School Cancellations and Power Outages

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

Classes are cancelled at Breton Education Centre today because of a power outage.

That outage is affecting more than 13-hundred customers and the estimated restoration time is 11:00 this morning.

Classes are also cancelled today for students North of Smokey as well as the Rankin School of the Narrows in Iona, Baddeck Academy and Middle River School.

Meanwhile, there are also smaller power outages around Cape Breton caused by high winds.

The estimated restoration time for most is 11:00, this morning.

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Price of Gas and Diesel Down

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The price of gas went down slightly, overnight.

Gas dropped by nine-tenths of a cent and now goes for a minimum of $1.12 cents a litre in Cape Breton.

Diesel took a big drop of 4.6 cents and now costs a minimum of $1.05.4 on the Island.

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Permanent Resident Numbers Going Up In CB

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The Cape Breton Partnership says the Island welcomed 385 new permanent residents last year.

That compares to 270 in 2018 and 195 in 2017.

315 of the new permanent residents in 2019 settled in the Regional Municipality.

In 2017, the Cape Breton Partnership became a regional partner in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.

The Program aims to attract skilled immigrants and international graduates to meet workforce needs in the Atlantic region.

172 businesses in Cape Breton have participated in the program since 2017.

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Province Announces Investments to Address Homelessness

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The McNeil government announced this morning what it calls the biggest single investment in homelessness prevention.

It says $20.5 million will be spent over five years for the Integrated Action Plan to Address Homelessness.

It says the action plan will focus on finding permanent, stable and safe homes for people who are experiencing homelessness.

The Down Payment Assistance Program budget is being doubled to expand the program’s lending capacity from $1.1 million to $2.2 million.

$2 million is going to the Affordable Renters Program that can lower energy bills for low-income renters.

The Housing Support Worker program is getting 27 new housing support workers and 500 new rent supplements will be available in 2020-21.

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Bail Granted For Drug Trafficking Accused

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

A Westmount man was released on $5,000 bail today after Regional Police say he was caught with cocaine during a vehicle stop over the weekend.

41 year-old Robert Donald Cormier is charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking in Cocaine and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime.

Police say they stopped a vehicle in the Howie Centre area just after 6:00 on Sunday evening.

They say they seized a bag with 300 grams of cocaine and several thousand dollars in cash.

Cormier is due back in court to enter a plea on March 26^th.

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