Atlantic Update – CP

Atlantic Update
Source: The Canadian Press – Broadcast wire
May 19, 2016 14:47

(NL-Liberal-Ejected)

A member of Newfoundland and Labrador’s legislature who was ejected from the Liberal caucus for criticizing the government’s budget says he plans to sit as an independent, for now.

Paul Lane — who represents the St. John’s riding of Mount Pearl-Southlands — says his constituents are furious about tax hikes in the budget presented by Premier Dwight Ball’s Liberals, who were elected last fall.

Lane says he got a note informing him he’s out of the government after he refused to support the budget if it contains the so-called deficit reduction levy — which he calls a “lightning rod” for constituents’ anger.

The proposed levy will be imposed on taxes for any resident who earns more than 20-thousand dollars of taxable income, with middle-income earners paying about 400 dollars. (The Canadian Press)

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(Citadel-Hill-Tax)

There’s word that a 22-year-old dispute between Ottawa and Halifax over the value of a national historic site could soon be over.

Halifax spokesman Brendan Elliott says the municipality has been in discussions with the federal government over Citadel Hill, and it’s expected that a solution will be reached shortly.

The two sides went before a federal panel nearly two years ago to help determine how much Ottawa owes the city in back taxes for the downtown Halifax site.

The federal government had argued the land was only worth 10 dollars since it has no commercial value, but the panel last year valued Citadel Hill at much more — 41.2 million. (The Canadian Press)

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(NB-Software-Jobs)

New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant says a new software testing company will bring much-needed opportunities for First Nations people to learn valuable skills.

The Professional Aboriginal Testing Organization — also known as PLATO — is expected to create 145 information technology jobs, all of which will be filled by aboriginal people.

The new employees will come from a six-month software testing course created by Fredericton businessman Keith McIntosh.

The province is providing up to 982-thousand dollars in payroll rebates for the creation of the jobs and Gallant defended the assistance, saying the work will add 11 million dollars to the provincial economy. (The Canadian Press)

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(NS-Tidal-Power)

The first of two towering turbines designed to harness the immense power of the Bay of Fundy are scheduled to be installed next month off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Cape Sharp Tidal spokeswoman Sarah Dawson says one of the five-storey high, two-megawatt turbines will be put on a barge early in June and will take about two weeks to reach the test site near Parrsboro.

The turbine — which is 16 metres in diameter and weighs one-thousand tonnes — was originally scheduled for deployment last year, but Dawson says it was delayed by weather.

She says Cape Sharp Tidal — a partnership of OpenHydro and Emera — is aiming to have both turbines in the water this year. (The Canadian Press)

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(NB-Pipeline-Art)

Two groups concerned about the impact of the proposed Energy East pipeline are urging people to paint pictures along its route through New Brunswick.

Council of Canadians spokesman Mark D’Arcy says his group — along with the Wolastoq (WOOL-a-STOOK) Grand Council — want to raise awareness about the route and highlight the hundreds of water crossings.

They’re asking people to paint a specific image on trees along the route — a man and woman paddling a red canoe with the sky above and the blue water below.

TransCanada’s Energy East is a 45-hundred kilometre pipeline that’s proposed to carry 1.1 million barrels of oil a day from western Canada into New Brunswick for overseas shipping. (The Canadian Press)

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(NL-PTSD-Conference)

Memorial University is hosting an international conference on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Researchers from a variety of universities and disciplines are gathering in St. John’s from July 31st to August 2nd, to discuss the complex realities of P-T-S-D.

The event is being organized by the Safety-Net Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research.

Safety-Net director Dr. Stephen Bornstein says the conference is taking place to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War, a time when many surviving soldiers came home changed forever. (VOCM)

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(Atlantic Update by The Canadian Press)

(The Canadian Press)

INDEX: ATLANTIC