restrictions on what he claims is Canadian waters.

LNG plants are very similar to the oil refineries such as the one in Eastern Passage. They are very dirty and cause a major eye soar in the area. There are also fears that allowing the passage of large tanker ships could disrupt the marine life in the area, including our endangered Right Whale. Some even fear the outcomes of an oil spill in the area.

LNG plants are relatively safe, but there have been a few major accidents over the years. In 2004 in Algeria a portion of the plant exploded causing a fire that took more than 8 hours to extinguish. 27 people died and 56 more were injured. In 1973 in New York, an empty container caught fire and the pressure caused the top of the dome to be lifted and than collapse killing 37 employees.

The United States does not agree with the claim that the waterway belongs to Canada. They believe that the passage is part of international waters and even if Canada can claim it they have to allow passage for American ships. The Canadian government signed an agreement which said they would not restrict foreign vessels from entering internal waters unless there are security concerns.

If the LNG plant is created the plan is to send the gas through pipelines that will run from Nova Scotia to Maine and out to the North Eastern United States.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Chronicle Herald - Canada, U.S. bicker over waterway

savepassamaquoddybay.org

Gas Price Prediction For April 4 2008

2008-04-03T09:23:00.001-03:00

It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on April 4th 2008.

I predict gas prices will change by less than 1 cent per liter in either direction.

Gasoline Prices In New Brunswick
March 27th 2008 - 114.0
April 3rd 2008 - 114.4
Difference - +0.4

Gasoline Price Globally
March 27th 2008 - $105.99 U.S. Per Barrel
April 3rd 2008 - $104.78 U.S. Per Barrel
Difference - -1.21

3 Arrested For Stealing From Dying Kids

2008-04-02T08:37:00.002-03:00

This has to be the most disgusting thing I have heard of. 3 Quebec men were arrested in Truro for stealing money from the Make A Wish foundation. The thefts took place in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.

They are accused of posing as employees of a company called Unik which sells chocolate bars for $2 and gives the profit to the Make A Wish Foundation. The men walked in to the stores and emptied the funds in the box and sometimes took the remaining bars themselves. Store owners were concerned when they never returned with the display filled.

Between the four provinces there are as many as 40,000 boxes like this on display. No one knows how much damage this will cause and probably wont know until the end of the month.

EXTERNAL SOURCES
Chroncial Herald - 3 Arrested For Make A Wish Thefts

New Laws In Effect Tommorrow

2008-03-31T08:40:00.002-03:00

Two new laws will begin tomorrow and both of them are quite flawed.

1- No talking on cellular phones while driving, but you can still text message, send email, take pictures, take voice notes, update your calendar, play games, watch movies, etc......

2- No smoking in an automobile with people under the age of 19 around. This includes a 17 year old smoker driving to work alone. This person will also be smoking in a car with a "child", just one who is old enough to drive.

Halifax Bedford Ferry A Reality

2008-03-28T09:52:00.004-03:00

The ferry that has been promised for so long will finally become a reality. $8 Million has been set aside for the project which could be up and running in less than 2 years and service Halifax and Bedford.

The Halifax Bridge Commission is also looking at the possibility of a long term project. They want a third crossing between Halifax and Dartmouth which may end up being an underwater tunnel.

Looks like transportation is becoming a priority in Halifax. Now we need to find ways to fix Metro Transit, add bicycle lanes and add more car lanes in the downtown area.

External Links
CBC - Bedford-Halifax ferry tops transit funding list
Halifax Herald - Fast-ferry project gets $13 million from Ottawa

Gas Price Prediction For March 28th 2008

2008-03-27T10:14:00.001-03:00

It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on March 28th 2008.

I predict a rise of 1.5-3.5 cents per liter for tomorrow.

Gasoline Prices In New Brunswick
March 20th 2008 - 112.9
March 27th 2008 - 114.0
Difference - +1.1

Gasoline Price Globally
March 20th 2008 - $99.29 U.S. Per Barrel
March 27th 2008 - $105.99 U.S. Per Barrel
Difference - +6.72

Money Made Available For Child Care

2008-03-25T13:09:00.001-03:00

$5.2 million dollars will be made available this year for child care in Nova Scotia. Premier Rodney MacDonald and the Community Services Minister Judy Streatch made the announcement earlier today.

"My government is committed to helping the families of this province access quality child care that is affordable and available for every child. We recognize how important it is for all children to have a great education and we know that for many Nova Scotia children, the foundation of that education begins in day care." States MacDonald on the official government release.

The total will reach close to $45 million over the next 8 years. Families with a net income of $62,000 or less will be eligible to receive subsidies proportionate to their income. The funding will also support child care givers by offering up to $5,000 per year for educational costs.

The funding takes place as of April 1st 2008.

Turn Off The Lights

2008-03-24T13:09:00.005-03:00

HRM is encouraging all residents to turn off their lights for 1 hour this weekend. This worldwide initiative started in Australia to raise awareness on global warming.

Over 200,000 people worldwide and 12,000 businesses have already agreed to take part in this year’s earth hour event. The hour will begin on Saturday at 8:00 PM local time.

The world wildlife foundation claims that if the energy saved during their last event lasted an entire year, it would be equivalent to taking close to 50,000 cars off the road. Earth hour does not claim to solve the global warming problem but rather raise awareness worldwide.

I will not be in Halifax during this time, but will participate in the event. 2.2 million people were involved last year and earth hour hopes to top that number this year.

External Links
Earth Hour
Chronicle Herald
Daily Metro

Pesticide Regulation In Truro Considered

2008-03-22T11:00:00.005-03:00

Photo taken by Perceval de Mons' in April 2007 on Flickr

The town of Truro is considering regulating the use of pesticides by requiring residents and businesses to apply for a permit in order to use chemicals on their property. The proposed law would require people to explain the purpose of the pesticide use as well as notify their neighbors with 3 days notice. The property would also be marked to warn people with medical conditions.

The effects that pesticides have on humans is quite alarming. Everything from respiratory to brain damage have been linked to these toxic chemicals. People with existing conditions can suffer even more harmful affects. Regulating pesticides will also help the environment, the purity of well water and the wildlife in the region.

The idea will go to a vote on April 7th at the town council.

External Links

Chronicle Herald
Truro Daily News

Gas Price Prediction For March 21st 2008

2008-03-20T11:21:00.002-03:00

It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on March 21th 2008.

Looks like we may get a break this week. I predict a drop of 2-4 cents per liter at midnight tonight.

Gasoline Prices In New Brunswick
March 13th 2008 - 115.3
March 14th 2008 - 112.9
Difference - -2.4

Gasoline Price Globally
March 13th 2008 - $109.49 U.S. Per Barrel
March 20th 2008 - $99.29 U.S. Per Barrel
Difference - -$10.20