(From Globe and Mail.. Saturday, April 17, 2021)
The governments of Canada's four easternmost provinces have spent the past year enrolled in the COVID-19 gifted program. Their early, aggressive action to suppress the virus and keep it down, allowing their economies to largely reopen, puts them on a par with the world's most successful curve crushers, from Austrialia and New Zealand to Japan and South Korea.
Karen Casey quote.. "Our thanks for the leadership of former Premier Stephen McNeil and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Strang. This leadership began 12 months ago, and has protected us from COVID-19, and has allowed us to become the envy of the country. Congratulations to both."
Salvation Army NSCR Fund
The Nova Scotia COVID Relief (NSCR) Fund was established by the Government of Nova Scotia from the Federal Safe Restart Agreement in April 2021. The $3.5 million fund supports low-income Nova Scotians who are struggling to pay their home heating or electric bill as a result of income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is administered by The Salvation Army.
The Fund provides one-time assistance to help Nova Scotians with their home heating costs or electricity bills. Each household may be eligible for up to $400 in support.
For more information CLICK HERE
For the NSCR Fund Application CLICK HERE
Our government is on track to give every person who wants a COVID-19 vaccine in Nova Scotia their first dose by the end of June. Health-care workers, staff and residents of licensed long-term care facilities will be fully vaccinated by the end of April.
We are implementing a flexible model of vaccine delivery, using community clinics, pharmacy clinics, primary care clinics, outreach clinics and mobile clinics. By May, we will be able to administer about 86,000 doses per week. Most Nova Scotians will continue to receive their vaccine when they become eligible by age and based on anticipated vaccine supply.
NS Tourism
As the MLA for Colchester North, and in my duties as a provincial cabinet minister, I have been incredibly fortunate to represent my constituents in the legislative assembly.
A recent article by CNN placed Nova Scotia on their list of most desirable places to visit this summe (See CNN List). We know that our province is brimming with unique sights and attractions, scenic trails, plentiful historic sites, and incredible beauty from one corner to the other. However, it is nice to be recognized for something we already know, and the province has worked hard to move Nova Scotia from a vacation haven to a prominent tourism destination. With our population at an all-time high at 966,858, our unemployment rate nearing the lowest rate on record at 6.6 per cent, and more Nova Scotians working full-time than ever before, it instills pride in all of us to say we are Nova Scotians.
Ticks & Lyme Disease
As the temperature rises, many of us will be spending more time enjoying the outdoors in Northern Nova Scotia. It is important to take steps to reduce the risk of being bitten by a tick.
Nova Scotia is a suitable climate for many types of ticks. The black-legged tick (also called the deer tick) can carry and transmit the bacterial infection that causes Lyme disease. This infection initially appears as a rash near the tick bite. It may look like a bulls-eye target, and it usually appears 7 to 10 days after the bite. It can show up approximately 3 to 30 days afterward. Infected individuals also can experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, tiredness, stiff neck, joint and muscle pain. If identified early by a health care professional, it can be treated with antibiotics.
Here are some things you can do to help prevent tick bites and Lyme disease:
Graduation 2019 !
Graduation time for all students across the province has arrived. This includes students leaving pre-primary to move into the primary to grade 12 public school system.
It also includes time for students leaving our public school system to pursue further studies, employment or other opportunities they wish to follow.
At this time, regardless of age or grade, students, parents and teachers celebrate the accomplishments achieved throughout the year. Support, excitement and celebration for all of our students is also very much a community effort.
COUNTERPOINT: Nova Scotia government provides just what doctor ordered
Op-Ed by Health Minister Randy Delory
The Chronicle Herald – June 4
Re: the May 21 opinion piece from Elmsdale family doctor George Burden, asking why government is investing in a provincial art gallery.
First, I want all Nova Scotians to know that I appreciate our health professionals who are willing to share their experiences and ideas in hopes of improving our health-care system. Healthy dialogue is important and can go a long way toward addressing challenges together.
It is important to note that there is a very distinct difference between capital and operational spending. The funding announced in April for a new art gallery is a single one-time provincial/federal capital investment. At the same time, we are spending more than $2 billion on health-care infrastructure with the redevelopment of the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax and the redevelopment of health-care and long-term-care facilities in Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Other capital investments are being made in community health centres across the province as well.
Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)
Having an opportunity to serve your community is available to all Nova Scotia residents and I invite you to apply. There are over 100 Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs) that require members to serve and provide government with advice. These ABCs include Health, Policing, Agriculture, Education, Culture, Environment, Transportation and more.
Some of these ABCs are advisory committees, councils, corporate boards and adjudicative bodies. Detailed information about ABCs including what they do, how often they meet, selection criteria and other information is available online at https://novascotia.ca/apps/abc/DeptABCList.aspx.
Serving on one of these ABCs provides an opportunity for residents to bring their personal and professional strengths together with others to help make a real impact on our communities.
2019 Budget - Capital Plan
One important part of the Nova Scotia Provincial Budget is the Capital Plan. This Plan supports infrastructure projects in communities across the province. The Capital Plan for 2019-20 is $691.3 million. The infrastructure projects include roads, schools, health care facilities and other Capital grants.
Each year the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) prepares and publishes a 5 Year Capital Plan. This portion of the Plan is announced in November/December of each year and outlines the major Capital projects that will be completed over that 5 year period. Included in those projects are major construction for 100 series highways, improvements and asphalt projects for 100 series highways, routes and trunks and bridge replacements. This Capital Plan is announced early so that construction companies and the Nova Scotia Road Builders Association can prepare their business plans and their responses to tenders called by TIR. The Capital Plan for TIR for 2019/20 is $300 million.
The second major part of our Capital Plan is related to school construction. For the first time this year the Department of Education has also prepared and presented a 5 Year Capital Plan. This also allows for the next 5 years. That plan includes new school construction, school additions and alterations. The Capital for Education for 2019/20 is $63.1 million.
We offer no-charge energy assessments and home upgrades to income-qualified homeowners. Know someone we can help? No Child Should Ever Go Hungry
Through Nourish NS, your Nova Scotia Liberal government is expanding the school breakfast program to provide a healthy breakfast to every single student in the province, five days a week.
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