Early Cancellations In Advance Of Coming Storm

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

There are early cancellations at Marine Atlantic and the McCurdy Sydney Airport in advance of the coming winter storm.

Marine Atlantic has cancelled this morning’s 11:45 sailing from North Sydney as well as tonight’s crossing.

Those scheduled to leave last night left at 7:00, this morning.

And, fights from the Sydney Airport later today are cancelled ahead of the storm.

The cancellations begin with this evening’s 5 o’clock flight to Halifax.

Meanwhile, schools from Yarmouth to Halifax are closed today due to the weather.

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Second Syrian Family Arrives In Cape Breton

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

The second group of Syrian refugees has arrived in Cape Breton.

A family of five sponsored by volunteers in Inverness County landed on Saturday.

The 31 year-old father, 27 year-old mother and three children between the ages of six months and eight years old will be staying in a house in Port Hood.

A spokesperson for Lifeline Syrian Inverness says he expects the two school-age children will be going to school in Port Hood within a couple of days.

The first Syrian refugee family arrived in Cape Breton on January 26^th.

The mother, father and their four children are staying with a couple in Marion Bridge.

A group in North Sydney is also expecting an extended family of Syrian refugees any day now.

A spokesperson for Lifeline Syria Cape Breton says about 20 Syrian families could arrive in on the Island over the next several months.

 

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No Word On Cause Of New Waterford Fire

Written by Bobby Nock. Posted in Local News

There’s still no word on the cause of a weekend fire that destroyed an apartment building in New Waterford and left 15 people homeless.

The blaze at the two-storey complex on Plummer Avenue broke out just before 5:00 on Saturday morning.

Everyone inside got out safely but tenant Elvis Earl Wiswell was forced to jump from a second floor window to escape the blaze.

His niece says she believes her 59 year-old uncle suffered smoke inhalation and fractures in the narrow escape.

The Red Cross says it’s expecting to help all 15 tenants by providing them with a three-day stay at a Sydney hotel, as well as clothing and meal vouchers.

Personal hygiene care kits were also handed out to those affected.

 

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Statscan Releases Monthly Unemployment Numbers

Written by Dave Desveaux. Posted in Local News

Stats Canada recorded Cape Breton’s unemployment rate at 17.3% last month. The three month moving average was more than two percentage points above figures from both the previous month and January of 2015. There’s was little change at the provincial level last month, as the seasonally adjusted jobless rate notched up by a tenth of a point to 8.6%. Nationally, there was little change last month as jobs losses in Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador offset a net gain in Ontario. Statscan says that more people entered the job market in January while the national unemployment rate went up slightly to 7.2%.

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Barrett Trial Concluded; Verdict Expected In April

Written by Dave Desveaux. Posted in Local News

The Crown and defence have made their closing arguments at the second degree murder trial of Thomas Ted Barrett. The 40 year-old Glace Bay man is charged in the death of Brett Elizabeth McKinnon, of Glace Bay, whose remains were found in 2008, two years after she was reported missing. In his summation, defence lawyer Brian Bailey said that the Crown has not proven its case against Barrett beyond a reasonable doubt. He also said that police failed to investigate other possible suspects who could have killed McKinnon. In addition, Bailey attacked the credibility of Crown witnesses by saying that they were all taking drugs. In its closing, the prosecution argued that a number of witnesses say that Barrett strangled MacKinnon. The Crown added that all of the witnesses were afraid of Barrett and didn’t come forward until they were contacted by police. Justice Robin Gogan says she’ll deliver a verdict in the case on April 4^th.

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