CB Unemployment Rate Dropped Last Month

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The latest numbers from Stats Canada show Cape Breton’s unemployment rate took a significant drop last month, compared to November of 2018.

The November unemployment rate was 11.9 per cent

That’s a drop of 3.1 percentage points from November of last year and 1.2 percentage points less than October.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia’s unemployment rate was 7.3 percent, last month.

The national unemployment rate went up .4 percentage points in November to 5.9 per cent.

Stats Canada says employment fell in both the goods and services-producing sectors, last month.

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Pay Not The Only Concern For Doctors Doing Hospital Coverage

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The President of the Cape Breton Medical Staff Association says more money in the new contract for family doctors who provide hospital services might not be enough.

Some doctors the Regional Municipality have stopped providing hospital coverage because of a dispute over pay.

But Dr. Margaret Fraser says the added pressure of providing the service is also a concern for many family doctors.

And she says they may be reluctant to going back to doing full-time call after getting a break from it.

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Local Dr. Thinks CB Should Be Its Own Management Zone In NSHA

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The President of the Cape Breton Medical Staff Association is calling for Cape Breton to be made its own zone within the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

Right now the island is part of the Eastern Zone that also takes in Antigonish and Guysborough Counties but Dr. Margaret Fraser says there’s good reason to reconsider that.

She says the island faces different challenges than some other areas, is often cut off from the rest of the province and requires a greater level of service.

Fraser also says it would make sense for Antigonish and Guysborough to become part of the Health Authority’s Northern Zone.

Those comments come after the Health Authority announced last month it is planning some restructuring to allow each of the four zones to have more local control.

Fraser says she hopes that happens but it’s going to take a year or two to see if the plan works.

 

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Money Approved For Regional Hospital Parking Lot Relocation

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The province approved $2.6 million in funding today to relocate one of the parking lots at the Regional Hospital in Sydney.

The parking lot at the back of the hospital has 238 spaces that will be moved across the street from the Cape Breton Cancer Centre.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lloyd Hines says the move will make way for planned expansions at the hospital, where a new emergency department, cancer centre and critical care department are being built as part of the Health Care Redevelopment Project in the Regional Municipality.

The province says it will be doing a traffic and parking study to see how many more parking spaces will be added at the hospital.

It says a tender for the relocation of the parking lot will be put out soon and work will start early in the new year.

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Trial Starts Today For Nurse Charged After Man Found Dead On Regional Hospital Grounds

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

A trial is due to start today for a nurse charged with forgery after the death of a man on the grounds of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.

42 year-old Tammy Carrigan-Warner from Sydney River has been fired from her nursing job.

The 79 year-old man was a patient at the Regional Hospital and was found unconscious on the sidewalk outside the building in February of last year.

Police say documents on the man’s status at the hospital were forged.

Licensed practical nurse 48 year-old Valerie MacGillivray from Glace Bay is also charged with forgery in the case.

She’s also been fired from her job and is due to stand trial starting on December 16^th.

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