Anne Campbell to the rescue. The co-founder of NovaScotian Crystal on the Halifax waterfront is now the company's new owner, or will be when the deal becomes official April 2nd. NovaScotian Crystal was about to close up because of financial issues but Campbell is promising to they will be making glass there for years to come. It's great news. The shop, up a bit from the ferry terminal, is a great place to buy products or simply browse and watch the artisans at work. It's Canada's only maker of mouth-blown, hand-cut crystal. It would have been a pity to see it close. Thanks to Campbell it won't and 40 jobs will be saved.
Russell MacKinnon took the stand in his own defence yesterday at his trial on charges of fraud, forgery and breach of trust. The charges stem of course from the MLA expenses scandal. The ex-MLA denied he offered a secretary a $3,000 bonus if she'd buy his car. Nicole Campbell had testified she was offered the deal which she took, buying the car for $1,000. MacKinnon says Campbell actually approached him about the purchase and some of her salary top-ups were set aside until she decided whether to buy the vehicle. He also denied he had her sign blank expense receipts before they were submitted. MacKinnon continues on the stand today. I expect the Crown will have some tough questions for him.
What will be the province's biggest wind farm has been given approval by Chester's municipal district council. By a 6-1 vote council gave the nod to the South Canoe project, a $200 million, 34 turbine project to be build on land between Vaughan and New Russell. The project of course didn't come without opposition. Area residents were concerned about the impact on property values, the turbines proximity to homes and its potential impact on human health. South Canoe's turbines will be 1.2 kilometres away from the nearest home, the longest setback in the province. As we attempt to wean ourselves off of coal, wind power is something we'll all have to learn to live with. This project will generate enough electricity to power all of the homes in Lunenburg and western Hants Counties.
It wasn't quite a sellout, but within an hour 8,000 tickets for the Halifax Mooseheads first two playoff games next week were sold. I expect by next Friday's game 1 it will be a full house. Moosemania is certainly alive and kicking this year. There are big expectations on this team. So far they haven't disappointed.
What a week for AUS athletes. Just a day after SMU hockey's CIS coach of the year and player of the year awards, the university's Justine Colley has been named CIS women's basketball player of the year. The Huskies, both men's hockey and women's basketball, are playing in their respective national championships this weekend. Go SMU!
Whether it was because our ancestors, out in the cold, saw thier noses turn blue, or whether it's because they ate a lot of potatoes, it may even have been an insult, but Nova Scotians have long been known as bluenosers. The term was actually coined in the 1760s. Now CBC tells us the word has made it into the Oxford Dictionary, defining bluenoser as a native or inhabitant of Nova Scotia or occasionaly New Brunswick. Bluenoser is now an official word.
Have a great weekend. Get involved. And if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.
Rick Howe
