Farms across Nova Scotia focused on reducing plastic waste will be getting help from an expanded pilot project run by a not-for-profit.
Cleanfarms helps farmers recycle plastics like hay bale wraps and feed tarps, and assists the industry in being more sustainable. The organization got $76,000 from the province for its project that has already been tested and seen results.
On Tuesday, the Agriculture Minister, Greg Morrow, was in Inverness County where three farms have been participating in the pilot.
“Farmers are the backbone of rural Nova Scotia,” he said. “Our government is pleased to support the Cleanfarms recycling program, which is designed specifically for the agriculture sector. The work will provide an economic benefit to farmers, help advance our circular economy and support a cleaner and more sustainable agricultural sector.”
The project gives farms a compactor to break down the plastic waste, which is then taken to a Cleanfarms collection site. With the additional funding, the organization said compactors are available to any Nova Scotia farmer who have hay bale and feed covers and want to be a part of the program.
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Drop-off stations are set up across the province, the release notes.
The recycling initiative helps divert tonnes of plastic from landfills across the country.
“We are happy to be part of this pilot project and to see some attention towards agricultural plastics recycling here in Nova Scotia,” Bruce Sutherland, Glendyer Farms Inc., said. “As farmers, we take pride in looking after the land we farm, and finding practical ways to manage and recycle agricultural plastics is another step toward building a more sustainable future for our farms and communities.”
Cleanfarms also has a pesticide container recycling and disposal program and a old livestock and horse medications diversion.
The money is being spent through the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund that was created in 2021.
Waste plastic at Glendyer Farm
(Province of Nova Scotia)
Dairy cows at Glendyer Farm in Mabou, Inverness County
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Lobster fishermen unload their catch in Dipper Harbour, New Brunswick on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes Copyrighted
CITYnews Halifax: By Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press
Federal researchers are studying ways to boost falling lobster catches in the Maritimes.
A new report says climate change and other issues have led to population declines in some lobster fishing areas in recent years.
It says improving catches will take a mix of short and long-term changes.
It considers slightly shortening fishing seasons, more protection for egg-laying females and changes to the minimum and maximum sizes harvesters can catch.
Kris Vascotto, executive director of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance, says he doesn’t expect much opposition from harvesters.
He says the report takes a look at the science, but no decisions have been made.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2026.
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CITYnews Halifax: By The Canadian Press
SUMMERSIDE — A P.E.I. man is facing a slew of charges after he was allegedly caught naked on a back porch and later stole a Jeep while still in the buff.
Police in Summerside, P.E.I., say a King Street resident allegedly found the undressed man on their back porch just before 5 p.m. on July 28th.
He allegedly streaked away with a pair of headphones and shoes from the home.
Within the hour, police say there was a report of a stolen Jeep a few blocks away on Brockville Street.
RCMP spotted the vehicle a brief time later and arrested the man, who was still allegedly in the nude.
The 35-year-old, who has no fixed address, has been charged with break and enter, theft of a motor vehicle, public nudity and breach of probation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2026.
The Canadian Press
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CITYnews Halifax: By The Canadian Press
HALIFAX — Nicola Golen scored in extra time for the Ottawa Rapid FC in a 3-2 quarterfinal win over the Halifax Tides in the W Canadian Championship on Monday.
Canada Soccer launched an inaugural W Canadian Championship this summer as a path to the 2027 CONCACAF W Champions Cup and the 2028 FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.
The eight participating clubs features all six from the Northern Super League and two clubs from Premier Soccer Leagues Canada.
Ottawa stormed back from a two-goal deficit with late goals by Florence Belzile and Jazmine Wilkinson.
Golen struck in the 107th minute when she charged into the box and beat two Halifax defenders to get her left foot on a rebound given up by Tides keeper Anika Toth.
Ottawa tops the NSL with a 11-2-1 record. Jordyn Rhodes scored twice for the Tides, ranked fourth in the NSL at 5-7-2.
Belzile halved the deficit in the 83rd minute when she pounced on a bouncing ball in the box to right-foot it out of the air. Wilkinson headed in a Belzile cross in stoppage time to even the score.
Rhodes completed her brace in the 62nd minute to give the host Tides a 2-0 lead. Halifax had a couple of chances during a corner-kick scramble when Rhodes stretched to get her right foot on a rebound.
After a scoreless first half at Wanderers Grounds, Rhodes ended the stalemate by pivoting in the box to shake off a defender and fire a left-foot shot by Melissa Dagenais in the 49th minute.
Calgary Wild FC meets CS Mont-Royal Outremont Wednesday in another quarterfinal, followed by the Montreal Roses versus the Simcoe County Rovers on Aug. 12 and AFC Toronto versus the Vancouver Rise on Oct. 4.
The semifinals and final will be played in 2027.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2026.
The Canadian Press
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CITYnews Halifax: By Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
- JOHN’S — RCMP say they are eager to speak with anyone who knows anything about a 2025 wildfire in northeastern Newfoundland that destroyed dozens of homes and left many people with nothing.
Adam Palmer, the Mounties’ officer in charge of investigative support services in Newfoundland and Labrador, says the fire is considered suspicious, and the force’s major crimes unit is leading the investigation.
He told reporters in St. John’s, N.L., the team has investigated and cleared a number of people, but no arrests have been made and the force has not yet confirmed whether arson was involved.
Palmer said investigators believe there may be people — even witnesses — with key information who haven’t yet spoken to police, and he urged them to come forward.
A series of wildfires erupted in eastern Newfoundland last year, the largest of which ignited on Aug. 3, 2025, and destroyed nearly 200 structures in an area known as Conception Bay North.
Officials said last month that the provincial government was still providing assistance to 48 households affected by the fire, at a cost of about $51,000 a month.
“We know our communities are eager for a clear and complete resolution and quite frankly they deserve it,” Palmer said, adding that he understood it would likely be frustrating for affected residents to hear police had not yet determined who or what started the fire.
Palmer couldn’t say if and when the case might be resolved, but he insisted the investigation was not stalled.
“The team is doing a great job of moving and advancing that investigation,” he said. “But again, that request for witnesses to come forward is really what we need: people to go on record.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2026.
Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
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CALGARY — WestJet and the union representing some 4,400 flight attendants reached a tentative deal Monday to resume work after a brief work stoppage, but neither side is sharing specifics yet.
The airline had said Sunday it had proposed a 13 per cent pay increase starting in October, and then a 2.5 per cent increase in each of the next three years until 2029.
The airline also said it offered a new duty pay premium, equivalent to another 12 per cent salary increase, which WestJet said is designed to solve the cabin crew’s claim of unpaid work.
In a news conference in Calgary on Monday, CUPE local 8125 president Alia Hussain said the flight attendants have 30 days to ratify the agreement, and the union will spend the coming days preparing a slide show to present to the members.
She said the deal includes pay increases, but wouldn’t provide any further details in order to let members learn of it first.
The federal government says that airlines in Canada and internationally typically compensate flight attendants for their flight time or for a block of hours based on what the industry calls a credit-based system. It generally provides supplements to cover non-flight duties, although unions have been calling for more.
Hussain did however suggest the new deal addresses concerns around unpaid work.
“It improves on the long-standing flight credit system by recognizing more of the work that cabin crew are required to perform and increasing the compensation for that work,” Hussain told reporters outside the airport in Calgary.
“We wouldn’t bring a deal to our membership if we didn’t believe the puzzle pieces, in the way that they would come together, would be something they would ratify based on the circumstances we were facing.”
Flight attendants walked off the job early Sunday morning, after failing to reach a new contract with the airline. WestJet then grounded all flights on a long summer weekend across much of Canada.
Contract talks had been ongoing in Calgary since January, with WestJet and the CUPE WestJet Component at odds over wage increases and the cabin crew’s claim of unpaid ground work.
There was no word Monday on when the airline would be able to resume its normal operations and schedule, but flights were slowly starting to resume by Monday afternoon.
Still, passengers were decisively frustrated Monday as they scrambled to change their travel plans at the end of the long weekend.
At Toronto’s Pearson airport, some customers were sprawled out on the floor, glued to their phones on hold with customer service.
Derek McCrimmon said his flights have been rebooked four separate times, and he hasn’t slept in two days. After nearly 11 hours on hold with WestJet trying to return home from a weekend wedding, the airline claimed to have booked him a flight home to Calgary from Ottawa with a connection at Toronto Pearson.
But he said the airline failed to book the Toronto-Calgary leg of his trip and is now instructing his group of friends to rent a car and drive back to Ottawa.
“It’s been a complete nightmare,” he said at the WestJet check-in area. “The customer service is horrible.”
McCrimmon said he has been spending $300 a night on hotel rooms and is booking a $1,500 flight home with another airline.
Bouncing her sleepy four-month-old daughter in her arms, Daniela Arango anxiously glanced over her shoulder to watch her husband discuss their options with a customer service agent.
She said her direct flight home to Edmonton was cancelled. Instead, the family was offered a Toronto-Waterloo-Calgary-Edmonton trip — with an eight-hour layover between each leg and a $3,000 price tag. She said she hasn’t received consideration for travelling with a newborn baby.
“We came here to look for answers … but they’re like, ‘No, we cannot change it,’” Arango said.
In Montreal, Morgane Liquori was heading to London for a wedding Friday, but her flight Sunday was cancelled. She said she still doesn’t know when she’ll be able to re-book.
“It was my first time flying WestJet, and it’ll be my last,” she said.
Liquori tried calling the company twice. The first time, she was on hold for 45 minutes, and the second, for close to two hours. She said both calls ended when the line finally connected, then hung up the call.
“We don’t know where to go. I walked around the airport. I’m tired,” she said.
In a news release, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech apologized for the disruptions, acknowledging the frustrations they have caused.
“Our teams are working hard to restore service and get our guests on their way to their destinations as quickly as possible and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we get back to normal,” von Hoensbroech said.
In Halifax, sisters Zahra Fazli and Hiba Fazli say WestJet has left them stranded as they have not been able to rebook flights back home to Toronto.
They were alerted to their cancelled flight in an email Monday morning that included a link to rebook, but they say the link appeared to be broken.
Hiba Fazli said she knows it’s not the staff at the WestJet counter’s fault that they’ve been unable to get information about their flight or rebook, but that it’s frustrating to be left without answers.
“We don’t know how the company is handling it because they’re not telling their customers anything,” she said. “These people at the counter, they’re just listening to customers and apologizing because they have no idea what else to do.”
Ravleen Kaur, who’s been staying in Halifax and is trying to get back home to India, said getting answers from WestJet has been impossible. She showed up to the airport Monday in hopes of rebooking her travel after spending hours on hold with WestJet’s customer service line over the weekend.
“I tried the live chat on their website, it told me to speak to an agent, and then told me there were no agents available … there’s no communication about what’s happening,” Kaur said.
— With files from Sarah Smellie in St. John’s, Nick Murray in Ottawa, Elissa Mendes in Toronto, Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman in Montreal, and Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax.
The WestJet check-in area at Pearson International Airport is photographed in Toronto, Saturday, June 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
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CITYnews Halifax: By Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press
HALIFAX — More than 400,000 people are expected to take in the work of jugglers, acrobats and other street performers as the 40th edition of the Halifax Busker Festival invades the city’s waterfront.
The six-day festival is the oldest of its kind in North America.
Festival director Christina Edwards says about 30 per cent of the crowd comes from outside Nova Scotia.
The buskers themselves come from all over the world and perform at one of four stages.
This year they come from Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, Estonia, Canada and the U.S.
At the end of their performance they pass the hat, with the public paying whatever they see fit.
“Really Canada (has) the most busker festivals, probably in North America. We are the oldest and longest-running one. There’s not many in the United States,” Edwards said in an interview.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2026.
Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press
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August marks the third annual Acadian Heritage Month, honouring over four hundred years of French language and traditions in Nova Scotia.
“Acadians are woven into the story of this province – in our homes, our communities and our daily lives,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie in a release. “This month is a chance to celebrate the meaningful accomplishments and recognize the lasting impact Acadians continue to have across Nova Scotia. Our government is proud to have launched Acadian Heritage Month. It’s one way of demonstrating the Province’s commitment to recognizing the rich contributions of our Acadian communities.”
The theme for this year’s heritage month is “Building Connections, Celebrating our Voices,” and aims to show commitment to collaboration and inclusion, while engaging Acadians, francophones, francophiles and allies. The month was first celebrated in August 2024 and National Acadian Day will be observed in Nova Scotia on August 15.
There are over 20 community initiatives taking place this month across the province, with support from the Office of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie. Nova Scotians and visitors can take part in a variety of activities, including concerts, culinary experiences and community gatherings.
For more information on activities, visit this link.
An event launching Acadian Heritage Month celebrations was held today, July 30, at the Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro (Province of Nova Scotia)
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CITYnews Halifax: By Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press
HALIFAX — The next leader of Nova Scotia’s Liberal party will be the first woman in history to head the provincial party.
The Liberals announced Friday that Becky Druhan and Amanda Mombourquette are the two approved leadership candidates.
Druhan is a former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister in Premier Tim Houston’s government.
She joined the Liberals in May after first sitting as an independent.
Mombourquette is the deputy warden of Richmond County Council and has previously worked at the Nova Scotia Community College and the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce.
Liberals will choose their next leader on Nov. 21.
“This leadership race is an important opportunity for our party to come together, engage members from across Nova Scotia, and build the momentum needed to earn the trust of Nova Scotians,” party president Margaret Miller said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2026.
Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press
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The union representing 1,000 electrical workers at Nova Scotia Power Inc. has voted in favour of a new contract following a strike notice earlier this week.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1928 said Friday that its members have tentatively approved the private utility’s latest offer.
The union had filed a 48-hour notice of its intent to strike on Monday and was preparing picket lines.
That afternoon, the union said the Emera Inc.-owned company offered its members a $1,000 signing bonus.
It also offered a four per cent pay increase in each year of the three-year deal, along with other improvements.
Voting on the new offer started Tuesday and wrapped up Friday.
“Thank you for voting in favour of the tentative agreement, showing incredible unity strength and commitment to our shared future values,” union business manager James Sponagle said in a statement.
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