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Atlantica Party Looks To Be Recognized
2008-03-12 18:18:00
I just received word that the Atlantica Party is beginning the process of becoming an official party in Nova Scotia. They will start off by meeting with the public at a number of locations across the province. They are also accepting membership from interested people. Their main goal is to raise concerns regarding the Atlantic Provinces to the Federal government. The party was created by a group on concerned citizens and plans to expand to New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland in the future. To learn more about their ideas, they are requesting you meet them in person. Dates and locations can be found at the link below:http://www.atlanticaparty.ca/html/e vents.html

Public Doctors At Privite Clinic
2008-03-12 17:22:00
The Health Department is allowing doctors that are paid by the public to perform surgery's at private clinics. It is a one year demonstration project which merges the public and private sector as never seen before. This will give the private sector access to the few doctors left in the province and will lower the demand on the public hospitals with regards to minor operations. What does this mean in the long run? My concern, which has not been confirmed or denied, is that people will be paying the private clinic to have the surgery. They will expect faster service and access to professional care. They will obviously receive the professional care, but using the public doctors, which are already backed up, will not give them faster care. I am also concerned about people paying for a service when tax payers will be paying their doctors wages. If this is the route we are taking, than I hope the private clinic is going to be paying money to the government to compensate for the man...
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Lotto Ticket Declared A Looser, But Is A Winner
2008-03-10 20:30:00
A woman in Newfoundland has found what she believes to be a glitch in the system of the Atlantic Lotto Corporation.A 649 ticket Elaine Wells purchased won her $20 off the Tag, but when she took it to the store she was told she was not a winner. The slip said to check her ticket manually which thankfully she did. Indeed she was a winner.The Atlantic Lottery Corporation told Elaine that she must have already claimed the ticket at another store and forgotten. The ticket actually is a winner but the system does not differentiate between a loosing ticket and one that was already claimed.According to CBC wells stated: "Now I wonder how many people, especially elderly, do not have access to the internet to check them themselves and just take for granted they are not winners and just throw [the tickets] in the garbage,"The Atlantic Lotto Corporation is making it clear on the validation slip that it is a loosing ticket and speaking from experience, I don't always verify them myself. Technol...
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IM Me
2008-03-08 22:44:00
I have added a widget to my side bar that will allow you to message me. If I am online than I will respond right away, otherwise I will get your message. I will leave it up for a while and see if it gets used. Feel free to message me at any point.

Gas Price Prediction For March 7th 2008
2008-03-06 17:34:00
It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on March 7th 2008 .I am unsure about the direction this week. The price globally has risen, but New Brunswick has opted to lower their price. Sorry but it really could go in either direction.Gasoline Price s In New BrunswickFebruary 29th 2008 - 114.6March 6th 2008 - 111.9Difference -Gasoline Price GloballyFebruary 29th 2008 - $99.47 U.S. Per BarrelMarch 6th 2008 - $104.55 U.S. Per BarrelDifference - +$5.08To find out which zone you are located in, check out the map provided by Service Nova Scotia. You can also get a copy of the latest gas prices across the province by viewing the official report release. This prediction is in no way official and should only be used as informational. Any decision to purchase or not to purchase gasoline on any given day rests with you. All prices are based on self serve regular unless otherwise specified.

How Would You Solve Poverty?
2008-03-06 12:54:00
The government is asking for your opinion and ideas once again. The latest is an attempt to gather the publics information on property in Nova Scotia.I love the thought of including the people in the actions that will affect us. I just hope that the information is being used to its fullest.If you want to fill out the survey, visit the following link: http://gov.ns.ca/coms/poverty
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The Cat Came Back (The Very Next Day)
2008-03-06 05:54:00
Not going to bother commenting on this story. The cat Bylaw is back but still no information on how the animals will be housed.Even though the money concerns have not been addresses, the City Council has decided to go ahead. Expect this to go the way of the Dog bylaw. No one will follow it and it won't be enforced.
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Blogging Nova Scotia Mailing List
2008-03-04 21:38:00
I have created a mailing list which was originally intended for bloggers, but may be a great resource for blog readers as well. I am now opening up registration to all readers.I occasionally receive emails from other sites looking for support or with updates they would like to be passed along. If you interested in receiving these infrequent updates then send an email to bloggingnovascotia@gmail.com and I will include you to the list.If you are looking to unsubscribe simply send an email to the same address and I will have it taken care of. Hope you will find the information valuable.
More About: Blogging , List , Nova , Scotia , Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Pharmacare Coverage Begins
2008-03-03 19:36:00
The new health care for all Nova Scotia n's begins today. The Province suspects that 190,000 people are without a health care plan in our province and this plan could help all of them.A new pharmacare program was launched today (March 3rd) to help Nova Scotia ns and their families with the cost of prescription drugs. Premier Rodney MacDonald says with rising drug costs, this universal drug plan will help Nova Scotians get the drugs they need to stay healthy. The program is available to all Nova Scotians. A provincewide mail-out to almost 400-thousand Nova Scotia homes encourages people to learn about and, enrol in, the program. Enrolment forms and program information are available on the website at http://www.nspharmacare.caThe idea is well laid out, and will even help those who currently have health care plans (but to a lesser extent). The costs are expected to reach $50 million.More information about the program is available in one of my previous posts at "Health Care Plan...
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Review: The Metro (Free Daily News)
2008-03-02 20:25:00
The Halifax Daily News is now history and the Metro has been in full swing for a week now. There are many differences between the two, but is it worth picking up a copy? I have been a fan of the Daily News for a year or so, and have been adapting to the changes in the Metro. If you have not picked up a copy yet, here is what you can expect to see differently. 1) The most obvious is the fact that there are ads littered throughout the entire paper. Each page is about half ads and half content. Many times I find myself wondering if I am reading a paper or a flyer. 2) The company claimed that the articles would be more hard hitting, but it seems that there is more fluff articles than before. Actual news that I am interested in appear as a 10-20 word paragraph while other content is covered in detail. 3) The Metro is not a daily paper. The Friday edition is called the Weekend edition which means there is nothing to pick up on Saturdays and Sundays. 4) The big difference is that...
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Exploring Lunch Time Fees
2008-02-29 15:23:00
Nova Scotia is deciding to continue their "Excel" program which charges parents fees to supervise their children during lunch time. There could however be a few changes. The new proposal will offer free supervision to students who live outside a particular area if they are attending a special program like French immersion. There will also be a review for each school to determine if the lunch time is long enough for all students to walk home, eat and then return. If it is determined to be too short, the school will have to offer free lunch supervision or extend their lunch time. Education Minister Karen Casey believes the new proposal is within the new legislation which does not permit fees for lunch time programs. Who's idea was it to give French Immersion students free supervision? My guess it was the parent of a child in the immersion program looking for a way out of paying. Attending special programs has no affect on the costs of caring for students and should...
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Gas Price Prediction For February 29th 2008
2008-02-28 12:54:00
Sorry it is a little bit late today but here it is. It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on February 29th 2008 .I predict gas prices will essentially stay the same for another week. It could change by less than 2 cents per liter in either direction, but it will remain around todays prices.Gasoline Price s In New BrunswickFebruary 21st 2008 - 112.9February 29th 2008 - 114.6Difference - +1.7Gasoline Price GloballyFebruary 21st 2008 - $99.86 U.S. Per BarrelFebruary 29th 2008 - $99.47 U.S. Per BarrelDifference - -$0.39To find out which zone you are located in, check out the map provided by Service Nova Scotia. You can also get a copy of the latest gas prices across the province by viewing the official report release. This prediction is in no way official and should only be used as informational. Any decision to purchase or not to purchase gasoline on any given day rests with you. All prices are...

Cat Bylaw Not Finished Yet
2008-02-28 01:14:00
I have been blogging for close to 2 years, and it seems this is one story that I have been covering since then. The City Council has decided today to remove cats from the new Bylaw in April due to the costs associated with it. That means that cat owners will not have to worry about licensing their pets as was expected. This comes months after the original decision to include felines in the new bylaw. I hope this is the end of this story. City Council has debated this issue a dozen times with no conclusion. Then they finally approve the kitten clause and now retracted it. Let this issue go already. No one wants the bylaw and we can't afford the costs associated with it. If it was not clear, yes I am a cat owner and no I did not plan on registering.

Deregulation Of The Taxi Industry
2008-02-26 19:31:00
A public hearing will take place this evening on the plans to deregulate the Taxi industry. The changes will be a huge benefit to the public, but a large downfall to the drivers. The most controversial issue on the bill is the removal of the limit of taxi's within HRM. Essentially it will allow anyone with a Taxi License to receive a Taxi Owners License. This will allow an unlimited amount of drivers which will limit the wait times for consumers. This will also lower the demand for each driver and make it harder to make a living. The bill will also allow each driver to ask for a reasonable amount of money upfront. This will reduce the loss on passengers who dash instead of pay. The city will also allow advertising on all parts of the automobile to help with income. This bill is separate from the one concerning safety which will give drivers the ability to choose between one of three different options to ensure their safety when taking a passenger. It will however eliminate all t...
More About: Industry

Court Orders Woman To Leave Due To Noisy Kids
2008-02-25 21:45:00
Lisa Muise lives in a 3 bedroom apartment in Clayton Park, or at least she will until the end of June.Last summer she was told that the apartments would not renew her lease once it had expired. No reason was provided by her property manager Heather Scott. Muise appealed the decision to the Residential Tenancies Board which ruled that she could stay. That ruling was overturned on Friday by a small claims court which was handing the appeal.The reason for the lack of a renewal is because her kids are noisy. The judge stated that "They did disturb tenants from time to time". Officially a reason is not required if the tenant has been renting for less than 5 years.The judge has allowed the family to stay until the end of the school year so the decision does not affect the learning process of one of her children.The judge has failed to convince me that this mother has problematic children. His quote, "They did disturb tenants from time to time", could mean almost anythi...
More About: Kids , Leave , Woman , Court , Orders

The World According To Henry
2008-02-24 19:42:00
I have enjoyed blogging about this province for close to two years now. Blogging Nova Scotia has had many ups and downs but it has always been one of my favorite hobbies. My only problem has been that there are so many other things I have wanted to blog about but did concern the people of Nova Scotia.I have decided to begin another blog I am calling "The World According To Henry ". It will be a free form blog where I can write about any issue I want. There will be no restrictions on my content except what I feel like writting about at that time.Come join my new global community at http://henrys-world.blogspot.com . I hope to see many of you join me on this new journey as well as continue to support me here.This will not affect my work on this blog. Blogging Nova Scotia will continue to grow and become the site I envisioned when I started. A place to get great local content that is free of any corporate influence.
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Gas Price Prediction For February 22nd 2008
2008-02-21 07:00:00
Sorry it is a little bit late today but here it is. It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on February 22nd 2008 .I predict gas prices will go up by 4-6 cents per literGasoline Price s In New BrunswickFebruary 14th 2008 - 107.1February 21st 208 - 112.9Difference - +5.8Gasoline Price GloballyFebruary 14th 2008 - $95.25 U.S. Per BarrelFebruary 21st 208 - $99.86 U.S. Per BarrelDifference - +$3.96To find out which zone you are located in, check out the map provided by Service Nova Scotia. You can also get a copy of the latest gas prices across the province by viewing the official report release. This prediction is in no way official and should only be used as informational. Any decision to purchase or not to purchase gasoline on any given day rests with you. All prices are based on self serve regular unless otherwise specified.

2008 Lunar Eclipse
2008-02-20 19:13:00
There will be another lunar eclipse this evening across Canada. If you have never experienced one before you should take a glance upwards.The event will begin around 9:42pm AST and will be completely hidden around 11:00pm.The current forecast is calling for fair weather with cloud cover. We will have to wait until later in the evening to find out who will be able to see the total eclipse.I will attempt to get a few pictures to post tomorrow for those who miss it. If anyone else takes a few, feel free to pass them along to bloggingnovascotia@gmail.com as I am working and may miss the show myself.BEFORE ECLIPSE
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Your Budget Cuts
2008-02-19 17:22:00
The government is asking Nova Scotians for their input for this years budget figures. Premier Rodney MacDonald has already stated that it is going to be a very tough budget to swallow simply because there is not enough money available. A survey is available at http://www.gov.ns.ca/finance asking you to rank what you feel is important. Health care, environment, education, roads and more are on the list. While you are filling out this survey, here is a bonus question for you. Question: What is the purpose of the survey released by the government regarding this years budget decision? A) To include the public in the decision making process to find a solution that works for everyone. B) A way to transfer blame from the government to the public when the budget is released. C) A way to save face and any results will be ignored like it was during the Sunday Shopping vote. Isn't it great to have choices?
More About: Budget , Cuts

Happy Joe Howe Day
2008-02-17 14:36:00
Liberal MLA Diana Whalen is once again looking for support for Nova Scotia's 6th statutory holiday. She wants the third Monday in February marked as Joe Howe Day to celebrate democracy in Canada. If approved, next year would commemorate the 250th anniversary of democracy in our Country.Whalen has tried multiple time to get such a holiday created with no success. Last year Premier Rodney MacDonald denied her request claiming another holiday would come at the cost of businesses. Nova Scotia is currently last in the statutory holiday count nationwide.Another holiday would force companies to shell out more money to their employees each year or provide them with the day off with pay. So the Premiers remarks about costing businesses are correct, but they already have a sweet deal in our province. Nowhere else in the country can you get away without paying for a minimum of 6 holidays annually.Currently employees go from New Years day on January 1st until the spring when Good Friday rolls ...
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Gas Price Predictions For February 15th 2008.
2008-02-15 00:03:00
Sorry it is a little bit late today but here it is. It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on February 15th 2008 .I predict gas prices will go up between 2-4 cents per literGasoline Price s In New BrunswickFebruary 7th 2008 - 105.9February 14th 2008 - 107.1Difference - +1.2Gasoline Price GloballyFebruary 8th 2008 - $87.80 U.S. Per BarrelFebruary 14th 2008 - $95.25 U.S. Per BarrelDifference - +7.45To find out which zone you are located in, check out the map provided by Service Nova Scotia. You can also get a copy of the latest gas prices across the province by viewing the official report release. This prediction is in no way official and should only be used as informational. Any decision to purchase or not to purchase gasoline on any given day rests with you. All prices are based on self serve regular unless otherwise specified.
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Body In Bridgewater Identified
2008-02-14 19:01:00
Karissa Boudreau went missing on January 27th in Bridgewater in a grocery store parking lot. A body was discovered just a few days ago on the banks of the lake near the spot she went missing. Today police confirmed it was Karissa's body that was found. Police have also announced that evidence points towards a homicide. This case is long from over and right now there are no suspects. More will come over the next few days as to the investigation itself. My heart goes out to the family. No one should have to loose someone so young, especially under these circumstances. I will update this post as more information come available.
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Eagles To Play In Moncton
2008-02-13 13:11:00
Once again Moncton will host this summers mega event. The Eagles will appear in the city during the month of August. This is a huge event that could compete with the memories of the Rolling Stones just a few years ago. Reports are coming in that Halifax just could not compete with the bid put forth by our neighbors to the west. Events like this one are not only great for tourism, but they bring in a lot of cash to the city. The Eagles will join a growing list of big ticket events that we could not secure. If there is any good news for us, it would be that our chances of getting them next year are slightly better.
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Halifax Daily News Stops The Press
2008-02-11 19:13:00
Shocking media news today. The Halifax Daily News has decided to no longer offer their newspaper to customers any longer. They will begin offering a free paper which will probably be distributed similar to The Coast.For those who were unaware, I have been delivering the Halifax Daily News for close to 6 months now as a second income. We were planning on using the money to pay off our student loan debts quicker. It is too bad they hadn't decided this one day before. The weather today made the drive very difficult....but that is the nature of the business.The Daily Metro will begin publication on Thursday. No word yet on where the paper can be found, but I am sure we will learn more soon.The official announcement can be read here which includes the following quote:“We worked hard to deliver an economically viable newspaper in the Halifax market with The Daily News,” said Marc-Noël Ouellette, Senior Vice President, Newspaper Group, Transcontinental Media. “It was an extremely ...
More About: Press , Stops

ECMA Results
2008-02-11 16:21:00
Here are some of the winners from last nights East Coast Music Awards. Joel Plaskett was the big winner of the evening with 6 awards in total. More awards can be found on the EAMA website.Entertainer of the Year: George CanyonRecording of the Year: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)Female Solo Recording: If You Were For Me (Rose Cousins)Group Recording of the Year: Ashtray Rock (Joel Plaskett Emergency)Male Solo Recording: House For Sale (Dave Gunning)Rising Star Recording of the Year: Brand New Skin (Stephanie Hardy).Group Single of the Year: Fashionable People (Joel Plaskett Emergency)SOCAN Songwriter of the Year: Joel Plaskett for Fashionable PeopleVideo of the Year: Fashionable People directed by Randall Thorne (Joel Plaskett Emergency)DVD of the Year: Back Stage Pass (Rankin Family)African-Canadian Recording of the Year: It's The Music (Jamie Sparks)Alternative Recording of the Year: The City Destroyed Me (Nathan Wiley)Bluegrass Recording of the Year: Saddle River String B...
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Premier Playing Hardball
2008-02-09 21:51:00
Premier Rodney MacDonald sent a clear message to the opposition parties last night that their "free ride" is over. He told his party members that the opposition is going to have to start backing up their claims against them and will be held accountable for any promises they make. He also told reporters that he will not be giving in to their demands during the spring budget since there likely won't be enough money for him to keep all of his promises. Wait a minute. Rodney MacDonald is planning on holding the NDP and the Liberal parties accountable for all of their promises and then later on says he won't be able to meet all of his? It sounds like the Premier may be gearing up for an election in anticipation that his budget will not be supported. Nova Scotians have always criticized the Premier for not being tough enough to lead the province but now he is changing the tune of his fiddle. Last year the Premier was also forced to hold over promises such as lower ...
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City Cycling
2008-02-08 07:07:00
I am always impressed to see new groups created which look at improving their community. Recently the HCC (Halifax Cycling Coalition) was formed in an attempt to improve the experience for cycling in the provincial capital. Their goals include raising awareness of cycling in HRM, improving facilities for bicycles and communicating with the government about specific issues concerning transportation. Cycling is a major issue in the city and the HCC is likely to face some uphill battles. The city is simply not designed for a pleasant cycling experience which is a shame.  If cycling were encouraged it could go a long way in helping our population get back in shape and lowering our emission levels which are impacting the environment. Currently cyclists are forced to battle traffic on major highways which could cause a big safety concern. Most motorists simply do not know how to conduct themselves when they approach an unprotected cyclist. This is why many people would like to se...
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Gas Price Predictions For February 8th 2008
2008-02-07 20:12:00
It is Thursday again which means gas prices change for the people of Nova Scotia tomorrow. Here is my prediction for gasoline prices on February 8th 2008 .I predict gas prices will go down by 0.5 - 1.5 cents per liter.Gasoline Price s In New BrunswickJanuary 31st 2008 - 107.2February 7th 2008 - 105.9Difference - -1.3Gasoline Price GloballyJanuary 24th 2008 - $87.85 U.S. Per BarrelFebruary 8th 2008 - $87.80 U.S. Per BarrelDifference - -0.05To find out which zone you are located in, check out the map provided by Service Nova Scotia. You can also get a copy of the latest gas prices across the province by viewing the official report release. This prediction is in no way official and should only be used as informational. Any decision to purchase or not to purchase gasoline on any given day rests with you. All prices are based on self serve regular unless otherwise specified.
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I will be back
2008-02-05 19:53:00
Postings may be scarce for the next few days as I have come down with the flu. I will be back as soon as I am feeling better.
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Minimum Wage Spike
2008-02-01 18:32:00
The Province is considering a report which calls for a large boost to the minimum wage's over the next 8 months. By the end of March it could be increased from the current $7.60 up to $8.10. There would be more increases until October when it would reach the peek of $9.65. In the end there would be a 27% increase by the end of the year. The new rate would allow a single person working full time to make more than the poverty line of $20,000 per year. It only makes sense that any full time employee would make enough to support themselves and not be forced in to finding additional income streams. This large increase does pose a concern for jobs in the province over the long term. Studies have shown that an increase in minimum wage has a negative impact on employment opportunities. Such a large jump could deter lower paying jobs from opening in the future. Still it may be worth the risk. Nova Scotia businesses won't exactly be excited about this proposal, but it does make ...
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