Meet the ProsTuesday December 7th1:30pm-4pmDigby Legion
Local Professionals Providing Guidance:Andrew Stoddart:Acker Wealth ManagementTopics: Estate Planning, Minimize Taxation on Investments, Stable investments for Seniors.Jeremy Sanford:Jeremy Sanford Chartered Accountant Inc.
Topics: Income Splitting, Medical Expenses, Charitable donations and capital gains tax.Brian McConnell:Law office of Brian McConnellTopics: Power of Attornies, Deed Transfers and Estates and WillsRichard Deveau:Government Outreach OfficerTopics: Understanding the Canada Pension and Old Age SecurityPlansPresented by:Dawn Thomas,Senior Safety Co-ordinator, Digby Senior Safety ProgramAndrew Stoddart,Acker Wealth ManagementFor More information call Andrew Stoddart at 1-877-317-4511
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Aquaculture
via Don Hayden
AVR News 2010-11-29 , 12:16:29
This will probably be in the HCH in the morning.
By Robb Lepper.
Environment Canada are investigating aquaculture company, Cooke Aquaculture, for a large number of dead lobster collected in Grand Manan and Deer Island in November 2009. On November 18th of this year, members of Environment Canada's enforcement team exercised search warrants at 8 offices and facilities in New Brunswick. Robert Robichaud, District Manager for the Environmental Enforcement Division, announced today they are focusing their investigation on Cooke Aquaculture. Cooke Aquaculture are the largest independent aquaculture company in North America and recently proposed building a 208 acre salmon farm in St. Mary's Bay. A company spokes person was unavailable for comment
AVR News 2010-11-29 , 12:16:29
This will probably be in the HCH in the morning.
By Robb Lepper.
Environment Canada are investigating aquaculture company, Cooke Aquaculture, for a large number of dead lobster collected in Grand Manan and Deer Island in November 2009. On November 18th of this year, members of Environment Canada's enforcement team exercised search warrants at 8 offices and facilities in New Brunswick. Robert Robichaud, District Manager for the Environmental Enforcement Division, announced today they are focusing their investigation on Cooke Aquaculture. Cooke Aquaculture are the largest independent aquaculture company in North America and recently proposed building a 208 acre salmon farm in St. Mary's Bay. A company spokes person was unavailable for comment
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Nova Scotia aquaculture
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Magellan and On This Date
On Nov. 28, 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan first passed through South America to the Pacific Ocean
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Celebrity Birthdays for November 28th
The Associated Press
12:01 a.m. EST, November 28, 2010
E-mail Print Share Text Size sns-ap-history-2010nov28
Today is Sunday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2010. There are 33 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 28, 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.
On this date:
In 1859, American author Washington Irving died in present-day Tarrytown, N.Y. at age 76.
In 1885, at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War, British troops occupied Mandalay.
In 1909, Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 had its world premiere in New York, with Rachmaninoff at the piano.
In 1919, American-born Lady Astor was elected the first female member of the British Parliament.
In 1942, nearly 500 people died in a fire that destroyed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston.
In 1958, Chad, Gabon and Middle Congo became autonomous republics within the French community.
In 1960, American author Richard Wright ("Native Son") died in Paris at age 52. Mauritania became independent of France.
In 1964, the United States launched the space probe Mariner 4 on a course to Mars.
In 1979, an Air New Zealand DC-10 en route to the South Pole crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all 257 people aboard.
In 1987, a South African Airways Boeing 747 crashed into the Indian Ocean with the loss of all 159 people aboard.
Ten years ago: George W. Bush's lawyers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to bring "legal finality" to the presidential election by ending any further ballot recounts; Al Gore's team countered that the nation's highest court should not interfere in Florida's recount dispute. Former Texas Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, a Democrat who'd served 37 years on Capitol Hill, died in San Antonio at age 84.
Five years ago: Eight-term Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty to graft and tearfully resigned; the California Republican had admitted taking $2.4 million in bribes mostly from defense contractors in exchange for government business and other favors. (Cunningham was later sentenced to 8 years in prison.) A corruption scandal brought down the minority government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. A 10-day U.N. Climate Control Conference opened in Montreal.
One year ago: A conservative Iranian legislator warned his country might pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty after a U.N. resolution censuring Tehran. For a second straight day, Tiger Woods was unavailable to speak to the Florida Highway Patrol about an accident involving his SUV that sent him to the hospital with injuries.
Today's Birthdays: Recording executive Berry Gordy Jr. is 81. Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.) is 74. Singer-songwriter Bruce Channel is 70. Singer Randy Newman is 67. CBS News correspondent Susan Spencer is 64. Movie director Joe Dante is 63. "Late Show" orchestra leader Paul Shaffer is 61. Actor Ed Harris is 60. Former NASA teacher in space Barbara Morgan is 59. Actress S. Epatha (eh-PAY'-thah) Merkerson is 58. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is 57. Country singer Kristine Arnold (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 54. Actor Judd Nelson is 51. Movie director Alfonso Cuaron (kwahr-OHN') is 49. Rock musician Matt Cameron is 48. Actress Jane Sibbett is 48. Comedian Jon Stewart is 48. Actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Dawn Robinson is 42. Hip-hop musician apl.de.ap ( Black Eyed Peas) is 36. Actress Aimee Garcia is 32. Rapper Chamillionaire is 31. Actor Daniel Henney is 31. Rock musician Rostam Batmanglij (bot-man-GLEESH') ( Vampire Weekend) is 27. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead is 26. Actress Scarlett Pomers ("Reba") is 22.
Thought for Today: "Happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in sometimes when you're lucky. Joy is a light that fills you with hope and faith and love." — Adela Rogers St. Johns, American journalist (1894-1988).
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Celebrity Birthdays for November 28th
The Associated Press
12:01 a.m. EST, November 28, 2010
E-mail Print Share Text Size sns-ap-history-2010nov28
Today is Sunday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2010. There are 33 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 28, 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.
On this date:
In 1859, American author Washington Irving died in present-day Tarrytown, N.Y. at age 76.
In 1885, at the end of the Third Anglo-Burmese War, British troops occupied Mandalay.
In 1909, Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 had its world premiere in New York, with Rachmaninoff at the piano.
In 1919, American-born Lady Astor was elected the first female member of the British Parliament.
In 1942, nearly 500 people died in a fire that destroyed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston.
In 1958, Chad, Gabon and Middle Congo became autonomous republics within the French community.
In 1960, American author Richard Wright ("Native Son") died in Paris at age 52. Mauritania became independent of France.
In 1964, the United States launched the space probe Mariner 4 on a course to Mars.
In 1979, an Air New Zealand DC-10 en route to the South Pole crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all 257 people aboard.
In 1987, a South African Airways Boeing 747 crashed into the Indian Ocean with the loss of all 159 people aboard.
Ten years ago: George W. Bush's lawyers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to bring "legal finality" to the presidential election by ending any further ballot recounts; Al Gore's team countered that the nation's highest court should not interfere in Florida's recount dispute. Former Texas Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, a Democrat who'd served 37 years on Capitol Hill, died in San Antonio at age 84.
Five years ago: Eight-term Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty to graft and tearfully resigned; the California Republican had admitted taking $2.4 million in bribes mostly from defense contractors in exchange for government business and other favors. (Cunningham was later sentenced to 8 years in prison.) A corruption scandal brought down the minority government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. A 10-day U.N. Climate Control Conference opened in Montreal.
One year ago: A conservative Iranian legislator warned his country might pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty after a U.N. resolution censuring Tehran. For a second straight day, Tiger Woods was unavailable to speak to the Florida Highway Patrol about an accident involving his SUV that sent him to the hospital with injuries.
Today's Birthdays: Recording executive Berry Gordy Jr. is 81. Former Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.) is 74. Singer-songwriter Bruce Channel is 70. Singer Randy Newman is 67. CBS News correspondent Susan Spencer is 64. Movie director Joe Dante is 63. "Late Show" orchestra leader Paul Shaffer is 61. Actor Ed Harris is 60. Former NASA teacher in space Barbara Morgan is 59. Actress S. Epatha (eh-PAY'-thah) Merkerson is 58. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is 57. Country singer Kristine Arnold (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 54. Actor Judd Nelson is 51. Movie director Alfonso Cuaron (kwahr-OHN') is 49. Rock musician Matt Cameron is 48. Actress Jane Sibbett is 48. Comedian Jon Stewart is 48. Actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Dawn Robinson is 42. Hip-hop musician apl.de.ap ( Black Eyed Peas) is 36. Actress Aimee Garcia is 32. Rapper Chamillionaire is 31. Actor Daniel Henney is 31. Rock musician Rostam Batmanglij (bot-man-GLEESH') ( Vampire Weekend) is 27. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead is 26. Actress Scarlett Pomers ("Reba") is 22.
Thought for Today: "Happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in sometimes when you're lucky. Joy is a light that fills you with hope and faith and love." — Adela Rogers St. Johns, American journalist (1894-1988).
Labels:
Magellan Jane Sibbett
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Canada Trade Mission and Nova Scotia
From Canada views
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nova Scotia companies with expertise in clean technology and climate change will be in the spotlight at an international conference in Mexico next week.
Seven local businesses will participate in the United Nations Annual Conference of the Parties on Climate Change Negotiations in Cancun. The event provides opportunities for companies to meet with potential clients, partners and investors.
“Nova Scotia is a leader in innovative clean technologies,” said Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau. “This is a chance for local companies to reach an international client base, and demonstrate our impressive abilities.”
Funding is being provided by the departments of Environment and Economic and Rural Development, Nova Scotia Business Inc., and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Nova Scotia’s participation in last year’s conference in Copenhagen brought significant project, investment and strategic partnership opportunities.
The Department of Environment will be provide regular updates from the conference, beginning Nov. 29, on its website and through the department Twitter account @ns_environment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Nova Scotia companies with expertise in clean technology and
climate change will be in the spotlight at an international
conference next week in Mexico.
Seven local businesses will participate in the United
Nations Annual Conference of the Parties on Climate Change
Negotiations in Cancun. The event provides opportunities for
companies to meet with potential clients, partners and investors.
Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau says the province is
a leader in innovative clean technologies, and this is a chance
for local companies to reach an international client base.
-30-
Media Contact: Lori Errington
902-424-4422
Cell: 902-497-7324
E-mail: erringla@gov.ns.ca
Following is a list of companies attending the conference:
Beyond the Box Law: Provides legal services to clients in a number of sectors including clean technology development, software development, aviation, exporting and mining and vary significantly in size.
BTE Engineering: A Canadian international multi-disciplinary consulting company has its main office is in Halifax with others in Cairo, Egypt and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Carbon Sense Solutions: An environmental engineering consultant and technology developer in carbon management.
De Romilly and De Romilly Limited: Provides consulting, technical and professional services, for a wide variety of national and international clients.
LED Roadway Lighting Limited: A leading manufacturer of LED (light-emitting diode) based street, roadway and outdoor area lighting fixtures and control systems.
Minas Basin Pulp and Power: Constructed a tidal power demonstration and research facility in the Bay of Fundy, the facility is the first of its kind in North America. It is also pursuing a range of renewable energy initiatives such as wind power and biomass.
Scotian Carbon Services: specializes in carbon management and offset brokerage consulting services. Certified by CSA to perform greenhouse gas inventory accounting, the firm works with business to manage carbon risk and maximize carbon revenue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nova Scotia companies with expertise in clean technology and climate change will be in the spotlight at an international conference in Mexico next week.
Seven local businesses will participate in the United Nations Annual Conference of the Parties on Climate Change Negotiations in Cancun. The event provides opportunities for companies to meet with potential clients, partners and investors.
“Nova Scotia is a leader in innovative clean technologies,” said Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau. “This is a chance for local companies to reach an international client base, and demonstrate our impressive abilities.”
Funding is being provided by the departments of Environment and Economic and Rural Development, Nova Scotia Business Inc., and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Nova Scotia’s participation in last year’s conference in Copenhagen brought significant project, investment and strategic partnership opportunities.
The Department of Environment will be provide regular updates from the conference, beginning Nov. 29, on its website and through the department Twitter account @ns_environment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Nova Scotia companies with expertise in clean technology and
climate change will be in the spotlight at an international
conference next week in Mexico.
Seven local businesses will participate in the United
Nations Annual Conference of the Parties on Climate Change
Negotiations in Cancun. The event provides opportunities for
companies to meet with potential clients, partners and investors.
Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau says the province is
a leader in innovative clean technologies, and this is a chance
for local companies to reach an international client base.
-30-
Media Contact: Lori Errington
902-424-4422
Cell: 902-497-7324
E-mail: erringla@gov.ns.ca
Following is a list of companies attending the conference:
Beyond the Box Law: Provides legal services to clients in a number of sectors including clean technology development, software development, aviation, exporting and mining and vary significantly in size.
BTE Engineering: A Canadian international multi-disciplinary consulting company has its main office is in Halifax with others in Cairo, Egypt and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Carbon Sense Solutions: An environmental engineering consultant and technology developer in carbon management.
De Romilly and De Romilly Limited: Provides consulting, technical and professional services, for a wide variety of national and international clients.
LED Roadway Lighting Limited: A leading manufacturer of LED (light-emitting diode) based street, roadway and outdoor area lighting fixtures and control systems.
Minas Basin Pulp and Power: Constructed a tidal power demonstration and research facility in the Bay of Fundy, the facility is the first of its kind in North America. It is also pursuing a range of renewable energy initiatives such as wind power and biomass.
Scotian Carbon Services: specializes in carbon management and offset brokerage consulting services. Certified by CSA to perform greenhouse gas inventory accounting, the firm works with business to manage carbon risk and maximize carbon revenue.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Digby Neck Wind Farm-Long
Below is a series of articles about this from hither and yon:
New wind farm up and running in Nova Scotia
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Published: November 25, 2010 1:33 p.m.
Last modified: November 25, 2010 1:37 p.m.
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HALIFAX - Nova Scotia Power's wind farm in Digby Neck is up and running with half of its 20 planned turbines generating electricity.
It is expected that the facility will be fully operational by the end of the year.
The utility says the wind farm will produce 30 megawatts of power, enough electricity to power about 10,000 homes.
Nova Scotia Power says project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60,000 tonnes annually.
The project also includes a substation and a 17-kilometre transmission line.
From the N.B. Business Journal
Power
Turbine blades start spinning at Digby Neck Wind Farm
DIGBY NECK, N.S. - Nova Scotia Power Inc.'s Digby Neck Wind Farm began producing power this week. Ten turbines are now generating electricity, and the wind farm is expected to be fully operational by year's end. The facility will have 20 wind turbines with a total capacity of 30 megawatts, enough electricity to power about 10,000 homes. Nova Scotia Power is the largest wholly-owned subsidiary of Halifax-based Emera Inc. (TSX:EMA).
From News95.7
Wind farm starts blowing in Digby Neck
Erin Trafford Nov 25, 2010 15:58:03 PM
Be the first to Comment 0 Recommendation(s) A state-of-the-art wind farm is now up and running in Digby Neck. Nova Scotia Power says 10 of the 20 turbines are producing power as of Thursday and all of them should be up and running by the end of 2010.
The utility says the wind farm has the potential to produce enough power for 10, 000 homes and can reduce Nova Scotia's greenhouse gas emissions by about 60, 000 tonnes a year.
In a release, Nova Scotia Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks says this is an important step for the province.
"This is a great project for the Digby Neck area," he says. "These projects are important steps in transforming our energy mix in this province from its dependence on fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy."
The project also includes a sub-station and a 17 kilometer transmission line.
From Ocean-Resources
NSP's Digby wind farm up and running
11/25/2010
Nova Scotia Power’s Digby Neck Wind Farm began powering homes and businesses this week. 10 turbines are now generating electricity. The wind farm will be fully operational by the end of this year.
“This is an important milestone for Nova Scotia Power and the province as we continue to add more renewable energy to our generation mix,” said Robin McAdam, Vice President, Sustainability, NS Power. “Displacing fossil fuels with clean energy is not only important for the environment but provides value and price stability for our customers over the long term.”
"This is a great project for the Digby Neck area, creating good jobs, growing the local economy and generating clean stable-priced electricity to customers," said Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks. "These projects are important steps in transforming our energy mix in this province from its dependence on fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. It's through the realization of these types of projects that NSPI is demonstrating its partnership in achieving Nova Scotia's aggressive renewable energy targets."
The Digby Neck Wind Farm will have 20 wind turbines with a total capacity of 30 megawatts (MW), producing enough electricity to power approximately 10,000 homes. The project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Nova Scotia by more than 60,000 tonnes annually. The project also includes a substation and a 17 kilometre transmission line.
“We have a talented team of Nova Scotia engineers and contractors who are committed to ensuring this wind farm is operational by the end of the year”, said Sean Brennan, Project Manager, NS Power’s Digby Neck Wind Farm. “I am proud to be part of this important local project”.
To learn more, visit the Digby Project Blog and follow us on Twitter @nspowerinc.
From Annapolis-Digby and the Digby Courier
Faye Haley, recently retired chair of the Tri-County Regional School Board, received a life achievement award Thursday from Digby Area Board of Trade. The award, made during the board’s annual Business Excellence banquet, was presented by Mayor Ben Cleveland, one of the many former students of the long-time educator.
Guest speaker at the banquet in the Royal Canadian Legion hall was Sean Brennan, Nova Scotia Power’s manager of the Digby wind project, which has almost finished installation of 20 wind turbines on Digby Neck.
Brennan said the project is designed to provide 30 megawatts of electricity from the 80-metre tall turbines.
“Digby is an (electricity) importing area, so it’s a good news story as the power will be used locally,” he said.
Board of trade president Kristy Herron said the largest number of nominees this year was in the hospitality and customer service categories.
The Hospitality Award went to Bay Ferries, which was nominated several times and in more than one category.
“This is the way to travel. Initially we were a bit distressed by the price, but we will do this again rather than drive along endless unremarkable highways,” said one nomination. “If you have ever travelled with four kids you will understand what I mean.”
The Tourism Excellence award went to Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa. Among the nominations was one noting the Pines “is a wonderful representation of a time when life was simple and people could really enjoy a vacation. The Pines is perfect for us. I get to golf with my buddies and the wives get to pamper themselves in the spa.”
The Community Contribution award (business) went to Cooke Aquaculture, which was nominated for its contribution to the new Keith Trimper Memorial Playground, and development of more environmentally sustainable fisheries. to see that not all of us are against them. We must have some jobs.
The Community Contribution award (non-profit) was presented to Digby County Family Resource Centre, which offers a variety of programs for children and families, and as its nomination noted, “The mothers united group is wonderful. There is a mix of older and younger people. The place is alive. We talk, we laugh we make friends, get advice/suggestions and we enjoy a good meal.”
Entrepreneur of the Year award was presented to Karen and Brendan Enright of Annapolis Highland Vineyards, whose nomination remarked that the couple “are always looking for a new and innovative way to market their product and encourage the consumer to try Nova Scotia wines. Brendan would like Annapolis and Digby to brand themselves as the Riviera of Canada.”
Customer Service award winner was Robert Balser’s Digby Pharmasave , which provides items such as walkers and assisted living devices. “They have gone into a niche that was not well serviced here in Digby. They are also expanding non-pharmacy services that fill a vital need like foot care while still maintaining a quality pharmacy,” said the nomination.
Winner of the Business Excellence award, presented by Nova Scotia Business Inc., was Royal Fundy - O’Neil Fisheries.
“While other operations are downsizing and closing, O’Neil has tried to maintain their competitive edge. They operate an export wholesale and a retail sea food operation as well as a nice eating establishment. They are a key employer in this community,” said the nomination.
Life Achievement winner Faye Haley “has always demonstrated a keen interest in the welfare of others. As a teacher she devoted her time to her student’s acquisition of learning.
“She just retired as chair, but she continues to ably represent the people of Digby on the Tri-County Board. She is also a current member of the Community Health Board, was involved in the theatre society and many other projects that benefit the youth of our area.”
Story by: John DeMings
The Digby County Courier
November 22, 2010
New wind farm up and running in Nova Scotia
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more
Published: November 25, 2010 1:33 p.m.
Last modified: November 25, 2010 1:37 p.m.
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HALIFAX - Nova Scotia Power's wind farm in Digby Neck is up and running with half of its 20 planned turbines generating electricity.
It is expected that the facility will be fully operational by the end of the year.
The utility says the wind farm will produce 30 megawatts of power, enough electricity to power about 10,000 homes.
Nova Scotia Power says project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60,000 tonnes annually.
The project also includes a substation and a 17-kilometre transmission line.
From the N.B. Business Journal
Power
Turbine blades start spinning at Digby Neck Wind Farm
DIGBY NECK, N.S. - Nova Scotia Power Inc.'s Digby Neck Wind Farm began producing power this week. Ten turbines are now generating electricity, and the wind farm is expected to be fully operational by year's end. The facility will have 20 wind turbines with a total capacity of 30 megawatts, enough electricity to power about 10,000 homes. Nova Scotia Power is the largest wholly-owned subsidiary of Halifax-based Emera Inc. (TSX:EMA).
From News95.7
Wind farm starts blowing in Digby Neck
Erin Trafford Nov 25, 2010 15:58:03 PM
Be the first to Comment 0 Recommendation(s) A state-of-the-art wind farm is now up and running in Digby Neck. Nova Scotia Power says 10 of the 20 turbines are producing power as of Thursday and all of them should be up and running by the end of 2010.
The utility says the wind farm has the potential to produce enough power for 10, 000 homes and can reduce Nova Scotia's greenhouse gas emissions by about 60, 000 tonnes a year.
In a release, Nova Scotia Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks says this is an important step for the province.
"This is a great project for the Digby Neck area," he says. "These projects are important steps in transforming our energy mix in this province from its dependence on fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy."
The project also includes a sub-station and a 17 kilometer transmission line.
From Ocean-Resources
NSP's Digby wind farm up and running
11/25/2010
Nova Scotia Power’s Digby Neck Wind Farm began powering homes and businesses this week. 10 turbines are now generating electricity. The wind farm will be fully operational by the end of this year.
“This is an important milestone for Nova Scotia Power and the province as we continue to add more renewable energy to our generation mix,” said Robin McAdam, Vice President, Sustainability, NS Power. “Displacing fossil fuels with clean energy is not only important for the environment but provides value and price stability for our customers over the long term.”
"This is a great project for the Digby Neck area, creating good jobs, growing the local economy and generating clean stable-priced electricity to customers," said Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks. "These projects are important steps in transforming our energy mix in this province from its dependence on fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. It's through the realization of these types of projects that NSPI is demonstrating its partnership in achieving Nova Scotia's aggressive renewable energy targets."
The Digby Neck Wind Farm will have 20 wind turbines with a total capacity of 30 megawatts (MW), producing enough electricity to power approximately 10,000 homes. The project has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Nova Scotia by more than 60,000 tonnes annually. The project also includes a substation and a 17 kilometre transmission line.
“We have a talented team of Nova Scotia engineers and contractors who are committed to ensuring this wind farm is operational by the end of the year”, said Sean Brennan, Project Manager, NS Power’s Digby Neck Wind Farm. “I am proud to be part of this important local project”.
To learn more, visit the Digby Project Blog and follow us on Twitter @nspowerinc.
From Annapolis-Digby and the Digby Courier
Faye Haley, recently retired chair of the Tri-County Regional School Board, received a life achievement award Thursday from Digby Area Board of Trade. The award, made during the board’s annual Business Excellence banquet, was presented by Mayor Ben Cleveland, one of the many former students of the long-time educator.
Guest speaker at the banquet in the Royal Canadian Legion hall was Sean Brennan, Nova Scotia Power’s manager of the Digby wind project, which has almost finished installation of 20 wind turbines on Digby Neck.
Brennan said the project is designed to provide 30 megawatts of electricity from the 80-metre tall turbines.
“Digby is an (electricity) importing area, so it’s a good news story as the power will be used locally,” he said.
Board of trade president Kristy Herron said the largest number of nominees this year was in the hospitality and customer service categories.
The Hospitality Award went to Bay Ferries, which was nominated several times and in more than one category.
“This is the way to travel. Initially we were a bit distressed by the price, but we will do this again rather than drive along endless unremarkable highways,” said one nomination. “If you have ever travelled with four kids you will understand what I mean.”
The Tourism Excellence award went to Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa. Among the nominations was one noting the Pines “is a wonderful representation of a time when life was simple and people could really enjoy a vacation. The Pines is perfect for us. I get to golf with my buddies and the wives get to pamper themselves in the spa.”
The Community Contribution award (business) went to Cooke Aquaculture, which was nominated for its contribution to the new Keith Trimper Memorial Playground, and development of more environmentally sustainable fisheries. to see that not all of us are against them. We must have some jobs.
The Community Contribution award (non-profit) was presented to Digby County Family Resource Centre, which offers a variety of programs for children and families, and as its nomination noted, “The mothers united group is wonderful. There is a mix of older and younger people. The place is alive. We talk, we laugh we make friends, get advice/suggestions and we enjoy a good meal.”
Entrepreneur of the Year award was presented to Karen and Brendan Enright of Annapolis Highland Vineyards, whose nomination remarked that the couple “are always looking for a new and innovative way to market their product and encourage the consumer to try Nova Scotia wines. Brendan would like Annapolis and Digby to brand themselves as the Riviera of Canada.”
Customer Service award winner was Robert Balser’s Digby Pharmasave , which provides items such as walkers and assisted living devices. “They have gone into a niche that was not well serviced here in Digby. They are also expanding non-pharmacy services that fill a vital need like foot care while still maintaining a quality pharmacy,” said the nomination.
Winner of the Business Excellence award, presented by Nova Scotia Business Inc., was Royal Fundy - O’Neil Fisheries.
“While other operations are downsizing and closing, O’Neil has tried to maintain their competitive edge. They operate an export wholesale and a retail sea food operation as well as a nice eating establishment. They are a key employer in this community,” said the nomination.
Life Achievement winner Faye Haley “has always demonstrated a keen interest in the welfare of others. As a teacher she devoted her time to her student’s acquisition of learning.
“She just retired as chair, but she continues to ably represent the people of Digby on the Tri-County Board. She is also a current member of the Community Health Board, was involved in the theatre society and many other projects that benefit the youth of our area.”
Story by: John DeMings
The Digby County Courier
November 22, 2010
Small Businesses Are Important
Do small businesses have a fighting chance against today’s challenges?
By Richard Woodbury
Source: Originally published in the October 2010 Nova Scotia Business Journal (Oct. 5) — COVER STORY
Do small businesses have a fighting chance against today’s challenges?
By Richard Woodbury
Source: Originally published in the October 2010 Nova Scotia Business Journal (Oct. 5) — COVER STORY
When a second gas station in Amherst announced it was closing its doors due to the border gas wars with Brunswick, it raised a red flag that could not be ignored by small businesses and communities across Nova Scotia.
John and Kittee Baxter, the owners of Steamboat’s Convenience, blamed the closure of their business on the difference in gas prices between the two provinces. “We really tried to make it work, but when there’s such a huge gap in the price of gas there’s no way we can compete,” told Kittee Baxter in the Amherst Daily News. “I’m really disappointed with what has happened, but more than that I’m pretty frustrated because it appears as though this government really doesn’t care about Amherst.” The Baxters’ decision to close came just a couple of weeks after Co-Op Atlantic announced its gas station on Lawrence Street would be shut down, citing the same issues.
Unfortunately, the challenges which ultimately sealed the fate of these gas stations mirror what many other small businesses across the province are facing today.
Small businesses are an important employer in the province. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees represent 97.4 per cent of the province’s approximately 54,000 businesses and employ almost 29 per cent of the total number of workers in Nova Scotia, according to data from Statistics Canada. StatsCan also reveals that the number of self-employed individuals topped 60,000 in Nova Scotia last year.
Every October, Nova Scotia pays tribute to small businesses and the important role they play in our society and economy during Small Business Week. While it is a celebration of small businesses, it is also seen as an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges they face.
“Creating an environment where small business can thrive is vital, but, quite frankly, we haven’t done all that we can do to make that happen,” says Charles Cirtwill, president and CEO of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.
Cirtwill has been involved in public policy discussions for the last 20 years and he says things are worse today.
“We know our taxes too high, we know our red tape is too intense, we know we are not helpful to our small businesses, yet we continue to do the same things year in and year out,” he says.
With the election of the provincial NDP last year, there was hope for change. The party was elected on the promise of making life better for Nova Scotians. Unfortunately change doesn’t happen overnight and many say the challenges facing small business are an accumulation of things years in the making.
“It’s much tougher, way tougher,” says Lawrence Sawler of Glyda’s Fruit and Vegetables in Western Shore. “There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about that.”
Glyda’s has been in operation for almost 30 years. Sawler says the recent minimum wage increase is only one aspect making it tougher to make a profit. Finding qualified staff is another problem.
And with an aging population, finding qualified labour is only going to get worse.
This will hit small businesses particularly hard for two reasons, says Cirtwill. First, smaller businesses can’t afford to increase salaries the way bigger businesses can to attract and retain talent. The other reason is that small businesses rely on family to a greater degree for their labour pool.
“With families shrinking, so is the labour pool,” says Cirtwill.
One hope for improving the business climate lies with the economic development strategy the provincial government is working on. The strategy should be released “sometime soon,” says Percy Paris, the minister of economic and rural development.
While short on specific details, Paris says the party wants to foster a culture of innovation where people are encouraged to invest in themselves, invest in Nova Scotia and invest in Nova Scotians.
“If there are barriers, we want to know about them and will work together to try to eliminate them,” says Paris.
For many, the tax system is a barrier, especially since New Brunswick started cutting taxes.
“New Brunswick has a far more competitive tax system,” says Leanne Hachey, Atlantic vice-president for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
She says lower taxes allow business owners to keep more of their earnings, pay employees higher wages, invest in better equipment and offer lower prices. Meanwhile, the tax system in Nova Scotia does the opposite, Hachey says.
“I, we as a government, don’t have any control over what New Brunswick does,” says Paris.
In Nova Scotia, the provincial government strives to find the right balance between taxation and services offered, he says.
“We also understand that we have to live within our means and we can’t go further into this financial hole that already exists for us.”
But the news isn’t all bad for small businesses. Hachey says in a survey of members, the CFIB found members maintained a good work life balance for themselves and their employees. There has also been improvement on reducing red tape. Nova Scotia is considered one of the leaders for its efforts to reduce it.
While Cirtwill appreciates the work done so far, he questions how effective the efforts have actually been.
“When you start with a mountain and you remove two feet a year, you’re going to be at it for a while,” he says.
Looking to the future, Hachey has her worries about small businesses. In talks with the CFIB’s members, she says small business owners use words such as frustrated, fed up and helpless. Some even wonder why they even started a business in the first place. And worst of all, “some don’t encourage their kids to start businesses in Nova Scotia,” says Hachey.
As we enter Small Business Week (Oct. 17-23), it’s clear Nova Scotia’s small businesses need help.
“Small business week is nice, but we need to focus on small business year round,” says Cirtwill. Nova Scotia’s future prosperity depends on it.
By Richard Woodbury
Source: Originally published in the October 2010 Nova Scotia Business Journal (Oct. 5) — COVER STORY
Do small businesses have a fighting chance against today’s challenges?
By Richard Woodbury
Source: Originally published in the October 2010 Nova Scotia Business Journal (Oct. 5) — COVER STORY
When a second gas station in Amherst announced it was closing its doors due to the border gas wars with Brunswick, it raised a red flag that could not be ignored by small businesses and communities across Nova Scotia.
John and Kittee Baxter, the owners of Steamboat’s Convenience, blamed the closure of their business on the difference in gas prices between the two provinces. “We really tried to make it work, but when there’s such a huge gap in the price of gas there’s no way we can compete,” told Kittee Baxter in the Amherst Daily News. “I’m really disappointed with what has happened, but more than that I’m pretty frustrated because it appears as though this government really doesn’t care about Amherst.” The Baxters’ decision to close came just a couple of weeks after Co-Op Atlantic announced its gas station on Lawrence Street would be shut down, citing the same issues.
Unfortunately, the challenges which ultimately sealed the fate of these gas stations mirror what many other small businesses across the province are facing today.
Small businesses are an important employer in the province. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees represent 97.4 per cent of the province’s approximately 54,000 businesses and employ almost 29 per cent of the total number of workers in Nova Scotia, according to data from Statistics Canada. StatsCan also reveals that the number of self-employed individuals topped 60,000 in Nova Scotia last year.
Every October, Nova Scotia pays tribute to small businesses and the important role they play in our society and economy during Small Business Week. While it is a celebration of small businesses, it is also seen as an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges they face.
“Creating an environment where small business can thrive is vital, but, quite frankly, we haven’t done all that we can do to make that happen,” says Charles Cirtwill, president and CEO of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.
Cirtwill has been involved in public policy discussions for the last 20 years and he says things are worse today.
“We know our taxes too high, we know our red tape is too intense, we know we are not helpful to our small businesses, yet we continue to do the same things year in and year out,” he says.
With the election of the provincial NDP last year, there was hope for change. The party was elected on the promise of making life better for Nova Scotians. Unfortunately change doesn’t happen overnight and many say the challenges facing small business are an accumulation of things years in the making.
“It’s much tougher, way tougher,” says Lawrence Sawler of Glyda’s Fruit and Vegetables in Western Shore. “There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about that.”
Glyda’s has been in operation for almost 30 years. Sawler says the recent minimum wage increase is only one aspect making it tougher to make a profit. Finding qualified staff is another problem.
And with an aging population, finding qualified labour is only going to get worse.
This will hit small businesses particularly hard for two reasons, says Cirtwill. First, smaller businesses can’t afford to increase salaries the way bigger businesses can to attract and retain talent. The other reason is that small businesses rely on family to a greater degree for their labour pool.
“With families shrinking, so is the labour pool,” says Cirtwill.
One hope for improving the business climate lies with the economic development strategy the provincial government is working on. The strategy should be released “sometime soon,” says Percy Paris, the minister of economic and rural development.
While short on specific details, Paris says the party wants to foster a culture of innovation where people are encouraged to invest in themselves, invest in Nova Scotia and invest in Nova Scotians.
“If there are barriers, we want to know about them and will work together to try to eliminate them,” says Paris.
For many, the tax system is a barrier, especially since New Brunswick started cutting taxes.
“New Brunswick has a far more competitive tax system,” says Leanne Hachey, Atlantic vice-president for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
She says lower taxes allow business owners to keep more of their earnings, pay employees higher wages, invest in better equipment and offer lower prices. Meanwhile, the tax system in Nova Scotia does the opposite, Hachey says.
“I, we as a government, don’t have any control over what New Brunswick does,” says Paris.
In Nova Scotia, the provincial government strives to find the right balance between taxation and services offered, he says.
“We also understand that we have to live within our means and we can’t go further into this financial hole that already exists for us.”
But the news isn’t all bad for small businesses. Hachey says in a survey of members, the CFIB found members maintained a good work life balance for themselves and their employees. There has also been improvement on reducing red tape. Nova Scotia is considered one of the leaders for its efforts to reduce it.
While Cirtwill appreciates the work done so far, he questions how effective the efforts have actually been.
“When you start with a mountain and you remove two feet a year, you’re going to be at it for a while,” he says.
Looking to the future, Hachey has her worries about small businesses. In talks with the CFIB’s members, she says small business owners use words such as frustrated, fed up and helpless. Some even wonder why they even started a business in the first place. And worst of all, “some don’t encourage their kids to start businesses in Nova Scotia,” says Hachey.
As we enter Small Business Week (Oct. 17-23), it’s clear Nova Scotia’s small businesses need help.
“Small business week is nice, but we need to focus on small business year round,” says Cirtwill. Nova Scotia’s future prosperity depends on it.
East Coast Airways
NS: Red tape delays launch of East Coast Airways
By Staff, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Cape Breton Post, November 24, 2010
[SYDNEY, NS] — The president of operations for East Coast Airways said an employee accidentally set Wednesday on its website as the launch date for flights between Halifax and four other Maritime destinations.
Jay Hasson said the newest regional carrier will take off from the runway on Thursday instead, despite a final audit by Transport Canada that morning.
“Somebody just put in the wrong date (on the website). It’s a basic error,” he said from Halifax, Tuesday. “We’re correcting that, actually, right at the moment.”
The company is offering flights to and from Halifax from Sydney, Yarmouth, Saint John and Charlottetown.
The airline had been expected to begin operations on Monday, however it’s still awaiting final approval from Transport Canada. It was the second false start for East Coast Airways, which originally advertised November 1 as its official launch date, and had to compensate passengers who had already booked flights on its website.
Hasson said if reservations are made for the Sydney to Halifax flight Thursday morning, he’s confident things will go according to plan.
“We are very confident that Thursday we’re OK,” he said. “If we have any bookings we’d be leaving out of Sydney on Thursday. We haven’t put any word out so we don’t anticipate any new bookings.”
Hasson added that “barring anything unforeseen”, the carrier will have planes in the sky on Thursday.
The carrier will service the Maritimes with about 20 flights a day using five 19-passenger BAE Jetstream 31 turboprop airplanes. The number of daily flights will increase in the spring to 36 or 38, Hasson said.
By Staff, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Cape Breton Post, November 24, 2010
[SYDNEY, NS] — The president of operations for East Coast Airways said an employee accidentally set Wednesday on its website as the launch date for flights between Halifax and four other Maritime destinations.
Jay Hasson said the newest regional carrier will take off from the runway on Thursday instead, despite a final audit by Transport Canada that morning.
“Somebody just put in the wrong date (on the website). It’s a basic error,” he said from Halifax, Tuesday. “We’re correcting that, actually, right at the moment.”
The company is offering flights to and from Halifax from Sydney, Yarmouth, Saint John and Charlottetown.
The airline had been expected to begin operations on Monday, however it’s still awaiting final approval from Transport Canada. It was the second false start for East Coast Airways, which originally advertised November 1 as its official launch date, and had to compensate passengers who had already booked flights on its website.
Hasson said if reservations are made for the Sydney to Halifax flight Thursday morning, he’s confident things will go according to plan.
“We are very confident that Thursday we’re OK,” he said. “If we have any bookings we’d be leaving out of Sydney on Thursday. We haven’t put any word out so we don’t anticipate any new bookings.”
Hasson added that “barring anything unforeseen”, the carrier will have planes in the sky on Thursday.
The carrier will service the Maritimes with about 20 flights a day using five 19-passenger BAE Jetstream 31 turboprop airplanes. The number of daily flights will increase in the spring to 36 or 38, Hasson said.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Municipal Council Agenda
Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Meeting DateNovember 22, 2010Meeting LocationBarton Consolidated SchoolCall to OrderWarden Linda GregoryPause to Seek GuidanceWarden Linda GregoryReading of Mission StatementWarden Linda GregoryApproval ofthe AgendaAdditions/Deletions CouncilStaffSpecial PresentationsPresentationsGloria Banks, GrantThornton 2009-2010 Audited FinancialStatementsMotion to accept 2009-2010 Audited Financial StatementsMinutesApproval/AmendmentsOctober 25, 2010November 8, 2010Special Council
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010BusinessArising from Minutes/Old Business1.Digby GroundSearch and Rescue Funding request $ 40,000 for new vehicle2.3.Deputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillorAmeroCouncillorAdamsCouncillor TudorWarden Linda Gregory
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010NewBusiness# 1Department NaturalResources Requesting permission for DNRstaff to have access toProperty On Line# 2Councillor Amero Provincial decision to moveRegistry Office out of Weymouth# 3Warden Gregory Doctors Nova Scotia-Golden Apple Award# 4Municipal Finance Corp Municipal Finance Workshop# 5Councillor Tudor Environment Screening or FullEnvironmental Assessment# 6Warden Gregory Light at the end of the AirportdrivewayCAOReport# 1Request for Decision or Direction# 2Meeting Dates/Reminders#3Meeting Action Items Update#4Special Project Update#5Payables-October 2010 $ 779,382.31#6Financial Report-Not Available
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Correspondence1.Clean AnnapolisRiver Project Newsletter2.Sport Nova Scotia 2009-2010 annual reportavailable3.RCMP “H” Division 2009-2010 reportavailable4.Partnership forSustainableDevelopment of Digby Neck &Islands SocietyCopy of letter to HonourableSterling Belliveau, Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture Copy of letter to HonourableGail Shea, MP Federal Ministerof Fisheries & OceansCouncil CommitteesRecommendationsto Council fromCommittee of the WholeFundy YMCA Approval to provide funding for capital renovationsin the amount of $ 25,000 for four years beginningApril 2011Tender Loving CareAnimal Shelter Approval to provide grant in the amount of $ 8,000with revenue generated from proposed dog tag feeto be used to cover grant and to provide futuregrantsHerring WorkersAgreement Approval to sign agreementWeymouth WaterfrontDevelopmentCommittee Request for donation of the former Weymouth Library building Request for tax exemption on former Weymouth Library building if ownership transferred to WWDC
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Recommendationsto Council fromBy-law & Policy CommitteeCommitteeAppointment New Committee AppointmentsAppointment of ADEDA alternate memberAdvisoryCommitteesREMO AdvisoryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010Heritage AdvisoryCommitteeCouncillor AmeroCouncillor AdamsPlanning AdvisoryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpineWarden Gregory No meeting since last reportPolice AdvisoryCommitteeWarden GregoryCouncillor AmeroCouncillor Adams Minutes April 2010 There is 1 citizen positionthat needs to be filledTri County HousingAuthorityR FitzgeraldReport June 1 to Oct 31, 2010 The 3 western housingauthorities will be one as of Dec/10. This includes TriCount, Anna. Valley andSouth shore housingauthorities.
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Regional/JointCommittees# 1Airport WorkingGroupDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Adams Minutes July & Nov 2010 Terms of Reference for Approval# 2Annapolis DigbyEconomicDevelopmentAgencyDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010 Managing Director ReportOctober Managing Director Letter of resignation #3Digby AnnapolisDevelopmentCorpCouncillor AmeroNo meeting since lastreport#4Digby Area LearningAssociationCouncillor AdamsMinutes September 2010#5Digby Area TourismAssociationWarden GregoryMinutes September 2010 #6Digby Area Recreation CommitteeWarden GregoryCouncillor AmeroMinutes September 2010Staff Reports October 10#7Digby HarbourPort AssociationWarden Gregory#8Digby LibraryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpine No meeting since lastreport#9FundywebBroadbandDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Amero No meeting since lastreport# 10IndustrialCommissionDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Amero No meeting since lastreport
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Regional/JointCommittees(con’t)# 11Kings TransitAuthorityCouncillor Amero Minutes Sept 2010 Managers Report Oct 2010 Ridership Report Sept 2010# 12Senior SafetyCommitteeCouncillor AdamsWarden Gregory Minutes Oct 2010# 13Tideview TerraceWarden GregoryCouncillor Adams Minutes June and Sept2010 Facility Disposal Policy and e-mail from MattRaymond # 14Waste CheckWarden GregoryDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010 Staff Reports-Oct 2010Regional Chairs Minutes Regional Chairs Update# 15Western CountiesRegional LibraryDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncil Activity Reports/OtherCommitteesDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor AmeroCouncillor AdamsCouncillor TudorWarden GregorySource Water Protection Advisory Committee Oct2010 Minutes
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010In Camera Contractual IssueAdjournment
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010BusinessArising from Minutes/Old Business1.Digby GroundSearch and Rescue Funding request $ 40,000 for new vehicle2.3.Deputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillorAmeroCouncillorAdamsCouncillor TudorWarden Linda Gregory
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010NewBusiness# 1Department NaturalResources Requesting permission for DNRstaff to have access toProperty On Line# 2Councillor Amero Provincial decision to moveRegistry Office out of Weymouth# 3Warden Gregory Doctors Nova Scotia-Golden Apple Award# 4Municipal Finance Corp Municipal Finance Workshop# 5Councillor Tudor Environment Screening or FullEnvironmental Assessment# 6Warden Gregory Light at the end of the AirportdrivewayCAOReport# 1Request for Decision or Direction# 2Meeting Dates/Reminders#3Meeting Action Items Update#4Special Project Update#5Payables-October 2010 $ 779,382.31#6Financial Report-Not Available
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Correspondence1.Clean AnnapolisRiver Project Newsletter2.Sport Nova Scotia 2009-2010 annual reportavailable3.RCMP “H” Division 2009-2010 reportavailable4.Partnership forSustainableDevelopment of Digby Neck &Islands SocietyCopy of letter to HonourableSterling Belliveau, Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture Copy of letter to HonourableGail Shea, MP Federal Ministerof Fisheries & OceansCouncil CommitteesRecommendationsto Council fromCommittee of the WholeFundy YMCA Approval to provide funding for capital renovationsin the amount of $ 25,000 for four years beginningApril 2011Tender Loving CareAnimal Shelter Approval to provide grant in the amount of $ 8,000with revenue generated from proposed dog tag feeto be used to cover grant and to provide futuregrantsHerring WorkersAgreement Approval to sign agreementWeymouth WaterfrontDevelopmentCommittee Request for donation of the former Weymouth Library building Request for tax exemption on former Weymouth Library building if ownership transferred to WWDC
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Recommendationsto Council fromBy-law & Policy CommitteeCommitteeAppointment New Committee AppointmentsAppointment of ADEDA alternate memberAdvisoryCommitteesREMO AdvisoryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010Heritage AdvisoryCommitteeCouncillor AmeroCouncillor AdamsPlanning AdvisoryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpineWarden Gregory No meeting since last reportPolice AdvisoryCommitteeWarden GregoryCouncillor AmeroCouncillor Adams Minutes April 2010 There is 1 citizen positionthat needs to be filledTri County HousingAuthorityR FitzgeraldReport June 1 to Oct 31, 2010 The 3 western housingauthorities will be one as of Dec/10. This includes TriCount, Anna. Valley andSouth shore housingauthorities.
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Regional/JointCommittees# 1Airport WorkingGroupDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Adams Minutes July & Nov 2010 Terms of Reference for Approval# 2Annapolis DigbyEconomicDevelopmentAgencyDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010 Managing Director ReportOctober Managing Director Letter of resignation #3Digby AnnapolisDevelopmentCorpCouncillor AmeroNo meeting since lastreport#4Digby Area LearningAssociationCouncillor AdamsMinutes September 2010#5Digby Area TourismAssociationWarden GregoryMinutes September 2010 #6Digby Area Recreation CommitteeWarden GregoryCouncillor AmeroMinutes September 2010Staff Reports October 10#7Digby HarbourPort AssociationWarden Gregory#8Digby LibraryCommitteeDeputy Warden MacAlpine No meeting since lastreport#9FundywebBroadbandDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Amero No meeting since lastreport# 10IndustrialCommissionDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor Amero No meeting since lastreport
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010Regional/JointCommittees(con’t)# 11Kings TransitAuthorityCouncillor Amero Minutes Sept 2010 Managers Report Oct 2010 Ridership Report Sept 2010# 12Senior SafetyCommitteeCouncillor AdamsWarden Gregory Minutes Oct 2010# 13Tideview TerraceWarden GregoryCouncillor Adams Minutes June and Sept2010 Facility Disposal Policy and e-mail from MattRaymond # 14Waste CheckWarden GregoryDeputy Warden MacAlpine Minutes Sept 2010 Staff Reports-Oct 2010Regional Chairs Minutes Regional Chairs Update# 15Western CountiesRegional LibraryDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncil Activity Reports/OtherCommitteesDeputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor AmeroCouncillor AdamsCouncillor TudorWarden GregorySource Water Protection Advisory Committee Oct2010 Minutes
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Council AgendaNovember 22, 2010In Camera Contractual IssueAdjournment
Municipal Council Special Minutes
Municipality of the District of DigbySpecial Municipal Council MinutesNovember 8, 2010Tiverton, Nova Scotia1Call to OrderThe Council meeting was called to order with Deputy Warden MacAlpine in the chair at 6:00 p.m. AttendanceCouncillors present:Jimmy MacAlpine, Deputy WardenLinda Gregory, CouncillorRandall Amero, CouncillorMaritza Adams, CouncillorDavid Tudor, CouncillorStaff present:Linda Fraser, Chief Administrative OfficerGordon Wilson, Deputy Chief Administrative OfficerCora Lee Bremner, Executive SecretaryPrayerDeputy Warden MacAlpine welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked everyone to pause to seek guidance for the meeting.Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked everyone for coming andread the Municipality’s mission statement.IntroductionsDeputy Warden MacAlpine asked Council and staff to introduce themselves.AgendaMOVED and seconded that the agenda be approved as circulated.MOTION CARRIEDDeclaration ofCandidate Electedfor District 4Deputy Warden MacAlpine turned the chair over to the CAOfor the declaration of candidate elected for District 4.Swearing in of NewCouncillor forDistrict 4The CAO swore in David Tudor as Councillor for District 4.Election of WardenThe CAO asked Council to raise their hand if they wereinterested in running for Warden. Both Councillor Gregory andDeputy Warden MacAlpine were interested. The CAO gave both Councillor Gregory and Deputy WardenMacAlpine a chance to speak on why they should be elected asWarden.A vote was cast by secret ballot for the position of Warden.The CAO declared that Councillor Gregory would be theWarden of the Municipality of the District of Digby.MOVED and seconded that the ballots be destroyed.MOTION CARRIEDElection of Deputy Warden (if required)Not required.
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Municipality of the District of DigbySpecial Municipal Council MinutesNovember 8, 2010Tiverton, Nova Scotia2AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 6:15PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK
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Municipality of the District of DigbySpecial Municipal Council MinutesNovember 8, 2010Tiverton, Nova Scotia2AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 6:15PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK
Labels:
Digby Municipal Council minutes
Digby Municipal Council Minutes
Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia1Call to OrderThe Council meeting was called to order with Deputy Warden MacAlpine in the chair at 6:00 p.m. AttendanceCouncillors present: Jimmy MacAlpine, Deputy Warden Randall Amero, Councillor Maritza Adams, CouncillorStaff present: Linda Fraser, Chief Administrative Officer Gordon Wilson, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Cora Lee Bremner, Executive SecretaryRegrets: Linda Gregory, CouncillorPrayerDeputy Warden MacAlpine welcomed everyone to the meetingand asked everyone to pause to seek guidance for the meeting. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked everyone for coming andread the Municipality’s mission statement.IntroductionsDeputy Warden MacAlpine asked Council and staff tointroduce themselves and introduced the recently electedCouncillor for District 4, David Tudor.AgendaMOVED and seconded that the agenda be approved ascirculated.MOTION CARRIEDPresentationsPeter Newton, Warden – Municipality of Annapolis – Lifeplex Wellness CentreMOVED and seconded that Warden Newton from theMunicipality of the County of Annapolis come beforeCouncil to make a presentation.MOTION CARRIEDWarden Newton briefly updated Council regarding the capitalcampaign for the redevelopment of the Lifeplex facility in Cornwallis Park. They would like to see it open again and wanta sustainable model. The YMCA is taking a serious look at it.There has been a study done concerning membership which proved good. The plan is to open up the downstairs and bring a wider range of exercise equipment. A representative from theYMCA came before Council and gave an overview of the plansfor the facility provided it was taken over by the YMCA. Athird party did a review and feels that it is not sustainablewithout capital upgrades. The YMCA representative gave adetailed presentation including an outline of the capitalcampaign feasibility study, a summary of the market researchstudy, and outlined the government funding for the project.Warden Newton is requesting $100,000 funding from theMunicipality of Digby which would be used for the capitalcampaign. There will be no operating funds requested. Mr. Mark Phillips from the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia2came before Council to outline the economic benefits of thisproject. Mr. Phillips advised Council that the ABCC hascontributed 2.9 million previously towards this project and hasnow committed $100,000 towards the capital funding. A question and answer period followed the presentation. DeputyWarden MacAlpine thanked them for their presentation andnoted that it will be reviewed at the next COTW meeting.Dr. Bob Maher, Senior Research Scientist, AGRG – CommunityMappingMOVED and seconded that Dr. Bob Maher, SeniorResearch Scientist from the Applied Geomatics ResearchGroup come before Council to make a presentation to Council about community mapping.MOTION CARRIEDMr. Maher came before Council 15 months ago to present thecommunity mapping project he was working on. He currentlyhas three projects on the go, but would like to talk to Council on the Rural Secretariat project. The Rural Secretariat will givehim $200,000 towards the project, but he has to come up withthe rest on his own. He is interested in developing applicationsfor the citizens in this region. He is requesting $5,000 per year for the next two years for the Municipality. In-kindcontributions are also being sought. Anyone who signs on willbecome a partner in the project and is able to have a say in whatwill be included in the mapping project for this area. A question and answer period followed the presentation. Councilmentioned that they would like to see the heritage propertiescatalogued into this map. Mr. Maher indicated that it would bea definite possibility providing the data has been collected tofeed into the project. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked himfor the presentation and noted that a decision would be made atthe next COTW meeting.Larry Brooks – DigbyGround Search and RescueMOVED and seconded that Mr. Larry Brooks come beforeCouncil to make a presentation on behalf of Digby GroundSearch and Rescue.MOTION CARRIEDMr. Larry Brooks, Vice President for the Digby Ground Searchand Rescue came before Council to make a presentation. TheDigby Ground Search and Rescue is a non-profit volunteer rescue operation which is on call day and night. They currentlyhave a vehicle that houses GPS units, radio systems, etc. Thisvehicle is in terrible condition. They are looking to replace thattruck. Mr. Brooks went over the budget with Council and outlined that they only received $6,189.50 this year. Thevehicle has cost $9,351 over the past three years. They feel it isnot worth putting any more money into. They are currentlylooking at the purchase of a new truck which will have to belengthened. If they were able to purchase the new truck, it ishoped to be able to use it for the next 15 plus years. A question and answer period followed the presentation. This organization covers all of Digby County and does Clare and other areas aswell if they are called to assist. Deputy Warden MacAlpinethanked him for the presentation and advised that this will bediscussed at the next COTW meeting.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia3MinutesSeptember 27, 2010MOVED and seconded that the minutes from the Council ofSeptember 27, 2010 be approved as circulated.MOTION CARRIEDBusiness Arising from Minutes/OldBusinessNILDeputy Warden MacAlpine No Old Business.Councillor Gregory Absent.Councillor Amero No Old Business.Councillor Adams No Old Business.New Business#1 Petition – Unpaved portion of Culloden Road It was agreed that this petition for the unpaved portion of Culloden Road be referred to the MLA.AdministrationRequest for decision/directionCAO Report Municipal BuildingSmith’s Cove &Weymouth Sewer ExtensionsCanada PostCrosswalks - Conway The CAO report for October 25, 2010 was included in themeeting package. It is estimated that the municipal building will be completedmiddle to late December. There is still a local crewworking there. The Smith’s Cove and Weymouth sewer extensions shouldbe ready to go to tender sometime in November. There has been a response from Canada Post regarding concerns that had been raised. This was sent as a lateaddition to the package. The CAO will be making contact with Basil Pitts andrepresentatives from Tri-County Regional School Board toset up a meeting regarding crosswalks in Conway.PayablesMOVED and seconded that the payables in the amount of$707,621.92 for the month of September 2010 be approvedas presented.MOTION CARRIEDFinancial Report The financial report for September 30, 2010 was included inthe meeting package.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia4MOVED and seconded that the financial report beapproved as presented.MOTION CARRIEDCorrespondenceWeymouth Cenotaph Unveiling Ceremony There will be an unveiling ceremony for the WeymouthCenotaph on November 5, 2010 at 11 am. Council CommitteesCommittee of theWholeDigby Library –Upgrades & Painting($4,500)MOVED and seconded that Council approve the DigbyLibrary upgrades in the amount of $4,500.MOTION CARRIEDBylaw & PolicyReviewNILAdvisory Committees#1 REMOManagement PlanningCommittee The REMO Management Planning Committee met threeweeks ago. The Coordinator gave an overview of what took place at the Wharf Rat Rally with the hurricane. The committee has discussed having an alternate person inplace for this position in case he wasn’t available.#2 Heritage AdvisoryCommittee There was no Heritage Advisory Committee meeting sincethe last report. It was noted that the mapping system thatwas presented tonight would be great to tie things togetherfor the heritage properties.#3 Planning AdvisoryCommittee There has been no Planning Advisory Committee meetingsince the last report.#4 Police AdvisoryCommittee There is a Police Advisory Committee meeting scheduledfor November 16, 2010. There is still one citizen position that needs to be filled forthe committee.#5 Tri CountyHousing Authority There is no report available for the Tri-County Housing Authority. The three western housing authorities will beone as of December/10. This includes Tri-County,Annapolis Valley and South Shore housing authorities.Regional / Joint Committees
#1 Airport WorkingGroup There hasn’t been an Airport Working Group meeting sincethe last Council meeting but there will be one in the nearfuture.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia5
#2 Annapolis Digby EconomicDevelopment Agency There is an ADEDA meeting scheduled for October 28,2010. It has been rescheduled so most voting memberscould be there. The working group met this afternoon andis working on a solution to maintain the RegionalDevelopment Agency.
#3 Digby AnnapolisDevelopment Corp The DADC has not met since the last report.
#4 Digby AreaLearning Association DALA met on September 29, 2010. Councillor Adams wasaway for that meeting and will be away for the next one aswell. She will distribute the minutes as soon as they getapproved.
#5 Digby AreaTourism Association The Digby Area Tourism Association minutes for Aprilwere included in the meeting package.
#6 Digby AreaRecreation Committee The DARC minutes and staff reports for June andSeptember, 2010 were included in the meeting package.The ice is in the rink. It was mentioned that there are anumber of parents concerned with the way minor hockey isnow being run. It has been estimated that it will costparents anywhere from $10,000 to 15,000 per year to travelnow. Hockey has seen a major drop in their numbers. Itwas agreed that this should be taken back to DARC to beproactive and work with minor hockey to come up with asolution.
#7 Digby Harbour Port Association The Digby Harbour Port Association minutes for July 22, 2010 were circulated.
#8 Digby LibraryCommittee The Digby Library Committee meeting notes fromSeptember 27, 2010 were included in the meeting package.Deputy Warden MacAlpine is sitting on the hiringcommittee for a new executive director.
#9 Fundyweb Broadband Fundyweb Broadband has not met since the last report.Deputy Warden MacAlpine talked to the CAO fromAnnapolis County today to see what is taking place. Theyare waiting for a legal opinion to divest Municipal Unitsfrom the board. They are hoping within the next monththey will know something.#10 IndustrialCommission The Industrial Commission has not met since the last report.They are hoping to have a meeting within the next couple ofweeks.
#11 Kings TransitAuthority The Kings Transit Authority has a meeting scheduled for November 4, 2010.
#12 Senior SafetyCommittee The Senior Safety Committee met on October 19, 2010.The Coordinator has been involved with doing a driverscourse for seniors. She also did a workshop with the RoyalBank employees in Digby and Weymouth on financialabuse for seniors.
#13 Tideview Terrace Tideview Terrace met at the end of September. Councillor
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia6Adams was away. Things are going well with the newTideview.#14 Waste Check The Waste Check minutes for September 2010 and staffreports for October 2010 were included in the meetingpackage. At the last meeting there was a discussion regarding theBylaw Enforcement Officer’s role. He is doing a good jobwith illegal dump sites. He is going to start enforcing and there will be fines levied. There is a request for proposals being put together for therecycling contract. Cameras are out there in the community now. The bylawEnforcement Officer will bring a video to the board to seethe quality of the videos.
#15 Western CountiesRegional Library There has been no Western Counties Regional Library meeting since the last Council meeting.Council ActivityReports/OtherCommitteesDeputy WardenMacAlpine Deputy Warden MacAlpine had nothing further to report.Councillor Gregory Absent.Councillor Amero Councillor Amero had nothing further to report.Councillor Adams Councillor Adams had nothing further to report.Comments from thegallery The meeting was opened up to the gallery for questions.Mr. David Tudor commented that he has also been hearingcomplaints in regards to minor hockey. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked everyone for attendingthe meeting.BreakMOVED and seconded that there be a five minute breakbefore proceeding in camera.MOTION CARRIEDIn CameraMOVED and seconded that the meeting move in camera.MOTION CARRIEDRegular session resumed.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia7AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 8:30PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia2came before Council to outline the economic benefits of thisproject. Mr. Phillips advised Council that the ABCC hascontributed 2.9 million previously towards this project and hasnow committed $100,000 towards the capital funding. A question and answer period followed the presentation. DeputyWarden MacAlpine thanked them for their presentation andnoted that it will be reviewed at the next COTW meeting.Dr. Bob Maher, Senior Research Scientist, AGRG – CommunityMappingMOVED and seconded that Dr. Bob Maher, SeniorResearch Scientist from the Applied Geomatics ResearchGroup come before Council to make a presentation to Council about community mapping.MOTION CARRIEDMr. Maher came before Council 15 months ago to present thecommunity mapping project he was working on. He currentlyhas three projects on the go, but would like to talk to Council on the Rural Secretariat project. The Rural Secretariat will givehim $200,000 towards the project, but he has to come up withthe rest on his own. He is interested in developing applicationsfor the citizens in this region. He is requesting $5,000 per year for the next two years for the Municipality. In-kindcontributions are also being sought. Anyone who signs on willbecome a partner in the project and is able to have a say in whatwill be included in the mapping project for this area. A question and answer period followed the presentation. Councilmentioned that they would like to see the heritage propertiescatalogued into this map. Mr. Maher indicated that it would bea definite possibility providing the data has been collected tofeed into the project. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked himfor the presentation and noted that a decision would be made atthe next COTW meeting.Larry Brooks – DigbyGround Search and RescueMOVED and seconded that Mr. Larry Brooks come beforeCouncil to make a presentation on behalf of Digby GroundSearch and Rescue.MOTION CARRIEDMr. Larry Brooks, Vice President for the Digby Ground Searchand Rescue came before Council to make a presentation. TheDigby Ground Search and Rescue is a non-profit volunteer rescue operation which is on call day and night. They currentlyhave a vehicle that houses GPS units, radio systems, etc. Thisvehicle is in terrible condition. They are looking to replace thattruck. Mr. Brooks went over the budget with Council and outlined that they only received $6,189.50 this year. Thevehicle has cost $9,351 over the past three years. They feel it isnot worth putting any more money into. They are currentlylooking at the purchase of a new truck which will have to belengthened. If they were able to purchase the new truck, it ishoped to be able to use it for the next 15 plus years. A question and answer period followed the presentation. This organization covers all of Digby County and does Clare and other areas aswell if they are called to assist. Deputy Warden MacAlpinethanked him for the presentation and advised that this will bediscussed at the next COTW meeting.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia3MinutesSeptember 27, 2010MOVED and seconded that the minutes from the Council ofSeptember 27, 2010 be approved as circulated.MOTION CARRIEDBusiness Arising from Minutes/OldBusinessNILDeputy Warden MacAlpine No Old Business.Councillor Gregory Absent.Councillor Amero No Old Business.Councillor Adams No Old Business.New Business#1 Petition – Unpaved portion of Culloden Road It was agreed that this petition for the unpaved portion of Culloden Road be referred to the MLA.AdministrationRequest for decision/directionCAO Report Municipal BuildingSmith’s Cove &Weymouth Sewer ExtensionsCanada PostCrosswalks - Conway The CAO report for October 25, 2010 was included in themeeting package. It is estimated that the municipal building will be completedmiddle to late December. There is still a local crewworking there. The Smith’s Cove and Weymouth sewer extensions shouldbe ready to go to tender sometime in November. There has been a response from Canada Post regarding concerns that had been raised. This was sent as a lateaddition to the package. The CAO will be making contact with Basil Pitts andrepresentatives from Tri-County Regional School Board toset up a meeting regarding crosswalks in Conway.PayablesMOVED and seconded that the payables in the amount of$707,621.92 for the month of September 2010 be approvedas presented.MOTION CARRIEDFinancial Report The financial report for September 30, 2010 was included inthe meeting package.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia4MOVED and seconded that the financial report beapproved as presented.MOTION CARRIEDCorrespondenceWeymouth Cenotaph Unveiling Ceremony There will be an unveiling ceremony for the WeymouthCenotaph on November 5, 2010 at 11 am. Council CommitteesCommittee of theWholeDigby Library –Upgrades & Painting($4,500)MOVED and seconded that Council approve the DigbyLibrary upgrades in the amount of $4,500.MOTION CARRIEDBylaw & PolicyReviewNILAdvisory Committees#1 REMOManagement PlanningCommittee The REMO Management Planning Committee met threeweeks ago. The Coordinator gave an overview of what took place at the Wharf Rat Rally with the hurricane. The committee has discussed having an alternate person inplace for this position in case he wasn’t available.#2 Heritage AdvisoryCommittee There was no Heritage Advisory Committee meeting sincethe last report. It was noted that the mapping system thatwas presented tonight would be great to tie things togetherfor the heritage properties.#3 Planning AdvisoryCommittee There has been no Planning Advisory Committee meetingsince the last report.#4 Police AdvisoryCommittee There is a Police Advisory Committee meeting scheduledfor November 16, 2010. There is still one citizen position that needs to be filled forthe committee.#5 Tri CountyHousing Authority There is no report available for the Tri-County Housing Authority. The three western housing authorities will beone as of December/10. This includes Tri-County,Annapolis Valley and South Shore housing authorities.Regional / Joint Committees
#1 Airport WorkingGroup There hasn’t been an Airport Working Group meeting sincethe last Council meeting but there will be one in the nearfuture.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia5
#2 Annapolis Digby EconomicDevelopment Agency There is an ADEDA meeting scheduled for October 28,2010. It has been rescheduled so most voting memberscould be there. The working group met this afternoon andis working on a solution to maintain the RegionalDevelopment Agency.
#3 Digby AnnapolisDevelopment Corp The DADC has not met since the last report.
#4 Digby AreaLearning Association DALA met on September 29, 2010. Councillor Adams wasaway for that meeting and will be away for the next one aswell. She will distribute the minutes as soon as they getapproved.
#5 Digby AreaTourism Association The Digby Area Tourism Association minutes for Aprilwere included in the meeting package.
#6 Digby AreaRecreation Committee The DARC minutes and staff reports for June andSeptember, 2010 were included in the meeting package.The ice is in the rink. It was mentioned that there are anumber of parents concerned with the way minor hockey isnow being run. It has been estimated that it will costparents anywhere from $10,000 to 15,000 per year to travelnow. Hockey has seen a major drop in their numbers. Itwas agreed that this should be taken back to DARC to beproactive and work with minor hockey to come up with asolution.
#7 Digby Harbour Port Association The Digby Harbour Port Association minutes for July 22, 2010 were circulated.
#8 Digby LibraryCommittee The Digby Library Committee meeting notes fromSeptember 27, 2010 were included in the meeting package.Deputy Warden MacAlpine is sitting on the hiringcommittee for a new executive director.
#9 Fundyweb Broadband Fundyweb Broadband has not met since the last report.Deputy Warden MacAlpine talked to the CAO fromAnnapolis County today to see what is taking place. Theyare waiting for a legal opinion to divest Municipal Unitsfrom the board. They are hoping within the next monththey will know something.#10 IndustrialCommission The Industrial Commission has not met since the last report.They are hoping to have a meeting within the next couple ofweeks.
#11 Kings TransitAuthority The Kings Transit Authority has a meeting scheduled for November 4, 2010.
#12 Senior SafetyCommittee The Senior Safety Committee met on October 19, 2010.The Coordinator has been involved with doing a driverscourse for seniors. She also did a workshop with the RoyalBank employees in Digby and Weymouth on financialabuse for seniors.
#13 Tideview Terrace Tideview Terrace met at the end of September. Councillor
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia6Adams was away. Things are going well with the newTideview.#14 Waste Check The Waste Check minutes for September 2010 and staffreports for October 2010 were included in the meetingpackage. At the last meeting there was a discussion regarding theBylaw Enforcement Officer’s role. He is doing a good jobwith illegal dump sites. He is going to start enforcing and there will be fines levied. There is a request for proposals being put together for therecycling contract. Cameras are out there in the community now. The bylawEnforcement Officer will bring a video to the board to seethe quality of the videos.
#15 Western CountiesRegional Library There has been no Western Counties Regional Library meeting since the last Council meeting.Council ActivityReports/OtherCommitteesDeputy WardenMacAlpine Deputy Warden MacAlpine had nothing further to report.Councillor Gregory Absent.Councillor Amero Councillor Amero had nothing further to report.Councillor Adams Councillor Adams had nothing further to report.Comments from thegallery The meeting was opened up to the gallery for questions.Mr. David Tudor commented that he has also been hearingcomplaints in regards to minor hockey. Deputy Warden MacAlpine thanked everyone for attendingthe meeting.BreakMOVED and seconded that there be a five minute breakbefore proceeding in camera.MOTION CARRIEDIn CameraMOVED and seconded that the meeting move in camera.MOTION CARRIEDRegular session resumed.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Council MinutesOctober 25, 2010Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia7AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 8:30PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK
Labels:
Digby Municipal Council minutes
Friday, November 19, 2010
Green Conference
Learn how to save dollars.
Weds. Dec. 1, Universite Sainte Anne 1:30 to 8pm. Cost $15. Contact: sife@usainteanne.ca or 769- 3655
Weds. Dec. 1, Universite Sainte Anne 1:30 to 8pm. Cost $15. Contact: sife@usainteanne.ca or 769- 3655
Digby Health Services Centre
Info/question/answer sesson Wednesday Nov. 23 at 7pm at Digby Legion. Learn what this idea is about. Ask questions.
Labels:
Digby Nova Scotia health
Bay of Fundy
May I suggest watching this program, and then dancing off to the Fundy Chorale concert in Digby at 3pm? The title of the performance is called "Dancing Day", after all! (the title of a medley included in the performance).
CBC's Land & Sea: Bay of Fundy episode
Hi there-
I wanted to let you know about Sunday’s episode Land & Sea that may be of interest to you – it’s a feature on the Bay of Fundy. It airs Sunday Nov 21 at noon.
Episode info:
The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides in the world. Twice daily a volume of water equal to the flow of all the rivers on the planet enters the Bay. The tides rise 12 to 16 meters - 40 to 50 feet high but it is not only the awesome physical power of the Fundy tides. It's their ability to support the magnificent whales, fascinating seabirds and shorebirds and the rest of the marine life. The Bay is truly one of the natural wonders of the world.
There's no one better to guide us than author and naturalist Harry Thurston. He grew up close to the Bay - he's even written a book about it.
The Bay of Fundy is the only Canadian finalist in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. There are 28 entries - 7 will be chosen. To vote, go to www.new7wonders.com. The winners will be announced November 11, 2011.
Watch Land & Sea, Sunday November 21 at noon on CBC Television. You can also see the show online after the broadcast at http://www.cbc.ca/landandsea/
Please share this information with anyone who may be interested in seeing this episode. Thanks for your help in spreading the word!
Have a great weekend!
Chantal
Chantal Bernard
Senior Communications Officer
CBC, Halifax
902 420-4306
follow me on Twitter: @ChantalCBCNS
Become a Fan of CBC Nova Scotia on Facebook
________________________
Watch CBC News Nova Scotia: Tune in at a time that's convenient for you between 5 and 6:30 p.m. weeknights on CBC Television.
Wrap up your day with CBC News: Maritimes Late Night, weeknights following The National.
www.cbc.ca/ns
CBC's Land & Sea: Bay of Fundy episode
Hi there-
I wanted to let you know about Sunday’s episode Land & Sea that may be of interest to you – it’s a feature on the Bay of Fundy. It airs Sunday Nov 21 at noon.
Episode info:
The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides in the world. Twice daily a volume of water equal to the flow of all the rivers on the planet enters the Bay. The tides rise 12 to 16 meters - 40 to 50 feet high but it is not only the awesome physical power of the Fundy tides. It's their ability to support the magnificent whales, fascinating seabirds and shorebirds and the rest of the marine life. The Bay is truly one of the natural wonders of the world.
There's no one better to guide us than author and naturalist Harry Thurston. He grew up close to the Bay - he's even written a book about it.
The Bay of Fundy is the only Canadian finalist in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. There are 28 entries - 7 will be chosen. To vote, go to www.new7wonders.com. The winners will be announced November 11, 2011.
Watch Land & Sea, Sunday November 21 at noon on CBC Television. You can also see the show online after the broadcast at http://www.cbc.ca/landandsea/
Please share this information with anyone who may be interested in seeing this episode. Thanks for your help in spreading the word!
Have a great weekend!
Chantal
Chantal Bernard
Senior Communications Officer
CBC, Halifax
902 420-4306
follow me on Twitter: @ChantalCBCNS
Become a Fan of CBC Nova Scotia on Facebook
________________________
Watch CBC News Nova Scotia: Tune in at a time that's convenient for you between 5 and 6:30 p.m. weeknights on CBC Television.
Wrap up your day with CBC News: Maritimes Late Night, weeknights following The National.
www.cbc.ca/ns
Was it a UFO? Fire in the Sky Over Nova Scotia
'Huge ball of fire' actually meteor shower, N.S. officials say
By PATRICIA BROOKS ARENBURG and EVA HOARE Staff Reporters | UPDATED 8:13 p.m.
Thu, Nov 18 - 7:06 PM
They feared it was a plane crash but it turned out to be a meteor shower lighting up the night sky.
Early Thursday evening, emergency crews rushed to Nova Scotia’s South Shore after getting reports that a “huge ball of fire” had fallen from the sky near Exit 16 on Highway 103.
RCMP and search and rescue officials were dispatched to the area around Italy Cross.
But after thorough checks, it was determined there had been no plane crash, Scott Burgwin of the Maritimes Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax said in an interview.
“We’re pretty sure there were no aircraft (in the area),” Burgwin said just before 8 p.m. “We think it was some sort of natural phenomenon like a meteor shower.”
The call of the “huge ball of fire” came in around 6:30 p.m. from an ambulance driver in the area, said RCMP Sgt. Brigdit Leger.
Burgwin said co-ordination centre officials checked with Moncton’s air traffic control centre and found that no planes had flight plans for that area, nor did anything show up on radar, Burgwin said.
“We have heard some reports that people saw something,” said Michelle Bishop, spokeswoman for NAV Canada in Ottawa. “We do not have at this time any missing aircraft."
Contacted earlier in the evening, Halifax International Airport Authority officials said there were no reports of any delayed flights, but said that region was outside the agency’s area.
Residents in the area contacted by this newspaper hadn’t heard anything and were curious what was going on. One woman working at a restaurant near Exit 14 said she heard two RCMP cruisers “go flying by here” around 6:45 p.m.
(pbrooks@herald.ca)
(ehoare@herald.ca)
By PATRICIA BROOKS ARENBURG and EVA HOARE Staff Reporters | UPDATED 8:13 p.m.
Thu, Nov 18 - 7:06 PM
They feared it was a plane crash but it turned out to be a meteor shower lighting up the night sky.
Early Thursday evening, emergency crews rushed to Nova Scotia’s South Shore after getting reports that a “huge ball of fire” had fallen from the sky near Exit 16 on Highway 103.
RCMP and search and rescue officials were dispatched to the area around Italy Cross.
But after thorough checks, it was determined there had been no plane crash, Scott Burgwin of the Maritimes Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax said in an interview.
“We’re pretty sure there were no aircraft (in the area),” Burgwin said just before 8 p.m. “We think it was some sort of natural phenomenon like a meteor shower.”
The call of the “huge ball of fire” came in around 6:30 p.m. from an ambulance driver in the area, said RCMP Sgt. Brigdit Leger.
Burgwin said co-ordination centre officials checked with Moncton’s air traffic control centre and found that no planes had flight plans for that area, nor did anything show up on radar, Burgwin said.
“We have heard some reports that people saw something,” said Michelle Bishop, spokeswoman for NAV Canada in Ottawa. “We do not have at this time any missing aircraft."
Contacted earlier in the evening, Halifax International Airport Authority officials said there were no reports of any delayed flights, but said that region was outside the agency’s area.
Residents in the area contacted by this newspaper hadn’t heard anything and were curious what was going on. One woman working at a restaurant near Exit 14 said she heard two RCMP cruisers “go flying by here” around 6:45 p.m.
(pbrooks@herald.ca)
(ehoare@herald.ca)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Newspaper Delivery on the Neck
Via Dan Mills
Sad news accompanied the paper this morning with a flyer from the South Shore Distributors of the Paper......Our faithful deliverer of the paper on the Digby Neck and Islands has fallen ill, and the future of delivery is questionable with regards to rising costs in fuel, labour, and vehicle......
Since Mr.Hudson fell ill in recent days, a driver is coming from Yarmouth each day to make delivery.....However, the company has given a week from now to secure a replacement,our Delivery may well be expected to terminate.....
Mr. Hudson ( and his wife,Olive, who delivers our mail) have been nothing but great servants of the people on the Neck & Islands thru rain,shine,sleet, ice, and snow tirelessly since I've lived here.Seniors,they have more than well paid their dues in service and kindness over many years. Let's hope and prayer for restored health to Mr. Hudson, and a deserved rest.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN TAKING ON THE DELIVERY TASK,PLS.CONTACT ARTHUR DOUCETTE AT 902-748-1361 asap.
Sad news accompanied the paper this morning with a flyer from the South Shore Distributors of the Paper......Our faithful deliverer of the paper on the Digby Neck and Islands has fallen ill, and the future of delivery is questionable with regards to rising costs in fuel, labour, and vehicle......
Since Mr.Hudson fell ill in recent days, a driver is coming from Yarmouth each day to make delivery.....However, the company has given a week from now to secure a replacement,our Delivery may well be expected to terminate.....
Mr. Hudson ( and his wife,Olive, who delivers our mail) have been nothing but great servants of the people on the Neck & Islands thru rain,shine,sleet, ice, and snow tirelessly since I've lived here.Seniors,they have more than well paid their dues in service and kindness over many years. Let's hope and prayer for restored health to Mr. Hudson, and a deserved rest.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN TAKING ON THE DELIVERY TASK,PLS.CONTACT ARTHUR DOUCETTE AT 902-748-1361 asap.
Labels:
Digby Neck newspaper delivery
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Community Events
Pot Luck Supper!
Tuesday Nov. 23rd at 6pm at Little River Baptist Church. Come one come all! Bring some food, eat some food, bring a friend!
Tuesday Nov. 23rd at 6pm at Little River Baptist Church. Come one come all! Bring some food, eat some food, bring a friend!
Lobster Fishery
NS: Lobster fishermen anxious about start of season
By John Lewandowski, The Canadian Press
Source: The Canadian Press, November 17, 2010
[LOWER ARGYLE, NS] — Uncertainty tempers Ashton Spinney’s hopes as the Lower Argyle fisherman prepares his boat and traps for the opening of the fall lobster season, usually the year’s most profitable.
As catches rise, earnings have dropped.
“We just can’t face what we have the past two years,” said Spinney of the diminished returns fishermen in Atlantic Canada have reaped on the price of their catch. “There’s not enough margin to keep us going.”
In much of Nova Scotia, the year’s most lucrative fishery gets underway on the last Monday of November. Spinney will be joined by almost 1,800 other fishermen out of ports from Halifax to Digby to begin hauling a catch that was worth more than $400 million to the province in 2008, the latest figure available.
“When we came ashore for the first time last year buyers were offering $3.75 a pound and we told them to forget it if it was anything under $4,” he said. “That kind of return doesn’t pay for your gas and you’re always dipping into your savings to pay for things.”
Given the state of the economy, the decline in discretionary spending and the Canadian dollar’s move towards parity with the U.S. greenback, buyers say there’s not a lot they can do to alleviate the situation.
Denny Morrow, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, says supply and demand also comes into play.
“Landings have been up over the past 10 years and that would tell you that, at least in the short term, more lobster on the market means lower prices,” he said. “Because 75 per cent of the catch goes to the U.S. we’ve also taken a pounding because of the exchange rate.”
Morrow said that about five years ago the dollar differential allowed them to sell lobsters in the U.S., pay fishermen $5.50 to $6 a pound and still realize a healthy margin.
He said the economy appears to be recovering but it’s still far from robust.
“It’s a last-minute guessing game where prices will be this year, but I certainly don’t see us returning to the wharf prices we had four or five years ago.”
In New Brunswick the first haul of the fall season has left fishermen feeling a little more upbeat than in recent years. Catches have been good and the price is higher — at least in the early going.
“Last year it started at $3.75 a pound and right now it’s between $4.25 and $4.75,” said Maria Recchia, executive director of the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association. “No one’s complaining about price so that’s good, but it is still kind of early.”
She said the price generally tends to drop a bit when the southwestern Nova Scotia lobster fishery opens.
The federal government has jumped into the fray, recently announcing a five-year, $65 million program aimed at helping fishermen adjust to the collapse in prices and build a more sustainable industry.
Ottawa is also trying to negotiate a deal with the European Union to try to soften the impact of a 25 per cent tariff on processed lobster products.
By John Lewandowski, The Canadian Press
Source: The Canadian Press, November 17, 2010
[LOWER ARGYLE, NS] — Uncertainty tempers Ashton Spinney’s hopes as the Lower Argyle fisherman prepares his boat and traps for the opening of the fall lobster season, usually the year’s most profitable.
As catches rise, earnings have dropped.
“We just can’t face what we have the past two years,” said Spinney of the diminished returns fishermen in Atlantic Canada have reaped on the price of their catch. “There’s not enough margin to keep us going.”
In much of Nova Scotia, the year’s most lucrative fishery gets underway on the last Monday of November. Spinney will be joined by almost 1,800 other fishermen out of ports from Halifax to Digby to begin hauling a catch that was worth more than $400 million to the province in 2008, the latest figure available.
“When we came ashore for the first time last year buyers were offering $3.75 a pound and we told them to forget it if it was anything under $4,” he said. “That kind of return doesn’t pay for your gas and you’re always dipping into your savings to pay for things.”
Given the state of the economy, the decline in discretionary spending and the Canadian dollar’s move towards parity with the U.S. greenback, buyers say there’s not a lot they can do to alleviate the situation.
Denny Morrow, executive director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association, says supply and demand also comes into play.
“Landings have been up over the past 10 years and that would tell you that, at least in the short term, more lobster on the market means lower prices,” he said. “Because 75 per cent of the catch goes to the U.S. we’ve also taken a pounding because of the exchange rate.”
Morrow said that about five years ago the dollar differential allowed them to sell lobsters in the U.S., pay fishermen $5.50 to $6 a pound and still realize a healthy margin.
He said the economy appears to be recovering but it’s still far from robust.
“It’s a last-minute guessing game where prices will be this year, but I certainly don’t see us returning to the wharf prices we had four or five years ago.”
In New Brunswick the first haul of the fall season has left fishermen feeling a little more upbeat than in recent years. Catches have been good and the price is higher — at least in the early going.
“Last year it started at $3.75 a pound and right now it’s between $4.25 and $4.75,” said Maria Recchia, executive director of the Fundy North Fishermen’s Association. “No one’s complaining about price so that’s good, but it is still kind of early.”
She said the price generally tends to drop a bit when the southwestern Nova Scotia lobster fishery opens.
The federal government has jumped into the fray, recently announcing a five-year, $65 million program aimed at helping fishermen adjust to the collapse in prices and build a more sustainable industry.
Ottawa is also trying to negotiate a deal with the European Union to try to soften the impact of a 25 per cent tariff on processed lobster products.
NS and Economy
NS: Report reveals economic challenges for Nova Scotia
By Staff, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Daily Business Buzz, November 17, 2010
[HALIFAX, NS] — Today, Scotia Economics released a Provincial Trends Report indicating that Nova Scotia is expected to post real GDP growth of 1.9% in 2011, matching this year’s estimated output advance but lagging behind most other provinces.
After avoiding the worst of the recession, Nova Scotia has seen an uneven recovery in manufacturing and a further, albeit more moderate, decline in its energy sector. Private-sector services will be relied on to drive the economy.
The report also states that Canada’s growth performance has shifted to a lower gear, mirroring trends in the broader global economy. Growth will be relatively more robust in the West, with high commodity prices stoking resource investment and production, and supporting relatively firmer employment, income and spending trends. The Atlantic region is expected to see fairly steady, moderate growth in the year ahead.
“The slower national momentum over the spring and summer is expected to persist into 2011, reflecting a number of factors, including a winding down of inventory restocking, a cooling off in housing activity and a more cautious consumer,” said Alex Koustas, an economist with Scotia Economics. “Meanwhile, resource-related activity is ramping up alongside strong emerging market demand for key industrial products, which along with a weaker U.S. dollar, is boosting commodity prices.”
Trends to watch for in Nova Scotia:
• Private-service sector employment is driving job growth, as manufacturing continues to languish and construction slows. Nova Scotia’s finance, insurance and real estate sector as well as its professional services sector have expanded at an average yearly rate of 2.7% since 2000 — one of the fastest and most significant factors of growth for the province. Of particular note are the information technology and financial components, both of which have a larger stake in the economy than in most other provinces, while exhibiting growth at or above the national average.
• Nova Scotia has achieved modest population gains from 2000 to 2009, with international immigration being the main driver. Halifax has been the chosen destination for immigrants, with its population growing at an average annual rate of 1.5% over the decade — accounting for over three-quarters of total population growth — well ahead of the provincial average of 0.5%.
• To tackle its structural deficit and avoid a significant run-up in debt, Nova Scotia implemented a two percentage point rise in its Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) as of July 2010, filling the tax room vacated by Ottawa. While this measure will hasten the province’s deficit elimination, it will weigh on consumer expenditures.
By Staff, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Daily Business Buzz, November 17, 2010
[HALIFAX, NS] — Today, Scotia Economics released a Provincial Trends Report indicating that Nova Scotia is expected to post real GDP growth of 1.9% in 2011, matching this year’s estimated output advance but lagging behind most other provinces.
After avoiding the worst of the recession, Nova Scotia has seen an uneven recovery in manufacturing and a further, albeit more moderate, decline in its energy sector. Private-sector services will be relied on to drive the economy.
The report also states that Canada’s growth performance has shifted to a lower gear, mirroring trends in the broader global economy. Growth will be relatively more robust in the West, with high commodity prices stoking resource investment and production, and supporting relatively firmer employment, income and spending trends. The Atlantic region is expected to see fairly steady, moderate growth in the year ahead.
“The slower national momentum over the spring and summer is expected to persist into 2011, reflecting a number of factors, including a winding down of inventory restocking, a cooling off in housing activity and a more cautious consumer,” said Alex Koustas, an economist with Scotia Economics. “Meanwhile, resource-related activity is ramping up alongside strong emerging market demand for key industrial products, which along with a weaker U.S. dollar, is boosting commodity prices.”
Trends to watch for in Nova Scotia:
• Private-service sector employment is driving job growth, as manufacturing continues to languish and construction slows. Nova Scotia’s finance, insurance and real estate sector as well as its professional services sector have expanded at an average yearly rate of 2.7% since 2000 — one of the fastest and most significant factors of growth for the province. Of particular note are the information technology and financial components, both of which have a larger stake in the economy than in most other provinces, while exhibiting growth at or above the national average.
• Nova Scotia has achieved modest population gains from 2000 to 2009, with international immigration being the main driver. Halifax has been the chosen destination for immigrants, with its population growing at an average annual rate of 1.5% over the decade — accounting for over three-quarters of total population growth — well ahead of the provincial average of 0.5%.
• To tackle its structural deficit and avoid a significant run-up in debt, Nova Scotia implemented a two percentage point rise in its Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) as of July 2010, filling the tax room vacated by Ottawa. While this measure will hasten the province’s deficit elimination, it will weigh on consumer expenditures.
Labels:
nova scotia economy
via Dan Mills
“Infrasound: Your ears ‘hear’ it but they don’t tell your brain”
—Alec Salt, PhD, Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, at the “Symposium on Adverse Health Effects of Industrial Wind Turbines,” Picton, Ontario, October 29-31, 2010. (See the Cochlear Fluids Research Laboratory site, and “Responses of the Ear to Infrasound and Wind Turbines.”
Highlights:
“Physiologic pathway exists for infrasound at levels that are not heard to affect the brain. The idea that infrasound effects can be dismissed because they are inaudible is incorrect.”
“A-weighted measurements tell you NOTHING about infrasound content.”
“A-weighted spectra totally misrepresent the effects of wind turbine noise (that includes infrasound components) on the ear.”
“A-weighted level readings (e.g., 42 dBA) are totally meaningless for assessing whether turbine noise is affecting the ear.”
Click here to download a PDF of Dr. Salt’s PowerPoint slides, from which the following text was taken.
·
Wind turbines generate infrasound.
Wind turbine infrasound is at levels that cannot be heard.
Widely cited interpretations:
“If you cannot hear a sound … it does not affect you”—Leventhall G. What is infrasound? Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 2007; 93:130–137
“Infrasound is negligible”—DELTA. Low Frequency Noise from Large Wind Turbines 2008
“Infrasound … is below the audible threshold and of no consequence”—Leventhall G. Canadian Acoustics 2006; 34:29-36.
This logic seems to be applied only to hearing. Consider other senses:
Taste: If you can’t taste it, it can’t affect you? Can you taste salmonella?
Smell: If you can’t smell it, it can’t affect you? Try breathing pure CO or CO₂
Sight: If you can’t see it, it can’t affect you? Photokeratitis, “snow blindness”, “welder’s flash”, cataracts, sunburn: Ultraviolet (UV) light is invisible; even though you can’t see it, UV does affect you. UV can harm you.
“If you can’t hear it, it can’t affect you” is only true:
if no other part of the ear is more sensitive than hearing, and
if no other part of the body is more sensitive than hearing …
and I will show this is not true.
Infrasound at moderate levels is detected by the ear.
Infrasound at levels generated by turbines affect the ear.
Vibrations cause a bending of the ear’s sensory hairs. The inner hair cells are connected to auditory (type I) nerve fibers that send signals to the brain. You “hear” with your inner hair cells.
Inner (IHC) and outer (OHC) hair cells respond differently as sound frequency is changed. IHC respond to velocity. OHC respond to displacement. OHC respond at approximately 40 dB below IHC sensitivity at 2 Hz.
Outer hair cells will be stimulated by wind turbine noise. (See graph, below.)
Outer hair cells do not just detect sound:
For low-amplitude high frequencies, OHC elongate when hairs are bent outwards, which makes stimulus greater for IHC (amplifies signal).
Amplifier becomes less effective (less necessary) for higher level sounds, ineffective about 40 dB above threshold (Reichenbach T, Hudspeth AJ. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 2010)
High-Frequency stimulus: OHC elongate; Vibration amplitude at the IHC is amplified.
At very low frequencies, we know that bending the hairs laterally causes OHC to contract.
Infrasound stimulus: OHC contract; Vibration amplitude at the IHC is reduced.
OHC are detecting low-level infrasound and actively canceling it for the IHC.
Physiologic pathway exists for infrasound at levels that are not heard to affect the brain. The idea that infrasound effects can be dismissed because they are inaudible is incorrect.
Infrasound => OHC => (via type II nerve fibers) subconscious brain: ear fullness, ear pressure, discomfort, alerting/sleep disturbance
A-weighting corrects a sound measurement to represent what is heard, based on the human audibility (40 phon) curve. At 1 Hz, −148 dB correction, equivalent to dividing by 25 million.
Effect of A-weighting wind turbine noise: Massive (140 dB) de-emphasis of infrasound component. A-weighting may represent what you hear—but hearing does not give a reliable indication of whether the infrasound is affecting your ears.
“A-weighting” principle applied to UV light is equivalent to adjusting sunlight spectrum for what is visible and then saying: “There is nothing here that can harm you. You don’t need sunscreen. You don’t need sunglasses. Go spend all day laying out in the sun.” This approach isn’t rational when applied to light, so why do we accept similar logic applied to sound?
Measuring visible light (e.g., photographs) tells you NOTHING about UV content. Similarly, A-weighted measurements tell you NOTHING about infrasound content.
A-weighted spectra totally misrepresent the effects of wind turbine noise (that includes infrasound components) on the ear.
A-weighted level readings (e.g., 42 dBA) are totally meaningless for assessing whether turbine noise is affecting the ear.
Documenting Wind Turbine Sound
Most video cameras do not record the infrasound component of wind turbine noise.
Speaker systems in TVs and computers cannot play back the infrasound component.
Even if they did—you can’t hear it!
Video recordings of wind turbines give no indication of the infrasound level being produced.
Infrasound can only be measured with specialized instrumentation capable of detecting sounds down to approximately 1 Hz.
G-weighting weights infrasound components (excluding higher frequencies) according to human sensitivity curve.
G-weighted turbine measurements: For most of these conditions, the ear will be stimulated by the turbine noise. (Jakobsen J. Infrasound emission from wind turbines. Journal of Low Frequency Noise Vibration and Active Control 2005; 24:145-155.)
Other ways that infrasound could affect the ear:
Stimulation of vestibular hair cells (saccule, utricle).
Vestibular hair cells are “tuned” to infrasonic frequencies.
No-one has ever measured sensitivity to acoustic infrasound.
Symptoms: unsteadiness, queasiness
Disturbance of inner ear fluids (e.g. endolymph volume).
Low-frequency sound at non-damaging levels induces endolymphatic hydrops (a swelling of one of the fluid spaces).
Infrasound does affect endolymph volume—it is the basis of a treatment for hydrops (Ménière’s disease).
No one has ever measured what level of infrasound causes hydrops.
Symptoms: ear fullness, unsteadiness, tinnitus
Infrasound—affected structures and long-term exposure effects, ranked by sensitivity:
Outer hair cells — “Overworked, tired, irritated” OHC, type II fiber stimulation
Inner ear fluid homeostasis — Volume disturbance, endolymphatic hydrops
Saccular hair cells — Stimulation
Other, non-ear, receptors — Stimulation
Inner hair cells/hearing — None
Sensitivity and sensations remain to be quantified: ear pressure or fullness, discomfort, arousal from sleep; ear fullness, tinnitus, unsteadiness; unsteadiness; stress, anxiety.
“Wind Turbine Syndrome” — You cannot hear what causes the symptoms!
We need more research to define the sensitivity of these processes.
Sounds you cannot hear …
can affect you.
can disturb you.
can harm you.
can cause disease: auditory and balance disorders, effects of sleep deprivation are serious (hypertension, diabetes, mortality).
Conclusion and Recommendations
For years, people have been told that infrasound you cannot hear cannot affect you. This is completely wrong.
Because the inner ear does respond to infrasound at levels that are not heard, people living near wind turbines are being put at risk by infrasound effects on the body that no one presently understands.
Until a scientific understanding of this issue is established we should not be dismissing these effects, but need to be erring on the side of caution.
For industrial turbines a cautious approach could require :
setbacks of at least 2 kilometers (1.25 miles).
in-home monitoring of both A-weighted (audible) and G-weighted (infrasound) noise levels 24 hours/day for all dwellings within 2 miles.
health monitoring studies for those living within 2 miles (with consent).
Finally …
We need to stop ignoring the infrasound component of wind turbine noise and find out why it bothers people!
Wind turbine noise is not comparable to the rustling of leaves.
“Infrasound: Your ears ‘hear’ it but they don’t tell your brain”
—Alec Salt, PhD, Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, at the “Symposium on Adverse Health Effects of Industrial Wind Turbines,” Picton, Ontario, October 29-31, 2010. (See the Cochlear Fluids Research Laboratory site, and “Responses of the Ear to Infrasound and Wind Turbines.”
Highlights:
“Physiologic pathway exists for infrasound at levels that are not heard to affect the brain. The idea that infrasound effects can be dismissed because they are inaudible is incorrect.”
“A-weighted measurements tell you NOTHING about infrasound content.”
“A-weighted spectra totally misrepresent the effects of wind turbine noise (that includes infrasound components) on the ear.”
“A-weighted level readings (e.g., 42 dBA) are totally meaningless for assessing whether turbine noise is affecting the ear.”
Click here to download a PDF of Dr. Salt’s PowerPoint slides, from which the following text was taken.
·
Wind turbines generate infrasound.
Wind turbine infrasound is at levels that cannot be heard.
Widely cited interpretations:
“If you cannot hear a sound … it does not affect you”—Leventhall G. What is infrasound? Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 2007; 93:130–137
“Infrasound is negligible”—DELTA. Low Frequency Noise from Large Wind Turbines 2008
“Infrasound … is below the audible threshold and of no consequence”—Leventhall G. Canadian Acoustics 2006; 34:29-36.
This logic seems to be applied only to hearing. Consider other senses:
Taste: If you can’t taste it, it can’t affect you? Can you taste salmonella?
Smell: If you can’t smell it, it can’t affect you? Try breathing pure CO or CO₂
Sight: If you can’t see it, it can’t affect you? Photokeratitis, “snow blindness”, “welder’s flash”, cataracts, sunburn: Ultraviolet (UV) light is invisible; even though you can’t see it, UV does affect you. UV can harm you.
“If you can’t hear it, it can’t affect you” is only true:
if no other part of the ear is more sensitive than hearing, and
if no other part of the body is more sensitive than hearing …
and I will show this is not true.
Infrasound at moderate levels is detected by the ear.
Infrasound at levels generated by turbines affect the ear.
Vibrations cause a bending of the ear’s sensory hairs. The inner hair cells are connected to auditory (type I) nerve fibers that send signals to the brain. You “hear” with your inner hair cells.
Inner (IHC) and outer (OHC) hair cells respond differently as sound frequency is changed. IHC respond to velocity. OHC respond to displacement. OHC respond at approximately 40 dB below IHC sensitivity at 2 Hz.
Outer hair cells will be stimulated by wind turbine noise. (See graph, below.)
Outer hair cells do not just detect sound:
For low-amplitude high frequencies, OHC elongate when hairs are bent outwards, which makes stimulus greater for IHC (amplifies signal).
Amplifier becomes less effective (less necessary) for higher level sounds, ineffective about 40 dB above threshold (Reichenbach T, Hudspeth AJ. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 2010)
High-Frequency stimulus: OHC elongate; Vibration amplitude at the IHC is amplified.
At very low frequencies, we know that bending the hairs laterally causes OHC to contract.
Infrasound stimulus: OHC contract; Vibration amplitude at the IHC is reduced.
OHC are detecting low-level infrasound and actively canceling it for the IHC.
Physiologic pathway exists for infrasound at levels that are not heard to affect the brain. The idea that infrasound effects can be dismissed because they are inaudible is incorrect.
Infrasound => OHC => (via type II nerve fibers) subconscious brain: ear fullness, ear pressure, discomfort, alerting/sleep disturbance
A-weighting corrects a sound measurement to represent what is heard, based on the human audibility (40 phon) curve. At 1 Hz, −148 dB correction, equivalent to dividing by 25 million.
Effect of A-weighting wind turbine noise: Massive (140 dB) de-emphasis of infrasound component. A-weighting may represent what you hear—but hearing does not give a reliable indication of whether the infrasound is affecting your ears.
“A-weighting” principle applied to UV light is equivalent to adjusting sunlight spectrum for what is visible and then saying: “There is nothing here that can harm you. You don’t need sunscreen. You don’t need sunglasses. Go spend all day laying out in the sun.” This approach isn’t rational when applied to light, so why do we accept similar logic applied to sound?
Measuring visible light (e.g., photographs) tells you NOTHING about UV content. Similarly, A-weighted measurements tell you NOTHING about infrasound content.
A-weighted spectra totally misrepresent the effects of wind turbine noise (that includes infrasound components) on the ear.
A-weighted level readings (e.g., 42 dBA) are totally meaningless for assessing whether turbine noise is affecting the ear.
Documenting Wind Turbine Sound
Most video cameras do not record the infrasound component of wind turbine noise.
Speaker systems in TVs and computers cannot play back the infrasound component.
Even if they did—you can’t hear it!
Video recordings of wind turbines give no indication of the infrasound level being produced.
Infrasound can only be measured with specialized instrumentation capable of detecting sounds down to approximately 1 Hz.
G-weighting weights infrasound components (excluding higher frequencies) according to human sensitivity curve.
G-weighted turbine measurements: For most of these conditions, the ear will be stimulated by the turbine noise. (Jakobsen J. Infrasound emission from wind turbines. Journal of Low Frequency Noise Vibration and Active Control 2005; 24:145-155.)
Other ways that infrasound could affect the ear:
Stimulation of vestibular hair cells (saccule, utricle).
Vestibular hair cells are “tuned” to infrasonic frequencies.
No-one has ever measured sensitivity to acoustic infrasound.
Symptoms: unsteadiness, queasiness
Disturbance of inner ear fluids (e.g. endolymph volume).
Low-frequency sound at non-damaging levels induces endolymphatic hydrops (a swelling of one of the fluid spaces).
Infrasound does affect endolymph volume—it is the basis of a treatment for hydrops (Ménière’s disease).
No one has ever measured what level of infrasound causes hydrops.
Symptoms: ear fullness, unsteadiness, tinnitus
Infrasound—affected structures and long-term exposure effects, ranked by sensitivity:
Outer hair cells — “Overworked, tired, irritated” OHC, type II fiber stimulation
Inner ear fluid homeostasis — Volume disturbance, endolymphatic hydrops
Saccular hair cells — Stimulation
Other, non-ear, receptors — Stimulation
Inner hair cells/hearing — None
Sensitivity and sensations remain to be quantified: ear pressure or fullness, discomfort, arousal from sleep; ear fullness, tinnitus, unsteadiness; unsteadiness; stress, anxiety.
“Wind Turbine Syndrome” — You cannot hear what causes the symptoms!
We need more research to define the sensitivity of these processes.
Sounds you cannot hear …
can affect you.
can disturb you.
can harm you.
can cause disease: auditory and balance disorders, effects of sleep deprivation are serious (hypertension, diabetes, mortality).
Conclusion and Recommendations
For years, people have been told that infrasound you cannot hear cannot affect you. This is completely wrong.
Because the inner ear does respond to infrasound at levels that are not heard, people living near wind turbines are being put at risk by infrasound effects on the body that no one presently understands.
Until a scientific understanding of this issue is established we should not be dismissing these effects, but need to be erring on the side of caution.
For industrial turbines a cautious approach could require :
setbacks of at least 2 kilometers (1.25 miles).
in-home monitoring of both A-weighted (audible) and G-weighted (infrasound) noise levels 24 hours/day for all dwellings within 2 miles.
health monitoring studies for those living within 2 miles (with consent).
Finally …
We need to stop ignoring the infrasound component of wind turbine noise and find out why it bothers people!
Wind turbine noise is not comparable to the rustling of leaves.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Yarmouth Ferry to Get Funds?
Yarmouth ferry may get provincial money
Premier says assistance would be short-term only
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 | 7:46 AM AT
CBC News
Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter and Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney met Monday to discuss the possibility of another ferry service to the United States. (CBC)Premier Darrell Dexter is now looking at two proposals that would bring an international ferry service back to Yarmouth — if a private operator can prove the service can work in the long-term.
Dexter met with Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney Monday to discuss the subject.
"What we said to the municipal officials here is we are perfectly willing to work with officials in Yarmouth to look for a service that will suit this region, and one that is sustainable over the long-term," the premier said.
If a ferry service returns to Yarmouth next year, Mooney said that about $6 million in start-up money would be needed from the province. He stressed that point to Dexter during their meeting.
"You know, he [Dexter] brought up other instances in Nova Scotia where start-up money was needed for other projects, and he said he'd look at Yarmouth on the same basis as those," Mooney said.
The start-up money would go toward marketing the service and upgrading the Yarmouth terminal, Mooney said.
A spokesperson with the port in Yarmouth said the province would be involved for a maximum of three years.
Bay Ferries Ltd. ran a high-speed ferry between Yarmouth and the Maine communities of Portland and Bar Harbor from 1997 until last year when the province refused to continue subsidizing it.
The Nova Scotia government had put $18.9 million into the service since the fall of 2007.
Mooney said Monday that one ferry route under consideration is to Boston, while the other would be to either Bar Harbor or Portland.
Yarmouth Liberal MLA Zach Churchill said start-up money would most definitely be needed.
"There's going to be some significant start-up money needed in order to help market this vessel because of the break in service that we've had this year," he said, "and to ensure we have the infrastructure in place in our terminal to support it."
Two private companies are bidding to take over the ferry service. One would run a seasonal route from Yarmouth, while the other would operate year-round.
A decision is expected soon on which of the two potential operators will be the successful bidder.
Premier says assistance would be short-term only
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 | 7:46 AM AT
CBC News
Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter and Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney met Monday to discuss the possibility of another ferry service to the United States. (CBC)Premier Darrell Dexter is now looking at two proposals that would bring an international ferry service back to Yarmouth — if a private operator can prove the service can work in the long-term.
Dexter met with Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney Monday to discuss the subject.
"What we said to the municipal officials here is we are perfectly willing to work with officials in Yarmouth to look for a service that will suit this region, and one that is sustainable over the long-term," the premier said.
If a ferry service returns to Yarmouth next year, Mooney said that about $6 million in start-up money would be needed from the province. He stressed that point to Dexter during their meeting.
"You know, he [Dexter] brought up other instances in Nova Scotia where start-up money was needed for other projects, and he said he'd look at Yarmouth on the same basis as those," Mooney said.
The start-up money would go toward marketing the service and upgrading the Yarmouth terminal, Mooney said.
A spokesperson with the port in Yarmouth said the province would be involved for a maximum of three years.
Bay Ferries Ltd. ran a high-speed ferry between Yarmouth and the Maine communities of Portland and Bar Harbor from 1997 until last year when the province refused to continue subsidizing it.
The Nova Scotia government had put $18.9 million into the service since the fall of 2007.
Mooney said Monday that one ferry route under consideration is to Boston, while the other would be to either Bar Harbor or Portland.
Yarmouth Liberal MLA Zach Churchill said start-up money would most definitely be needed.
"There's going to be some significant start-up money needed in order to help market this vessel because of the break in service that we've had this year," he said, "and to ensure we have the infrastructure in place in our terminal to support it."
Two private companies are bidding to take over the ferry service. One would run a seasonal route from Yarmouth, while the other would operate year-round.
A decision is expected soon on which of the two potential operators will be the successful bidder.
Labels:
Yarmouth ferry nova scotia maine
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Renewable Energy Survey
Hello,
My name is Terry Thibodeau, Economic Development Officer with the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency. The Agency is very active on various fronts, among them the establishment of renewable energy projects in our region. The government of Nova Scotia recently announced guidelines under which community driven projects can qualify for Feed-In-Tariff in support of renewable energy projects. Students at Dalhousie University as part of their research initiatives have asked that the Agency help in their efforts to understand more of the community understanding of how the new FIT program will affect them. The Department of Energy are sponsoring this project and they have contacted us in support of the efforts of the students. We indicated that we would cooperate where we could.
At this time I would ask that you visit the website listed below. The survey will not take long. I have completed one myself and it took about 12-15 mins. This information will go a long way into helping the province develop its policies around the new tariffs and will provide direction into establishing a strong position on the adaptation of renewable energy in the province.
https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=9485
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience.
Respectfully
Terry Thibodeau
Economic Development Officer
1-902-638-8967
Message from Dalhousie University Below:
Objectives of the Research
Your organization is invited to participate in a research study conducted by Erin Burbidge, Gillian Cormier, Virgile Kpodar, Darryl MacKenzie and Jagdeep Mohi, graduate students in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University (“Research Team”). This research is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Lucia Fanning, Director of the Marine Affairs Program in the Faculty of Management.
The Research Team has been engaged by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy to design and administer a survey to identify needs and gaps relating to the capacity of community organizations to participate in the Community-based Feed-in Tariff (ComFIT) program for renewable electricity projects. This research is being conducted as part of the requirements for completion of the Management without Borders course offered by the Faculty of Management of Dalhousie University.
The results of this research will assist the Nova Scotia Department of Energy in assessing the needs of community organizations and facilitating the renewable electricity projects application and approval processes and providing the support required by potential ComFIT participants. Ultimately, the knowledge gained through this research will assist in the development of community-based renewable Energy projects in Nova Scotia.
How to Participate
Your organization has been selected to participate in this research because it is potentially eligible to participate in the ComFIT program. The name of your organization was provided to the Research Team by your Regional Development Authority.
If your organization decides to volunteer, a representative of your organization will be asked to fill out a 20-minute online survey that is completed anonymously. Survey questions focus on the following topics:
- the knowledge possessed by your organization concerning:
(a) the province’s strategy for encouraging the development of renewable electricity projects by community organizations;
(b) the financial incentives and other supports in place to assist community organizations in developing renewable electricity projects; and
(c) the technical, legal, regulatory and financial requirements for establishing a renewable electricity project;
- the capacity possessed by your organization to develop a renewable electricity project; and
- the identification of barriers and supports that would impact your organization’s interest and ability to develop a renewable electricity project.
If you wish to participate, please visit the Study Website at: https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=9485
In order to become part of the final report, please complete the survey starting November 9, 2010 at midnight and submit it by no later than November 17, 2010.
Thank you for considering participation in this study.
please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to ... Annapolis Digby is making better use of our biomass
My name is Terry Thibodeau, Economic Development Officer with the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency. The Agency is very active on various fronts, among them the establishment of renewable energy projects in our region. The government of Nova Scotia recently announced guidelines under which community driven projects can qualify for Feed-In-Tariff in support of renewable energy projects. Students at Dalhousie University as part of their research initiatives have asked that the Agency help in their efforts to understand more of the community understanding of how the new FIT program will affect them. The Department of Energy are sponsoring this project and they have contacted us in support of the efforts of the students. We indicated that we would cooperate where we could.
At this time I would ask that you visit the website listed below. The survey will not take long. I have completed one myself and it took about 12-15 mins. This information will go a long way into helping the province develop its policies around the new tariffs and will provide direction into establishing a strong position on the adaptation of renewable energy in the province.
https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=9485
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience.
Respectfully
Terry Thibodeau
Economic Development Officer
1-902-638-8967
Message from Dalhousie University Below:
Objectives of the Research
Your organization is invited to participate in a research study conducted by Erin Burbidge, Gillian Cormier, Virgile Kpodar, Darryl MacKenzie and Jagdeep Mohi, graduate students in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University (“Research Team”). This research is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Lucia Fanning, Director of the Marine Affairs Program in the Faculty of Management.
The Research Team has been engaged by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy to design and administer a survey to identify needs and gaps relating to the capacity of community organizations to participate in the Community-based Feed-in Tariff (ComFIT) program for renewable electricity projects. This research is being conducted as part of the requirements for completion of the Management without Borders course offered by the Faculty of Management of Dalhousie University.
The results of this research will assist the Nova Scotia Department of Energy in assessing the needs of community organizations and facilitating the renewable electricity projects application and approval processes and providing the support required by potential ComFIT participants. Ultimately, the knowledge gained through this research will assist in the development of community-based renewable Energy projects in Nova Scotia.
How to Participate
Your organization has been selected to participate in this research because it is potentially eligible to participate in the ComFIT program. The name of your organization was provided to the Research Team by your Regional Development Authority.
If your organization decides to volunteer, a representative of your organization will be asked to fill out a 20-minute online survey that is completed anonymously. Survey questions focus on the following topics:
- the knowledge possessed by your organization concerning:
(a) the province’s strategy for encouraging the development of renewable electricity projects by community organizations;
(b) the financial incentives and other supports in place to assist community organizations in developing renewable electricity projects; and
(c) the technical, legal, regulatory and financial requirements for establishing a renewable electricity project;
- the capacity possessed by your organization to develop a renewable electricity project; and
- the identification of barriers and supports that would impact your organization’s interest and ability to develop a renewable electricity project.
If you wish to participate, please visit the Study Website at: https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=9485
In order to become part of the final report, please complete the survey starting November 9, 2010 at midnight and submit it by no later than November 17, 2010.
Thank you for considering participation in this study.
please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to ... Annapolis Digby is making better use of our biomass
Labels:
renewable energy
Friday, November 12, 2010
Tinnitus
from the Vancouver Sun
Scientists report that the tinnitus sound — described by most sufferers as a constant high-pitched ringing or hissing noise — is generated by neurons firing in the brain, not the ear.
Photograph by: gn, gnPeople who suffer from a phantom and constant ringing in their ears — a condition known as tinnitus — had long been told the noise was all in their head.
It turns out, it is.
A research team from McMaster University in Hamilton and several other universities in Canada and the United States have pinpointed the source of the often debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide and has a dramatic impact on the quality of their lives.
In an article published in the latest edition of The Journal of Neuroscience, scientists report that the tinnitus sound — described by many sufferers as a constant high-pitched ringing or hissing noise — is generated by neurons firing in the brain, not the ear.
"We found that tinnitus is generated not in the ear but by changes that occur in the brain when hearing loss occurs," said Larry Roberts, a neuroscientist and the lead researcher from McMaster. "It's hearing loss associated with noise exposure that causes the majority of the cases."
The research was conducted in conjunction with scientists from the universities of Calgary, Southern Illinois and Michigan, the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard University.
Roberts said that through studies on animals, research showed that if the auditory nerve of a tinnitus sufferer is severed, the condition doesn't disappear. That means the root of the issue lies not in the ears, but in the brain, he said.
And while the condition has been attributed to everything from loud noises, to antibiotic use and stress, no definitive cause or cure has been found, said Roberts.
Roberts said the new research also doesn't mean a cure is imminent.
And without a cure, Roberts said, the condition can drive people to depression or even suicide unless they are able to get used to the noise and dislocate themselves from the emotional stress.
Most famously, the phantom ringing of tinnitus has been theorized as the reason why 19th century painter Vincent van Gogh cut off his own ear.
For Elizabeth Eayrs, a former Toronto city councillor and the founder of the Tinnitus Association of Canada, she said she felt like she couldn't go on when she was first afflicted in the mid-1970s, after heading home from a particularly raucous council meeting.
"It was as though there were large rocks or stones being shifted back and forth in a metal container," she said. "But each person has a unique sound."
Described as a high-pitched tone by most, Eayrs said it is also heard as frying, sizzling, steaming, or even a low roaring, like a diesel truck running continuously.
But the 83-year-old Eayrs said she has gotten used to the rumbling that never stops.
"As I get older, it's almost like I'm forgetting about it," she said.
And her story is not uncommon.
The Tinnitus Association of Canada estimates there are approximately 360,000 people with the condition in Canada, of which 150,000 find it debilitating in some way.
And in the U.S., tinnitus is the No. 1 service-connected disability of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, totalling 760,000 vets at the end of 2009.
While numbers on Canadian veterans weren't readily available, Zofia Wald-Mroz, an audiologist at the Perley and Rideau Veterans Health Centre in Ottawa, said a number of soldiers returning from Afghanistan have sought help.
"They are exposed to an incredible amount of noise from gunfire, helicopters and concussive explosions that make them vulnerable to problems with their ears," she said.
Roberts said there may also be an increase in cases of tinnitus as a consequence of mild hearing losses, especially among young people who are growing up in a generation where earbud-style headphones are commonly used.
"It's not strange to sit on a bus or the subway and hear somebody with music blaring from their headphones," he said. "They might not pay the price now, but they will later."
Read more: http://www.canada.com/health/Researchers+pinpoint+cause+tinnitus/3811983/story.html#ixzz154Ii6V6m
Scientists report that the tinnitus sound — described by most sufferers as a constant high-pitched ringing or hissing noise — is generated by neurons firing in the brain, not the ear.
Photograph by: gn, gnPeople who suffer from a phantom and constant ringing in their ears — a condition known as tinnitus — had long been told the noise was all in their head.
It turns out, it is.
A research team from McMaster University in Hamilton and several other universities in Canada and the United States have pinpointed the source of the often debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide and has a dramatic impact on the quality of their lives.
In an article published in the latest edition of The Journal of Neuroscience, scientists report that the tinnitus sound — described by many sufferers as a constant high-pitched ringing or hissing noise — is generated by neurons firing in the brain, not the ear.
"We found that tinnitus is generated not in the ear but by changes that occur in the brain when hearing loss occurs," said Larry Roberts, a neuroscientist and the lead researcher from McMaster. "It's hearing loss associated with noise exposure that causes the majority of the cases."
The research was conducted in conjunction with scientists from the universities of Calgary, Southern Illinois and Michigan, the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard University.
Roberts said that through studies on animals, research showed that if the auditory nerve of a tinnitus sufferer is severed, the condition doesn't disappear. That means the root of the issue lies not in the ears, but in the brain, he said.
And while the condition has been attributed to everything from loud noises, to antibiotic use and stress, no definitive cause or cure has been found, said Roberts.
Roberts said the new research also doesn't mean a cure is imminent.
And without a cure, Roberts said, the condition can drive people to depression or even suicide unless they are able to get used to the noise and dislocate themselves from the emotional stress.
Most famously, the phantom ringing of tinnitus has been theorized as the reason why 19th century painter Vincent van Gogh cut off his own ear.
For Elizabeth Eayrs, a former Toronto city councillor and the founder of the Tinnitus Association of Canada, she said she felt like she couldn't go on when she was first afflicted in the mid-1970s, after heading home from a particularly raucous council meeting.
"It was as though there were large rocks or stones being shifted back and forth in a metal container," she said. "But each person has a unique sound."
Described as a high-pitched tone by most, Eayrs said it is also heard as frying, sizzling, steaming, or even a low roaring, like a diesel truck running continuously.
But the 83-year-old Eayrs said she has gotten used to the rumbling that never stops.
"As I get older, it's almost like I'm forgetting about it," she said.
And her story is not uncommon.
The Tinnitus Association of Canada estimates there are approximately 360,000 people with the condition in Canada, of which 150,000 find it debilitating in some way.
And in the U.S., tinnitus is the No. 1 service-connected disability of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, totalling 760,000 vets at the end of 2009.
While numbers on Canadian veterans weren't readily available, Zofia Wald-Mroz, an audiologist at the Perley and Rideau Veterans Health Centre in Ottawa, said a number of soldiers returning from Afghanistan have sought help.
"They are exposed to an incredible amount of noise from gunfire, helicopters and concussive explosions that make them vulnerable to problems with their ears," she said.
Roberts said there may also be an increase in cases of tinnitus as a consequence of mild hearing losses, especially among young people who are growing up in a generation where earbud-style headphones are commonly used.
"It's not strange to sit on a bus or the subway and hear somebody with music blaring from their headphones," he said. "They might not pay the price now, but they will later."
Read more: http://www.canada.com/health/Researchers+pinpoint+cause+tinnitus/3811983/story.html#ixzz154Ii6V6m
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Item Wanted
Blogger: to anyone in Nova Scotia, I am looking for a tv antenna tower, the kind you attach to the side of your house. Also r.v. items such as battery, lights, inverter. Thanks. Please send any replies to: kathleen1954@auracom.com
Labels:
Digby County NOva Scotia
Monday, November 8, 2010
ADEDA News
From Peter at ADEDA
All In The Fundy Family
ADEDA’s Managing Director Mike Gushue was in Saint John last week to speak to a gathering of the mayors from the major municipalities in Atlantic Canada. Over 20 mayors listened as Mike made the case for the continuance and upgrading of the vital ferry service between Digby and Saint John. Not content to just get in front of this key audience, Mike spent the earlier part of the day meeting with senior port officials, talking to local and regional government leaders and doing a CBC TV interview.
And he had support from the top in the “Loyalist City”.
Saint John Mayor Ivan Court related how “on the very first day I was elected, I welcomed an early morning call, on my cell phone, from a guy named Mike Gushue who wanted to talk about the Digby to Saint John ferry. Since that time it has been a pleasure to work with Mike and to be part of the Transportation Coalition that is ensuring the future of this important service. Through this association I feel the bond between our two regions is stronger than ever and why my office is open to my good friends in Annapolis and Digby. The future is bright for both our communities as we build on the resources of the Bay of Fundy”.
Mayor Court went on record as well with the major print media to strongly call for a new funding formula for the ferry service.
Senior Surfers
Like so many people my age I often feel that I’ve free fallen into cyberspace like Alice into the rabbit hole. I’ve had some horrible experiences with computers – I don’t know what I’m doing a lot of the time, had some incredibly embarrassing encounters, and blindly try new stuff. But I’m usually awed and entranced by the outcomes. It’s sort of like reliving my first dating experiences. And like Alice I’m ultimately more fascinated than frightened by my journey. Doors open daily on whole new worlds of knowledge and communication that I would never have imagined. So I was reassured to learn that this intrepid willingness to venture into new technology in my advancing years is a trait shared by the residents of Digby’s Tideview Terrace, whose residential community will create the opportunity to be the first long term care facility in Nova Scotia to venture into the cyber world.
Resuscitation Prognosis For Wellness Centre
Active efforts are still very much underway to restore the vital community health and recreation services that had been provided by the former Lifeplex facility in Annapolis County. The popular community healthy living facility was forced to close recently as its fiscal requirements and program offerings were placed under reassessment. A positive development in the chances for its reopening was evident in the willingness of the Council of the Municipality of Digby to consider a request for major funding support. The facility is being presented with a new business plan and receiving strong endorsement from area adherents such as ABCC General Manager Marc Phillips who in his presentation underlined the importance the facility plays in the marketing strategy of that international conference and training centre.
This Week’s Tip of the Hat
Can’t sign off on this week’s updates without a congratulatory “shout out” to two folks in Annapolis Digby who received the honoured recognition of their peers. Congratulations to filmmaker, writer and photographer Tim Wilson of Bear River who received a prestigious national media award for his film “Griefwalker”, a feature documentary for the National Film Board.
And also to Jim MacAlpine, the Acting Warden for the Municipality of Digby who was elected as Vice President of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities at their meeting in Sydney. It continues to be obvious that, whatever the field – the leaders can be found right here.
From ADEDA
All In The Fundy Family
ADEDA’s Managing Director Mike Gushue was in Saint John last week to speak to a gathering of the mayors from the major municipalities in Atlantic Canada. Over 20 mayors listened as Mike made the case for the continuance and upgrading of the vital ferry service between Digby and Saint John. Not content to just get in front of this key audience, Mike spent the earlier part of the day meeting with senior port officials, talking to local and regional government leaders and doing a CBC TV interview.
And he had support from the top in the “Loyalist City”.
Saint John Mayor Ivan Court related how “on the very first day I was elected, I welcomed an early morning call, on my cell phone, from a guy named Mike Gushue who wanted to talk about the Digby to Saint John ferry. Since that time it has been a pleasure to work with Mike and to be part of the Transportation Coalition that is ensuring the future of this important service. Through this association I feel the bond between our two regions is stronger than ever and why my office is open to my good friends in Annapolis and Digby. The future is bright for both our communities as we build on the resources of the Bay of Fundy”.
Mayor Court went on record as well with the major print media to strongly call for a new funding formula for the ferry service.
Senior Surfers
Like so many people my age I often feel that I’ve free fallen into cyberspace like Alice into the rabbit hole. I’ve had some horrible experiences with computers – I don’t know what I’m doing a lot of the time, had some incredibly embarrassing encounters, and blindly try new stuff. But I’m usually awed and entranced by the outcomes. It’s sort of like reliving my first dating experiences. And like Alice I’m ultimately more fascinated than frightened by my journey. Doors open daily on whole new worlds of knowledge and communication that I would never have imagined. So I was reassured to learn that this intrepid willingness to venture into new technology in my advancing years is a trait shared by the residents of Digby’s Tideview Terrace, whose residential community will create the opportunity to be the first long term care facility in Nova Scotia to venture into the cyber world.
Resuscitation Prognosis For Wellness Centre
Active efforts are still very much underway to restore the vital community health and recreation services that had been provided by the former Lifeplex facility in Annapolis County. The popular community healthy living facility was forced to close recently as its fiscal requirements and program offerings were placed under reassessment. A positive development in the chances for its reopening was evident in the willingness of the Council of the Municipality of Digby to consider a request for major funding support. The facility is being presented with a new business plan and receiving strong endorsement from area adherents such as ABCC General Manager Marc Phillips who in his presentation underlined the importance the facility plays in the marketing strategy of that international conference and training centre.
This Week’s Tip of the Hat
Can’t sign off on this week’s updates without a congratulatory “shout out” to two folks in Annapolis Digby who received the honoured recognition of their peers. Congratulations to filmmaker, writer and photographer Tim Wilson of Bear River who received a prestigious national media award for his film “Griefwalker”, a feature documentary for the National Film Board.
And also to Jim MacAlpine, the Acting Warden for the Municipality of Digby who was elected as Vice President of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities at their meeting in Sydney. It continues to be obvious that, whatever the field – the leaders can be found right here.
From ADEDA
Labels:
ADEDA news
Buying Local
"If the 391,000 households in Nova Scotia shifted 10% of their existing purchases from non-local businesses to Local Independents (locally owned and independent businesses), we would see the creation of new jobs and millions of dollars of new economic activity in Nova Scotia, all without raising taxes or spending a dime more than we planned. The elegance of the 10 percent shift right now is that it doesn’t ask people to expand their budgets and spend more. It asks people to be more conscious about where they spend what they’ve already budgeted for." - http://www.ballens.ca/
Labels:
buy local
Nova Scotian for Prime Minister
Ninth-grader gets chance to run Canada... for a bit
By: Mia Rabson / Hill Talk
Posted: 8/11/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0
OTTAWA -- For at least a few minutes last week, a Grade 9 student from Nova Scotia was running the country.
Melanie Lynn Renn won the Ultimate Dream Job Contest by the Learning Partnership and ScotiaBank.
For her grand prize, she got to go to work with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
She started the day at 24 Sussex Drive, drove in the prime minister's motorcade to Parliament Hill, got a personal tour from Harper of the House of Commons and had a meeting with him in his Centreblock office, where she sat at his desk.
"He let her run the country for a few minutes," joked one of Harper's staffers.
Melanie Lynn, however, doesn't have aspirations to be prime minister. She'd rather be Indiana Jones and her career plans don't include Parliament Hill unless it is to excavate the site as an archaeologist. The Hill was alive with youth all day Wednesday as Melanie Lynn was joined by scores of other ninth-graders, who held reporters' tape recorders, learned how to use boom mikes, scrummed MPs, sat in on press conferences and glimpsed the daily ins and outs of life on Parliament Hill.
Melanie Lynn is not the only one whose day likely brought on some serious envy.
National Post columnist John Ivison brought his nephew with him to work that day and scored a trifecta.
In the span of one afternoon, 14-year-old Adrian Burger interviewed Harper, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and NDP Leader Jack Layton. Adrian is now in a pretty exclusive club of journalists granted a one-on-one interview with this PM.
-- -- --
It was a great day for students to be on the Hill because last Wednesday was also the day government announced its decision not to allow a foreign company to take over Saskatchewan's PotashCorp.
No matter that most in Ottawa probably couldn't tell you exactly what potash is (one national reporter remarked it was the first time he'd ever written the word potash in a decades-long career on the Hill), the resource was all the rage in the nation's capital last week.
At least until Environment Minister Jim Prentice stunned everyone with his resignation.
The big question was whether or not the government was going to allow the hostile takeover of PotashCorp by Australia's BHP Billiton or whether it would deny a foreign takeover for only the second time in the last 25 years.
The answer was yes.
Although Industry Minister Tony Clement didn't really give the reasons for the rejection Wednesday, most knew it was done mainly for political reasons. Saskatchewan, where the minority Conservative government holds 13 of 14 seats, was soundly against the takeover. Say yes to the deal and Harper risked losing some of those seats.
The decision was surprising enough the opposition wasn't sure how to handle it, having spent the greater part of the last few weeks thundering at the government it should say no.
So all those students spending the day on the Hill will be able to tell their grandchildren they were there when the Harper Conservatives shed their fiscal-Conservative ideals rather than risk losing the next election by allowing foreigners to buy Saskatchewan's biggest company.
-- -- --
Nothing screams Friday on Parliament Hill like a late-afternoon dumping of government documents.
Not just any documents mind you, documents the government knows the opposition and the media desperately want to see.
They did it earlier this year with Afghanistan detainee documents.
They did it Friday with the long-awaited specifics of where Canada spent more than $860-million on the G20/G8 summits last June.
Hosting world leaders certainly costs money. Nobody expects Prime Minister Stephen Harper to feed foreign leaders peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on paper plates or make them sleep at the Super 8.
But when the government is constantly preaching about spending restraint at a time when the deficit is at record levels, at a time when thousands of Canadians are still out of work, it's really hard for any government to justify some of the more opulent-looking expenses.
Like a $20,000 ice sculpture, $12,000 for tablecloths and $11,000 for 24 place settings.
Or the loot bags handed out to delegates such as $2,559 on eight Hudson's Bay blankets for political directors, $2,362 for crystal CN tower replicas, $1,260 for stained glass, $3,039 on woven shawls as gifts for leaders' spouses and $17,955 for 30 bowls given as gifts to the leaders.
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 8, 2010 A4
By: Mia Rabson / Hill Talk
Posted: 8/11/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0
OTTAWA -- For at least a few minutes last week, a Grade 9 student from Nova Scotia was running the country.
Melanie Lynn Renn won the Ultimate Dream Job Contest by the Learning Partnership and ScotiaBank.
For her grand prize, she got to go to work with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
She started the day at 24 Sussex Drive, drove in the prime minister's motorcade to Parliament Hill, got a personal tour from Harper of the House of Commons and had a meeting with him in his Centreblock office, where she sat at his desk.
"He let her run the country for a few minutes," joked one of Harper's staffers.
Melanie Lynn, however, doesn't have aspirations to be prime minister. She'd rather be Indiana Jones and her career plans don't include Parliament Hill unless it is to excavate the site as an archaeologist. The Hill was alive with youth all day Wednesday as Melanie Lynn was joined by scores of other ninth-graders, who held reporters' tape recorders, learned how to use boom mikes, scrummed MPs, sat in on press conferences and glimpsed the daily ins and outs of life on Parliament Hill.
Melanie Lynn is not the only one whose day likely brought on some serious envy.
National Post columnist John Ivison brought his nephew with him to work that day and scored a trifecta.
In the span of one afternoon, 14-year-old Adrian Burger interviewed Harper, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and NDP Leader Jack Layton. Adrian is now in a pretty exclusive club of journalists granted a one-on-one interview with this PM.
-- -- --
It was a great day for students to be on the Hill because last Wednesday was also the day government announced its decision not to allow a foreign company to take over Saskatchewan's PotashCorp.
No matter that most in Ottawa probably couldn't tell you exactly what potash is (one national reporter remarked it was the first time he'd ever written the word potash in a decades-long career on the Hill), the resource was all the rage in the nation's capital last week.
At least until Environment Minister Jim Prentice stunned everyone with his resignation.
The big question was whether or not the government was going to allow the hostile takeover of PotashCorp by Australia's BHP Billiton or whether it would deny a foreign takeover for only the second time in the last 25 years.
The answer was yes.
Although Industry Minister Tony Clement didn't really give the reasons for the rejection Wednesday, most knew it was done mainly for political reasons. Saskatchewan, where the minority Conservative government holds 13 of 14 seats, was soundly against the takeover. Say yes to the deal and Harper risked losing some of those seats.
The decision was surprising enough the opposition wasn't sure how to handle it, having spent the greater part of the last few weeks thundering at the government it should say no.
So all those students spending the day on the Hill will be able to tell their grandchildren they were there when the Harper Conservatives shed their fiscal-Conservative ideals rather than risk losing the next election by allowing foreigners to buy Saskatchewan's biggest company.
-- -- --
Nothing screams Friday on Parliament Hill like a late-afternoon dumping of government documents.
Not just any documents mind you, documents the government knows the opposition and the media desperately want to see.
They did it earlier this year with Afghanistan detainee documents.
They did it Friday with the long-awaited specifics of where Canada spent more than $860-million on the G20/G8 summits last June.
Hosting world leaders certainly costs money. Nobody expects Prime Minister Stephen Harper to feed foreign leaders peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on paper plates or make them sleep at the Super 8.
But when the government is constantly preaching about spending restraint at a time when the deficit is at record levels, at a time when thousands of Canadians are still out of work, it's really hard for any government to justify some of the more opulent-looking expenses.
Like a $20,000 ice sculpture, $12,000 for tablecloths and $11,000 for 24 place settings.
Or the loot bags handed out to delegates such as $2,559 on eight Hudson's Bay blankets for political directors, $2,362 for crystal CN tower replicas, $1,260 for stained glass, $3,039 on woven shawls as gifts for leaders' spouses and $17,955 for 30 bowls given as gifts to the leaders.
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 8, 2010 A4
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Municipal Council Minutes
Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia1Call to OrderThe meeting was called to order with Deputy WardenMacAlpine in the chair at 6:10 pm.AttendanceCouncillors present: Jimmy MacAlpine, Deputy Warden Linda Gregory, Councillor Randall Amero, Councillor Maritza Adams, CouncillorStaff present: Linda Fraser, Chief Administrative Officer Gordon Wilson, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Pat Stevens, AdministrationPrayerDeputy Warden MacAlpine asked everyone to pause to seek guidance for the meeting.AgendaCouncillor Gregory added concerns regarding activity onCulloden Road as New Business #3, street lighting on CullodenRoad as New Business #4 and advertising in the Coastlineregarding speed issues when an Emergency Vehicle is presentas New Business #5.MOVED and seconded that the agenda be approved asamended.MOTION CARRIEDHearings & PresentationsNILMinutesSeptember 13, 2010MOVED and seconded that the minutes of September 13, 2010 be approved.MOTION CARRIED
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia2Business Arising/OldBusinessTeam Weymouth –Request for Letter ofSupport There was a discussion regarding the letter of supportrequested by Team Weymouth. Funding was obtained elsewhere by Team Weymouth. MOVED and seconded that a letter of support be sent toTeam Weymouth.MOTION CARRIEDOther Business Arising NILDeputy WardenMacAlpine No Business ArisingCouncillor Gregory No Business ArisingCouncillor Amero No Business ArisingCouncillor Adams No Business ArisingNew Business#1 Western ValleyPeeWee AAA Tournament The request for the Municipality to place an advertisement in their program for the tournament was forwarded toAdministration.#2 Digby LibraryRepairs The total cost for the interior/exterior repairs for the DigbyLibrary is $8,855.00. The Municipality’s share of the costwould be approximately $4,500.00.MOVED and seconded that Council approves the funding request for the repairs to the Digby Library. MOTION CARRIED# 3 Culloden Road Councillor Gregory advised that she had complaints regarding twelve red tandem trucks travelling on theCulloden Road unsafely. The complainants want Council
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Page 3
Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia3to find out what is going on in the area as these trucks posedanger for other drivers in that area.MOVED and seconded that a letter be sent to the MLAregarding safety issues of tandem trucks traveling on theCulloden Road.MOTION CARRIED#4 Street Light on Culloden Road Councillor Gregory advised that between the last twohouses on the Culloden Road there is a sharp corner that hasno street light which makes the corner involved a danger todrivers. This matter was referred to the street light policy.#5 Speed Limit when Emergency Vehicle is present There was discussion on the need to advise drivers to lower their speed limit to 60 kms or less when an Emergencyvehicle is present. MOVED and seconded that a letter be sent to the MLAregarding concerns the Municipality of Digby has with the safety issue of drivers not lowering their speed to 60 kms orless when an Emergency vehicle is present. Also that anadvertisement be placed in the next edition of the Coastlineadvising of the safety issue involved.MOTION CARRIEDCorrespondence#1 Municipality of theDistrict of Barrington– Local Fish Plant Workers - EI A discussion on the requirement for hours needed to file forEI was held. The consensus was that anyone that needshours should also fall under this petition as well as the local fish plant workers.#2 Phil Barrett, RCMP – False Alarm Strategy A discussion on the issue of false alarms was held. AllMunicipal units have the same issues with false alarms. Itwas requested that the Dispatch find out the alarmcompanies input on false alarms. It was questioned if thiswas to be dealt with by the Bylaw and Policy Committee.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia4#3 Harold (Jr)Theriault – Copy of letter to MinisterEstabrooks, TIR Waiting for response.#4 Conway Workshop– Letter re: signage in Conway It was noted that the Bylaw does not allow for this sign to be installed.#5 Nova ScotiaGaming Commission –2009-10 Social ResponsibilityCommunity Report No discussion on this matter.#6 Nova ScotiaDepartment of Justice– Request for feedback to possibleamendments to the Police Act No discussion on this matter.Chief Administrative ReportMaud Lewis Site –SignageNovember MeetingDatesAMA Fall Conference The CAO report dated October 12, 2010 was included inthe COTW Package. Councillor Adams stated that she had a meeting with Rob Hersey and Joy O’Neill from ADEDA. She and Mr. Herseyheaded to the Maud Lewis site with Ms. O’Neill to meet them there. Ms. O’Neill did not show up. It was noted that Council would be meeting at the TivertonCommunity Hall on November 8, 2010 as the placeoriginally scheduled didn’t have wheelchair accessibility. The CAO gave a brief report on the conference. Theconference had the highest number of registered delegates in its 40 year history. The silent auction raised $4500.00 for Jumpstart Digby. The new AMA logo was unveiled.Request forDecisions/Direction NIL
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia5Department ReportsTaxation The Taxation report for September 2010 was included in themeeting package. Building Inspection Report/Fire Inspection Report The Building Inspection report for September 2010 wasincluded in the meeting package. Airport/Dispatch The Airport/Dispatch report for September 2010 wasincluded in the meeting package. The Deputy CAO notedthat he asked a Senior Dispatcher to develop a report for the Airport/Dispatch that is easier for Council to understand.Dog Control Activityand Financial Report The Dog Control Activity and Financial report forSeptember 2010 was included in the meeting package. Coordinator Program Development The Coordinator Program Development report forSeptember 9 to October 7, 2010 was included in the meeting package.Other BusinessN/AUpdates fromPrevious meetingsN/ASpecial Projects UpdatesN/AStrategic Priorities UpdateN/ANotice of MotionN/AComments from theGallery There were two spectators in the audience. Council and staff introduced themselves. Questions were asked regarding the Maud Lewis site, the Dangerous and Unsightly Act and the previous discussionabout the speed limits.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia6AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 7:09PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia2Business Arising/OldBusinessTeam Weymouth –Request for Letter ofSupport There was a discussion regarding the letter of supportrequested by Team Weymouth. Funding was obtained elsewhere by Team Weymouth. MOVED and seconded that a letter of support be sent toTeam Weymouth.MOTION CARRIEDOther Business Arising NILDeputy WardenMacAlpine No Business ArisingCouncillor Gregory No Business ArisingCouncillor Amero No Business ArisingCouncillor Adams No Business ArisingNew Business#1 Western ValleyPeeWee AAA Tournament The request for the Municipality to place an advertisement in their program for the tournament was forwarded toAdministration.#2 Digby LibraryRepairs The total cost for the interior/exterior repairs for the DigbyLibrary is $8,855.00. The Municipality’s share of the costwould be approximately $4,500.00.MOVED and seconded that Council approves the funding request for the repairs to the Digby Library. MOTION CARRIED# 3 Culloden Road Councillor Gregory advised that she had complaints regarding twelve red tandem trucks travelling on theCulloden Road unsafely. The complainants want Council
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 3
Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia3to find out what is going on in the area as these trucks posedanger for other drivers in that area.MOVED and seconded that a letter be sent to the MLAregarding safety issues of tandem trucks traveling on theCulloden Road.MOTION CARRIED#4 Street Light on Culloden Road Councillor Gregory advised that between the last twohouses on the Culloden Road there is a sharp corner that hasno street light which makes the corner involved a danger todrivers. This matter was referred to the street light policy.#5 Speed Limit when Emergency Vehicle is present There was discussion on the need to advise drivers to lower their speed limit to 60 kms or less when an Emergencyvehicle is present. MOVED and seconded that a letter be sent to the MLAregarding concerns the Municipality of Digby has with the safety issue of drivers not lowering their speed to 60 kms orless when an Emergency vehicle is present. Also that anadvertisement be placed in the next edition of the Coastlineadvising of the safety issue involved.MOTION CARRIEDCorrespondence#1 Municipality of theDistrict of Barrington– Local Fish Plant Workers - EI A discussion on the requirement for hours needed to file forEI was held. The consensus was that anyone that needshours should also fall under this petition as well as the local fish plant workers.#2 Phil Barrett, RCMP – False Alarm Strategy A discussion on the issue of false alarms was held. AllMunicipal units have the same issues with false alarms. Itwas requested that the Dispatch find out the alarmcompanies input on false alarms. It was questioned if thiswas to be dealt with by the Bylaw and Policy Committee.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia4#3 Harold (Jr)Theriault – Copy of letter to MinisterEstabrooks, TIR Waiting for response.#4 Conway Workshop– Letter re: signage in Conway It was noted that the Bylaw does not allow for this sign to be installed.#5 Nova ScotiaGaming Commission –2009-10 Social ResponsibilityCommunity Report No discussion on this matter.#6 Nova ScotiaDepartment of Justice– Request for feedback to possibleamendments to the Police Act No discussion on this matter.Chief Administrative ReportMaud Lewis Site –SignageNovember MeetingDatesAMA Fall Conference The CAO report dated October 12, 2010 was included inthe COTW Package. Councillor Adams stated that she had a meeting with Rob Hersey and Joy O’Neill from ADEDA. She and Mr. Herseyheaded to the Maud Lewis site with Ms. O’Neill to meet them there. Ms. O’Neill did not show up. It was noted that Council would be meeting at the TivertonCommunity Hall on November 8, 2010 as the placeoriginally scheduled didn’t have wheelchair accessibility. The CAO gave a brief report on the conference. Theconference had the highest number of registered delegates in its 40 year history. The silent auction raised $4500.00 for Jumpstart Digby. The new AMA logo was unveiled.Request forDecisions/Direction NIL
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia5Department ReportsTaxation The Taxation report for September 2010 was included in themeeting package. Building Inspection Report/Fire Inspection Report The Building Inspection report for September 2010 wasincluded in the meeting package. Airport/Dispatch The Airport/Dispatch report for September 2010 wasincluded in the meeting package. The Deputy CAO notedthat he asked a Senior Dispatcher to develop a report for the Airport/Dispatch that is easier for Council to understand.Dog Control Activityand Financial Report The Dog Control Activity and Financial report forSeptember 2010 was included in the meeting package. Coordinator Program Development The Coordinator Program Development report forSeptember 9 to October 7, 2010 was included in the meeting package.Other BusinessN/AUpdates fromPrevious meetingsN/ASpecial Projects UpdatesN/AStrategic Priorities UpdateN/ANotice of MotionN/AComments from theGallery There were two spectators in the audience. Council and staff introduced themselves. Questions were asked regarding the Maud Lewis site, the Dangerous and Unsightly Act and the previous discussionabout the speed limits.
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Municipality of the District of DigbyMunicipal Committee of the Whole MinutesOctober 12, 2010Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia6AdjournmentMOVED and seconded that the meeting adjourn at 7:09PM. MOTION CARRIED____________________________________________________________WARDENCLERK
Labels:
Digby Municipal Council minutes
Special Council Agenda
Special Council MeetingAgendaMeeting DateNovember 8, 2010Meeting LocationTiverton CommunityCentrePause to Seek GuidanceDeputy Warden Jimmy MacAlpineReading of Mission StatementDeputy Warden Jimmy MacAlpineWelcome and IntroductionsDeputy Warden Jimmy MacAlpineDocumentsSubject AreaApproval of theAgendaAdditionsDeletionsCouncilStaffDeclaration ofCandidate Elected for District 4Linda Fraser, CAOSwearing in of NewCouncillor for District 4Linda Fraser, CAO Election of WardenLinda Fraser, CAOElection of Deputy Warden (if required)Linda Fraser, CAOAdjournmentWarden
Municipal Council Agenda
Municipality of the District of DigbyCommittee of the WholeAgendaMeeting DateNovember 8, 2010Meeting LocationTiverton Community CentreCall to OrderWardenPause to Seek GuidanceWardenApproval of the AgendaAdditions/DeletionsPresentationsSave Our Bay – Dr. Guy MelvilleApproval of MinutesOctober 12, 2010Old Business /Business Arising from Minutes# 1.0 County of Annapolis request for funding - LifePlex$ 100,000 over four years# 2.0Dr. Bob Mahar request for funding –Mapping Project$ 10,000 over two years# 3.0Digby Ground Search & Rescue request for funding-New vehicle# 4.0TLC Animal Shelter request for funding$ 12,000Deputy Warden MacAlpineCouncillor GregoryCouncillor AmeroCouncillor AdamsCouncillor Tudor
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Municipality of the District of DigbyCommittee of the WholeAgendaNew Business#1Province of NovaScotiaHerring Workers Program Agreement#2Councillor TudorAlders-Little River to Whale Cove#3#4#5#6# 7# 8CorrespondenceReceivedInformation Only# 1Municipal Fire AssociationRequest for information# 2Town of Annapolis RoyalNotice of Withdrawal from ADEDA # 3#4
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Municipality of the District of DigbyCommittee of the WholeAgendaChief AdministrativeReportNovember 8, 2010Request for Decisions/DirectionMeeting Dates/RemindersDate & TimeMeetingLocationNovember 15th@ 6:00 pmBy-law & PolicyDigby Curling ClubNovember 22nd@ 6:00 pmCouncilBarton SchoolDecember 13th@ 6:00 pmCOTWAcaciaville Baptist ChurchDecember 27thNo meetingJanuary 3rdNo MeetingJanuary 10th@ 6:00COTWCouncil ChambersJanuary 17thBy-law & PolicyBoardroomJanuary 24thCouncilCouncil ChambersDepartment Reports for October 2010AdministrationTaxationBuilding DepartmentBuilding PermitMunicipal Fire Inspector Airport/DispatchDispatch Call ReportAirport Statistical Dog Control ActivityDog Control Financial Coordinator Program DevelopmentUpdates from PreviousmeetingsSpecial Projects UpdatesStrategic PrioritiesUpdateOctober 31, 2010Notice of MotionIn-CameraContractual IssueAdjournment
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Municipality of the District of DigbyCommittee of the WholeAgendaNew Business#1Province of NovaScotiaHerring Workers Program Agreement#2Councillor TudorAlders-Little River to Whale Cove#3#4#5#6# 7# 8CorrespondenceReceivedInformation Only# 1Municipal Fire AssociationRequest for information# 2Town of Annapolis RoyalNotice of Withdrawal from ADEDA # 3#4
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Municipality of the District of DigbyCommittee of the WholeAgendaChief AdministrativeReportNovember 8, 2010Request for Decisions/DirectionMeeting Dates/RemindersDate & TimeMeetingLocationNovember 15th@ 6:00 pmBy-law & PolicyDigby Curling ClubNovember 22nd@ 6:00 pmCouncilBarton SchoolDecember 13th@ 6:00 pmCOTWAcaciaville Baptist ChurchDecember 27thNo meetingJanuary 3rdNo MeetingJanuary 10th@ 6:00COTWCouncil ChambersJanuary 17thBy-law & PolicyBoardroomJanuary 24thCouncilCouncil ChambersDepartment Reports for October 2010AdministrationTaxationBuilding DepartmentBuilding PermitMunicipal Fire Inspector Airport/DispatchDispatch Call ReportAirport Statistical Dog Control ActivityDog Control Financial Coordinator Program DevelopmentUpdates from PreviousmeetingsSpecial Projects UpdatesStrategic PrioritiesUpdateOctober 31, 2010Notice of MotionIn-CameraContractual IssueAdjournment
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