FIRE STATION SUMMER STAFFING
Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Services (HRF&ES) will be temporarily moving career firefighters around to ensure adequate coverage across our area. A pro-active plan of strategic deployment of our career personnel will help ease the staffing shortage crunch due to vacations across several parts of HRM. HRF&ES is increasing the career staffing numbers at 9 of our rural fire stations, currently staffed with only 2 or 3 firefighters, to ensure there is always a minimum crew of 4 on shift at any given time during the day. The following stations will be staffed with 4 career firefighters, Monday to Friday, for 10.5 hour shift, effective Wed. July 30th, through to Fri. Oct. 31st: Lake Echo #21; Musquodoboit Harbour #24; Middle Musquodoboit #38; Lakeview – Fall River – Windsor Junction #45; Hammonds Plains #50; Shad Bay #54; Herring Cove #60; Sambro #63; and Upper Tantallon #65. Whereas the following fire stations will be shifting from weekday career firefighter response to 24-hour volunteer firefighter coverage: Lawrencetown #20 and Chezzetcook #23 with initial career mutual aid back-up response from Stn #21 & #24 and Cole Harbour – Westphal #17 & #18; Goffs #47 with initial career mutual aid back-up response is from Stn. # 45 and supplemented by Enfield; Seabright #55 and Black Point #56 with initial career mutual aid back-up response is from Stn #65 & #54; Harrietsfield – Sambro #62 with initial career mutual aid back-up response from Stn #6 & #63. Of course, all of these communities will continue to receive the same excellent around the clock 24/7 service from our dedicated volunteer crews at these stations. This staffing strategy will greatly enhance HRF&ES ability to limit the spread of a fire by ensuring the arrival of a sufficient number of personnel ( a crew of at least 4 firefighters ) and equipment to immediately engage in interior rescue and suppression operations at the scene as soon as possible to ensure the success of our emergency and fire protection services to all areas of our municipality.
PROVINCIAL RECREATION GRANTS
I would like to thank the Provincial Government for their support on some of our local recreation projects. The following grants were awarded: $12,000 to the Musquodoboit Trailways Association for trail improvements; $5,000 to Atlantic View Trail for trail completion; $10,000 to Cole Harbour Parks & Trails for reconstruction of Salt Marsh Trail; $25,000 to the Lawrencetown Cole Harbour Trail Connector Association for the Old Lawrencetown Road Trail construction; $100,000 for the Lake Charlotte Boat Launch and $79,000 for Lake Banook Judges Tower.
TERRY FOX 34th ANNIVERSARY RUN
This year will mark the 34th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run. We were fortunate back in 1980 when Terry took his Marathon of Hope through our communities along Highway #7. Now we can keep his dream alive that cancer can be beaten. There will be 3 local runs on Sunday, September 14th: Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Trail at Park Road from 10 AM – 2 PM , or Lake Echo Community Centre from 1-3 PM, or at the Sheet Harbour Lion’s Centre from 1-4 PM. If you can’t make it to a run, please sponsor someone who will be participating. Or you can text “terryfox” to 45678 to donate $5. Also it will be Terry Fox National School Run Day on Wednesday, September 24th. If your school wants to get involved, check out this link for more info: www.terryfox.org/SchoolRun/index.html
CURBSIDE GIVE AWAY – OCT. 18 & 19
It’s time to reduce your home’s clutter. Curbside Give Away (CGA) is a bi-annual event that promotes diversion of reusable items from landfill by offering those items for others to claim. So give someone the chance to reuse things you no longer need by recycling your clean and working goods. The next CGA dates are Saturday & Sunday, October 18th & 19th. Check the CGA web-page for more details on this year’s events: http://www.halifax.ca/recycle/CGAW.php or follow it at: Facebook.com/HalifaxRecycles and Twitter @hfxgov . And be to share your curbside finds at #hfxcurbside .
ENGAGE NS: GIVE US YOUR INSIGHT
Engage NS began in 2012 as a small group of motivated Nova Scotians interested in exploring how they might work together differently to live up to our collective potential. It is an unaffiliated group of individuals and organizations from across the province that believes in the potential of Nova Scotia and its people. The future of our province is uncertain. Our challenges are real. But the solutions are in our hands. Government can’t do it alone and nobody else is coming to fix it for us. If we pull together, as Nova Scotians, we can create the future we want. Everyone has a part in building this province’s future – citizens, businesses, communities, voluntary organizations, governments, and others. Engage NS will help build capacity, understanding and shared purpose across regions and sectors. They intend to bring together diverse people and perspectives in conversations about its vision for their communities, our region and our province. A more united, optimistic and daring Nova Scotia can celebrate its past, tackle its problems and adapt to the future. So, let’s get to work. For more information, please contact: www.engagenovascotia.ca – Thanks!
CRAIG’S CAUSE 8TH ANNUAL TREK
Craig’s Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society is proud to announce the 8th Annual NS Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Walk – Run – Bike Trek, in support of Pancreatic Cancer education, awareness and research. Come out to the Porters Lake Provincial Park on Saturday, September 27h. Registration opens at 8 AM and event starts at 10 AM. This bike tour trek event is for all ages and abilities. There are various distances and routes to choose from. Routes consist of: 1) Social Ride – through the Park; or 2) 3 km & 6 km walk/run through the Park; or 3) a 25 km route – half way around Porters Lake; or 4) 38km – around Porters Lake; or 5) 55km – around Porters Lake and Lake Echo; or 6) 100km – tour of the Eastern Shore. For more details, go to www.craigscause.ca .
Councillor David Hendsbee 