CJLS (Yarmouth, NS)

The interim CEO of Nova Scotia Health is staying on, for now. Karen Oldfield’s contract was extended on March 31, as the search for a permanent hire begins. Oldfield has been in the role since 2021, when Premier Tim Houston and his new PC government fired the previous CEO and health board. Health minister Michelle Thompson says they want to make sure there’s a good transition period. “This is just the normal course of things.

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.

With gas prices going up, you may be wondering if it is time for an oil pipeline from New Brunswick to Western Canada. Since war broke out in Iran and the middle east late February, gas prices have jumped, with many oil tankers getting disrupted as they try to travel through the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Halifax on March 26.

Nova Scotia’s Premier is once again out of province to talk energy. Tim Houston is attending onshore gas meetings in Calgary this week. It’s his second trip during the current sitting of the Nova Scotia legislature, he was in Texas two weeks ago for an energy conference. Last week the Premier was asked if this trip could have waited until after the house rises. “We feel a sense of urgency to move forward. These meetings have been planned for a while.

A Canadian astronaut is taking part in a key moment of the Artemis II mission as the crew prepares to fly around the moon. Jeremy Hansen and his crewmates are now within about 100-thousand kilometres of the lunar surface, with a flyby expected Monday. The mission, the first crewed trip toward the moon in more than 50 years, launched last week and has already travelled more than 350-thousand kilometres from Earth. Hansen was recently awarded his gold pin, marking his first spaceflight.

A new playground is bringing joy to a small town in Shelburne County. Last month, the soft-launch of the new Seacaps Playground in Lockeport was held. It came months after the previous wooden structure was deemed no longer safe to use. A fundraising group helped secure over $350,000 in grants toward the new playground. Lockeport mayor Derek Amalfa says the community came together.

A small town east of Lethbridge, Alta., has hit the jackpot. Taber, Alta., was the lucky winner of this year’s Kraft Hockeyville competition. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the winner Saturday during Hockey Night in Canada. As a reward for winning the nationwide vote, Taber will receive $250,000 for arena upgrades the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game. Tumbler Ridge, B.C., was the runner-up. They’ll receive $100,000 for arena upgrades.

Some sad news for fans of the Goo Goo Dolls. The band announced Sunday morning they would be cancelling the remaining dates on their Canadian tour. That includes shows in Halifax and Moncton, scheduled for April 10 and 11, respectively. According to a post on the band’s social media, the cancellation was necessary due to an illness for singer and guitarist John Rzeznik. “John was diagnosed with pneumonia and has not fully recovered,” the band said in the post.

All of New Brunswick and most of Nova Scotia are under yellow weather alerts Friday, as wintry weather continues to pass through the region. Environment Canada has issued yellow-level snowfall warnings for some northern areas of New Brunswick, with yellow-level freezing rain warnings for the other northern regions and the southeastern part of the province. Freezing rain warnings in the southwest were lifted late Friday afternoon.

Nova Scotia RCMP are reporting all highways that were closed because of protest activity have reopened as of Friday morning. Protestors had blocked a couple of highways in the province after a raid of a cannabis store in Potlotek First Nation. RCMP say it started around 7:30 a.m., Thursday, when officers searched an illegal storefront on Highway 4. Two men were arrested. In response to this, protestors blocked access to the highway.