In the first quarter of 2010, the economy has grown faster than anticipated by the Bank of Canada. And according to the latest from StatsCan, the country’s core inflation rate dropped slightly in March. Although we may not be fully out of the woods, there appears to be a clearing just ahead. In fact, there’s a real sense of optimism in the air, isn’t there? On that note, let’s have a look at what’s happening in Annapolis Digby this week…
CLEARING THE AIR
Last week, the province introduced a bill to create a voluntary carbon offset fund to help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, expand the green economy, and allow us all breathe a little easier. Through this fund, companies and organizations will be encouraged to develop Nova Scotia-based projects that will in turn create emission credits.
SPEAKING WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR
An historic Digby county newspaper, The Tiny Tattler, has officially entered the digital age. Once known around the globe for its coverage of events ‘without fear or favor’ – a motto I can’t help but love – was also known as Canada’s smallest newspaper. Yes, small but mighty.
BRIDGETOWN HOSTS NOBEL NOMINEE
Lucky you, if you were able to snag a ticket to this sold-out event! On May 3, three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Craig Kielburger – just 24 years old – will talk about his 12 year journey as a humanitarian, child rights advocate and award winning author, offering a unique opportunity for area youth to positively shape the community.
PORT ROYAL TO LAUNCH MEMBERTOU 400
On June 24, Membertou 400 celebrations will kick off at the Port Royal National Historic Site with an amazing educational and entertaining program for the whole community to share. This free family event will celebrate the many cultural contributions made by the Mi’kmaq people, and the life of Grand Chief Henri Membertou. After four hundred years, his legacy of leading with a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect lives on – and that is indeed a man to celebrate.
IBEY HAPPY
NSCC’s second annual Student Business Ideas Competition has yielded a potentially life-saving design for a device that would enable first responders to act more quickly at an accident scene. ADEDA congratulates competition winner Fred Ibey, who will be our featured guest at next month’s Tech Social!
This Thursday, don’t miss the opportunity to take part in an open-forum discussion about the local creative economy, featuring Dr. Greg Baeker, one of Canada’s leading thinkers on the subject.
From Kathleen Shea
Monday, April 26, 2010
NS and the Georges Banks
NS: Province in hot seat over Georges Bank moratorium
By Tina Comeau, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Sou'wester, April 26, 2010
[YARMOUTH, NS] — With the Nova Scotia government needing to make a decision by June 1 on whether to extend the drilling moratorium that exists on Georges Bank, many people are growing impatient and want to know what the government intends to do.
Last week Digby-Annapolis MLA and Liberal fisheries critic Harold Jr. Theriault asked the NDP government to come clean on its policy for drilling on Georges Bank.
“I’ve been asking Minister (Sterling) Belliveau since last fall what his government’s position is on the issue and I’ve never gotten an answer. There’s no need to wait five weeks to tell Nova Scotians. Just do the right thing and extend the moratorium on Georges Bank past 2012.”
The year 2012 is when the moratorium — in place since June 1999 — is slated to end.
“Before taking government (the NDP) opposed any drilling on Georges Bank,” said Theriault. “Now it appears that the NDP are seriously thinking about allowing rigs on Georges Bank.”
File Map - The Sou'wester
Cape Breton North MLA Cecil Clarke has called on the government to convene a panel that will examine the moratorium that is set to expire in 32 months. He said it is important to ensure enough time is allocated for a comprehensive review. The original panel took almost three years to render its decision.
“We want to see due diligence in ensuring both industry and environmental concerns are considered in this matter,” Clarke said.
But others say another wake-up call to government is right before their eyes. Those in the fishing industry and others who are opposed to ending the moratorium say that just hours after Nova Scotia Fisheries and Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau told legislative colleagues that modern-day technology makes an oil rig accident “very unlikely,” a huge explosion ripped through a state-of-the-art drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The blast injured 13 men and news sources were reporting that 300,000 barrels of crude oil is leaking, per day, into the sea. Eleven other people were thrown into the sea during the explosion and presumed dead.
“We are sickened by the sight of the massive blaze, the spilling of possibly millions of liters of oil into the ocean and the terrible loss of life in the Gulf,” said Judith Maxwell of the Scotia Fundy Inshore Fisherman’s Association. “But we are just as sickened by the thought that this government would turn their backs on clear promises to protect Georges Bank and take a huge risk on oil or gas rigs there just for the glimmer of hope of what they may glean in royalties many years later.”
In the United States, President Barack Obama recently named Georges Bank off limits to oil and gas development.
By Tina Comeau, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Sou'wester, April 26, 2010
[YARMOUTH, NS] — With the Nova Scotia government needing to make a decision by June 1 on whether to extend the drilling moratorium that exists on Georges Bank, many people are growing impatient and want to know what the government intends to do.
Last week Digby-Annapolis MLA and Liberal fisheries critic Harold Jr. Theriault asked the NDP government to come clean on its policy for drilling on Georges Bank.
“I’ve been asking Minister (Sterling) Belliveau since last fall what his government’s position is on the issue and I’ve never gotten an answer. There’s no need to wait five weeks to tell Nova Scotians. Just do the right thing and extend the moratorium on Georges Bank past 2012.”
The year 2012 is when the moratorium — in place since June 1999 — is slated to end.
“Before taking government (the NDP) opposed any drilling on Georges Bank,” said Theriault. “Now it appears that the NDP are seriously thinking about allowing rigs on Georges Bank.”
File Map - The Sou'wester
Cape Breton North MLA Cecil Clarke has called on the government to convene a panel that will examine the moratorium that is set to expire in 32 months. He said it is important to ensure enough time is allocated for a comprehensive review. The original panel took almost three years to render its decision.
“We want to see due diligence in ensuring both industry and environmental concerns are considered in this matter,” Clarke said.
But others say another wake-up call to government is right before their eyes. Those in the fishing industry and others who are opposed to ending the moratorium say that just hours after Nova Scotia Fisheries and Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau told legislative colleagues that modern-day technology makes an oil rig accident “very unlikely,” a huge explosion ripped through a state-of-the-art drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The blast injured 13 men and news sources were reporting that 300,000 barrels of crude oil is leaking, per day, into the sea. Eleven other people were thrown into the sea during the explosion and presumed dead.
“We are sickened by the sight of the massive blaze, the spilling of possibly millions of liters of oil into the ocean and the terrible loss of life in the Gulf,” said Judith Maxwell of the Scotia Fundy Inshore Fisherman’s Association. “But we are just as sickened by the thought that this government would turn their backs on clear promises to protect Georges Bank and take a huge risk on oil or gas rigs there just for the glimmer of hope of what they may glean in royalties many years later.”
In the United States, President Barack Obama recently named Georges Bank off limits to oil and gas development.
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N.S. Georges banks
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