Regional Police To Get 13 Percent Pay Raise

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

Cape Breton Regional Police will get a 13 per cent pay raise over the next five years in their new collective agreement.   CBRM Human Resources Director Angus Flemming announced details of the agreement at last night’s council meeting.   The wage increases break down to three per cent in the first year, and 2.5 per cent in each of the next four years.   The contract will expire on Dec. 31, 2018.   Fleming says a five-year agreement with the police union will allow the municipality to plan for the future in relation to the estimated costs of policing.   Regional police officers voted 86 percent to accept the contract in a vote, last month.   Four of the five unions in the CBRM have now signed long-term contracts.   The only group left without a collective agreement is the firefighters and conciliation talks with their union will continue next month.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

MacDonald To Become New Deputy Mayor

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

Reserve Mines and Glace Bay area councillor George MacDonald will become the CBRM’s new deputy mayor.   MacDonald was unopposed for the position at last night’s council meeting.   He’ll replace Kevin Saccary who served his maximum two one-year terms in the post.   MacDonald’s term as deputy mayor begins on November 1^st.   He will get an extra $5,000 for serving as deputy mayor on top of his 36-thousand dollar annual salary as a councillor.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Santa Claus Parade Will Now Go To Pier

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The Sydney Santa Claus parade will be coming to Whitney Pier, after all.

 

The CBRM Recreation Department had planned to bypass the neighbourhood this year in an effort to cut down on the length of the parade route.

 

However, people who gathered for a meeting last night to discuss holding a separate parade in the Pier got the good news from their local councillor Jim MacLeod.

 

The parade will still start at 6:00 PM on November 29^th, a change from the 11:00 AM start time.

 

Participants will assemble on north George Street and end at the mosque on James Street in Whitney Pier.

 

Meanwhile, Councillor MacLeod says a parade committee will be formed in the New Year with the various groups involved to look at options for the Santa Claus parade in the future.

 

 

 

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Petition Against Transit Cuts

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

A Glace Bay man has put together a petition to oppose planned cuts to Transit Cape Breton.   Bill Davies says he’s collected eight pages of signatures and plans to drop off the document at Mayor Cecil Clarke’s office today.   This spring, Council approved a plan to cut the transit budget by a third to save about 300-thousand dollars a year.   Davies says the routes destined for the chopping block include the Steele’s Hill and New Aberdeen run to the Glace Bay Hospital where he volunteers.   He adds he and many others who depend on the bus will be stranded without it.   Meanwhile, Glace Bay councillor George MacDonald says the cuts to transit have been postponed until the New Year and adds efforts are now underway to find some way around them.   MacDonald says Glace Bay MLA and Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan told him more money might be coming from the province to help out with the transit.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Name of Accident Victim Released

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The RCMP have released the name of a Richmond County man killed in a fatal vehicle crash early yesterday morning.   Police say 42 year-old Shane Michael Sampson from Loiusdale died after his truck left the County Line Road in Cleveland.   Emergency crews got the call to the scene at around 2:30.   Police say Sampson’s truck left the road and ended up on its roof.   They add he was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.   The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments