Media Scan Friday June 25, 2021

N.S. lifts some restrictions on N.B. border A border blockade has ended and is relaxing some rules on travellers from N.S.'s top doctor defends keeping N.B. border restrictions one more week Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health says New Brunswick has taken a risk by opening to the rest of — one he is not willing to share until more time has passed to allow for vaccination rates to increase and COVID-19 transmission rates in the neighbouring province to be revealed. Dr. Robert Strang made the comments Thursday at a COVID-19 briefing, defending the decision earlier this week to continue with quarantine requirement for most New Brunswick travellers, a move that sparked a border blockade on the main highway between the two provinces that lasted 24 hours. Halifax Partnership figures show 'Goin' down the road' has changed direction As an economist, Ian Munro is used to double checking his arithmetic. But some of the numbers in the Halifax Partnership’s annual Index, the city’s report on economic and community progress, sent him back for a third look. “By the end of the year, heading into 2021, Halifax was leading the country in employment and I think that will really resonate with people,” said Munro, chief economist for the Halifax Partnership. “People understand people getting jobs or losing jobs. By the early part of 2021 - look at January compared to the previous January or February against the previous February - Halifax was number one among all cities in the country in terms of job growth, and that’s not just a percentage, that’s in absolute numbers. We were adding more jobs than Toronto was, or Vancouver was or Montreal.” Proposed infilling on Halifax's Northwest Arm prompts calls for moratorium Environmental activists and Halifax regional council want a moratorium on the infilling of water lots along the Northwest Arm until there are new federal policies in place to automatically review the environmental impact. "There are lobster in the arm, minke whales at the mouth of the arm and eel grass along the shoreline that help with coastal climate change," said Nancy Anningson, coastal coordinator for the Ecology Action Centre. "At the very minimum when an application for an infill goes into Transport Canada, I think it should have an obligation to contact Fisheries and Oceans to trigger a project review." Ship Hector to get 21st century facelift Volunteers at the Ship Hector Society hope that by 2023 guests will be able to sail the Pictou Harbour and dine on the deck of the historical Ship Hector replica. The wooden ship, first launched on Sept. 17, 2000, is currently sitting onshore at the waterfront in Pictou awaiting repairs. The boat is a replica of the Ship Hector responsible for bringing the first of what would be a wave of Scottish settlers to Nova Scotia in 1773. While originally owned by the town, the ship was later sold for $1 to a non-profit group that took over managing the tourist attraction. Membertou First Nation unveils plans for new retail destination similar to Dartmouth Crossing One of the wealthiest First Nations communities in Canada is finally unveiling plans for a highway- side shopping complex. Membertou First Nation will begin its transformation into a new retail district, called Seventh Exchange. “It’s very exciting for us. We’ve been at this a long time and bought this area several years ago,” says Chief Terry Paul. The First Nations community already has a state of the art Convention Centre, a nearby Wellness Centre, and a newly constructed retail and office space. Now, ground will be broken just off Highway 125 near Sydney, N.S. and Chief Terry Paul says it will be similar to Dartmouth Crossing. Supreme Court of Canada to hear dispute over undeveloped Halifax-area land The Supreme Court of Canada will look at whether a municipal move to prevent development of a parcel of land northwest of Halifax — and encourage its use as a park — might have amounted to expropriation. As usual, the high court gave no reasons for agreeing to examine the case, and no date has yet been set for a hearing. The legal dispute began when Annapolis Group Inc. filed a court action against Halifax Regional Municipality claiming it was not only blocking attempts to develop the company's land, but promoting the area's use by the public, effectively expropriating the space. Charlottetown Festival offering a musical toast to Cape Breton icon Rita MacNeil this summer A Charlottetown Festival show this summer aims to introduce a Rita MacNeil that audiences have never seen before. Dear Rita hits the Mainstage Theatre, June 29, for a six-week run that will feature all of the Cape Breton icon’s hit songs, some of her lesser-known material and stories about her life. Mike Ross, co-creator of the show, said MacNeil’s 1983 song, I Am Not What I Seem, could almost be the title of the show. Kejimkujik's Mill Falls a great family-friendly spot to connect with Mi’kmaq history, enjoy nature It’s a far drive from Halifax to Kejimkujik National Park. If we were on a day trip, we’d likely plan something longer and more challenging, but the hike to Mill Falls is a perfect little family-friendly hike for all ages. It’s an especially great option at the start or even the end of a camping trip to stretch your legs before heading home on the highway. Our family had a great kick-off to summer with a last-minute camping trip to reunite with friends, take advantage of the reopening of our province, and connect with nature at Kejimkujik National Park and Historic site. Kejimkujik is the only national park to also be designated a national historic site and the only inland national park in . Lack of travellers still hurting Newfoundland businesses as East Coast airports await more passengers St. John’s International Airport has treated Peter Gulliver well over the years. Gulliver owns City Wide Taxi, the airport’s official taxi service. His drivers would serve tourists, business people and other travellers coming and going on 25 to 35 flights daily. On this particular day, however, there are only a handful. “On an average week, I’m going to say we’d get 300 to 500 jobs out of the airport,” he said. “Right now, I’m lucky if I’m getting 10 a day.” The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hurt businesses like City Wide. There are fewer opportunities for drivers, and some, according to Gulliver, were inclined to get off the road due to health and safety concerns. Small Ontario towns prepare for tourist to return and promote staycations to boost struggling economy As Ontario continues to ease restrictions some small towns near the Greater Toronto Area are preparing for the return of tourist this summer, but are also banking on staycations to help struggling businesses rebound. In Northumberland County, an hour east of Toronto, local tourism agencies are focusing marketing efforts on local residents for the second summer this pandemic. “The reason for hyper-local is because some of the surveys we have access to are telling us we need to rebuild consumer confidence again, people need to know they will be safe when visiting,” said Nancy Allanson with the Trent Hills Chamber of Commerce. Tourism task force calls on Ontario to incentivize local travel with points card, ads Ontario can jumpstart its flagging tourism sector by incentivizing travel with discount cards and ad campaigns, a government task force recommended Wednesday. The Tourism Economic Recovery Ministerial Task Force, set up after the release of this year’s budget as the government turned its attention to post-pandemic recovery, has delivered a report with 10 key recommendations aimed at rebuilding the sector. “The Ontario tourism industry has the ability to rebuild itself while encouraging people to create new, fun, adventurous memories with local experiences safely and confidently. In so doing, this will kickstart Ontario’s tourism economy,” said Tim Hudak, chair of the task force and former Progressive Conservative leader.