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HALIFAX, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011

Sixty-first General Assembly

Third Session

12:00 NOON

SPEAKER

Hon. Gordon Gosse

DEPUTY SPEAKERS

Ms. Becky Kent, Mr. Leo Glavine, Mr. Alfie MacLeod

MR. SPEAKER » : Order, please. We will begin the daily routine.

The topic for the late debate has been chosen and reads:

Therefore be it resolved that the NDP Government be concerned about the safety and security of schools in Nova Scotia.

It was submitted by the honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.

PRESENTING AND READING PETITIONS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Inverness.

MR. ALLAN MACMASTER « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table a petition calling on the government to ban hydraulic fracturing in Nova Scotia. This petition has 580 signatures and I have signed my name in accordance with the Rules of this House. The operative clause of this petition is: in the interests of all residents of Nova Scotia, these people have signed to demand a province-wide ban on the use of fracking.

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MR. SPEAKER « » : The petition is tabled.

PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Justice.

HON. ROSS LANDRY « » : Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Committee on Law Amendments, I am directed to report that the committee has met and considered the following bill:

Bill No. 23 - Public Procurement Act.

and the committee recommends this bill to the favourable consideration of the House, with certain amendments.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Ordered that this bill be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

The honourable Minister of Justice.

HON. ROSS LANDRY « » : Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Committee on Law Amendments, I am directed to report that the committee has met and considered the following bills:

Bill No. 41 - Dangerous and Unsightly Premises Amendment (2011) Act.

Bill No. 57 - Private Ways Act.

and the committee recommends these bills to the favourable consideration of the House, each without amendment.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Ordered that these bills be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

TABLING REPORTS, REGULATIONS AND OTHER PAPERS

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Community Services.

HON. DENISE PETERSON-RAFUSE: Mr. Speaker, in my capacity as Minister of Community Services and as the minister responsible for the Child and Youth Strategy, I beg leave to table the third annual report for the Strategy for Children and Youth. It focuses on improving collaborative service delivery for children, youth and their families. Copies were provided to all members of this House last week for their information and review.

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MR. SPEAKER « » : The report is tabled.

The honourable Minister of Environment.

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to table information requested by the member for Dartmouth East about the Pioneer Coal Limited site in Point Aconi. I am pleased to table blast results for the past six months that show all blasts were within the approved limits.

Mr. Speaker, I will table a copy of the industrial approval when it has been received by my office.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The information is tabled.

STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS

GOVERNMENT NOTICES OF MOTION

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Premier.

RESOLUTION NO. 1400

HON. DARRELL DEXTER » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 40 years ago today our dedicated Chief Legislative Counsel, Gordon Hebb, received his law degree from Dalhousie School of Law; and

Whereas Gordon was recently recognized as having dutifully served the Province of Nova Scotia and this House of Assembly for 35 years, and is still going strong; and

Whereas today is also Gordon's birthday, although I won't mention which birthday;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating Gordon Hebb on his illustrious career and many years of dedicated service to the Province of Nova Scotia - a big thank you to you, Gordon, and best wishes for a very happy birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

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MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried. (Applause)

The honourable Minister of Justice.

RESOLUTION NO. 1401

HON. ROSS LANDRY « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Police Week takes place in various jurisdictions across Canada, during the month of May, to recognize and celebrate policing services and increase community awareness; and

Whereas the police services provided in Nova Scotia's communities by municipal police services and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police contribute to just, safe, and secure communities in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas police work co-operatively with each other, with government, and with individuals and organizations to provide critical services and protect Nova Scotians;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House respect, appreciate, and recognize the work of all those who provide policing services in this province, and support the proclamation of May 2011 as Police Month in Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Education.

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RESOLUTION NO. 1402

HON. RAMONA JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mount Saint Vincent University has appointed Dr. Jamie Metsala as the first Gail and Stephen Jarislowsky Chair in Learning Disabilities; and

Whereas the research that will occur under Dr. Metsala will help our teachers identify students with special needs earlier and help them develop high-quality and effective instructional strategies for students with learning disabilities, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and including those identified with gifts and talents - all of whom may face unique learning challenges in our classrooms; and

Whereas the creation of the Chair in Learning Disabilities, the first of its kind in Canada, is just one more example of innovation that cements Nova Scotia's reputation for excellence in education;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate Dr. Metsala on her appointment as the first Gail and Stephen Jarislowsky Chair in Learning Disabilities, and thank her for taking on this important role helping children and families who struggle with learning disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

RESOLUTION NO. 1403

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Pictou Lobster Carnival was voted Canada's favourite festival in an on-line contest, winning the title by a margin of 29 per cent of the voting; and

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Whereas the Pictou Lobster Carnival began in 1934 as a tribute to the fishers who built the lobster industry in the town, and has been held there every year since; and

Whereas the members from the carnival's organization committee travelled to Toronto between March 4^th and March 6^th to collect their award, get a first-hand look at tourism marketing, and showcase the Town of Pictou;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Town of Pictou and the organizers of the Pictou Lobster Carnival for earning the title of Canada's Favourite Festival, and attracting much favourable publicity to the town and its lobster industry.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

RESOLUTION NO. 1404

HON. DAVID WILSON: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas funding contributions from three levels of government and support from the Halifax Regional Library Board has ensured success of the Central Library project, symbolizing the clear commitment to culture and learning; and

Whereas a recent archaeological dig on the site demonstrates sensitivity to the historic and cultural importance of the site in the downtown of Halifax; and

Whereas supporting civic engagement through public consultations provided a voice to the citizens of Halifax that will result in a significant bold, new architectural statement in the downtown area of Halifax;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House celebrate and acknowledge the commitment and unwavering support of the citizens of Halifax, the Halifax Public Libraries, and the contributing parties for supporting the new Central Library project, demonstrating a commitment to culture, learning, and economic development in our city.

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Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Education.

RESOLUTION NO. 1405

HON. RAMONA JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas more than 35 IncrEDIBLE Community Suppers were held in communities in all corners of our province in February and March 2011; and

Whereas IncrEDIBLE Community Suppers brought together neighbours, farmers and producers to sample fresh, local foods during the winter months; and

Whereas IncrEDIBLE Community Suppers were started by the Department of Agriculture's Select Nova Scotia campaign to promote the sale and consumption of Nova Scotia grown and produced food;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly thank the countless volunteers and community leaders who organized all of these wonderful community suppers - many of them in the Annapolis Valley, I will add - across Nova Scotia last winter.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

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Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

RESOLUTION NO. 1406

HON. DAVID WILSON: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Farley Mowat was born in Belleville, Ontario on May 12, 1921, and started his career as a librarian, going on to become one of Canada's most prolific and accomplished writers and a nature conservationist, travelling broadly throughout Canada and beyond; and

Whereas Mr. Mowat went on to serve his country in World War II during the years 1940 to 1945, entering the Army as a private and concluding his service as a captain; and

Whereas Mr. Mowat was recognized with the designation of Officer of the Order of Canada in 1981, as well as literary and other prizes, and now lives in Port Hope, Ontario, and summers in Cape Breton;

Therefore be it resolved that the House recognize the extensive accomplishments of Farley Mowat and wish him well today on his 90^th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

NOTICES OF MOTION

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

RESOLUTION NO. 1407

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HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Christy MacEachern, born on June 2, 1911 in Craigmore, Inverness County, Cape Breton Island, will be celebrating her 100^th birthday this year; and

Whereas Christy married the late Angus MacEachern and loved the beautiful house that he built up on the hill overlooking the water in Craigmore, where she resided until recently; and

Whereas Christy and Angus were blessed with 16 children - 11 boys and 5 girls - that later grew to include 100 grandchildren and great-grandchildren;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate Christy MacEachern on her 100^th birthday, and wish her many more years of good health and happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

RESOLUTION NO. 1408

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Moira MacLeod has retired from the provincial government after more than 30 years of dedicated public service in communications and policy, including recent award-winning work for Democracy 250; and

Whereas many significant speeches delivered by former members of this House, including former Premiers, were expertly drafted by Moira, placing some of her work within our historic Hansard records; and

Whereas the quality of her work is only surpassed for her passion for it, and I can vouch for that;

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Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House extend best wishes to Moira MacLeod as she goes on to create what will no doubt be another exciting chapter in her professional and personal life.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Community Services.

RESOLUTION NO. 1409

HON. DENISE PETERSON-RAFUSE: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 27, 2011, Mr. Eric Bickerdike and his staff will launch the summer season of the Chester Playhouse and this will also mark 25 years of live theatre at the Playhouse; and

Whereas the Playhouse started in the late 1930s through the mid-1960s known as the Keneric and served as a movie theatre - in the 1970s it operated as a puppet theatre and in the mid-1980s was leased by the Chester Theatre Council; and

Whereas in 1992 Mr. Christopher Ondaatje became the benefactor of the Playhouse when he purchased and donated the theatre to the community;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Mr. Eric Bickerdike and his staff as they prepare for a new season of live theatre, and on the 25^th Anniversary of the Chester Playhouse as they provide an artistic experience in the Village of Chester and the Province of Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

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It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

RESOLUTION NO. 1410

HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas this evening approximately 350 people will gather at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre to show gratitude on behalf of the community to the Honourable Manning MacDonald and the Honourable Rollie Thornhill; and

Whereas for many years Manning and Rollie have advocated for the senior community, in particular the Cove Guest Home and Williston Assisted Living Centre; and

Whereas this special event, organized by members of the Cove Guest Home, will show Manning and Rollie the appreciation they have earned for their commitment to the people of Cape Breton Island and indeed all Nova Scotians;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate the Honourable Manning MacDonald and the Honourable Rollie Thornhill on this acknowledgement, thank them for their continued support to the people of Nova Scotia, and congratulate the Cove Guest Home on this successful event.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate, and as the Deputy Premier said, I don't think they're looking for a room.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Cape Breton West.

RESOLUTION NO. 1411

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MR. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jamey Jewells, daughter of Edward and Norita Jewells of Donkin, Nova Scotia, is a talented wheelchair basketball player and recently competed in the Canada Winter Games; and

Whereas Jamey is driven by lifelong dreams and determination; and

Whereas Jamey will take part in the World Junior Championship in July 2011 being held in St. Catherine's, Ontario;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Jamey on her successes and wish her many more achievements in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Environment.

RESOLUTION NO. 1412

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the sun will come out tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, or someday, there will be sun; and

Whereas when I'm stuck in a day that is lonely and grey, I stick out my chin and grin and say, the sun will come out tomorrow, or someday; and

Whereas just thinking about tomorrow, or someday, clears away the cobwebs and sorrow, so come on everyone and say, the sun will come out tomorrow, or someday;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly continue to repeat this resolution until the sun comes out tomorrow, or someday.

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Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.

RESOLUTION NO. 1413

MS. KELLY REGAN « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Lucinda Low founded Bridgeway Academy, a designated special education private school that provides individualized programming for students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, when her son could not get educational services appropriate to his needs here in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas among her many awards, Cindy Low has received the National Excellence of Education Award from the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada in 2001 and was named a woman of excellence earlier this year; and

Whereas Acadia University has announced it will bestow an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law upon Cindy this weekend, for her work in education;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House congratulate Lucinda Low on her honorary degree and thank her for the difference her work is making in the lives of students with learning disabilities - she is indeed a woman of excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

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Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

RESOLUTION NO. 1414

MR. KEITH BAIN « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on February 21, 2011, author Wanda Robson from North Sydney encouraged Mount Carmel students in New Waterford to stand up for themselves and their rights as she shared the story of her sister, Viola Desmond, who was removed from the Roseland Theatre, New Glasgow, on November 8, 1946, and sent to jail; and

Whereas on February 21^st, which is now called Viola Desmond Day, Wanda Robson shared her book, Sister of Courage, with the school and spoke about standing up for your rights, your background and who your family is, while all the time remaining proud of yourself; and

Whereas because of Ms. Robson, Nova Scotia students can now learn from real-life experiences and know that it's essential that we treat everyone equally and with dignity;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Wanda Robson on the success of her book, Sister of Courage, and commend her on having the courage to spread her sister's story so that we can all learn to be more accepting.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Energy.

RESOLUTION NO. 1415

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HON. CHARLIE PARKER: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Keith and Anne Matheson of Pictou established Carvers Studio and Coffee House in Pictou, where it has become known as a place to stop and enjoy great fellowship; and

Whereas Carvers offers a unique setting and atmosphere whether you are there for a coffee, enjoying trivia night, hear local musicians or get a carving lesson or two; and

Whereas Brent Minshull has taken over ownership of Carvers Studio and Coffee House where he was one of the first carving students and has vowed to keep an already thriving business vibrant and alive in Pictou;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulate Keith and Anne Matheson on their retirement from Carvers Studio and Coffee House, and wish them every success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Colchester North.

RESOLUTION NO. 1416

HON. KAREN CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia Agricultural College has gained international fame for the excellent academic standards it maintains; and

Whereas students must be enrolled in four or more courses per semester, must be in the top 10 per cent of their program of study and must have an average of 80 per cent or higher to be included on the President's List; and

Whereas Nova Scotia can be proud of the academic excellence of these students and look to them as skilled, creative, well-prepared future leaders;

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Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Carling Gratto of Debert, Colchester North, for the prestigious honour of being named to the President's List.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Argyle.

RESOLUTION NO. 1417

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : M. le Président à une date ultérieure, je demanderai l'adoption de la resolution suivante:

Attendu que le Conseil Acadien de Par-en-Bas ?tait fier d'announcer le choix des noms du centre scolaire communautaire et le theater situé à l'École secondaire de Par-en-Bas; et

Attendu que le centre portera le nom de Centre Communautere de Par-en-Bas et le thé?tre sera connu sous le nom Salle Père Maurice LeBlanc; et

Attendu que en dehors du theatre avec une capacité de 299 sièges, le centre scolaire communautaire comprend une galerie d'art visual, un centre de la petite enfance, un centre de resources pour les familles, un site PAC, studio satellite de Radio CIFA, salle de réunion et espaces de bureau;

Par consequent, qu'il soit résolu que tous les members de cette Assemblé se joignent a moi pour féliciter le Conseil Acadien de Par-en-Bas sur la réalisation de l'achèvement de ce projet et les remercier pour la poursuite de cet effort qui sera sans aucun doute un role clé dans la promotion de la langue, la culture et la patrimoine acadiens de nombreuses années à venir.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

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Whereas the Conseil Acadien de Par-en-Bas is pleased to announce that the school community centre and the centre's main theatre located at École secondaire de Par-en-Bas has been officially named; and

Whereas the centre will be known as Centre Communautaire de Par-en-bas and the theatre will be known as Salle Père Maurice LeBlanc; and

Whereas apart from a 299-seat theatre, the school community centre includes a visual art gallery, an early childhood centre, a family resource centre, a CAP site, a satellite studio for Radio CIFA, a meeting room and office space;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Conseil Acadien de Par-en-Bas on realizing the completion of this project, and thank them for pursuing this endeavour that will undoubtedly be a key role player in the promotion of the Acadian language, culture, and heritage for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

RESOLUTION NO. 1418

HON. DAVID WILSON: On behalf of the Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Father Roman Dusanowsky will be celebrating his 25^th Anniversary of ordination to the priesthood of the Ukranian Catholic Church on Sunday, May 15, 2011; and

Whereas since his ordainment in May 1986, Father Dusanowsky's distinguished and dedicated service to the church, to his community, and to the advancement of Ukranian tradition and heritage has been immaculate; and

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Whereas a divine liturgy, reception and dinner will be held in Father Dusanowsky's honour;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly applaud the community spirit and the work in the Catholic diocese of Father Roman Dusanowsky, and wish him continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Preston.

RESOLUTION NO. 1419

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children opened on June 6, 1921, with a parade of dignataries and a crowd of over 3,000 spectators, the largest gathering of African Nova Scotians since the arrival of the Loyalists to the province in 1783; and

Whereas for the first 21 years, the home prospered under the leadership of James A.R. Kinney and Henry G. Bauld, later becoming a commercial farming outlet and placement centre for agricultural students; and

Whereas the home will celebrate their 90^th Anniversary in June of this year, and have plans to salvage the old home building and renovate it into a wellness centre for seniors;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Veronica Marsman, executive director, staff and board of the home on their nine decades of activities and achievements, and wish them success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

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MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Inverness.

RESOLUTION NO. 1420

MR. ALLAN MACMASTER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Joe Praught moved from Prince Edward Island to Port Hawkesbury over 40 years ago, and has been an active member of his community ever since; and

Whereas Joe has worked selflessly for his community by serving as a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1982, a director on St. Joseph's Parish Council, second vice-president of the Evergreen Seniors Club, a member of the Festival of the Strait, an executive member of the Strait Pirates Hockey Club, and he does extensive work with Christian Services in Port Hawkesbury; and

Whereas Joe was recognized with a Provincial Volunteer Award in 2011;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly recognize the generous contributions of Joe Praught to his community of Port Hawkesbury.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Queens.

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RESOLUTION NO. 1421

MS. VICKI CONRAD « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 2011 Canada Winter Games were held in Nova Scotia from February 11^th through to February 27^th; and

Whereas Abby Lewis of Milton, Queens County, competed as a member of the cross-country ski team; and

Whereas Abby Lewis raced in the Interval, the 1,000-metre Sprint, the 10-kilometre Classic, and the relay event;

Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Abby Lewis of Milton, Queens County, for her cross-country skiing accomplishments at the 2011 Canada Winter Games.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Dartmouth East.

RESOLUTION NO. 1422

MR. ANDREW YOUNGER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas since 1967 the Dartmouth Heritage Museum has been the heart of Dartmouth's social heritage history, and its collection consists of over 40,000 artifacts and 14,000 photographs; and

Whereas as the museum prepares to move to its new home on the Dartmouth waterfront, many obstacles must be overcome to ensure the safety and preservation of the artifacts, including the renovation of its future home and the safe transportation of the collection from storage to exhibition; and

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Whereas the staff and volunteers of the Dartmouth Heritage Museum have commenced an ambitious fundraising effort for 2011 to assist in the costs of moving and retrofitting the new building;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly commit their support to the initiatives of the Dartmouth Heritage Museum, and wish the staff and volunteers every success in their fundraising endeavours, ensuring a safe transition to their new home.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Hants West.

RESOLUTION NO. 1423

MR. CHUCK PORTER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas snowboarding has become a very popular and competitive sport around the globe; and

Whereas Dallas Rourke of Falmouth not only won a silver medal for her impressive run at the FIS Quebec Cup in February, she also gave the crowd something to cheer about when she gave a spectacular performance in the half-pipe snowboarding competition at Ski Martock during the 2011 Canada Winter Games - adding another silver medal to her collection; and

Whereas Ms. Rourke was the only member of the Snowboard Nova Scotia Team to be invited to compete in the half-pipe at the FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships in Valmalenco, Italy;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Dallas for her exceptional achievements, and wish her continued success in her future competitions.

[Page 2310]

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD « » : Mr. Speaker, before I do my resolution, with your permission I would like to make an introduction, please.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Most certainly.

MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD « » : Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of members of the House to the east gallery where we're joined today by Dr. Anita Unruh, acting associate dean, Research and Academic, with Dalhousie's Faculty of Health Professions. I'd ask Dr. Unruh to stand and receive the warm welcome of the House. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : We welcome all our guests to the gallery and hope they enjoy today's proceedings.

MS. MAUREEN MACDONALD : Members may like to know there is a rather large health research conference going on here in Halifax with about 500 delegates.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.

RESOLUTION NO. 1424

HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas a decade ago the Canadian Government established 12 Health Services Research Chairs across the country, each with a 10-year duration, and Dalhousie was chosen to host the only chair in Atlantic Canada and the only chair in pharmacy; and

Whereas under the leadership of Dr. Ingrid Sketris, the chair of Health Services Research at Dalhousie, research was conducted that has had a direct impact on health care practice; and

[Page 2311]

Whereas this is applied research at its best and that for the last 10 years this chair has brought together both researchers within the field of study and those who use their findings;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House recognize the contribution of Health Services Research at Dalhousie, and thank Dr. Ingrid Sketris for her commitment and leadership in this area for the last 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.

RESOLUTION NO. 1425

MS. KELLY REGAN « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the replacement school for Charles P. Allen High School is being built to open in September 2013 and was originally announced to be 129,000 square feet in size; and

Whereas the Department of Education eliminated 2,600 square feet from the original plan for this school in July 2010; and

Whereas the Halifax Regional School Board has admitted to the CPA SAC that this school, being built for 1,200 students, may in fact open with up to 1,459 students, and may within five years have over 1,700 students, but has refused to ask the Department of Education to increase the size of the school;

Therefore be it resolved that the Minister of Education restore the original size of this school so students of Bedford and Hammonds Plains can learn in a facility appropriate to their population.

[Page 2312]

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

I hear several Noes.

The notice is tabled.

The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

RESOLUTION NO. 1426

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Libby Burnham was the first female graduate of Acadia University to pursue a law degree; and

Whereas Libby Burnham has since become a Canadian leader in the legal profession, business, community service and the advancement of women; and

Whereas later this month Libby Burnham will be installed as Acadia University's sixth chancellor, the first female to hold the position;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Libby Burnham on being recognized for a lifetime of service and success through her appointment as Acadia's new chancellor.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Lunenburg West.

[Page 2313]

RESOLUTION NO. 1427

MR. GARY RAMEY « » : Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the member for Kings North, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mackenzie Pardy, co-prime minister at Evangeline Middle School has been recognized as someone who takes initiative, is socially responsible, organized and hard-working; and

Whereas Ms. Pardy has worked in the school's breakfast program, helped to coach soccer, and launched projects like Tree of Hope and a fundraiser for Chrysalis House; and

Whereas Ms. Pardy was nominated as a student representative and outstanding youth volunteer for 2011;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulate Mackenzie Pardy of Port Williams on being recognized as an outstanding volunteer at the 2011 Provincial Youth Volunteer Luncheon in Halifax.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Yarmouth.

RESOLUTION NO. 1428

MR. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution;

Whereas from 1977 to 1992, Yarmouth resident Bob Bullerwell, a person with visual impairment, competed in blind sports at the provincial, maritime and national levels, competing in javelin, discus, swimming, 60, 100 and 40-metre dash, table bowling, shot put, bowling and horseshoes; and

Whereas Mr. Bullerwell won 30 first place finishes, 20 second place finishes, 10 third place finishes, broke the javelin record, received high mark and high average bowling trophies, was named best all-around male athlete at one competition and was recognized for his achievement in sports at the annual Yarmouth Town and County Athletics Awards banquet seven times between 1979 and 1986; and

[Page 2314]

Whereas on May 7, 2011, Bob Bullerwell was inducted into the Yarmouth Town and County Sports Heritage Association's Hall of Fame and continues to serve as an inspiration for many in our community;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House of Assembly congratulate Bob Bullerwell on his Hall of Fame induction and recognize his many impressive and inspirational achievements and contributions to athletics in his community and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Cape Breton West.

RESOLUTION NO. 1429

MR. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution;

Whereas Louisbourg Seafoods Limited, of Louisbourg, was honoured May 9^th at the 27^th Export Achievement Awards luncheon as one of the province's top exporters; and

Whereas Louisbourg Seafoods, founded in 1984, is a processor of high quality snow crab, cold water shrimp and groundfish; and

Whereas Louisbourg Seafoods recognizes that innovation is the key to success in the changing world markets and remaining competitive in today's modern fishery;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly celebrate the creativity, innovation and determination of Louisbourg Seafoods Limited and recognize the important economic impact it has for Nova Scotia.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

[Page 2315]

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Hammonds Plains-Upper Sackville.

RESOLUTION NO. 1430

MR. MAT WHYNOT: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas this summer on Saturday, August 20, 2011, the Springfield Lake Recreation Association in conjunction with Weir Rockin' will host their 5^th annual outdoor rock concert series at Weir Field in Upper Sackville; and

Whereas Springfield Lake Recreation Association looks forward to expanding their musical offering and welcoming four headline bands this year: Lee Aaron, Sass Jordan, Honeymoon Suite and The Headpins; and

Whereas all members of the planning committee and the community are excited about the annual outdoor rock concert and are encouraging everyone to attend this tremendous event;

Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly extend best wishes and congratulations to the Springfield Lake Recreation Association for the upcoming Weir Rockin' outdoor concert series on August 20, 2011 at Weir Field in Upper Sackville.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

[Page 2316]

The honourable member for Colchester North.

RESOLUTION NO. 1431

HON. KAREN CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas rural Nova Scotians for many years have depended on the members of volunteer fire brigades to keep their families and properties safe from fire; and

Whereas fire department members in recent years have also taken on the role of first responders because the need for medical assistance has increased throughout the province; and

Whereas many additional responsibilities such as fundraising, training, first aid, recruitment and public relations are also part of a firefighter's commitment;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Lee Higgins, Colchester North, for 50 years of continuous service as a volunteer firefighter with the Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

RESOLUTION NO. 1432

MR. KEITH BAIN « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas budding artist Fern Donovan of Leitches Creek won the Grades 7 to 9 category of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture's Kids' Fish Art Contest; and

Whereas more than 100 children entered drawings, paintings and sketches of Nova Scotia's provincial fish - the native, speckled or brook trout; and

[Page 2317]

Whereas the artwork is featured in the 2011 Anglers' Handbook;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Fern Donovan for his outstanding artistic ability and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Lunenburg.

RESOLUTION NO. 1433

MS. PAM BIRDSALL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Canada-Wide Science Fair constitutes a national championship where finalists from regional science fairs across the country meet and compete; and

Whereas Canada's top young scientists come together for two primary goals: to help participants benchmark their scientific and technological achievements against those of peers and to create a positive scientific and social experience for all the young people involved, as well as to expose the best young science and technology minds in the country to peer role models; and

Whereas Kirsten Ernst of Mahone Bay is one of four students representing Nova Scotia at this year's Canada-Wide Science Fair in Toronto;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Kirsten Ernst of Mahone Bay on her participation in the Canada-Wide Science Fair and commend her for representing Nova Scotia with her achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

[Page 2318]

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Dartmouth East.

RESOLUTION NO. 1434

MR. ANDREW YOUNGER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Dartmouth Whalers Atom AA Female team is made up of 15 talented and hardworking young women who exemplify positive sportsmanship and teamwork; and

Whereas the Hockey Nova Scotia Female Team of the Year Award (the Ron Conrad Award) was founded in 1996 and is presented annually to a registered female team deemed to have the most successful season; and

Whereas the Dartmouth Whalers Atom AA Female team was voted Female Team of the Year by Hockey Nova Scotia for 2010-11;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in congratulating the players and coaches of the Dartmouth Whalers AA team on their outstanding achievement and their winning of the 2010-11 season.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Argyle.

RESOLUTION NO. 1435

[Page 2319]

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas a new book was launched at the Musée des Acadien des Pubnicos on February 3, 2011 entitled Camps on the Pubnico, Madashack, Nonias and Lochan Duach Lakes; and

Whereas the author, Michel d'Entremont, spent the better part of a year gathering all the information and being an avid photographer took the pictures that the book contains; and

Whereas the book is dedicated to the memory of Robert and Virginia d'Eon who spent a lot of time at their camp and had started collecting information on the lakes region with the intention of someday publishing a book;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Michel d'Entremont on the publication of his book and thank him for sharing his stories that will preserve local history.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Preston.

RESOLUTION NO. 1436

HON. KEITH COLWELL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas David McQuire is running a marathon a day across the country in an event called A Run to Remember, to support brain injury awareness; and

Whereas David began this event in St. John's, Newfoundland on April 1, 2011 and is now crossing Nova Scotia; and

Whereas David sustained a brain injury in 2005 and began running as part of rehabilitation and has goals to inspire people, especially youth who are at highest risk of brain injury and also help people to better understand brain injury;

[Page 2320]

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate David McQuire on A Run to Remember and how we can best support the Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia in their endeavours.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Yarmouth.

RESOLUTION NO. 1437

MR. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas in 1973, the Yarmouth Juvenile C Hockey Team advanced to the provincials after defeating Pembrooke, a team that was undefeated for 24 regular season games; and

Whereas the Yarmouth Juvenile C Hockey Team of 1973 consisting of Marc Belliveau, Bruce Fraser, James Surette, Brian LeBlanc, David Crabbe, Mike MacPherson, Laurent Landry, Derek Ettinger, George Wilson, Larry Muise, Charles Muise, Paul Surette, Jimmy Surette, Jack Churchill, Curtis LeBlanc, Alan LeBlanc, Donnie Cook and Randy Cook, under the guidance of coach Stan Clayton, won the provincial championship; and

Whereas on May 7, 2011, the Yarmouth Juvenile C Hockey Team of 1973 was inducted into the Yarmouth Town and County Sports Heritage Association's Hall of Fame;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Yarmouth Juvenile C Hockey Team of 1973 on its Hall of Fame induction and recognize its contribution to the sport of hockey in Yarmouth and area.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

[Page 2321]

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Inverness.

RESOLUTION NO. 1438

MR. ALLAN MACMASTER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Bhreagh MacDonald of Inverness will cycle the Cabot Trail to raise funds for children with cancer; and

Whereas Bhreagh has not been on a bicycle since the age of 13 but is determined to join other supporters in the three-day-long Tour for Kids Atlantic; and

Whereas she will be expected to bike 100 kilometres per day and she has raised over $1,000 from people who attended an event that she hosted at The Coal Miners Cafe in Inverness;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly acknowledge Bhreagh MacDonald's contribution to support GIVETOLIVE, for the benefit of those with pediatric cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Halifax Clayton Park.

[Page 2322]

RESOLUTION NO. 1439

MS. DIANA WHALEN « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 32-year-old Catherine Robar from Clayton Park founded The Themba Development Project in South Africa, raising more than $10,000 within the first year; and

Whereas The Themba Development Project works to assist chronically poor people in South Africa by improving access to food and clean water, minimizing poverty and food insecurity, establishing education and developing short and long-term solutions to the food crisis facing the people of South Africa; and

Whereas Catherine Robar has been a 2010 nominee for the North American Hero Next Door Award and a 2011 finalist for the CBC Champions of Change Award;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate Catherine Robar for her great dedication to the people of South Africa and for her determination to make a difference through The Themba Development Project.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Hants West.

RESOLUTION NO. 1440

MR. CHUCK PORTER « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas having a love for your community and being involved in local activities are two of the qualities that judges look for in choosing the princess who will represent their community for the title of Queen Annapolisa for the following year; and

Whereas 21-year-old Danielle Weir was chosen to represent her community when she was crowned Princess Windsor 2011 on April 9^th at the Princess Tea Ceremony where she was competing against four other young women; and

[Page 2323]

Whereas as Princess Windsor, Ms. Weir will attend parades and numerous other events as she represents Windsor and West Hants, and will be vying for the title of Queen Annapolisa in May;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Danielle on her achievement of being crowned Princess Windsor and wish her all the best for the upcoming year and in her future.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

The honourable member for Halifax Clayton Park.

RESOLUTION NO. 1441

MS. DIANA WHALEN « » : Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas many community groups and organizations in our province would not be able to continue their work without the commitment and dedication of volunteers; and

Whereas on May 5, 2011, the Halifax Mainland North Volunteer Recognition Committee held their annual Community Champion Awards dinner to recognize outstanding volunteers who consistently dedicate their time and talents to improving the lives of others; and

Whereas Tareq Yousef has been involved in volunteerism at Halifax West High School as the Minister of Community Involvement and has raised money for the Children's Wish Foundation, collected clothing for the homeless and taught science to children at the Dalhousie University SuperNOVA science summer camp;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House congratulate Tareq Yousef for receiving a 2011 Community Champion Award for his tremendous contributions to his community through volunteerism and working with youth, and wish him continued success in the future.

[Page 2324]

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice and passage without debate.

MR. SPEAKER « » : There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

ORAL QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS

MR. SPEAKER « » : It is now 1:01 p.m. and Question Period will continue until 2:01 p.m.

The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

EDUC. - CUTS: TEACHERS' RESPONSES -

APPROPRIATENESS

HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. Teachers, parents and students were not consulted when the minister cut Reading Recovery and math programs.

I contacted teachers through publicly available e-mails. I wanted to hear from teachers, who had devoted their lives to helping Nova Scotia students succeed, on how these cuts would impact their students. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that teachers have continued to respond in a thoughtful way.

Upon sending that e-mail out, the deputy minister sent an e-mail to teachers saying to them, "It is entirely inappropriate to use the public school system . . ."

My question to the minister is, does the minister feel it's entirely inappropriate for teachers to speak up?

HON. RAMONA JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, I know the honourable member knows that I encourage everyone to speak up and to contact me around any of their issues that they have, to strengthen our public education system.

[Page 2325]

I do want to make a comment, though, on the publicly available system that the honourable member speaks of. He is talking about Ednet, which is the system for teachers to talk with other teachers and for teachers to talk with parents about educational issues. We actually have two school boards in the province that have policies against using that system for anything to do outside the school system, be it any political Party or any other organization, fundraising of any kind. I would like to table the policy from the Halifax Regional School Board.

I would just like to bring to the attention that that was not publicly - it is publicly available but it is for teachers and educators to talk with each other about education. I think the people of Nova Scotia will agree with me that we need to keep Ednet for what it is intended for, which is for educational considerations.

MR. MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, where we receive those e-mails was off the Web sites for every school board across this province. I have no idea what the minister is referring to, Ednet. What we did is we went on the Web site, we looked at every school board that listed, publicly, the e-mails of those teachers and we sent them out.

I want to table the e-mail that was sent out by the deputy minister and it clearly identifies who sent that e-mail. So, again, I want to ask the Minister of Education, why would your deputy send an e-mail to teachers telling them it is highly inappropriate to respond to an e-mail from a member of the House of Assembly who is asking how education cuts will impact their students?

MS. JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, I will just repeat that this is a system for educators to talk with each other about educational concerns. It is also for parents and teachers to communicate with each other. I do have a copy of the letter that the honourable member speaks of and it clearly is a political Party that he is asking people to - he is directing people to the Liberal caucus Web site. Therefore, I will table this.

We have to make sure that the dialogue that we have in the Province of Nova Scotia is appropriate for what we intend it for, which is educational concerns. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

MR. MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, if she had actually read that, it's sending you to the Liberal caucus Web site. We are a political Party and what it's sending you to is the questions that we've asked in this House on behalf of parents across this province about the drastic cuts that are coming to the public education system. If she continued to read the letter, it also said, I am not in your classroom, what I would like to know from you - feedback on how these cuts are going to impact your students. I am pleased to say that teachers have ignored the deputy minister and are responding to what these impacts are having. Contrary to what the minister is saying here, those e-mail addresses are public and we sent the e-mails to teachers.

[Page 2326]

The Minister of Education sent a letter out to the New Democratic Party members justifying her cuts and asking for feedback on Ben Levin's report; and I'll table that letter. Her deputy thinks it is highly inappropriate that we ask teachers for their thoughts on the education cuts. My question to the minister is, since the minister reached out to NDP members personally and asked for their feedback on Dr. Levin's report, how is the minister personally reaching out to all teachers and parents in Nova Scotia?

MS. JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm a little bit confused. We did send out a letter to Party members. The system whereby the honourable member is speaking out on is an Ednet system. I know that the honourable member that is behind him knows that when she was sitting in - I have to be careful of my language, that the honourable member, when in the position of Minister of Education, recognized that you need to make sure that school systems are there for educational reporting. She herself had concerns with the ATV Association when they used the school system to put their information through.

We need to make sure that our system is there for the proper communication between parents and for teachers. I think that Nova Scotians will agree it's not a place for political propaganda.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

PREM.: JOB LOSSES - EXPLAIN

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. The Premier continues to insist in this House that there are more Nova Scotians working today than there were when his government took office, but the facts show otherwise. I have with me the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Canada, Labour Force Characteristics by Province, Table 3 for June 2009; the month that this government began its term. It clearly shows that full-time employment in Nova Scotia at that time was 373,000 people. I will table that for the benefit of the Premier.

I have the same table - Table 3 of the Labour Force Survey - for April, 2011, which is the most recent survey available and it shows that full-time employment in the province is 358,300. A net loss, less, fewer of 14,700 people, roughly equivalent to the workforces of Truro and New Glasgow combined.

My question for the Premier is, given this indisputable fact, can he explain why 14,700 fewer Nova Scotians are working in full-time jobs today than when his government started?

THE PREMIER « » : First of all, Mr. Speaker, the reality is that what the member was asserting was that there were less jobs this month than there were last month. The reality is there are more jobs this month than there were last month. What he would also know is that the figures that he is quoting for June or July of two years ago, of course, take into account the seasonal economy of this province, which sees a substantial increase in the number of jobs through June and July.

[Page 2327]

MR. BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, I know the Premier doesn't take these tables seriously, but they're clearly marked, seasonally adjusted, and it was his assertion that there are more people working today than when his government took power. Statistics Canada proves that to be completely false; that there are 14,700 fewer jobs today than there was then.

In fact, the total workforce has declined by use of the same table by 7,300. There are 7,300 Nova Scotians who have given up looking for work because they are so discouraged because of the actions of this government. My question to the Premier is, given that indisputable fact, can he explain to this House why 7,300 Nova Scotians have given up looking for work in our province, during his time in office?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, what the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party is trying to do is compare statistics for one month with statistics of another month, knowing full well that through the months of June and July both the workforce and the employment numbers in our province change dramatically because of the seasonal nature of the economy of this province.

MR. BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, I already indicated the figures are seasonally adjusted. In no other province in this country would you explain the loss of 14,700 jobs on the basis that one was in April and one was in June. The Premier won't explain his dismal record but I will. We have the highest taxes in the country, we have high regulations; we have a government that picks on one business after another . . .

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. Question please?

MR. BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, as I was attempting to point out, since the Premier won't explain his own dismal job record, which is plainly evident by the Statistics Canada report, I'm happy to do it. We have the highest taxes in the country. We have an abysmal record on regulation under this government. They have picked on industry after industry - pharmacists being only the most recent example. My final question to the Premier is, will he finally look at Statistics Canada's reports that justify his own abysmal record and explain to people why he continues, blindly, taking Nova Scotia down the wrong road?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, I think the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party needs a researcher, or maybe two, because his facts are wrong. We do not have the highest tax regime in the country. In fact, we have been reducing small-business tax.

Secondly, we have been praised by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business for reducing red tape and regulation in this province, and furthermore, the Statistics Canada survey comparing the month of June to the month of June from 2008 through to 2010 show that the number of jobs in this province has increased by 3,000.

[Page 2328]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Colchester North.

EDUC. - SCH. CLOSURES: DR. LEVIN

- DISCUSSIONS

HON. KAREN CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker, my question through you is to the Minister of Education. Yesterday during Question Period, the minister was asked about Dr. Levin's comment around school closures. In her response, the minister said it was, "a very small component" of his report. Having said this, my question to the minister is, what discussions did the minister have, and what information did she share with Dr. Levin, regarding excess space and school closures that would be specific to Nova Scotia?

HON. RAMONA JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, we asked Dr. Ben Levin to come in to help support us, making sure we are making reasonable choices in ways that we can engage the public with education in a situation where we have declining enrolment. We're the same as all across Canada with that situation.

I would just like to draw attention that there was an article in the paper today from Dr. Paul Bennett and he's talking about that this is a very Nova Scotian report, that he's hit it bang on. I would just like to comment that he says abolishing school failure through improved instruction, special-needs support are his stated priorities, not closing schools. This is from Dr. Bennett today. I'd like to table this

MS. CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind all members of the House that the questions that we are asking are about public schools, not referenced to private schools. Yesterday in Question Period, the minister said (Interruption)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, order please. The honourable member for Colchester North has the floor.

MS. CASEY « » : This is a quote of the minister: "We have a very good system for reviewing schools and that is in the hands of the school board."

Mr. Speaker, I'm not afraid to stand up in this House and agree with the minister - we do have a very good process, there is evidence of that. So knowing that the minister values the current process we have, we can only assume that she did share that with Dr. Levin, and if that is true and if she did share, my question to the minister is, why would Dr. Levin take any component of this report to talk about school closures and, in his quote, "it may be necessary to relax some of the current rules around closing".

MS. JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, this document that Dr. Levin provided us with is exactly what it is, it's a document which is a springboard for more dialogue within the public domain. He is talking about we have to do a better job at communicating and having dialogue with the people who are in our system. (Interruption)

[Page 2329]

Mr. Speaker, I find that quite uncalled for.

What he is saying in this is he is actually talking about things that we need to be discussing. I have to say that one of the biggest things coming out of his discussion with school closure is expressing how important it is to keep our small rural schools open and that we need to be looking at other areas when we have capacity.

So this is a springboard for discussion and I look forward to the people of Nova Scotia reading the report and responding on all areas of this report. Thank you.

MS. CASEY « » : Mr. Speaker a review of excess space and effective use of the facilities we have in this province is a process that is ongoing, and it should be ongoing and boards do that constantly. Going from five schools to three, or nine schools to five, as Dr. Levin suggests, certainly can be translated into school closures.

School communities are worried about the impact of more closures. Parents know the current policy, the minister supports it, it is being used, so my question to the minister is, will the minister dismiss the aspect of the report about school closures and give assurance to parents that she will not interfere with the current school closure policy?

MS. JENNEX « » : What I am going to say is I would like to have people read Dr. Levin's report and take their own information from it, for the whole report. We do have a robust review system here in the province and it's a component of that - the most important component is to hear from our communities, the people who are affected. That is not going to change, I'm going to say, Mr. Speaker. We need to hear from parents, and communities need to be looking at their schools, and part of the report is looking at other ways of using our schools so that the school remains in the community and is vibrant and is used for other reasons.

But I will repeat, going back to what Dr. Levin says, he has absolutely no appetite to close our small schools and that is an option that even with our school review, they could be on the review list.

Mr. Speaker, we need to listen to - I hear you, Mr. Speaker . . .

MR. SPEAKER « » : Thank you.

MS. JENNEX « » : . . . but we need to hear from Nova Scotians. This is a report for Nova Scotians. (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order. Order. I keep repeating myself on this point - I remind all honourable members that you use the third party when addressing members in the Chamber, so I would like to caution you about using the word "you".

[Page 2330]

The honourable member for Glace Bay.

EDUC.: SCH. LIAISON OFFICERS - IMPORTANCE

MR. GEOFF MACLELLAN « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Education. There's a growing public awareness across this province about the dangers of drug addictions, especially for youth. The risks and results of drug use have been prevalent in Cape Breton for many years, and the crisis in the Valley is leading to public outrage in many of the communities.

The government states that they are concerned about drug addictions and is committed to finding solutions. If this is the case and the government is serious about saving kids from the perilous path of drugs, I ask the minister, does she recognize the importance of school liaison officers in schools, which is the key battleground for combatting drug supply and access?

HON. RAMONA JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, the issue around drug and drug abuse and prescription drugs is very, very serious issue. I can't express how profoundly concerned I am and we are, as government and I know all members of this House are concerned about that. There are many ways in which schools are supported around issues around drugs and drug use. There are school liaison officers, there are guidance counsellors, teachers, principals, and everyone is part of this.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify that we are all concerned about this and schools are reacting in very appropriate ways in all of the communities.

MR. MACLELLAN « » : I've been advised by a school liaison officer that when these five positions are removed from the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board that floodgates will open for drug access in school. That's a very scary thing.

Mr. Speaker on April 26^th the secretary of the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board informed the Cape Breton Regional Police that it could no longer keep school liaison officers due to the minister's recent budget cuts and I'll table those letters. If the minister of education believes school liaison officers are valuable why did she cut the funding that allowed these positions to exist?

MS. JENNEX « » : I haven't received all of the information from the boards around their budgets. As you know our budget was only passed two weeks ago and it takes until about June until I have a very good understanding about what is happening. I'm just now hearing this information about how many people are affected but I will say (Interruption)

I didn't realize it was five. (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable Minister of Education has the floor. Thank you.

[Page 2331]

MS. JENNEX « » : I knew that there was a reduction, I didn't realize how many people and if I misunderstood that I would definitely make an apology on the number but I didn't recognize that there were five.

I will say that we have our school safety officer, Mark Young, who is working on this with the school board and I know that the school boards are very concerned to make sure that all of the services are available. I will take this under advisement and I will work with the department to see what is actually happening in Cape Breton.

MR. MACLELLAN « » : This government has said it will not impact the classroom. This cut will most certainly impact the classroom and may threaten the future for many kids and I've seen it many times in Cape Breton. These officers kept a watchful eye on schools in Cape Breton. These officers meant fewer drugs and fewer crimes and that's plain and simple.

In the letter to the Police Department the school board wrote, "It is our hope that the Department of Education and the Police Department will be able to continue supporting this very valuable service,. . ." So my question to the minister, given her previous answer, will the Minister of Education provide funding so that this vital program can continue immediately?

MS. JENNEX « » : All school boards have received their envelopes and will work under those constraints. But as I did say that we are working - and I know that I've spoken to the Minister of Justice about this and I have also spoken with the member opposite with the Progressive Conservative Party - this is a situation that is going to be addressed. We have a great deal of concern to make sure our students are appropriately supported especially in situations where this would impact anybody around the issue of drug abuse.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

PREM. - CPI (N.S.): TAX POLICIES

- EFFECTS

HON. JAMIE BAILLIE « » : My question is to the Premier. As all members know, Mr. Speaker, inflation is when the general prices of goods rise in our province. It can make life harder for Nova Scotia families to make ends meet. In June 2009, according to Statistics Canada the consumer price index, the measure of inflation of Nova Scotia, showed a 1 per cent decline in the price of everyday goods and services in our province. I will table that for the benefit of the House.

We were the leading province in the country keeping prices under control. Now almost two years later I have the report for April 2011, and I quote from that report, "In the 12 months to February, the largest increases in consumer prices were observed in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador." In other words, we've gone from the best to the second worst in the country at inflation, which is a real hardship for Nova Scotia families.

[Page 2332]

So my question through you, sir, to the Premier is, given that the HST is included in the cost of goods and services available to Nova Scotia, will the Premier now admit what is in black and white in the Statistics Canada report and admit that his policies, his tax policies and his general policies, are in fact making life harder for Nova Scotia families when it comes to making ends meet?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, when the inflationary statistics were released, they also looked at the questions of the drivers of those and the fundamental driver in Atlantic Canada happened to be that because the number of people in this province who heat with home heating oil far exceeds what is across the country, it was the major driver, and that if you took out that particular cost driver, I believe we were below Ontario and on par with the national average. So it's easy when you're in Opposition to cherry-pick statistics like that. (Interruptions) I understand, I'm just saying it doesn't accurately represent what's happening.

MR. BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, I know one important element that's a driver, that's higher in Nova Scotia than it is in Ontario, and that is the HST. That is what the Premier neglected to mention in his answer and that is a real hardship for people like Jacqueline Smith, of Bridgewater, who was quoted in The ChronicleHerald just yesterday when she said, "It breaks my heart because I cannot afford to feed my children like I should be able to."

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the 2010 Nova Scotia Participatory Food Costing Report was released. It shows that Ms. Smith is not alone. The study shows that many people are forced to make difficult decisions between providing a healthy diet for their children, or pay their rent, or pay their taxes, or feed their family, and so on. That is the reality of life in Nova Scotia today.

Mr. Speaker, according to the Participatory Food Costing Report, life is getting harder and so my question through you to the Premier is, will he admit what is in black and white in this food costing report? Will he admit that prices are, in fact, higher in Nova Scotia, that the HST increase was a mistake, and that people like Jacqueline Smith are paying the price?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party ought to have a look at the data that went into that survey and he would find out that, in fact, it at least partially predates the time that the HST was put in place, but fundamentally, even more than that, the result for people like the one he has just indicated is that she is going to be the recipient of the Affordable Living Tax Credit, which more than offsets what the HST increase was and, in fact, puts more money in her pocket and makes her better off than she was before.

MR. BAILLIE « » : Mr. Speaker, what the Premier is saying is if the report only measured the time since the HST came in, it would be worse for people like Jacqueline Smith and that is an admission of failure. That is nothing to be proud of.

[Page 2333]

The other thing, Mr. Speaker, is this. Given the Statistics Canada report that we have lost 14,700 jobs, which is the best hope for people like Jacqueline Smith, will the Premier at least admit what is in black and white in the job figures and admit to the people of Nova Scotia that his policies are actually driving them away as we're losing population according to the population estimates of Statistics Canada, which I will table. They're voting with their feet.

THE PREMIER « » : Well, Mr. Speaker, as I've pointed out, Statistics Canada registered an increase in jobs this month over last month, yes, this month over last month. You know, there's one fundamental error in the argument of the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, and it is simply this, there is no HST on food.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Leader of the Official Opposition.

MARITIME STEEL: PURCHASE PROPOSALS

- NDP GOV'T. CHOICE

HON. STEPHEN MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. There are two proposals on the table to purchase Maritime Steel. One proposal has the support of the Town of New Glasgow and the two unions representing workers. One proposal is on the condition of $2 million of taxpayers' money and the other, supported by the town and the unions, is requesting $1.2 million. My question to the Premier is, which business case has the support of the NDP Government?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, as the Leader of the Official Opposition knows, this is a matter that is currently with the Receiver. Of course, the Receiver has received two bids with two different kinds of business cases. They have asked the government to have a look at it. Of course, we're doing this, but we're doing it in a due diligence manner. That's not complete at this point in time, so you would understand my reluctance to try to pick a winner among two bids or to even say whether or not the government would be in a position of advancing money to either of them because that would rely on our ability to analyze those proposals.

MR. MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, currently Maritime Steel is located right in the heart of downtown New Glasgow. One proposal - the proposal requiring the most government investment - keeps the plant right there and requires an operating permit from the province. It does not have the support of the town and other surrounding entities. The other proposal, favoured by the Town of New Glasgow and the unions, moves the plant out of the downtown core to an industrial site. My question to the Premier is, is the government prepared to issue an operating permit for the new operators of Maritime Steel at its current location?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before, the various provisions within the various bids are subject to analysis and a determination of whether or not they meet with the overall best interests of the people of that area and, of course, of Nova Scotia. I can say that the environmental permits with respect to this business, which have now expired - any new ones would be subject to the current rules.

[Page 2334]

MR. MCNEIL « » : Mr. Speaker, the deadline for the Receiver's proposals is May 31^st. Both require an investment of taxpayers' money. One does not have the support of the local government and other organizations in and around the communities that are being affected by the proposals that are in front of government. My question to the Premier is, why is the government considering an investment in a proposal that does not have the support of the town and other local organizations?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite would know, the Receiver has a specific responsibility with respect to the creditors and it's a legal responsibility to ensure that they recover the maximum return for the creditors who originally advanced either product or money to the company. The Receiver has to be allowed to do their job and they have to be able to put forward any proposals for an ongoing operation in good faith to the government. So, of course, it is the responsibility of the government to operate in good faith and to do due diligence with respect to both bids. That, I think, would be expected by people so we're carrying out the responsibility that we have.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cape Breton West.

COM. SERV. - CHILDREN & FAM. SERV. ACT:

GOV'T. (N.S.) - REVISIT

MR. ALFIE MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, my question through you will be for the Minister of Community Services. Children in care are exceptionally vulnerable to poverty, substance abuse, school failures and post-traumatic stress. The way the current legislation - the Children and Family Services Act - is written poses risks for those children to fall through the cracks. The legislation is more than 20 years old and some believe that it is not up-to-date with current research and statistics.

My question to the Minister of Community Services is, will the government revisit the Children and Family Services Act that governs policies, programs and services for children in care?

HON. DENISE PETERSON-RAFUSE: Mr. Speaker, thank you to the honourable member for the question. In fact, I am very aware of the issues in the legislation and how old that particular legislation is and we have had many discussions within the department on how to go forward with this particular legislation and what we may need to do in order to make changes.

MR. MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for her answer. The way the current legislation is written, a child is forced to make multiple moves throughout his or her time in care, and although the legislation seeks to minimize foster care drift and promote permanency, this is not the reality.

[Page 2335]

Mr. Speaker, my question through you to the minister is, will the minister order a review of the current legislation to evaluate the accuracy of the current timelines a child is in care and the total number of moves a child can make?

MS. PETERSON-RAFUSE: Mr. Speaker, once again thank you for the question because I do know the honourable member is as concerned about this as we are, as a government, and myself as a minister. That's why we are looking at that legislation, reviewing it, and we're looking at all other aspects within the Department of Community Services and how we serve the children who are in our care and how we can better improve that service to them. Our prime concern, of course, is the children in Nova Scotia.

MR. MACLEOD « » : Mr. Speaker, as the minister has stated, this is a very important issue and it's an issue that needs to be looked at as soon as possible by the government.

In the current legislation as it is written, a child is a person under 16 years of age.

Mr. Speaker, my question through you to the minister is, will the minister review the legislation to determine if the number should be increased to 19 years of age, and determine impacts that this could have on other legislation?

MS. PETERSON-RAFUSE: Mr. Speaker, once again, a very good question from the honourable member. He is right, that is one area that we have discovered that there is a gap in our system, so we're looking at not just that legislation but, once again, how we can improve the services. I think the member will be pleased to know that we are looking at a whole service delivery transformation of Community Services in how we deliver services to every Nova Scotian within our department and certainly for youth in care.

One of the models we are focusing on and learning more about is called a "restorative approach", which is very similar to restorative justice. In fact, in June, we will be hosting the world conference here. We have members who will be coming from Hull, England, and they focus their children in care with respect to a restorative model, so we are partnering up with them, and they are coming into the department and we're having some discussions and receiving information from them. I'm very excited about that, and I invite any member in this House to attend the world conference so they can get an idea of just what a restorative approach is all about.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Yarmouth.

PREM. - SM. BUS.: GOV'T. SUPPORT - PLANS

[Page 2336]

MR. ZACH CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Premier was quick to point to a favourable comment made by Leanne Hachey of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. This quote came from a press release issued October 20, 2009 - and I'll table that - the fact that the Premier needed to go back 18 months to find something favourable that was said speaks clearly about this government's poor approach to supporting small business.

On May 7^th of this year - and I'll quote this as well, Mr. Speaker - the CFIB said: "Small businesses are routinely overlooked, their tax dollars are used against them . . . and their unique circumstances aren't taken into consideration."

My question to the Premier is, what will this government do to provide real support to small business, the real driver of economic growth and job creation in Nova Scotia?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, we will reduce the taxes on small business.

MR. CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, the Premier keeps touting this miniscule reduction of small tax, but this is inconsequential when you compare it to the tax of our nearest neighbour, which is 1 per cent in New Brunswick - and I'll table that as well, Mr. Speaker.

On May 7^th of this year Ms. Hachey characterized this government's approach to small business as "adding drops to a bucket with a gaping hole" - I'll table that as well, Mr. Speaker.

On April 19^th of this year small business said "A heavy tax burden continues to make things difficult for small business operators in Nova Scotia." - I'll table that - they added: "Nova Scotia is one of the toughest places for businesses to operate because of the taxes they face."

My question to the Premier is, will this government admit that their tax regime places undue hardship on small business, which hinders job creation and growth in this province?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, of course, the taxation regime in Nova Scotia is one that we inherited from former governments, including the Liberals who brought in the harmonized sales tax.

MR. CHURCHILL « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm happy that The Premier has finally recognized the problem with our tax system in Nova Scotia. (Applause) It's something that businesses agree with. On April 19^th of this year, Ms. Hachey said, "I don't doubt for a moment that it's more difficult to run a business in Nova Scotia today than it was 10 years ago . . . our small business owners here have gotten less than they have in other parts of the country." I'll table that. On March 8^th of this year we heard of business owners counselling their kids not to take over their business. I'll table that. In addition of these damning criticisms, on May 5^th of this year, it was reported that Nova Scotia had some of the lowest small-business confidence rates in the country. I'll table that as well.

[Page 2337]

This Premier is more concerned with searching the past for congratulatory messages instead of paying attention to the concerns of small businesses today. But he is right about one thing, I do like tabling my information in this House. My question to the Premier is, will the Premier stop looking to the past and begin listening to and supporting small business in the province now?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out to the member opposite, we inherited the tax system and we have done nothing with business taxes except lower them.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

EDUC. - BADDECK ACAD.: RENOVATION PROJ.

- UPDATE

MR. KEITH BAIN « » : Mr. Speaker, my question through you is to the Minister of Education. Yesterday Baddeck and area community members took to the street protesting proposed cuts to the renovation project at their school. They also showed their support for the Baddeck Academy administration, for meeting with the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board and the Department of Education in Sydney later in the day. My question through you to the minister is, has the minister been briefed on the outcomes of that meeting yesterday and will she tell the concerned people of Baddeck the next steps for that project?

HON. RAMONA JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, before I answer the question, I would like to acknowledge that I appreciate the dialogue with the member opposite that we've had around this project. I know the people in Baddeck are very excited about the renovations and we have been keeping the lines of communication open around what probably was some confusion around the information. I want to say that I have not had an update on the meeting and I do have that in my notes of things that I need to do with the department when I get back.

I do want to say and the member opposite knows that when we came into government, we recognized that project was going to be underfunded. I think their budget was around $6 million and this government with this budget increased the budget for those renovations to $11.6 million. Thank you.

MR. BAIN « » : Mr. Speaker, community members are upset and concerned because they were told the administration has been hushed and the details of the meeting were not to be released until mid-June, a timeframe which has also been confirmed by the board. My question through you to the minister is, why is the department and the school board delaying the release of information to the community about the meeting or proposed agreements for more than a month?

[Page 2338]

MS. JENNEX « » : Mr. Speaker, I can't comment on a situation I am not aware of, so I do need to get some more information and I will definitely get back to the member to make sure we keep the lines of communication open for this very important project for the people in Baddeck. They're looking forward to the renovations in their school; I know they've been working with this issue with the department and with planning and making sure that the renovations suit the needs of the students with their program, that the school is safe. It's going to be a nice place to be - to make the front look good coming into the school.

I do want to make a correction. It's $11.4 million that this government has put into the budget for the renovations at Baddeck. Thank you.

MR. BAIN « » : Mr. Speaker, Baddeck Academy is a Primary to Grade 12 school. With the loss of program space, it's physically impossible to schedule the amount of required classes for the elementary, junior and senior high students. Separation of learning space is important for safety and for quality education. My final supplementary, Mr. Speaker through you to the minister is, will the minister agree it's unacceptable to schedule Grade Primary in the same learning space as Grade 12 and will she ensure that student access to quality public education is protected?

MS. JENNEX « » : I stand up here with a great deal of comfort knowing that the process itself guarantees that the children have the program space that they need. I know that our administrators who do the scheduling will make sure that all appropriate scheduling is done within that building. I look forward to this project moving forward for the people of Baddeck so that they have the school they deserve.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth East.

EDUC. - POWER RATE INCREASE:

SCHOOLS - FUNDING

MR. ANDREW YOUNGER « » : My question is also for the Minister of Education. We know that Nova Scotians are facing their seventh rate hike for electricity in 10 years. We know that now with the combined 4 per cent a year plus the already approved increase, as Nova Scotians, we're paying almost 20 per cent more for electricity in three years.

But it's not just residents and businesses, Mr. Speaker, those costs will be borne by our schools and our educational institutions. We know that we must reduce our energy use but the schools can't turn the lights off, they won't be a very nice place if we do that. Unless the government plans to close schools, as Ben Levin seems to suggest, schools are going to need more money for lights and computers and all manner of needs. Given the Minister of Education has already started to cut schools to the bone and slashed administration, will she advise this House whether her department has a plan to provide funding to cover expenses associated with the proposed power rate increases that schools will now face?

[Page 2339]

HON. RAMONA JENNEX « » : We are in a situation of declining enrolment. We are now funding our schools appropriately and every school board has been given an envelope and I know that they are making the appropriate decisions around the envelope that they were given.

MR. YOUNGER « » : Well, Mr. Speaker, they might be given the envelope but when they have to face a 20 per cent increase in electricity that they can't do much about, that's going to hurt and it's going to hurt the classroom.

Mr. Speaker, of course it's not just the schools, hospitals and our health care facilities use even more energy because they run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They have items that use a lot of electricity like CT scanners, X-ray machines and operating rooms.

Mr. Speaker, my next question is to the Minister of Health and Wellness. Will the Minister of Health and Wellness advise the House what her department is planning to do to mitigate the damage caused by increases of what will be almost 20 per cent in electrical costs in three years' time?

HON. MAUREEN MACDONALD « » : Mr. Speaker, as the honourable member no doubt knows, the business plans have been submitted from DHAs to the Department of Health and Wellness. We're currently in the process of reviewing those plans and that will still take a bit of time.

MR. YOUNGER « » : Mr. Speaker, I think it should trouble all members of this House that it sounds like the government has no plan to deal with a rapid escalation in power costs that will affect every department.

So, Mr. Speaker, let's just recap that that proposed rate increase of 4 per cent a year for over three years, plus the already approved one in the next two, plus fuel adjustments, plus the proposed increase of the efficiency tax, will mean Nova Scotia residents, businesses, and every government department and service will pay almost 20 per cent more for electricity in three years' time. Investments in renewable and Churchill Falls will not change that reality, and HST changes do nothing for government services or business.

Mr. Speaker, my final question is to the Minister of Energy, the first stop has to be to ensure that efficiencies and savings in Nova Scotia Power operations are found. Will the Minister of Energy today finally agree to order a performance and value audit on Nova Scotia Power operations before the coming rate hikes?

HON. CHARLIE PARKER: In our department we're working municipalities, we're working with businesses, we're working with householders. We have a great program through Efficiency Nova Scotia. Many of those savings and programs will bring energy reductions of 30 per cent or more. That will help schools, it will help hospitals, and it will help the homes in this province. We also have a strong emphasis on renewable; the combination of energy efficiency and a strong emphasis on renewable will help to bring stable power rates in this province.

[Page 2340]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Richmond.

JUSTICE - BURNSIDE JAIL: ALTERCATION (5/12/11)

- DETAILS

HON. MICHEL SAMSON « » : Mr. Speaker, while the incidence of crime is on the rise across the province, we learned today that there was an altercation involving two offenders at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility, also known as the Burnside jail. The information provided in a news release from the Department of Justice today is quite limited. It contains nothing more than a single comment that an offender ". . . fell down stairs in a living unit during an altercation with another offender." What we don't know are the circumstances surrounding this specific incident.

My question is, will the Minister of Justice provide Nova Scotians with the context in which this incident took place?

HON. ROSS LANDRY « » : Mr. Speaker, thank you for that question. This incident here, as I understand the facts, was a dispute between two individuals. One got shoved, injury occurred. What is also very important to note in this incident, besides the sadness to the family - and I acknowledge that the individual is in serious condition, so I'm going to separate from that part of my answer and come to the fact that we made a promise in this House that we would enhance the quality of communication and ensure that when incidents occur, that information comes forward. That's an example of how it has happened.

Where we're at now with the question is, it just happened today, the investigation is underway and we're gathering the information. As it develops and comes forward, we will present that.

MR. SAMSON « » : Mr. Speaker, all Nova Scotians are aware that the Burnside jail is no stranger to violence and the issue of overcrowding in that facility makes these events even more worrisome. The safety of those who work in a facility are at risk as the minister has done such things as delay construction of a new northeast Nova Scotia correctional facility, in addition to trying to cram more and more dangerous offenders into an already crowded Burnside jail.

My question to the minister is, what immediate steps is the minister going to take to relieve the overcrowding issues at the Burnside correctional facility?

MR. LANDRY « » : Well, the first thing I'm not going to do is panic. We had an incident here where there was violence in the institution. That's a regular occurrence within those facilities, with the clientele that are in there, so we'll not overreact in regard to that.

[Page 2341]

As to the overcrowding, we are in the process of building the new facility. We have added 90-some extra beds to the correctional facility. The staffing and application of delivery of service there has been greatly improved. The quality of security is greatly improved there. The facility is functioning very well and we have additional management staff there so I'm very confident and comfortable with the way things are running and going. Thank you.

MR. SAMSON « » : Well, it's interesting because when we hear the Minister of Finance dispute that the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party says we pay the highest taxes, saying that's not true, it's interesting that he doesn't have the same reaction when the Minister of Justice says they've added new beds to the Burnside correctional facility. We all know that they haven't. In fact, they took temporary beds that are on the floor and bolted them to the wall. There are no new beds and for the minister to continue to let Nova Scotians believe that there has been that kind of expansion capacity is just simply not true.

My final supplementary is, the minister has indicated that the investigation results will be made public. My question is, is the investigation merely looking at this isolated incident or is it also going to look at the issues of overcrowding at the Burnside correctional facility?

MR. LANDRY « » : Mr. Speaker, the illusion that there's not additional space there is false. I stand to correct my colleague. Adding 98 solid beds there not only adds to the spacing and allowing additional individuals into the place, but it adds to the security and safety of the staff who have to manage there. It makes it more comfortable for those clients who have to reside in the facility.

Concerning the investigation, it deals with the incident in and of itself. The overcrowding issue, we're not allowing clients to go out on the weekends, we have that under control. Mr. Speaker, the place is running very well compared to what I had to take over and where it has been in the previous decade. It has never been run better that it is today.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle.

TIR - ROUTE 203: CONDITION

- MIN. AWARENESS

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. Now, my colleagues would be happy if I asked questions about their road - or their bad roads - like the Westside Middle River in Victoria County, the Lower Maccan Road in Cumberland South, Route 19 in Inverness, Grand Mira South in Cape Breton West, but today I'm going to speak about a road that I'm interested in which is Route 203 which runs through Shelburne County and through to Carleton, and through the great Municipality of Argyle. It's in deplorable condition and in need of repair.

[Page 2342]

So, Mr. Speaker, my question through you to the minister is, has the minister been made aware of the unacceptable condition of Route 203 and what does he plan to do about it?

HON. WILLIAM ESTABROOKS: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question. I'm made aware of road conditions in this province because it's the department, of course, that constantly does it but I'm also very well aware of what roads are in need of work when MLAs are doing their jobs. I want that member to know that he has been doing his job in bringing this attention to these particular needs. We are very well aware of the importance of Route 203. It's a matter of some consequence in the constituency of Argyle and it will be addressed in a timely fashion.

MR. D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, Route 203 is the sole access route for the lodge that welcomes thousands of guests each year. In a letter to your department on March 11^th, it states: Trout Point Lodge is losing business due to the state of the highway as people do not feel safe travelling upon it or are warned away from it. It certainly does nothing to help our local tourism crisis or the image of Nova Scotia to international guests of Trout Point Lodge.

By the way, Mr. Speaker, the road does travel through a lot of Shelburne County as well. My question through you to the minister is, will the minister commit to repairing the road to an acceptable condition this Spring, before the peak tourism season?

MR. ESTABROOKS » : Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question. I'm fully aware of the correspondence of that date in March. I'm also aware of the significance of Trout Point Lodge and the importance of it in the community when it comes to such factors as tourism. That is because the member for Shelburne, as well as the member for Argyle, has brought it to my attention. I want the member to know that we're considering an upgrade to that road because of the consequences when we rate roads, it's not just based upon the number of vehicles that are on the road. It's also important to rate the road in terms of the importance of it economically and locally and for that reason the Trout Point Lodge in the location that it is, of course, on this important highway is of some consequence to the community that the member represents.

MR. SPEAKER « » : I would like to remind all honourable members who are recognized by the Chair that they must direct all comments and questions through the Chair.

The honourable member for Argyle has the floor.

[Page 2343]

MR. D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, I apologize for missing that, a very good decision there.

Mr. Speaker, when it rains, especially as frequently as it has this month, water settles in the potholes and dips, posing a serious risk of hydroplaning and a danger to people's safety. It's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or worse on this dangerous stretch of highway. As you know, the road originally was put in to access the Rio Algom Mine and many, many tons of product have gone across that highway that, of course, was quickly built in the 1980s. So, of course, it is showing its age.

Mr. Speaker, my question through you to the minister is, is the minister willing to risk the safety of Nova Scotians and tourists by leaving the highway to crumble away?

MR. ESTABROOKS « » : Mr. Speaker, I'm well aware of this particular road and the long history that it has and the connection, of course, with the mine that operated there. I'm also very well aware of the significant factors when it comes to attracting tourists into that part of Nova Scotia. The member has brought a key point to our attention and that, of course, comes down to the fact that we have a plan, a plan that's of some consequence, a plan that has been well received across Nova Scotia, and I should point out a plan that has been well received by members on all sides of this House, a plan that has been made public so that people are aware that we have priority jobs, that these priority jobs are going to be in different parts of the province, that these priority jobs are not going to be based upon politics, they're going to be based upon need - need, when it comes to such factors as the importance to the economy, the importance to the local tourism industry in this case.

Mr. Speaker, as the member for Richmond brought to my attention before, the importance of the fishery, all those issues are going to be considered. When it comes to addressing this particular road, the members present on this side of the House or that side of the House have done a fine job of bringing their priorities to my attention. They will be addressed in a timely fashion, particularly if we can have equipment and graders that have pontoons on them we'll be just fine.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Halifax Clayton Park.

MS. DIANA WHALEN « » : Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health continues to talk about government savings of $6 million this year if generic drug prices are reduced. That flies in the face of information given by the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, which estimated $15 million would be saved in year one and $26 million in the year after. My question to the minister is, will she table before the end of Question Period today the calculations used to show that government will save $6 million in the first year?

MR. SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The time allotted for the Oral Question Period has expired.

The honourable Government House Leader.

[Page 2344]

HON. FRANK CORBETT » : Mr. Speaker, I move that you do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

HON. STERLING BELLIVEAU « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to rise on a point of order to table a letter from the Climate Change division of the Department of Environment. This letter corrects misinformation provided by the member for Dartmouth East, which I am very disappointed to say shed a negative light on the hard work and the positive results of staff to lower greenhouse gas emissions in our province. We thought it was important to get the correct information on this record.

MR. SPEAKER « » : I hate to say that it's not a point of order. It's a difference between two members of the House of Assembly.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Again, I move that you do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

MR. SPEAKER « » : We will take a short little pause while we go into the Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

[2:02 p.m. The House recessed.]

[2:20 p.m. The House resolved itself into a CWH on Bills with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]

[2:31 p.m. CWH on Bills rose and the House reconvened with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on Bills reports:

THE CLERK » : That the committee has met and considered the following bills:

Bill No. 20 - Trustees of Liverpool United Baptist Church Act.

Bill No. 22 - Public Service Commission of Bridgewater Act.

Bill No. 36 - Energy Saving Roadway Lighting (2011) Act.

Bill No. 41 - Dangerous and Unsightly Premises Amendment (2011) Act.

Bill No. 51 - Public Highways Act.

[Page 2345]

Bill No. 54 - Cemeteries Protection Act.

Bill No. 56 - Real Estate Trading Act.

Bill No. 57 - Private Ways Act.

and the chairman has been instructed to recommend these bills to the favourable consideration of the House, each without amendment.

Further, Madam Speaker, that the committee has met and considered the following bills:

Bill No. 23 - Public Procurement Act.

Bill No. 35 - Body Armour Control Act.

Bill No. 53 - Labour Standards Code.

which were reported with certain amendments by the Committee on Law Amendments to the Committee of the Whole House without further amendments and:

Bill No. 40 - Liquor Control Act.

which was reported with certain amendments by the Committee on Law Amendments, with certain further amendments by this committee, and the chairman has been instructed to recommend these bills to the favourable consideration of the House.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : Ordered that these bills be read a third time on a future day.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, with the permission of the House, I seek waiver that we could deal with Public Bills for Third Reading that just came out of the Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call the order of business, Public Bills for Third Reading.

[Page 2346]

PUBLIC BILLS FOR THIRD READING

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 36.

Bill No. 36 - Energy Saving Roadway Lighting (2011) Act.

Bill No. 40 - Liquor Control Act.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motions are carried.

Ordered that these bills do pass. Ordered that the titles be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bills be engrossed.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 53.

Bill No. 53 - Labour Standards Code.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.

MS. KELLY REGAN « » : Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for listening to some concerns I had brought to her around this bill. Amendments were brought forward at the Law Amendments Committee and therefore, we are happy to see this go forward. Thank you.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading of Bill No. 53. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bill do pass. Ordered that the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

[PRIVATE AND LOCAL BILLS FOR THIRD READING]

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 20.

Bill No. 20 - Trustees of Liverpool United Baptist Church Act.

[Page 2347]

Bill No. 22 - Public Service Commission of Bridgewater Act.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motions are carried.

Ordered that these bills do pass. Ordered that the bill be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bills be engrossed.

[PUBLIC BILLS FOR THIRD READING]

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 23.

Bill No. 23 - Public Procurement Act.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading of Bill No. 23. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bills do pass. Ordered that the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 35.

Bill No. 35 - Body Armour Control Act.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hants West.

MR. CHUCK PORTER « » : Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't want to take any amount of time, I just wanted to commend the minister and thank him for seeing fit to add my amendment that was talked about in this House and put forward. A valuable asset to recognize the paramedics as well as the other organizations mentioned in this bill. So with that, I'll take my seat.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading of Bill No. 35. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bill do pass. Ordered that the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

[Page 2348]

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 41.

Bill No. 41 - Dangerous and Unsightly Premises Amendment (2011) Act.

Bill No. 51 - Public Highways Act.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motions are carried.

Ordered that these bills do pass. Ordered that the titles be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bills be engrossed.

[PRIVATE MEMBERS' PUBLIC BILLS FOR THIRD READING]

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 54.

Bill No. 54 - Cemeteries Protection Act.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Victoria-The Lakes.

MR. KEITH BAIN « » : Madam Speaker, I move third reading of Bill No. 54, the Cemeteries Protection Act.

Madam Speaker, at this time I wanted to thank all members of the House for recognizing the importance of this bill to reach third reading. This bill goes beyond just the protection of our cemeteries but includes the many monuments that honour our fallen veterans. Again, I thank the members.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motion is for third reading of Bill No. 54. Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

Ordered that this bill do pass. Ordered that the title be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bill be engrossed.

[PUBLIC BILLS FOR THIRD READING]

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, would you please call Bill No. 56.

[Page 2349]

Bill No. 56 - Real Estate Trading Act.

Bill No. 57 - Private Ways Act.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The motions are carried.

Ordered that these bills do pass. Ordered that the titles be as read by the Clerk. Ordered that the bills be engrossed.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, I move that you do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

[2:40 p.m. the House Recessed.]

[2:43 p.m. The House resolved itself into a CWH on Bills with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]

[4:10 p.m. CWH on Bills rose and the House reconvened with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on Bills reports:

THE CLERK « » : That the committee has met and considered the following bill:

Bill No. 52 - Government Administration Amendment (2011) Act.

and the chairman has been instructed to recommend this bill to the favourable consideration of the House, without amendment.

Further, Mr. Speaker, that the committee has met and considered the following bill:

Bill No. 17 - Fair Drug Pricing Act.

which was reported with certain amendments by the Committee on Law Amendments to the Committee of the Whole House, without further amendments, and the chairman has been instructed to recommend this bill to the favourable consideration of the House.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : Ordered that these bills be read a third time on a future day.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, I ask for the indulgence of the House to revert to the order of business, Presenting Reports of Committees.

[Page 2350]

MADAM SPEAKER « » : Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

PRESENTING REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

MADAM SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Hammonds Plains-Upper Sackville.

MR. MAT WHYNOTT « » : Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee on Law Amendments, I am directed to report that the committee has met and considered the following bill:

Bill No. 62 - Halifax Regional Municipality Charter.

and the committee recommends this bill to the favourable consideration of the House, without amendment.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : Ordered that this bill be referred to the Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, with the indulgence of the House and with their approval, may we move this bill to the Committee of the Whole House on Bills today?

MADAM SPEAKER « » : Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Madam Speaker, I move that you do now leave the Chair and the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole House on Bills.

MADAM SPEAKER « » : Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

[4:12 p.m. The House recessed.]

[4:14 p.m. The House resolved itself into a CWH on Bills with Deputy Speaker Ms. Becky Kent in the Chair.]

[Page 2351]

[4:18 p.m. CWH on Bills rose and the House reconvened. Mr. Speaker, Hon. Gordon Gosse, resumed the Chair.]

MR. SPEAKER « » : The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on Bills reports:

THE CLERK « » : That the committee has met and considered the following bill:

Bill No. 62 - Halifax Regional Municipality Charter.

and the chairman has been instructed to recommend this bill to the favourable consideration of the House, without amendment.

MR. SPEAKER « » : Ordered that this bill be read a third time on a future day.

The honourable Government House Leader.

HON. FRANK CORBETT « » : Mr. Speaker, that concludes the government's business for today. I move the House do now rise to meet again tomorrow between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

The order of business will be Public Bills for Third Reading, Bill Nos. 17, 52 and 62, and any bills that come out of the Committee on Law Amendments that we will be able to expedite, we would probably do them also.

I move the House do now rise.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The motion is that the House now rise to meet again tomorrow at the hour of 9:00 a.m.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

We will now take a short recess for five minutes before we start the late debate.

[4:20 p.m. The House recessed.]

[4:23 p.m. The House reconvened.]

MR. SPEAKER « » : We'll bring the House to order for the late debate. The motion before the House for late debate:

[Page 2352]

"Therefore be it resolved that the NDP Government be concerned about the safety and security of schools in Nova Scotia."

It was submitted by the honourable member for Bedford-Birch Cove.

ADJOURMENT

MOTION UNDER RULE 5(5)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Glace Bay.

EDUC. - SCH. SAFETY/SECURITY: NDP GOV'T. CONCERN

MR. GEOFF MACLELLAN « » : Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to rise in my place to speak about this debate topic - safety and security in the schools of Nova Scotia. It was one I raised today during Question Period and, as we know, there are five positions for police in the schools cut in Cape Breton, which would be school liaison officers. I will certainly say that I was encouraged by the minister's response that she wasn't aware that it was five positions, that she would take a look into it and consult with the board. So that's certainly encouraging and I hope that we go through with that because it's important for the schools down in our neck of the woods, certainly, and all across Nova Scotia.

It was a quote from one of the police officers I spoke to and what he said was the floodgates will open for drug activity in high schools. That's a scary thought because we know that that activity takes place now, the drugs are everywhere, but when you remove police officers who know the kids, who understand the environment and who understand the issue around drugs and drug abuse, and crime related to drugs, that's certainly something that we have to pay attention to. I do firmly believe that schools are the battleground for drug access and distribution. So if you stop the flow at schools, it will go a long way into supporting in the community and getting rid of it. I think that's something that we have look at and we have to protect at all costs.

Of course, this does affect communities. When it's in the school and it's our kids and they're addicted - and trust me, we see it a lot in Glace Bay - then it's certainly something that we have to be concerned about it and it becomes a community problem. It's not about the kids and it's not about the families and it's not guidance counsellors or teachers; it's all of us and it's the members of this House.

If anyone that has seen these realities, you'd certainly be aware of the fact that most times when someone is addicted - particularly when it's a prescription medication, but even with a street drug - that person becomes part of the chain. They're not just users; they become, maybe, distributors or holders and that's something that we have to be cognizant of, for sure.

[Page 2353]

It really does have an impact on some communities, as we're seeing in the Valley. For us, I can honestly say that it's not really anything particularly new. I'm 32 years old and I remember being in little league hearing about drug addictions and overdoses and those things and so that's 20 years ago. We see the addictions side of this issue. We see the crime. We see overdosing. We see the rehab programs and the methadone. One example, there has been a tremendous increase in the purchases of security systems in Glace Bay, which is unheard of. We are sort of part of the old cliché that you don't lock the doors and you leave the doors open. Well, obviously, if people are purchasing security systems, that's not the case. It's just another side-effect of drug addiction.

I've personally known people who have died or close to that state now, who were on a straight and narrow path and for one reason or another got addicted to a drug and now they're scratching and scrimping for their next fix. It's certainly a scary thing and, again, we all have to be worried about it.

The very scary part is the reality that drugs are part of the youth sub-culture; I mean, this is such a frightening thing. You go to high school and kids think it's normal to go to high school high. That's a scary thing and it's true. They think it's nothing major to smoke a little bit of marijuana or take a Ritalin or something of that nature. That's going to change your path for the rest of your life if you're not careful. With peer pressure and with the lack of understanding about what these things do, people will certainly fall along that line. It's something that we certainly want to avoid at all costs. Kids just don't know the long-term effects of what they're getting into. It's such a sad day when kids have to resort to stealing from their parents, to breaking into baby barns for a lawnmower or a chainsaw to get $80 to buy an OxyContin to get high for one day. It's a very scary thing. Again, rebellion used to be marijuana and alcohol. Rebellion is not marijuana and alcohol anymore; it's Oxys, Percocet, Dilaudid, cocaine and crack. Junior high and high school kids, that's where we're at these days. It's something that we certainly need a plan for and we all have to work together on that.

It was something that was sort of around the circles in Glace Bay and in Cape Breton last year, give or take, these discussions were taking place where kids were talking in code on text and on their computers saying, oh, I've got 150 for the weekend and I had 300 since last week. What was finally figured out - a kid came clean and explained it to a parent - was that that's the number of milligrams that the kids were taking; 300 milligrams of OxyContin, a 20-year-old, an 18-year-old. The effects of that - it is a life sentence. You don't just not take it and be better the next day. It's a physiological addiction that just doesn't go away.

There are kids who have been known to take money from family members, to do break-ins in their own families. It's something that people say, well, he's a drug addict, just throw him in jail, he'll learn his lesson or she'll learn her lesson. You can die from the side effects if you don't get access to an Oxy or a methadone or those types of things, so there is no getting away from it by locking a kid away. That's not what the answer is. We need a more comprehensive approach.

[Page 2354]

An incredible person, the late Myles Burke, the former chief in Cape Breton - he told me had an amazing vision of how to thwart and how to change the path for drugs in Cape Breton. He said, basically, that you never look at it from just the criminal side. There's a social side, there's an economic side and there's a criminal side. Of course, the social side involves youth at risk. We've got the Undercurrent Youth Centre in Glace Bay, which has had a profound effect on kids who don't necessarily like, say, sports. They do music, drama, those types of things, so they get out of the streets and they're at the Undercurrent. The other side is the economy - the economic realities of a community or of a region play a role. When you have access to jobs, re-training employment opportunities, then you get off that path and you're not hanging out doing drugs. You're working and it does have an effect.

The reality is for this debate, what we're talking about is the criminal side of the drug issue- how do we stop the flow, how do we control and how do we stop the supply and access of drugs in schools. Again, I say this and I mean it - schools are the battleground, they are the arena for this topic, this is where it starts and stops. If we don't stop this flow in the high schools and junior high, in our case, then we're defenceless. I think that that's what we have to focus on.

These kids take a pill and they're addicted, before they even realize what an addiction is, so all of a sudden they don't know they're on a path that they can't get off and it's a very scary thing. So how do we do that? To me, in the schools, we only really have one weapon in our arsenal and that is the school liaison officers and to me it's that simple. Today, the minister mentioned teachers and guidance counsellors, but I don't think it's fair that teachers will take over the monitoring or the reporting of drugs, it just can't happen, so that's something that's important. Again, these things are in the elementary schools now, the issue with drugs.

For school liaison officers, this is their mandate, this is their job, this is what they are there to do. They have the experience, they have the expertise, the legal obligation and the flexibility, within the legal system, to deal with these things. They can detect drug activity and they also know the warning signs for usage and for trafficking. They know what to look for, they've seen it and they've done it. The police that I've heard from, this isn't their job, this isn't about their job. Their jobs are safe, they just go elsewhere. This is an issue for the schools and the protection. This is about keeping our kids safe and off the perilous path to drug addiction.

So our message to the government side is simply this: if we remove police from the schools, what you'll see is increased trafficking, you'll see drug use for sure, you'll see overdoses in increasing cases, and you'll also see the need for drug busts. Rather than have one police officer sitting in the school, you need a comprehensive effort to catch someone who is dealing drugs at the school and getting that supply. The government does talk about youth strategies and we must keep the youth off drugs - that's obviously an important part of that, so I think the school liaison officers are our front line for anti-drug initiatives and without them we are truly defenceless.

[Page 2355]

I think that the government wants to take action on this issue and I think that the officers that are in the schools, that are protecting our kids, are certainly the critical component of keeping kids off drugs and keeping those drugs and those other dangerous things that our kids are exposed to, out of the junior highs and out of the high schools and sadly to say even out of the elementary schools. We need a plan and we have to make sure that we protect our kids. With that Mr. Speaker, I'll take my place. (Applause)

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage.

MS. BECKY KENT « » : I'm pleased to rise today to speak to this incredibly important issue. I do thank the members, really, for bringing this forward, because it is of the utmost importance to all of us. We find violence in our communities, in general, certainly disturbing and school violence ranks highly in our priorities as parents, certainly. We want our children to be safe in their learning environments and as a government we want that as well.

I totally agree with the member opposite, from Glace Bay, when he spoke to the need of addressing crime and this type of situation. These patterns of behaviour, in a level of school, in our school environments, absolutely, if we can prevent it and nip it in the bud and move youth in the direction of more positive activities or behaviours, it's the way to go. We will have more engaged, more healthy, proactive and active citizens in our communities. So it is the right way. As well, community initiatives, to be honest, I've had a number of opportunities, well before I was an elected official and since being an elected official, to work with community groups on crime prevention, on initiatives that will help families deal with some of those behaviours, as well, that are happening because they are sons and daughters of someone. Local community groups are doing that.

Our Department of Justice, I believe, is doing a great job of supporting those local organizations, through the crime prevention funding initiatives that help these local community groups do this sort of thing and certainly putting additional officers on the streets.

The Department of Education, specifically - and that's what this resolution, I think, is hitting the heart of - continues to work with school boards across this province to maintain safe environments through school programs, Mr. Speaker. Violence prevention can be addressed through a number of assessment programs. Nova Scotia public schools have province-wide guidelines designed to help keep students and staff safe, on a regular daily basis and in an emergency situation.

The document titled Emergency Management for Nova Scotia Schools - Planning Resource was released in 2009 and is now being used by boards and schools to develop their own, individual response plans. I think that's an important element of this program in that each school board has a better knowledge of what's happening within their area, within the dynamics of the student population, the challenges they might face in their own communities regarding crime. I can't say that the crime and some of the activities that are happening in my area might be the same as for the member for Glace Bay, so I think that's a key element to this.

[Page 2356]

The safety of our students and staff is of the highest priority. It's important that every school be able to manage emergencies as swiftly and effectively as possible. I know the member agrees to that. These resources will be a valuable planning tool for these boards and their schools as they develop their own plans to be prepared for an emergency. The planning guide was prepared by provincial school safety advisor Constable Mark Young, who we've heard spoken of quite regularly, in consultation with school boards. Again, that's an important part of it.

It addresses appropriate responses to various types of emergencies, planning and preparation, training and prevention. We all work to that, the prevention element. Although each emergency management plan will have to meet required elements outlined in the guidelines, boards will have some flexibility to develop and modify plans to meet specific needs of their school communities.

Constable Young reviewed the security practices at each of the province's eight school boards. He also met with school board representatives, school officials, police, parents and students over the past year as he developed the guidelines. Schools are very safe places for both students and staff and the risk of targeted violence occurring at one of our schools is low, albeit every incident is one that we need to look at and take very seriously. However, a well prepared and practiced plan is essential and given that anomaly that will happen in our schools is more severe, that has recently been talked about in the papers, we need to be prepared for those. That's what this plan gets to the heart of.

The department is currently working with boards to establish full implementation of the guidelines in all schools. The resource has also been shared with universities and the Nova Scotia Community College. Yet as much as we want to stop it there in our junior highs and our high schools, they do continue to go through it and perhaps continue to commit crime and our universities and our schools and our community colleges, they need to be prepared as well. So I'm pleased to be able to speak to that, that the department has had the foresight to say, we need to continue and make sure all levels of education are prepared.

Work has begun with school boards on a range of other safety topics as well, Mr. Speaker, including threat and risk assessment, school safety and security guidelines, police school protocols and safe school design. Although school boards and the department are working to make sure schools are as safe as possible, we do not want them to be a fortress.

I would expect the members, and all in the Chamber, would agree on that - a school has to be a welcoming, open environment, but a safe one, and that's really the crux of it. We want our young people to be able to walk into that school with the cares of safety at the very bottom of their priority list for the day. We want them to just go in with an understanding that the guidelines, the protocols, the emergency planning is in place for them, so they can get on with what they're there to do, which is learning, and the teachers can get on with what they're there to do, which is teaching our young people.

[Page 2357]

Although school boards are working to make schools as safe as possible, there is still violence happening, and we do take that very seriously. We're working to improve the relationship of the Department of Education with the police agencies across this province around safety programs that they can implement. I think that's an important element to talk about, because I know it's been referenced that the department has diminished the resources for school liaison officers. It's my understanding that the Cape Breton Police are the only police service in this province that does not provide funding for the liaison services to the Cape Breton school boards. That's my understanding of it.

This concerns us, of course. I believe that the minister, in Question Period earlier today, has made a commitment to our Cape Breton members that she's on that; she wants to see a resolution to that. My understanding as well is that Constable Mark Young is already moving forward with a way to address that gap. I can tell you that I would agree that the liaison officers in our schools do a tremendous job; they make a difference.

The area that I represent, Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage, I've had a tremendous relationship with the liaison officers where we can bring issues to their attention, whether it be through our community policing officer or directly through the school, bring it to the attention of the liaison officer - and I can tell you that they're quick to respond. I'm glad to hear and have information from the minister, as was reflected earlier today, that they're on that task - it's a gap that needs to be addressed.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to reiterate that we take this as seriously as the member opposite who brought this resolution forward. Our efforts to prevent and reduce crime and build stronger and safer communities is our resolve, and we will continue to work towards that.

Thank you very much for allowing me some time.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Argyle.

HON. CHRISTOPHER D'ENTREMONT « » : Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand for a few moments in this debate to discuss the resolution that's before us. First of all, I want to commend the members for their comments tonight - of course, the member for Glace Bay and the member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage for their understanding and their concern for students in our schools around the province.

The resolution that we have is a very general resolution - sort of a motherhood and apple pie sort of saying. We want our kids to be safe, it really doesn't matter what grade they're in and the things they impact. I can say that we can talk about violence in schools and we can talk about drug usage in schools and bullying in schools - that is truly concerning.

[Page 2358]

It has been quite some time since I was in school, but I can tell you what I see today when I visit some of our elementary schools and some of our high schools - it's a far different place than what it was when I had the opportunity to be in high school. I know the member for Yarmouth, who is a fair amount younger than I am, would remember my old high school, Sainte Anne du Ruisseau High School, you would have been still just in school when they closed that one up.

If you qualify the folks who were there, it was a pretty rural place that we get to come from. To think that there was any violence there, I don't recall having any kind of violence happening. There was an occasional fight that I think probably would have happened. Were there any drugs? I don't recall any drugs - maybe it's because I wasn't in that crowd; maybe that's something that doesn't motivate me either.

But it's happening in our schools today. (Interruption) I could comment on that, but I'm not. The member for Yarmouth was saying something that probably would be unparliamentary. But, ultimately, these are the things.

In a public opinion survey in the May 11^th Halifax Metro shows that citizens of HRM believe violence in HRM schools is a major concern. If that poll had been conducted on a province-wide basis, I would think that the same concern would likely have been reflected.

Despite the fact that HRM Police Chief Frank Beazley says crime in schools is actually decreasing, there seems to be a substantial number of unusual and worrisome activities taking place in, or just outside, our schools. Of course, just recently, at Citadel High there was a youth, apparently, with a handgun. There have been a number of bomb scares. There have been a whole bunch of things that we wouldn't have heard of 20 years ago, or 10 years ago. These incidents include stabbing, of course, at Halifax West last month and, like I said, guns in the schoolyard of Citadel High. Police report the existence of youth, gun-running gangs, so it's no wonder that 86 per cent of folks in HRM are concerned.

Now, in the 21^st Century world of guns and drug culture, there's bound to be a problem and it's quite clear there is. I mean we just have to walk around, and I'm not saying that everybody should be walking around with shirts and ties and blazers, but when people are around dressing like Crips and Bloods and pretending they're parts of gangs, that has got to be worrisome. You know, Mr. Speaker, as a previous educator, sometimes these things escalate a little further than even the kids would believe that they do, but they do start going down paths that are definitely very, very dangerous.

We know that the school boards, especially the HRM board, do not really share the people's concern about this issue. They cite the survey that shows 88 per cent of parents of high school kids believe their kids and schools are safe. So you have a public poll that says one thing, you have an internal poll that says something different. The fact remains that most folks are worried about it and they need assurance. School violence seems to be a symptom of the drug and gun culture taking root amongst many young people today, so government, of course, must respond.

[Page 2359]

Again, responding means a little bit more than just being concerned, it means some planned action. Rudy Giuliani made the streets of New York, or the City of New York, much safer by simply dramatically increasing the number of police persons walking their beats on the streets, at the time. Our former colleague, Cecil Clarke, when he was Minister of Justice, started the Boots on the Street program for increasing the number of police walking our street beats in areas of higher crime. The present government seems to have slowed down that vital program. Even though they haven't gotten rid of those boots, they aren't going to be expanding the program anytime soon.

The recent incidents of school violence might have been resolved earlier, or prevented, if there had been police around the schools at the time of the incidents mentioned. There have been reports recently that government is going to cut back on police presence at schools, which, if true - and as the member for Glace Bay talked about - is a very serious mistake. Of course, we're talking about the removal of the school liaison officers at the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, who share and understand the need to balance the budget ASAP, but we believe that we must make serious and sensible choices. Cutting back on the number of police patrolling our streets and schools is not one of those sensible choices at all.

The member for Glace Bay - and I did enjoy his speech because he talked about something that I don't necessarily see as much of, but I do know, in chatting with parents and other individuals in my community, that drugs are a killer. It doesn't matter if you're saying, I'm just going out for a little bit of marijuana, or I'm going to smoke a joint, or I'm just going to go take a couple of those pills and have a good time at the dance. They all seem to connect themselves a little bit further down the road. If I look at the folks from my generation, who maybe smoked a little bit of dope, did a little bit of hash, where are they today? Where do I really think that they are today? Some of them, yes, they're okay, they're fine, they're all doing their things. Some of them, I have no clue where they are. I haven't seen them in years. I know they're still around somewhere but I haven't seen them because they're not real participants in what society is today, and that's just on those little soft drugs.

If I look at what is available to students today, whether it's acid, whether it's Percocet, whether it has OxyContin, whether it's crack cocaine or cocaine, these things should be caught sooner, and can be caught by someone like a school liaison officer, because like the member for Glace Bay was saying, they understand that, they're working closely with those students. They're trying to bring the ideals of a safe community and a clean community forward. They're not there as sniffer dogs or snitches. They're there trying to make a difference to that student population. I think today, we have a good program going on in Cape Breton and I think it has value. From the questioning today in Question Period from the member for Glace Bay, the responses from the honourable Minister of Education, I think it warrants a second look, one that we have to go back to.

[Page 2360]

I do have to echo the sentiment though from the member for Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage. We don't want our schools to be fortresses, but at the same time we want them to be safe. With those few words, I thank you for the opportunity to speak to this resolution.

MR. SPEAKER « » : I thank all members for their participation today in late debate, a topic of importance and timeliness.

This now concludes the business of the House for today and we will meet again tomorrow at the hour of 9:00 a.m.

[The House rose at 4:51 p.m.]

NOTICES OF MOTION UNDER RULE 32(3)

[Page 2361]

RESOLUTION NO. 1442

By: Mr. Alfie MacLeod « » (Cape Breton West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Sydney Open Power Lifting and Bench Press Championships were held on January 29, 2011, at the YMCA; and

Whereas Mark MacPhail of Ben Eoin was named the top overall bencher in the bench press competition; and

Whereas Mark's winning performance required many hours of training, as well as physical and mental strength;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Mark MacPhail on his outstanding performance at the Sydney Open Power Lifting and Bench Press Championships and wish him continued success in his chosen sport.

RESOLUTION NO. 1443

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Angel Hair for Kids is a program of A Child's Voice foundation that provides wigs and hair loss solutions to financially disadvantaged children in Canada who have lost their hair due to a medical condition or treatment; and

Whereas 13-year-old Emma Dufour, daughter of Ken and Mary Ann Dufour and granddaughter of Mike and Dianne Oulton, and a Grade 7 student at King's Edgehill School in Windsor, recently had about 12 inches of her locks lopped off which was then donated to Angel Hair for Kids, making this Ms. Dufour's second donation of hair for this very worthwhile cause; and

Whereas by introducing our youth to special programs such as Angel Hair for Kids, we are instilling in them the importance of giving and teaching them the benefits of what their selfless acts will mean to another child;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly applaud Emma for her kindness and generosity and wish her all the best.

RESOLUTION NO. 1444

[Page 2362]

By: Mr. Andrew Younger « » (Dartmouth East)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Thom Mason of Dartmouth graduated from Dalhousie University with a degree in science in 1986; and

Whereas Thom is now the director of the United States Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and recently spearheaded the Spallation Neutron Source project worth $1.4 billion; and

Whereas Thom will be one of only eight recipients earning an honorary degree from Dalhousie University this Spring, in recognition of his contribution to his field of science and neutron research;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly join me in acknowledging Thom's contribution to neutron science research and congratulate him on this well-deserved accolade from Dalhousie University.

RESOLUTION NO. 1445

By: Mr. Zach Churchill « » (Yarmouth)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Yarmouth resident Sheridan Lawrence became a professional boxer in 1963; and

Whereas in the next three years Mr. Lawrence's professional boxing record boasted 11 victories, 0 losses and 1 draw, with the majority of his victories being wins by knockout; and

Whereas on May 7, 2011, Sheridan Lawrence was inducted into the Yarmouth Town & County Sports Heritage Association's Hall of Fame;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Sheridan Lawrence on his Hall of Fame induction and recognize him for his impressive and exciting professional boxing career.

RESOLUTION NO. 1446

[Page 2363]

By: Mr. Zach Churchill « » (Yarmouth)

Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas in the summer of 2009, the Yarmouth Red Knights baseball team participated in several tournaments and had only one loss during the entire season; and

Whereas in September of 2009, the Yarmouth Red Knights baseball team, consisting of Curtis Falls, Paul Jacquard, Duane Doucette, Daniel Allen, Raymond Jacquard, Russ Grant, Ricky Clayton, Frank Grant, Chris Newell, Gary Baxter, Ron White, Malcolm Muise, Craig Melanson, Bob Durkee, Steve Newell, Paul MacDonald and George Fry, under the guidance of coach Bob Allen and manager Gerald Scott, defeated 12-time national finalists, the Tillsonburg Old Sox, to become the Over-35 Canadian National Baseball Champions; and

Whereas on May 7, 2011, the Yarmouth Red Knights baseball team of 2009 was inducted into the Yarmouth Town & County Sports Heritage Association's Hall of Fame;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Yarmouth Red Knights baseball team of 2009 on its Hall of Fame induction and recognize its contribution to the sport of baseball in Yarmouth and area.

RESOLUTION NO. 1447

By: Mr. Zach Churchill « » (Yarmouth)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas in the sport of badminton, Yarmouth resident Rick Murphy has won 21 provincial titles, seven Atlantic titles, a national title, as well as many runner-up placements at the National level, including second-place finishes at the 2008 Masters in Calgary and in the over-45 category in Ottawa; and

Whereas Mr. Murphy has also won 10 Provincial Doubles and four Mixed Doubles titles; and

Whereas on May 7, 2011, Rick Murphy was inducted into the Yarmouth Town and County Sports Heritage Association's Hall of Fame;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Rick Murphy on his Hall of Fame induction and recognize his impressive achievements in the sport of badminton and wish him continued success.

[Page 2364]

RESOLUTION NO. 1448

By: Mr. Zach Churchill « » (Yarmouth)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the WOW Reading Challenge, part of the Adopt-A-Library program, in partnership with the RCMP, the aim of which is to prevent crime, one book at a time, by promoting literacy among schools, recently took place; and

Whereas Port Maitland Elementary School took part in this reading challenge; and

Whereas Port Maitland Elementary School won first place among schools in the Yarmouth area by reading 22,189 books for an average of 142 books per student;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Port Maitland Elementary School on placing first among Yarmouth area schools and recognize its students for their dedication and participation in this important initiative.

RESOLUTION NO. 1449

By: Mr. Zach Churchill « » (Yarmouth)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the WOW Reading Challenge, part of the Adopt-A-Library program, in partnership with the RCMP, the aim of which is to prevent crime, one book at a time, by promoting literacy among schools, recently took place; and

Whereas Meadowfields Community School took part in this reading challenge; and

Whereas Meadowfields Community School read an average of 116 books per student and placed second overall in its category among 60 schools across the province and in other countries participating in this challenge;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Meadowfields Community School and recognize its students for their dedication and participation in this important initiative.

RESOLUTION NO. 1450

[Page 2365]

By: Mr. Andrew Younger « » (Dartmouth)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on May 27, 1961, Steve Connors was born at the Halifax Infirmary to Frank and Joan Connors; and

Whereas Steve Connors attended Michael Wallace, Caledonia and Prince Andrew schools in Dartmouth and has enjoyed many special and memorable moments in Dartmouth including his well-known time at Shubie Park; and

Whereas on May 27, 2011, Steve Connors will celebrate his 50^th birthday surrounded by friends and family;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate Steve Connors on reaching his 50^th birthday milestone and wish him many more years of health and success.

RESOLUTION NO. 1451

By: Hon. Stephen McNeil « » (Leader of the Opposition)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Ethan Corkum from Lawrencetown Consolidated School was the successful artist whose design was chosen as the 4^th Temporary Tattoo Theme Design, Our Blossoms, Our Families, for the 79^th Apple Blossom Festival; and

Whereas this design was chosen from the many talented submissions received from elementary and middle schools all across the Annapolis Valley; and

Whereas Ethan received $100 for himself and $100 for his classroom and has been named Junior President of the 79^th Apple Blossom Festival;

Therefore be it resolved that members of the House of Assembly congratulate Ethan on this accomplishment and wish him a fun-filled Apple Blossom Festival.

RESOLUTION NO. 1452

[Page 2366]

By: Mr. Andrew Younger « » (Dartmouth East)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas rain-barrel systems are an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative used to catch and store rain water to supply water to gardens during dry spells; and

Whereas as our climate and seasons change, public interest in household and community garden rain barrels and urban gardens is growing; and

Whereas Garity Chapman, the urban garden project coordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, organized and coached a rain-barrel workshop at the Bloomfield Centre in Halifax on May 1, 2011, teaching gardeners how to set up rain-barrel systems at their own homes;

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House of Assembly congratulate Garity and the Ecology Action Centre for their work to raise awareness of environmentally conscious practices and for encouraging Nova Scotia's gardeners to actively participate in reducing our collective carbon footprint.

RESOLUTION NO. 1453

By: Hon. Christopher d'Entremont « » (Argyle)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos has recently acquired a collection of toys that will become part of their permanent collection of toys; and

Whereas Father Maurice LeBlanc of West Pubnico, has donated his childhood toys that were well preserved in the attic of their home dating back to the 1930s and will add to the collection donated by his sister, Roseline LeBlanc; and

Whereas the collection includes a very delicate toy Packard car with its original rubber wheels, police officer, a steamboat, a clown, a penguin, typewriter and tin soldiers that he remembers receiving from Santa Claus as a little boy;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos for acquiring these precious items and thanking Father Maurice LeBlanc for his generous donation that will be well preserved and enjoyed by local people and visitors for years to come.

[Page 2367]

Attendu que le Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos a récemment acquis une collection de jouets qui feront partie de leur collection permanente de jouets; et

Attendu que Père Maurice LeBlanc de Pubnico-Ouest a fait don de ses jouets d'enfance qui ont été bien conservés dans le grenier de leur maison datant des années 1930, et ajouter à la collection léguée par sa s?ur Roseline LeBlanc; et

Attendu que la collection comprend une voiture-jouet Packard avec ses roues en caoutchouc d'origine qui est en condition très délicate, un policier, un bateau à vapeur, un clown, un pingouin, machine à écrire et des soldats de plomb qu'il se souvient avoir re?u du Père No?l comme un petit gar?on;

Par conséquent, qu'il soit résolu que tous les membres de cette Assemblée se joignent à moi pour féliciter le Musée des Acadiens pour l'acquisition de ces objets précieux et de remercier Père Maurice LeBlanc pour son généreux don qui sera bien protégé et apprécié par la population locale et les visiteurs pour les années à venir.

RESOLUTION NO. 1454

By: Hon. Christopher d'Entremont « » (Argyle)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos has recently acquired a collection of toys that will become part of their permanent collection of toys; and

Whereas Roseline LeBlanc of West Pubnico has donated her childhood toys that date back to the 1920s with some still in their original boxes; and

Whereas the collection includes items such as a cast iron stove, telephone, iron, sewing machine, pots and pans, a piano and dolls, including a doll crib;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating the Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos for acquiring these precious items and thanking Roseline LeBlanc for her generous donation that will be well preserved and enjoyed by local people and visitors for years to come.

Attendu que le Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos a récemment acquis une collection de jouets qui feront partie de leur collection permanente de jouets; et

[Page 2368]

Attendu que Roseline LeBlanc de Pubnico-Ouest a fait don de ses jouets d'enfance datant d'environ 1927 qui sont toujours dans leur boîte d'origine; et

Attendu que la collection comprend aussi un petit po?le, un téléphone, un fer à repasser, une machine à coudre, une cuisinière avec des pots et des casseroles, un piano, des poupées et un berceau tissé pours poupées;

Par conséquent, qu'il soit résolu que tous les membres de cette Assemblée se joignent à moi pour féliciter le Musée des Acadiens pour l'acquisition de ces objets précieux et de remercier Roseline LeBlanc pour son généreux don qui sera bien protégé et apprécié par la population locale et les visiteurs pour les années à venir.

RESOLUTION NO. 1455

By: Hon. Christopher D'Entremont « » (Argyle)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas after almost 30 years as proprietors of Carl's Store in Tusket, Carl an Audrey Pottier, of Tusket, retired on March 31, 2011; and

Whereas Carl and Audrey bought the store from Nathan Crosby in 1983 and since that time they have served a huge number of clients, selling a large variety of products such as groceries, being one of a very few stores that still have a meat counter where the meat is freshly cut, sell hardware, paint supplies, sporting goods and operate a Sears outlet and NSLC liquor outlet; and

Whereas Carl's Store has always been a family-run business that has 15 employees, people from around the community, Carl and Audrey are pleased that the store will stay in the family, selling the business to their son Greg Pottier;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in wishing Carl and Audrey Pottier a long happy retirement, congratulate Greg Pottier on buying the business and thank them all for the many years of excellent service they have provided to the community and wish them much success in the future.

? une date ultérieure, je demanderai l'adoption de la résolution suivante :

Attendu qu'après presque 30 ans en tant que propriétaires du magasin Carl's Store à Tusket, Carl et Audrey Pottier de Tusket avons pris leur retraite le 31 mars 2011; et

Attendu que Carl et Audrey ont acheté le magasin de Nathan Crosby en 1983 et depuis ce temps, ils ont servi un grand nombre de clients à vendre une grande variété de produits comme les produits alimentaires, étant un des rares magasins qui ont encore un comptoir des viandes o? la viande est fraîchement coupée, de vendre du matériel, des fournitures de peinture, articles de sport et d'exécuter un point de vente Sears et magasin d'alcool NSLC; et

[Page 2369]

Attendu que Carl's Store a toujours été une entreprise familiale qui a 15 personnes employés de partout dans la communauté, c'est pourquoi Carl et Audrey sont heureux que le magasin restera dans la famille qui vend l'entreprise à leur fils Greg Pottier;

Par conséquent, qu'il soit résolu que tous les membres de cette Assemblée se joignent à moi en souhaitant Carl et Audrey Pottier une longue retraite heureuse, féliciter Greg Pottier sur l'achat de l'entreprise et les remercier pour les nombreuses années d'excellent service qu'ils ont fourni à la communauté et nous leur souhaitons beaucoup de succès dans l'avenir.

RESOLUTION NO. 1456

By: Hon. Christopher D'Entremont « » (Argyle)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the odds of an amateur golfer scoring a hole-in-one are 1 in 12,750 and the odds are 9.2 million to 1 of getting two hole-in-one on the same day, on the same course; and

Whereas in a recent article, Sports Illustrated put the odds at 45,000 to 1 for an amateur to score a hole-in-one on a typical par 3 golf hole; and

Whereas while Georges d'Entremont aced the 130 yard, 17^th hole on Saturday, April 30^th at the West Pubnico Golf Course while playing with Patsy d'Entremont and Guy Rohland;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House applaud the hole-in-one sharpshooting skills of one Georges d'Entremont with hopes that the West Pubnico Golf Club hole-in-one will not be his last.

RESOLUTION NO. 1457

[Page 2370]

By: Hon. Christopher D'Entremont « » (Argyle)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas birthdays are an occasion for family and friends to gather together to celebrate the life of an individual; and

Whereas on February 1, 2011, Mrs. Claire Bourque celebrated her 80^th birthday; and

Whereas to have reached 80 years of age and continue to be active and share all the memories gathered over your lifetime with your loved ones is a wonderful reason to celebrate;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Claire Bourque on reaching this milestone in her life and wishing her many more happy birthdays and continued good health.

RESOLUTION NO. 1458

By: Hon. Christopher d'Entremont « » (Argyle)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas anniversaries are an occasion for family and friends to gather together to celebrate the life of two individuals united as one; and

Whereas an unknown author once quoted: "A marriage anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity, but the order varies for any given year"; and

Whereas on February 22, 2011, a very special occasion took place when Josephine and Merton Nickerson celebrated their 70^th Wedding Anniversary;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly join me in congratulating Josephine and Merton on this remarkable milestone in their life together and in wishing them many more happy years.

RESOLUTION NO. 1459

[Page 2371]

By: Hon. Christopher d'Entremont « » (Argyle)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Anne Marie d'Entremont was born in West Pubnico on May 2, 1937, and passed away on January 10^th, at the age of 73; and

Whereas during her life, Anne Marie was extremely passionate about adult learning and in 1990 began courses with the literacy team at the Tusket Campus of College d'Acadie and became a driving force in assisting other people realize their potential, and worked constantly to preserve the Acadian culture of which she was so proud; and

Whereas Anne Marie served on the board of the Acadian Parents Federation of Nova Scotia and the literacy team of Nova Scotia as well as numerous other associations, receiving a commemorative plaque from the Canadian Federation of Literacy, in French, in recognition of her work over the years;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly recognize the passing of Anne Marie d'Entremont, and send condolences to her family and many friends who mourn her loss.

? une date ultérieure, je demanderai l'adoption de la résolution suivante :

Attendu que Anne Marie d'Entremont est né à Pubnico-Ouest le 2 mai 1937 et décédé le 10 janvier à l'?ge de 73 ans ; et

Attendu qu'au cours de sa vie, Anne Marie a été extr?mement passionnée de l'apprentissage des adultes. En 1990 elle a commencé les cours avec l'équipe d'alphabétisation sur le campus de Tusket du Collège d'Acadie; elle est devenu une grande force pour aider d'autres personnes à réaliser leur potentiel et a travaillé constamment à préserver la culture acadienne dont elle était si fière; et

Attendu qu'Anne Marie a siégé au conseil de la Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse, l'équipe d'alphabétisation de la Nouvelle-Écosse ainsi que de nombreuses autres associations et elle a re?u une plaque commémorative de la Fédération canadienne d'alphabétisation en fran?ais, en reconnaissance de son travail au fil des ans;

Par conséquent, qu'il soit résolu que tous les membres de cette Assemblée reconnaissent le décès de Marie Anne d'Entremont et envoient des condoléances à sa famille et ses nombreux amis qui pleurent sa perte.

RESOLUTION NO. 1460

[Page 2372]

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others, or a particular cause, without payment for their time and services; and

Whereas Susan and Andrew Harvey were recently nominated by the Ardoise Community Hall to receive a volunteer award for being valuable assets to the hall, where they have contributed many hours of volunteer work that keeps the Ardoise Hall a vital part of the community; and

Whereas Mr. and Mrs. Harvey are also involved with groups such as Quick as a Wink dinner theatre and Citizens on Patrol;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Susan and Andrew Harvey on receiving a Municipality of West Hants 2011 Volunteer Award, and thank them for their dedication and commitment.

RESOLUTION NO. 1461

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Windsor Home Hardware was established as Wilcox Brothers in 1876 on the corner of Gerrish and Water Street in Windsor, Hants County, and has been in the Redden family for 51 years since Clarence Redden joined the firm in 1960, with his son, Jeff, becoming involved in 1993; and

Whereas over the years many communities and organizations have benefitted from the assistance of this local business through donations to schools and community groups; and

Whereas Windsor Home Hardware was recently recognized as the recipient of the 2011 Business Community Appreciation Award by the Municipality of the District of West Hants for their sponsorship and support of local charities and organizations;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the owners and staff of Windsor Home Hardware on receiving the 2011 Business Community Appreciation Award and thank them for their dedication and commitment to their community.

[Page 2373]

RESOLUTION NO. 1462

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas having a love for your community and being involved in local activities are two of the qualities that judges look for in choosing the princess who will represent their community at the Queen Annapolisa pageant for the following year; and

Whereas 19-year-old Kelsey Carey, of Bishopville, was named Princess Hantsport 2011 during the well-attended Hantsport Princess Tea on April 19^th where Ms. Carey received her crown and assumed her role as royalty for the coming year; and

Whereas Princess Hantsport, Kelsey, will attend parades and numerous other events as she represents the Town of Hantsport and will be vying for the title of Queen Annapolisa during the Apple Blossom Festival in May;

Therefore be it resolved all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Kelsey on being crowned Princess Hantsport and wish her all the best during her reign.

RESOLUTION NO. 1463

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas teams from across the province took part in this year's Nova Scotia Envirothon competition, which took place at Acadia University in Wolfville, and involved 107 students developing projects around this year's theme of saltwater and freshwater estuaries; and

Whereas Sabrina Hiefer, Jocelyn Brison, Melissa McKinley, Ryan Greenham and adviser Crystal Pulsifer made up the team from Avon View High School in Windsor that won the Envirothon competition and advanced to the International Canon Envirothon Championship to be held at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, in July; and

Whereas the Avon View High School team used a skit format to promote its solution for the causeway problems, which included suggestions of a marine gate system to allow fish and salt water in and out of the upper reaches of the Avon River and a convenient detour for Highway No. 101 traffic;

[Page 2374]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly applaud Sabrina, Jocelyn, Melissa, Ryan and Crystal for their ingenuity and expertise displayed during the competition and wish them continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 1464

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas eight cheer squads met at Avon View High School in Windsor, on April 5^th, 2011 for the Western Regional Cheerleading Championship competitions; and

Whereas Jenny Hatt, Bianca Gonzalas, Maria Smith, Cassandra Shanks, Kaitlyn Rafuse, Hilary Bennet, Shanna Butt, Raychel Strickland, Ashley Britten, Lacy Marr, Danielle Meuse, Jocelyn Brison, Emily Walker, Kaleigh Fougere, Deseray Johnson, Sarah Leopold, Taylor Power, Angela MacDonough, Keri Harvey, Kristen Curry, Amanda Forsey, Brandi Macumber, Lauren MacDougall, Rebecca King and Kim McCartney gave an excellent performance and claimed first place in the competition; and

Whereas after being crowned regional champs, the Avon View Avalanche team are heading to cheerleading provincials, with a perfect record, in hopes of bringing home yet another banner to display in the gym at Avon View;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Avon View Avalanche Cheer Squad on their determination and dedication and wish them continued success in the competitions.

RESOLUTION NO. 1465

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas woodsmen or lumberjack competitions have their roots in competitions that took place in logging camps among loggers; and

Whereas Danielle O'Reilly, Kia McDow, Laura George, Haruka Kashiwal, Jonathan Hoogerwerf, John George, David George and Rebekah O'Reilly, along with instructor Willie Kerr, of the Border Riders 4-H club from Mount Denson, diligently practiced their woodsmen skills for this year's competition; and

[Page 2375]

Whereas the Hants County 4-H Woodsmen Competition, held this year at the Noel Fire Hall, included participants competing in five different events such as sawing, back tank relay and water boiling competition;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate members of the Border Riders 4-H club on their superb woodsmen skills and wish them the best of luck in future competitions.

RESOLUTION NO. 1466

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services; and

Whereas Benjamin Quinn was recently nominated by the Mount Denson Community Hall Association to receive a Volunteer Award for being an active member in his community for over 35 years, helping out with boy scouts, youth bowling, soccer and with the Avon View Band Parents Association; and

Whereas Benjamin volunteers by organizing the weekly card parties at the community hall;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Benjamin on receiving a Municipality of West Hants 2011 Volunteer Award and thank him for his dedication and commitment to his community.

RESOLUTION NO. 1467

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services; and

Whereas Blanche Yeadon was recently nominated by the Windsor Forks Home and School Association to receive a Volunteer Award for being a regular and reliable volunteer with the Windsor Forks Elementary School for the past three years, helping out with noon supervision; and

[Page 2376]

Whereas Ms. Yeadon also helps out with the Christmas Brunch and has often contributed to Home and School meetings;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Blanche on receiving a Municipality of West Hants 2011 Volunteer Award and thank him for her for her dedication and commitment to her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 1468

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services; and

Whereas Chris Webb was recently nominated by Vince Neville to receive a Volunteer Award for being an active member of his community for the past eight years, volunteering with his church and with a number of community organizations; and

Whereas some of the groups that have benefited from Mr. Webb's volunteerism include Walk for the Cure Windsor, Scouts Canada and Basketball Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Chris on receiving a Municipality of West Hants 2011 Volunteer Award and thank him for his dedication and commitment to his community.

RESOLUTION NO. 1469

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services; and

Whereas Joyce Chapman was recently nominated by the Girl Guides of Canada - Hants District to receive a Volunteer Award for being an active volunteer for the past nine years with the Girl Guides; and

Whereas Ms. Chapman has held many different positions within the Guiding movement during her tenure;

[Page 2377]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Joyce on receiving a Municipality of West Hants 2011 Volunteer Award and thank her for her dedication and commitment to the young women in her community.

RESOLUTION NO. 1470

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services; and

Whereas Mostyn Strong was recently nominated by the Newport Baptist Church of Scotch Village to receive a Volunteer Award for being a long-time member and volunteer with the church; and

Whereas Mr. Strong served as deacon, trustee, a member of the finance committee and superintendent of the Sunday School in his many years in the church;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Mostyn Strong on receiving a Municipality of West Hants 2011 Volunteer Award and thank him for his dedication and commitment to his church and his community.

RESOLUTION NO. 1471

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services; and

Whereas Steven Rudolph was recently nominated by the Cheverie Crossway Salt Marsh Society to receive a Volunteer Award for being an active member of the society for the past four years; and

Whereas Mr. Rudolph spends his time and talents maintaining the ball field in Kempt;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Steven Rudolph on receiving a Municipality of West Hants 2011 Volunteer Award and thank him for his dedication and commitment to his community.

[Page 2378]

RESOLUTION NO. 1472

By: Mr. Chuck Porter « » (Hants West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the top 25 per cent of volunteers in Nova Scotia contribute 78 per cent of all volunteer hours; and

Whereas Shelley Bibby, in the Town of Windsor volunteers a great deal and it is where she was recently recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for 2011; and

Whereas Shelley is and has been actively involved in an array of volunteer activities including the Friends of the Library, while joining the Windsor Hockey Heritage Society in 2001 and also taking an active role in coaching and organizing in such minor sports as soccer, hockey and competitive baseball where she currently holds the position of Vice-President of the West Hants Minor Baseball Association;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly acknowledge the volunteer hours of Shelley Bibby of Windsor and thank her for her service to the Town of Windsor.

RESOLUTION NO. 1473

By: Ms. Kelly Regan « » (Bedford-Birch Cove)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Art Mosher has been involved for 10 years with the MS Society of Canada, where he progressed from selling flowers to being the site manager for the Carnation Campaign at the Bedford malls; and

Whereas Art has lent his electronics expertise to Beacon House, where he has volunteered in numerous capacities over the last eight years; and

Whereas Art is an active volunteer at the Bedford Yacht Club, and serves on the board of the Bedford Residents Association and the Bedford-Birch Cove PC Association;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Art Mosher for his dedication to multiple volunteer endeavors, and wish him success as he continues his involvement in our community.

[Page 2379]

RESOLUTION NO. 1474

By: Ms. Kelly Regan « » (Bedford-Birch Cove)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia Recycles Contest encourages recycling and composting programs, and celebrates the ongoing role of Nova Scotia youth in making this province a recognized leader in waste reduction; and

Whereas the Student Awards Banquet for the 2010 Nova Scotia Recycles Contest was held on April 27, 2011, at the Brightwood Golf Club; and

Whereas Oceanne Tardif, a student at École Secondaire du Sommet, was the runner-up in the magazine ad contest for students in Grades 7, 8 and 9;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Oceanne on her achievement and wish her well in her future endeavors.

RESOLUTION NO. 1475

By: Mr. Keith Bain « » (Victoria-The Lakes)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Father Greg MacLeod of Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia is celebrating his Golden Jubilee on Sunday, May 15^th for 50 years in the priesthood; and

Whereas Father Greg received his early education from the Sisters of Notre Dame and was ordered to the priesthood on May 27, 1961, and went on to obtain a doctorate in philosophy from University of Louvain in Belgium; and

Whereas he was actively involved in helping organize New Dawn Enterprises in Sydney, New Deal Development in Sydney Mines as well as assisting with the churches in Sydney Mines and raising funds to develop the main street;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Father Greg MacLeod for 50 years of dedication to the priesthood and wish him continued success in his future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 1476

[Page 2380]

By: Mr. Keith Bain « » (Victoria-The Lakes)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Northside Youth Inclusion Program designed and funded by the Government of Canada is a program that teaches young people new skills and supports their education and career goals, celebrated its 1^st Anniversary on March 12, 2011; and

Whereas the ultimate goal of the program is for at- risk youth to develop career goals and connection with their community through volunteerism and a sense of belonging; and

Whereas after three years, this program will be community funded based on the successful results that the local community has seen to date with reduced vandalism and an overall reduction in youth crimes;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Youth Inclusion Worker, Andie Currie, and Intervention Coordinators Kris Doucette and Heather McNeil on the successful implementation of this program on the Northside.

RESOLUTION NO. 1477

By: Mr. Keith Bain « » (Victoria-The Lakes)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Dean MacEachern of Millville won the Family Category of the Fishin' Nova Scotia photo contest; and

Whereas anglers were invited to submit their best photo of sport fishing experiences; and

Whereas Mr. MacEachern's photo is featured in the 2011 Anglers' Handbook;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Dean MacEachern for winning the family category of the photo contest and thank him for sharing his experience of a favourite Nova Scotia pastime.

RESOLUTION NO. 1478

[Page 2381]

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Shelburne Regional High School student Claire Haliburton received an honourable mention for Best in Fair at the Tri-County Regional Science and Technology Expo, on March 20, 2011; and

Whereas Claire Haliburton, who is a Grade 8 French immersion student, advanced to the regional competition with her project, Le dessalement de l'eau, or the desalination of water, after topping the competition at the school level; and

Whereas it is encouraging to see Nova Scotia students, such as Claire Haliburton, participating and excelling in the educational opportunities that are available to them during their school years;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Claire Haliburton for receiving an honourable mention for Best in Fair at the Tri-County Regional Science and Technology Expo, on March 20, 2011.

RESOLUTION NO. 1479

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Hillcrest Academy Grade 2 student Christina Harris was a runner-up in the Region 6 Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB) Nova Scotia 2010-11 Recycles Contest; and

Whereas Christina Harris was recognized for her work at an awards dinner held in Cookville on April 20, 2011 winning a prize for herself as well as a $250 prize for her Shelburne school; and

Whereas the RRFB Nova Scotia Recycles Contest both encourages and celebrates the ongoing role that Nova Scotia youth play in making this province a recognized leader in waste reduction;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Christina Harris for participating and excelling in the Nova Scotia 2010-11 Recycles Contest.

RESOLUTION NO. 1480

[Page 2382]

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Hillcrest Academy grade 5 student Brandie Pushie was a runner-up in the Region 6 Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB) Nova Scotia 2010-11 Recycles Contest; and

Whereas Brandie Pushie was recognized for her work at an awards dinner held in Cookville on April 20, 2011 winning a prize for herself as well as a $250 prize for her Shelburne school; and

Whereas the RRFB Nova Scotia Recycles Contest both encourages and celebrates the ongoing role that Nova Scotia youth play in making this province a recognized leader in waste reduction;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Brandie Pushie for participating and excelling in the Nova Scotia 2010-2011 Recycles Contest.

RESOLUTION NO. 1481

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Shelburne Regional High School student Colin Walsh was a runner-up in the Region 6 Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB) Nova Scotia 2010-11 Recycles Contest; and

Whereas Colin Walsh, who will be graduating from high school in June, was recognized for his work at an awards dinner held in Cookville on April 20, 2011; and

Whereas the RRFB Nova Scotia Recycles Contest both encourages and celebrates the ongoing role that Nova Scotia youth play in making this province a recognized leader in waste reduction;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulates Colin Walsh for participating and excelling in the Nova Scotia 2010-11 Recycles Contest.

RESOLUTION NO. 1482

[Page 2383]

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Nova Scotia Community College Shelburne Campus student Danielle Francis was among the top competitors in the NSCC's Ideas 2011 competition, held during March; and

Whereas Danielle Francis' innovative idea of magnetic, changeable mouldings earned her first place at both the campus and community college levels of the competition, as well as third place overall in the final round, which involved entries from all participating colleges and universities in the province; and

Whereas Danielle Francis is currently enrolled at the NSCC Shelburne Campus as an adult learner, working towards a Grade 12 diploma in order to advance her education in a chosen field;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulates Danielle Francis for her innovation and creativity that has earned her top marks in the NSCC's Inaugural Ideas 2011 competition.

RESOLUTION NO. 1483

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Evelyn Richardson Memorial Elementary School, in Shag Harbour, lovingly referred to as ERMES, will be staging the dramatic production, The Emperor's Birthday Suit, on May 18-19, 2011; and

Whereas with staff members Jennifer d'Eon and Gail Goreham at the helm, students in Grades 3 to 6 filling the casting roles and support from parent and staff volunteers, this will be the third annual school drama production presented by ERMES, to the delight of the local community; and

Whereas the ERMES school community lives up to its motto to keep a light shining on the successes of all students including extracurricular activities;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate the Evelyn Richardson Memorial Elementary School, in Shag Harbour, on the eve of its third school dramatic production.

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RESOLUTION NO. 1484

By: Mr. Harold Theriault « » (Digby-Annapolis)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 27^th Export Achievement Awards were held on Monday, May 9^th; and

Whereas 10 companies were nominated and recognized for their excellence in exporting and their contributions to the economy; and

Whereas O'Neil Fisheries, of Digby, was among those nominated and honoured at the awards luncheon;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House express congratulations to O'Neil Fisheries on their nomination and wish them continued success.

RESOLUTION NO. 1485

By: Hon. Denise Peterson-Rafuse (Community Services)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council, in partnership with the Department of Community Services, Affirmative Industries and the Disabilities Network, sponsored the first ever Best Big Idea Competition; and

Whereas this competition highlighted the best ideas in the province, particularly from women, persons with disabilities, young people and immigrants; and

Whereas this competition was a success because it inspired entries from 118 entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House join me in congratulating all those who entered the Best Big Idea Competition and encourage Nova Scotia women, persons with disabilities, young people and immigrants to continue sharing their innovation by entering the next competition.

RESOLUTION NO. 1486

[Page 2385]

By: Hon. David Wilson (Communities, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Eric Stackhouse, chief librarian of the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library, will be the 2011 recipient of the Canadian Association of Public Libraries - Brodat Outstanding Public Library Service Award; and

Whereas Mr. Stackhouse is known to provide quality library services to all communities in his region, organizing many programs and partnerships including the Adopt-A-Library Literacy Program in partnership with the RCMP; and

Whereas this award is given annually in the field of Canadian public librarianship to a recipient for outstanding service and is sponsored by Brodart Canada, the library supplies company;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House join me in congratulating Eric Stackhouse on this achievement and recognition from his peers and wish him continued success in providing quality library service for his region.

RESOLUTION NO. 1487

By: Hon. David Wilson (Communities, Culture and Heritage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Erin Comeau is the new regional library director for the Western Counties Regional Libraries; and

Whereas Ms. Comeau joined the management team as French Services Coordinator in 2005, was a librarian for the Clare, Pubnico and Weymouth branches starting in 2007 and is also the webmaster and developed the French side of the library Web site; and

Whereas working in the region and being a native of Clare has given Ms. Comeau a solid understanding of the area's communities, which will assist her in managing, supporting and providing inspiration for the 10 branches that make up this library system;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House join me in congratulating Erin Comeau on her new position and wish her much success in providing innovative and quality library services for the Western Counties Regional Libraries.

RESOLUTION NO. 1488

[Page 2386]

By: Hon. John MacDonell « » (Agriculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Cogmagun Poultry Processing Plant of Centre Burlington, Hants County, recently expanded its processing plant and obtained provincial certification; and

Whereas with increased capacity for production, the Cogmagun Poultry Processing Plant now caters to the broader agricultural community by offering value-added poultry processing services including packaging; and

Whereas Cogmagun Poultry Processing Plant is a family business owned and operated by mother and son duo Beth and Cameron Taylor and has successfully contributed to Nova Scotia's agricultural industry;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the Taylor family on the reinvention and revitalization of its business and send best wishes for continued success in Nova Scotia.

RESOLUTION NO. 1489

By: Hon. John MacDonell « » (Agriculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas The Wild Ones: The Tough Little Delicious Lowbush Blueberry, written by Paddy Muir and published by Northwest Arm Press, has been shortlisted for the Hackmatack Atlantic Canadian Children's Choice Book Award for 2011-12 in the English non-fiction category, with winners being announced in April 2012; and

Whereas the book was selected by teachers and librarians for the shortlist because of its Atlantic Canadian content, literary quality, appeal to children and reflection of cultural diversity; and

Whereas the The Wild Ones book was the official selection when volunteers from the agriculture community visited Grade 2 and Grade 3 classes during Agricultural Education Week, May 2^nd to May 6^th;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Paddy Muir and Northwest Arm Press for The Wild Ones being shortlisted for the Hackmatack prize and send best wishes when winners are announced in April, 2012 in Moncton, New Brunswick.

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RESOLUTION NO. 1490

By: Hon. John MacDonell « » (Agriculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Peter Clarke of Woodville, Kings County, was recently elected chair of the Egg Farmers of Canada; Mark Davies of Billtown, Kings County, was recently elected chair of the Turkey Farmers of Canada and David Fuller of Blomidon, Kings County, was recently elected chair of the Chicken Farmers of Canada; and

Whereas selection for these positions shows acknowledgement and respect for the knowledge, wisdom and passion of Nova Scotia farmers; and

Whereas each of these producers has spent many years serving local commodity boards, providing leadership to the industry on a local basis;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate three Nova Scotia producers recently elected by their peers to leadership positions in three national agricultural agencies, and extend sincerest gratitude and appreciation for all their efforts.

RESOLUTION NO. 1491

By: Hon. John MacDonell « » (Agriculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Geoff and Jennifer Bishop, of Round Hill, Annapolis County, own and operate a successful dairy farm and were recently named Atlantic Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers for 2011; and

Whereas this distinction recognizes farmers who exemplify excellence in their profession and who promote the contributions of agriculture in community and society; and

Whereas as winners of our region's Outstanding Young Farmers Award, the couple now move up to compete for the Canadian title in Brandon, Manitoba, in November;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Geoff and Jennifer Bishop as Atlantic Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers and wish them success as they represent our province and our region at the Outstanding Young Farmers national event.

[Page 2388]

RESOLUTION NO. 1492

By: Hon. John MacDonell « » (Agriculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Sledding Hill Farm in Bear River, Annapolis County, is a successful farm business operated by Gordon Tingley and Martin McGurk; and

Whereas Sledding Hill Farm is a producer of quality, value-added agriculture products including a line of lavender jelly, syrup, baking sugar and pepper from its lavender plants; and

Whereas value-added agricultural products can generate a great return on investment and are excellent opportunities for research and collaboration, leading to economic growth and a greater diversity of products offered to consumers;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly send best wishes for continued success in agriculture to Gordon Tingley and Martin McGurk of Sledding Hill Farm.

RESOLUTION NO. 1493

By: Hon. Marilyn More « » (Labour and Advanced Education)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Nova Scotia as clearly shown by the 118 entries in the first ever Best Big Idea Competition; and

Whereas this competition was sponsored by the Nova Scotian Co-operative Council in partnership with the Department of Community Services, Affirmative Industries and the Disabilities Network with the aim to highlight the best entrepreneurial ideas in the province, particularly from women, person with disabilities, young people and immigrants; and

Whereas a Halifax entrepreneur who developed a product that will allow business to safely share confidential documents electronically is the first big winner of the competition;

[Page 2389]

Therefore be it resolved that members of this House join me in congratulating Milan Vrekic, a Serbian immigrant who owns Mojo Labs, as the overall winner of the Best Big Idea Competition.

RESOLUTION NO. 1494

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Acadian Seaplants is celebrating 30 years as a business leader in marine plant products; and

Whereas Acadian Seaplants is a Nova Scotia company that's earned a world-wide reputation for innovations in aquaculture and top-quality, value-added products that meet the needs of today's marketplace; and

Whereas Acadian Seaplants has helped create good jobs and grow the economy of rural Nova Scotia and played a role in putting our province on the export market map;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Acadian Seaplants on its 30^th Anniversary and wish them many more years of product innovation and business success.

RESOLUTION NO. 1495

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas this year the Atlantic Veterinary College at University of Prince Edward Island will mark 25 years of excellence in veterinary education, research and professional services; and

Whereas the Atlantic Veterinary College will celebrate this important milestone with events and activities throughout the year; and

Whereas the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Atlantic Veterinary College both benefit from a partnership steeped in years of research and innovation in lobster science;

[Page 2390]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly send congratulations and best wishes to the staff and faculty of the Atlantic Veterinary College as they celebrate their 25^th Anniversary.

RESOLUTION NO. 1496

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Dr. Boris Worm is known for his first-hand research in marine ecology and fisheries conservation and for his commitment to spreading public awareness about conservation issues; and

Whereas Dr. Worm has earned the $250,000 Steacie Memorial Fellowship, one of only six given each year to outstanding university researchers in Canada; and

Whereas Dr. Worm is undertaking a two-year research project to better understand how the ocean's ecosystems are changing; research which will undoubtedly be of great value to the scientific community;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Dr. Boris Worm for receiving the Steacie Memorial Fellowship and recognize the importance of learning about conservation and understanding our marine ecosystems.

RESOLUTION NO. 1497

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Louis Deveau is marking his 80^th birthday this year by retiring from Acadian Seaplants, a company he founded 30 years ago; and

Whereas Louis Deveau's vision, leadership and hard work over the years helped make Acadian Seaplants a pioneer in Atlantic Canada's vibrant and growing aquaculture industry; and

Whereas Louis Deveau founded Acadian Seaplants at an age when most people are considering retirement;

[Page 2391]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly send congratulations and best wishes to Louis Deveau on his 80^th birthday as he begins the next chapter of his life following retirement from Acadian Seaplants.

RESOLUTION NO. 1498

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on March 31^st, members of the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment gathered for a day of learning; and

Whereas several staff were presented with awards for Excellence in Service Delivery, Relationship Building, Performance, Team Building, Creativity, and Environmental Protection and Stewardship; and

Whereas the staff of Environmental Monitoring and Compliance, located in communities throughout the province, are the front line in protecting the environment in Nova Scotia;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House congratulate the award winners and all Environmental Monitoring and Compliance staff for their dedication and excellent service to Nova Scotians.

RESOLUTION NO. 1499

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 27^th Export Achievement Awards were held on May 9^th in Halifax, Nova Scotia, recognizing excellence in Nova Scotian exporters; and

Whereas exports are an important and vital part of the fisheries and aquaculture industry; and

Whereas Cooke Aquaculture, Louisbourg Seafoods, and O'Neil Fisheries are among those companies honoured at the 2011 awards;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Cooke Aquaculture, Louisbourg Seafoods, and O'Neil Fisheries on being recognized for excellence in seafood exporting in Nova Scotia.

[Page 2392]

RESOLUTION NO. 1500

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas more than 125 people entered their favourite sport-fishing photos in the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Fishin' Nova Scotia Photo Contest; and

Whereas seven winning photos were selected and are featured in the Anglers' Handbook and Summary of Regulations for the 2011 fishing season; and

Whereas the Fishin' Nova Scotia Photo Contest is a way to generate interest in sport fishing, one of our province's most popular pastimes;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the winners of the Fishin' Nova Scotia Photo Contest and recognize the talents of all budding photographers who participated this year.

RESOLUTION NO. 1501

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mr. Henry Demone has been named 2011 Person of the Year by IntraFish Media, a leading provider of news to the global seafood industry; and

Whereas Mr. Demone was chosen by IntraFish Media editors who examined global seafood industry events of 2010 and determined who had significant influence over the development of the industry; and

Whereas Mr. Demone has spent much of his career in the seafood industry and worked his way to the top as CEO of High Liner Foods, a Nova Scotia processor and marketer of frozen seafoods;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Mr. Henry Demone as IntraFish Media's 2011 Person of the Year, and recognize his numerous accomplishments for his company's future

RESOLUTION NO. 1502

[Page 2393]

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I will move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas High Liner Foods is a leading North American processor and marketer of prepared and value-added frozen seafood based in Lunenburg; and

Whereas High Liner Foods has committed to sourcing all seafood from certified sustainable or responsible fisheries and aquaculture farms by the end of 2013; and

Whereas High Liner Foods has pledged to help suppliers achieve sustainable practices and certifications and to ensure long-term viability;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate High Liner Foods for its commitment to sourcing sustainable seafood and being an industry leader in environmental stewardship.

RESOLUTION NO. 1503

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas more than 100 children entered drawings, sketches and paintings of Nova Scotia's provincial fish, the brook trout, in the first annual Kids' Fish Art Contest; and

Whereas artwork from contest winners Brant Timmons, of Port Hawkesbury; Kylee Hick, of Hubbards; Fern Donovan, of Leitches Creek; and Thomas Tooke, of Musquodoboit, is featured in the Anglers' Handbook and Summary of Regulations for the 2011 fishing season; and

Whereas the Kids' Fish Art Contest is a way to generate interest in sport fishing, one of our province's most popular pastimes;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate the winners of the Kids' Fish Art Contest and recognize the talents of all school-aged artists who participated.

RESOLUTION NO. 1504

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By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Mill Village Consolidated School is hosting an aquarium as part of the Atlantic Salmon Federation's education program and will hatch approximately 300 brook trout eggs in the coming weeks; and

Whereas the school's fish will be studied and then released in the Medway River as part of a repopulation effort; and

Whereas the program will teach the Grade 2 class at Mill Village Consolidated School not only about brook trout, but also the importance of a clean and healthy environment for fish and other aquatic species;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Mill Village Consolidated School on its dedication to educating students about the fisheries on the Medway River and for assisting in this conservation effort.

RESOLUTION NO. 1505

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Ocean Nutrition of Dartmouth is the largest manufacturer of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil that's used in dietary supplements and food manufacturing; and

Whereas Ocean Nutrition recently announced it has entered into an exclusive long-term strategic agreement with a Singapore company, Wilmar International, to launch a new premium cooking oil with Omega-3 as an ingredient; and

Whereas Ocean Nutrition presented Wilmar International with an award for the most significant contribution to human health in 2010 in recognition of this commitment and effort to help Chinese consumers meet their daily requirement of Omega-3 fatty acids;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Ocean Nutrition for its innovative business application that will make it easier for Chinese consumers to meet an important health requirement each day.

RESOLUTION NO. 1506

[Page 2395]

By: Hon. Sterling Belliveau « » (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Dr. Tim Webster is the recipient of the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award in recognition of his long-standing dedication and leadership in developing remote sensing technologies, which have greatly increased knowledge and improved management in the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine area; and

Whereas Dr. Webster has helped build collaborative networks with governments, industry and academia throughout Atlantic Canada to better understand the Bay of Fundy's changing coastlines, watersheds and the implications of climate change on coastal environments and communities in our region; and

Whereas Dr. Webster is fostering the next generation of passionate and creative researchers interested in applying geomatics technologies and know-how to environmental and social issues in the Gulf of Maine by teaching and mentoring students at the Nova Scotia Community College;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly congratulate Dr. Tim Webster for receiving the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award and recognize the important contributions he has made to helping the scientific community better understand coastal issues that affect the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy.

RESOLUTION NO. 1507

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas in February 2011, Nova Scotia was the proud host of the Canada Winter Games, which brought visitors and athletes from all over Canada to our wonderful province; and

Whereas volunteers from all over Nova Scotia, and from all ages, gave of their time in volunteer roles to help make this event the tremendous event it was in Nova Scotia style; and

Whereas Abby Cenerini and Brooke Murphy, two very lucky Eastern Passage Girl Guides, proudly represented Nova Scotia as medal presenters at the Synchronized Swimming event at the Canada Games Centre;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly commend Abby Cenerini and Brooke Murphy for their outstanding contribution to the Nova Scotia Canada Winter Games, 2011 as medal presenters for the Synchronized Swimming.

[Page 2396]

RESOLUTION NO. 1508

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Alexis Crossley, of Cole Harbour, has been a key player on competitive hockey teams from a young age; and

Whereas this past winter she participated in the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax; and

Whereas her academic achievements and hockey skills have taken her to Shattuck St. Mary's Under-19 National Hockey Championships and have earned her a scholarship to the University of New Hampshire in the United States;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly commends Alexis Crossley for her outstanding international women's hockey accomplishments, which include Shattuck St. Mary's Under-19 USA National Hockey Championship, 2011 Canada Winter Games and a full scholarship to the University of New Hampshire, a Division 1 hockey school.

RESOLUTION NO. 1509

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on April 7, 2011 the Annual Royal Canadian Legion Call to Remembrance Competition was hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion Dieppe Branch 90 of Waverly; and

Whereas the Call to Remembrance competition is a test of junior high school teams' knowledge of Canada's involvement in the First World War, Second World War, Korean War, Victoria Cross winners and other related wartime information; and

Whereas the Royal Canadian Legion CAEN Branch 164, of Eastern Passage, annually supports the Eastern Passage Education Centre (EPEC) Junior High School team which, this year, took home the bronze medal after a tough competition against Bicentennial Junior High School;

[Page 2397]

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly commends CAEN Branch 164 Eastern Passage Legion for their ongoing support of the Call to Remembrance Competition through EPEC teams, helping to offer skill development for the youth of their community and help them celebrate the bronze medal win of EPEC this year.

RESOLUTION NO. 1510

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Fisherman's Cove is an icon in the community of Eastern Passage that promotes tourism, economic development, culture and heritage of the surrounding area in the heart of a working fishing village; and

Whereas Carolyn Scott of Cow Bay dedicated her time and energy, in a volunteer capacity, to the Fisherman's Cove Development Association with passion and professionalism; and

Whereas recently Carolyn retired from the role of board chair and administrator after 15 years of volunteering at Fisherman's Cove;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly commend Carolyn Scott, of Cow Bay, for her more than 15 years of dedication to the Fisherman's Cove Development Association on the occasion of her retirement from the role of board chair and administrator and wish her every success in her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 1511

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Westphal-Cole Harbour Firefighters Association has been protecting and serving the area for more than 49 years; and

Whereas through the dedicated service of past, present and future firefighters, courageously protect families and properties, while going above and beyond their call of duty, to contribute to the greater good of their community; and

Whereas at the annual banquet last week, the association announced that they raised almost $37,000 this year for Muscular Dystrophy through their Ladder-thon and Christmas tree sales to name a few fundraising efforts;

[Page 2398]

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly commend all members of the Westphal-Cole Harbour Firefighters Association for their extraordinary efforts in raising almost $37,000 for Muscular Dystrophy and wish them many more years of safety on duty and success in their efforts of service.

RESOLUTION NO. 1512

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Cole Harbour Wings Bantam AA Hockey Team travelled to the Pittsburg Classic Hockey Tournament in December 2010 and were tremendous Nova Scotia ambassadors; and

Whereas Cole Harbour's own Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins worked with coach Paul Mason to arrange a trip of a lifetime for coaches Marcel Deveau, Hilary Trainor, Greg Foote, players Roman Bengert, Patrick Conrad, Brett Crosley, Ryan Fraser, Jeffery Jorgensen, Daniel Kiley, Kyle MacAulay, Conner Malcolm, Liam Mason, Chase Murphy, Payton Parker, Troon Riddell, Michael Rumsby, Christian Smith, Zach Tagliapietra, Logan Tansley, Jacob Tibert, Justin Webb, which was a memorable experience for the players and volunteers of the Cole Harbour Wings; and

Whereas Sidney Crosby spent an extraordinary amount of time with the team on the ice, as a coach from the bench, behind the scene in the dressing room, and at the Penguins' practice;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly commend the Cole Harbour Wings Bantam AA Hockey Team for their great representation of Nova Scotian pride, enthusiasm, sportsmanship and hockey skills at the Pittsburgh Classic Hockey Tournament in December 2010.

RESOLUTION NO. 1513

[Page 2399]

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Curves Eastern Passage has participated in the 13^th Annual Curves Food Drive to collect non-perishable food and cash donations throughout the month of April; and

Whereas the owners and staff of Curves Eastern Passage want to help strengthen their community through their efforts to support local families in need; and

Whereas Curves' franchises across North America have donated more than 27.6 million kilograms of food in the U.S. and Canada since 2004, thanks to local businesses like Curves Eastern Passage;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly commend Curves Eastern Passage for their commitment to the local community through their efforts in the 13^th Annual Curves Food Drive, for the betterment of those they serve.

RESOLUTION NO. 1514

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Dartmouth Whalers Atom AAA Hockey Team recently won the Nova Scotia Atom AAA Provincial Championships and the SEDHMA Tournament with a combined record of 10 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie; and

Whereas Ozzie King and Luke Henman of Eastern Passage were two of the top three scorers for the team this season; and

Whereas goalie Aidan Durnford of Eastern Passage was named provincial Most Valuable Player twice, tournament Best Goalie and tournament Most Valuable Player with a record of 6 wins, 4 shutouts and only 3 goals against;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulate head coach Marty King, and players Ozzie King, Luke Henman, and Aidan Durnford, for their outstanding accomplishments with the Dartmouth Whalers Atom AAA Hockey Team at the Nova Scotia Atom Provincials and SEDHMA tournament.

RESOLUTION NO. 1515

[Page 2400]

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Eastern Passage Tigers, Bantam Boys Basketball Team, have completed a successful season as competitors and Gold Medal winners of the Metro Basketball League; and

Whereas Tigers team members Bryce MacLeod, Michael Power, Aaron Fraser, Ricky Travis, Degan Robichaud, Blake Travis, Brett Layton, Scottie Keeping, Logan Fowler and Bradley DeMont, Head Coach Lloyd Jackson, Team Manager Rhonda Power, Assistant Coaches Tori Jackson and Glynnis Jackson played successfully across the province during the Fall/winter season, winning the Antigonish Invitational Tournament; and

Whereas at home, the Tigers captured Gold, beating the Halifax Martyrs at the Matt Fidgen Memorial Tournament;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulates the Eastern Passage Tigers Boys Basketball Team on their amazing Bantom Boys season as Metro Basketball League Champions, as well as Gold Medal Winners of the Antigonish Invitational Tournament and the Matt Fidgen Memorial Tournament.

RESOLUTION NO. 1516

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on April 7, 2011, Royal Canadian Legion Dieppe Branch 90 of Waverley hosted the annual "Call to Remembrance" competition in the HRM area of schools; and

Whereas the "Call to Remembrance" competition is a test of Junior High School students' knowledge of Canada's involvement in the First World War, Second World War, Korean War, Victoria Cross Winners, and other related wartime information; and

Whereas Eastern Passage Education Centre (EPEC) junior high team members Morgan Garnier, Jaydan Graves, John Hillier, Allison Merrick and Shelley Rondeau and team advisor Jennifer Garnier, won the Bronze Medal competition against a strong Bicentennial Junior High School team, with a score of 23 to 19, winning in the final seconds of play;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulates EPEC Junior High students Morgan Garnier, Jaydan Graves, John Hillier, Allison Merrick and Shelley Rondeau and team advisor Jennifer Garnier, on their Bronze Medal win at the Royal Canadian Legion "Call to Remembrance" on April 7, 2011 and wish them many more successes in their future endeavours.

[Page 2401]

RESOLUTION NO. 1517

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Girl Guide movement began in 1909 in England, when a group of girls demanded entry to a Boy Scout Rally, which later spread to Canada in 1910, and Nova Scotia in 1911; and

Whereas the Girl Guides mission continues to stand the test of time 100 years later, as "Fun, Friendship and Adventure"; and

Whereas 1^st Eastern Passage Sparks, Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders, 3^rd Eastern Passage Sparks, Brownies and Guides, continue to offer a safe, accepting environment with diverse and exciting programs and activities that offer girls the opportunity to discover, explore and be adventurous with new friends;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulates 1^st Eastern Passage Sparks, Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders, 3^rd Eastern Passage Sparks, Brownies and Guides on the occasion of the 100^th Anniversary of Girl Guides in Nova Scotia, and wish them many more years of providing outstanding programs and activities to the young women of the Eastern Passage area.

RESOLUTION NO. 1518

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Shearwater Community Council works hard to promote community identity, pride and engagement through efforts led by Major, MCpl. Glen Johnson and Deputy Major, Cpl. Glenn Keefe and special Events Coordinator, Cpl. Krysti Fawcett; and

Whereas the community of Shearwater, which comprises roughly 300 families, will be participating in the 3^rd Annual Clean Up on Saturday May 28^th, to show pride in their community and in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas this event is a family event, fostering participation by all ages, role modeling community values, respect and pride all wrapped up in a fun and productive community event;

[Page 2402]

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly commends the community of Shearwater for their efforts in a community clean up, and exemplifying environmental stewardship in doing their part to keep Nova Scotia beautiful and clean.

RESOLUTION NO. 1519

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Jessie Doucet, from Cole Harbour, has been a synchronized swimmer for the past five years, first as a member of the Oceana Team at Akerley Campus through the YMCA and then, by acquiring Most Improved in the Fall of 2010, which earned her a spot on the 10-person team for Nova Scotia at the 2011 Canada Winter Games; and

Whereas Jessie is also part of the Pre I.B. (International Baccalaureate) Program at Prince Andrew High School, where she achieved high honours in her Fall semester; and

Whereas as one of the last two swimmers chosen to complete the Winter Games Synchronized Swimming Team and just a few months to prepare, Jessie achieved her personal best by winning the 95^th spot from across Canada;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly commend Jessie Doucet for her spectacular achievements with high honours in the Pre I.B. Program at Prince Andrew High School and being chosen to represent Team Nova Scotia in Synchronized Swimming at the 2011 Canada Winter Games held in Halifax and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

RESOLUTION NO. 1520

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas adaptations for Parasports have made a huge difference in the lives of many people with physical disabilities who have a love and desire for participating in sports; and

Whereas Nicole Durand, a 20-year old resident of Eastern Passage, is one of those people who from a young age has been keen to keep fit and push her competitive spirit by trying nearly every Parasport available in Nova Scotia, such as sledge hockey, swimming, wheelchair curling, wheelchair basketball and gymnastics; and

[Page 2403]

Whereas after less than one year of practice, Nicole was chosen to compete on the Nova Scotia Para-Nordic Sit-ski Team where she placed well at the 2011 Canada Winter Games;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulate Nicole Durand for being a participant on the Para-Nordic Sit-ski Team at the 2011 Canada Winter Games and commend her perseverance and dedication to her own personal physical fitness.

RESOLUTION NO. 1521

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas at the 39^th Charter Night of the Eastern Passage Cow Bay Lions Club on April 9, 2011, District Governor (Elect) Peter Reid, received his 20-year Monarch Certificate for his 29 years of service to the Lions Club; and

Whereas Peter has worked on and chaired a number of committees, served in several district positions, was the first 2^nd Vice District Governor for Nova Scotia during his 20 years of service, and is currently Bar Manager, Visitation and Nomination Chair; and

Whereas Peter has been elected to be the next District Governor for all of Nova Scotia, beginning July 1, 2011;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulate Peter Reid of Eastern Passage for receiving his 20-year Monarch Certificate and for achieving District Governor (Elect) status with the Eastern Passage Cow Bay Lions Club.

RESOLUTION NO. 1522

[Page 2404]

By: Ms. Becky Kent « » (Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Seaside FM is a not-for-profit radio station located in Eastern Passage that broadcasts easy listening music of yesterday and today primarily around HRM but has audiences on-line around the world; and

Whereas through the generous support of listeners, clients, station members and citizens throughout HRM, Seaside FM was successful in raising over $43,000 at their annual 10-day Radio-Thon in March, which allows them to continue to inform listeners of local news, sports, weather, traffic, community events, as well as great music; and

Whereas the success of the station is due to the hard work and dedication of 40 station members, volunteers, intern students from NSCC Waterfront Campus Broadcasting Course, summer students and local partners;

Therefore be it resolved that this Nova Scotia House of Assembly congratulate 105.9 Seaside FM in Eastern Passage for another successful 10-day Radio-Thon, raising over $43,000, ensuring that Nova Scotians will continue to enjoy the music they grew up with, along with easy listening music of today, through the dynamic team of staff and volunteers, both on the air and behind the scenes and wish them many more years of success.

RESOLUTION NO. 1523

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Julie Wynn from Cole Harbour demonstrated her passion and support for her community by volunteering countless hours to the Canada Winter Games; and

Whereas Ms. Wynn already manages a very busy life with a full-time career and family; and

Whereas she took on two challenging volunteer roles, Marketing and Sponsor Venue Representative and Committee Lead of Merchandise/Pins;

Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly extends gratitude to Julie Wynn for her extraordinary voluntary efforts at the 2011 Canada Winter Games.

RESOLUTION NO. 1524

[Page 2405]

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Cole Harbour Heritage Society, which runs the Cole Harbour Heritage Farm, received a $14,000 grant to upgrade and sustain their operations; and

Whereas the society has used the money to review the board and staff operations in order to improve efficiencies, provide training and create a long-term plan for the farm; and

Whereas they continue to run this farm, within the city, for students and members of the community to visit, learn about plants and animals and gain knowledge about farming;

Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly congratulates the continued efforts of the Cole Harbour Heritage Society and wish them best of luck for the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 1525

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Patrick MacLennan, Philip Arsenault and Sarah Gray of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, have successfully achieved recognition for receiving the Duke of Edinburgh Award; and

Whereas Patrick received the Gold Award; Philip received the Silver Award; and Sarah received the Bronze Award for their voluntary work across community service, personal skill development, physical recreation and adventurous journey; and

Whereas the Duke of Edinburgh's Award was founded in 1956 by His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and came to Canada in 1963 and it is an award that encourages youth to be active, to participate in new activities and pursue current interests in four different areas;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly congratulate Patrick MacLennan, Philip Arsenault and Sarah Gray for receiving the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

RESOLUTION NO. 1526

[Page 2406]

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Erin Pettipas, a Grade 7 student at Ellenvale Junior High, organized her third annual WARM Nova Scotia clothing drive in support of Coats for Kids; and

Whereas Erin collects warm clothing for others in memory of her father who passed away in 2009; and

Whereas in the first year, Erin collected over 400 items of clothing and in the second year she collected 18 large bags and donated all of the clothes to Coats for Kids;

Therefore be it resolved that the members the House of Assembly recognize the selfless actions of Erin Pettipas and wish her well in her future ventures.

RESOLUTION NO. 1527

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on February 7, 2011, the Cole Harbour Lions Club sponsored and hosted a Speakout contest for Grades 9-12 students, with the chance to win trophies and cash prizes; and

Whereas seven Grade 9 students from Astral Drive and one Grade 11 student from Cole Harbour High participated in the contest by speaking out against important issues including child abuse, poverty and profanity; and

Whereas students prepared five minute speeches about their issue of choice, then read the speech in front of the crowd and replied to questions;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House of Assembly recognize the extraordinary efforts of the students who participated in the recent Speakout contest, and the members of the Lions Club for hosting the event.

RESOLUTION NO. 1528

[Page 2407]

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas The Dartmouth Manta Rays Swim Club recently participated in the East Coast Swim Championships in New Brunswick; and

Whereas 29 teams competed across different age and skill levels at this competition and the Dartmouth Manta Rays placed 10^th overall; and

Whereas five of the swimmers from the Dartmouth Manta Rays Swim Club qualified to compete at the National Championship;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate the swimmers and coaches of the Dartmouth Manta Rays Swim Club on a successful competition.

RESOLUTION NO. 1529

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas this winter the Rose and Kettle Tea Room at the Cole Harbour Heritage Farm once again hosted their winter concert series; and

Whereas the Rose and Kettle Tea Room featured up close and personal performances from some of the most talented folk performers in Nova Scotia; and

Whereas a superb combination of instruments and voices thrill audiences and will continue to do so every Thursday night until the end of April;

Therefore be it resolved that this House recognize the Rose and Kettle Tea Room and applaud the success of their community based weekly concert series.

RESOLUTION NO. 1530

[Page 2408]

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on February 9, 2011 the students and teachers at Sir Robert Borden Junior High held a fundraiser called Shave a Friend in support of Feed the Children and the Canadian Cancer Society; and

Whereas teacher Dan Fraser agreed to shave a purple mohawk on his head, teacher Wayne Jollimore shaved off his 22-year-old moustache and vice principal Dan Smith shaved his head and goatee; and

Whereas through their brave efforts, they raised $500 for Feed the Children and$800 for the Canadian Cancer Society;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of the House of Assembly congratulate the teachers and students who were involved in the Shave a Friend fundraiser.

RESOLUTION NO. 1531

By: Hon. Darrell Dexter « » (The Premier)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Cole Harbour branch of The Co-operators hosted a client appreciation breakfast during the holiday season; and

Whereas the staff at the office offered a free breakfast and many door prizes for their loyal clients; and

Whereas clients brought donations of toys, games and other contributions, which The Co-operators generously donated to The Society of Vincent de Paul;

Therefore be it resolved that the House congratulate The Co-operators for their bighearted donations and wish them lots of luck for future events.

RESOLUTION NO. 1532

[Page 2409]

By: Hon. Denise Peterson-Rafuse (Community Services)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, the Municipality of Chester paid tribute to their many wonderful and talented volunteers; and

Whereas volunteers are the heart of our communities; and

Whereas on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, Mr. Jim Barkhouse was recognized for volunteer service to his community in such areas as the Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce, Ross Farm, Lions Club, and service to the Shoreham Village Blood Clinic;

Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly congratulate Mr. Jim Barkhouse as he continues to support his community through volunteer activities.

RESOLUTION NO. 1533

By: Hon. Denise Peterson-Rafuse (Community Services)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas on April 26, 2011, the Nova Scotia Resource and Recovery Fund Board, along with Region 6 Solid Waste Management, recently honoured local winners in the 11^th Annual Nova Scotia Recycles School Contest; and

Whereas Mataya Hancock of Chester District Elementary School won first place in the Grades 4 to 6 level; and

Whereas this year there was over $55,000 in cash prizes made available to schools and students from Primary to Grade 12, including $20,000 in scholarships to high school graduates;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate Mataya Hancock on her success, and wish her all the best in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 1534

[Page 2410]

By: Hon. Denise Peterson-Rafuse (Community Services)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the New Ross Consolidated School finished third in the 2010-11 Literacy WOW! Reading Challenge Championships; and

Whereas with an average of 210 books per student, New Ross Consolidated School came third out of 61 schools - in total, all schools read 1,093,010 books; and

Whereas the New Ross Consolidated School and its students received the award during the school's 3^rd Annual Literacy Fair, which promotes reading and literacy;

Therefore be it resolved that the members of this House of Assembly congratulate the students from New Ross Consolidated School on a job well done, placing third in the Literacy WOW! Reading Challenge Championships, and wish these students all the best in the future.

RESOLUTION NO. 1535

By: Hon Gordon Gosse (The Speaker)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas in 1981, Bea LeBlanc commenced her illustrious career as a crisis worker at Cape Breton Transition House, followed by her appointment in 1985 as executive director; and

Whereas Bea LeBlanc has worked endlessly to improve the services and shelter for victims of abuse, both women and children; and

Whereas Bea LeBlanc carried the torch in educating our community in the issues of family violence;

Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia Legislature congratulate Bea LeBlanc on her 30 years of dedication and commitment to the world of family violence, and wish her all the best in her retirement.

RESOLUTION NO. 1536

[Page 2411]

By: Mr. Gary Ramey « » (Lunenburg West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Whitney Lohnes is an 18-year old judoka from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, who was one of the smallest members of Nova Scotia's judo contingent at the Canada Games, but sported one of the biggest reputations in the field; and

Whereas in spite of considerable pressure to perform well at the Canada Games and injuries incurred in previous bouts, Ms. Lohnes used, by her own admission, technique and strategy to her advantage; and

Where as Ms. Whitney Lohnes used her consummate skill to defeat her Manitoba opponents and prevail to win a gold medal in judo;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Ms. Whitney Lohnes for her superlative effort in the Canada Games and wish her success and happiness in her future.

RESOLUTION NO. 1537

By: Mr. Gary Ramey « » (Lunenburg West)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas leadership is an important part of the social fabric in any community and the local YMCA recently offered a youth leadership training program; and

Whereas 11 youths between the ages of 13 and 17 recently completed months of training in two levels of the program put on by the YMCA, Lunenburg County, in Bridgewater, these individuals being Nathaniel Mansfield, Cale Potter, Taylor Carchedi, Lindsay Crowell, Ryan Crowell, Adam Fancy, Bradford Haughn, Thomas Rafuse, Nick Slauenwhite, Katherine Porter and Marcus Weagle; and

Whereas the purpose of this classroom and interactive program is designed to instill a sense of responsibility for the well-being of others and a sound foundation of formal and supervised in-service training that prepares youth for future volunteer and employment opportunities;

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House congratulate Nathaniel Mansfield, Cale Potter, Taylor Carchedi, Lindsay Crowell, Ryan Crowell, Adam Fancy, Bradford Haughn, Thomas Rafuse, Nick Slauenwhite, Katherine Porter and Marcus Weagle for completing two months of youth leadership training at the YMCA, Lunenburg County.

[Page 2412]

RESOLUTION NO. 1538

By: Mr. Leonard Preyra « » (Halifax Citadel-Sable Island)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Halifax Sci-Tech Expo is a not-for-profit organization that organizes and administers the Regional Science Fair for students in Grades 7 through 12 in the Halifax Regional Municipality; and

Whereas Alexander Sapp is a Grade 9 student at Fountain Academy of the Sacred Heart who was awarded a Canada-Wide Science Fair Scholarship at the 2011 Halifax Sci-Tech Expo for his project, Sound Localization; The Shape of the Ear, earning him the opportunity to advance to the Canada-Wide Science fair in Toronto, from May 14-21, 2011; and

Whereas Alexander Sapp is one of six students from Halifax Regional Municipality who will compete in the Canada-Wide Science Fair, with competitors having been chosen from approximately 25,000 students from 100 regional science and technology fairs across the country;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulates Alexander Sapp on his achievement at the 2011 Halifax Sci-Tech Expo and extend best wishes for a successful and enriching experience at the 2011 Canada-Wide Science Fair, Canada's premier youth science event.

RESOLUTION NO. 1539

By: Mr. Leonard Preyra « » (Halifax Citadel-Sable Island)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas an urban farm will sprout on the site of the former Queen Elizabeth High School in downtown Halifax; and

Whereas a diverse group of people and organizations, including the Capital District Health Authority, have come together to support this project as a way to grow healthy food and demonstrate gardening skills; and

Whereas this initiative presents a great opportunity to promote good health, education and community involvement by getting more Nova Scotians interested in agriculture;

[Page 2413]

Therefore be it resolved that all members of this House of Assembly extend best wishes to the Capital District Health Authority and its partners for much success with the urban farm project.

RESOLUTION NO. 1540

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Lunenburg and District Music Festival, currently in its 67^th year, provides musicians ranging in age from preschool to adult an opportunity to showcase their talents to each other and the wider public, to gain knowledge and experience; and

Whereas this year's festival was held at the Central United Church and the Lunenburg Academy, both in the town of Lunenburg, from April 26^th to May 7 ^th, 2011; and

Whereas the final event, "The Stars of the Festival Concert", will be held on May 14, 2011 at the Pearl Theatre in Lunenburg to celebrate the best of the performers who took the stage during the festival;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulates all musicians who participated in the 67^th Annual Lunenburg and District Music Festival, and commends the hard work of the Festival Committee for another successful year.

RESOLUTION NO. 1541

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Harbour View Haven in Lunenburg opened its doors for service on April 25, 1971 as a non-profit organization, officially named "The Lunenburg Home for Special Care Corporation", licensed by the Province to provide 24-hour care to 130 residents; and

Whereas Harbour View Haven is a progressive, forward-thinking facility providing a high quality of services to its residents, offering a broad range of nursing, medical and other professional services to meet the needs of residents; and

Whereas Catherine Hanhams, who has volunteered for seven years after 20 years of employment at Harbour View Haven, was honoured as Harbour View Haven's Volunteer of the Year during their volunteer appreciation dinner on April 13, 2011;

[Page 2414]

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognizes the dedication and commitment of Catherine Hanhams to the residents of Harbour View Haven in Lunenburg, and congratulates her on being named their Volunteer of the Year.

RESOLUTION NO. 1542

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the 6^th Annual Kinburn Pharmasave Healthy Living Expo, taking place on Saturday, May 14^th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mahone Bay Centre, is a free event that aims to provide the community with information about access to health services, treatments and practitioners within the South Shore area; and

Whereas this year's event, which features over 30 health service providers will be co-hosted by the Mahone Bay Area Senior's Project; and

Whereas the Healthy Living Expo is an all-ages event with activities for youth and adults, as well as a special focus on the Seniors Helping Seniors Project, with representatives from South Shore Health, the VON, and the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognizes the 6^th Annual Kinburn Pharmasave Healthy Living Expo as an important tool for community health and wellness, and congratulates all organizers and participants on a successful community event.

RESOLUTION NO. 1543

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Intrafish Media, a highly respected global media organization that covers the seafood industry through online and print publications, recently announced its 2011 Media Person of the Year; and

Whereas the Media Person of the Year award honours positive leaders in the seafood industry who influence positive change, work to build a strong business or organization, and strive to improve the heath, reputation and sustainability of the global seafood industry; and

[Page 2415]

Whereas Henry Demone, the president and CEO of High Liner Foods - one of North America's leading seafood processing marketing firms, has been awarded the Intrafish Media Person of the Year Award;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulates Henry Demone of High Liner Foods for being named Intrafish Media's Person of the Year award for his focus on leadership, innovation and sustainability.

RESOLUTION NO. 1544

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Hillcrest Masonic Lodge No. 93 received its charter to establish a Masonic Lodge in New Germany in 1921, and has since contributed greatly to the surrounding community, providing financial assistance to the Rosedale Home for Special Care and South Shore Regional Hospital among other projects; and

Whereas Hillcrest Masonic Lodge No. 93 applied to the 143 Construction Engineering Flight's Board of Directors for assistance with the installation of a new fire exit and doorway; and

Whereas members of the Hillcrest Lodge were pleased with the completion of major work to their building and acknowledged the contributions of Pine Grove-based 143 CEF for their efforts in converting the lodge into a safe environment;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulates the Hillcrest Masonic Lodge No. 93 for the completion of their building upgrades and recognizes the volunteer efforts of Pine Grove's 143 CEF and their contribution to the project.

RESOLUTION NO. 1545

[Page 2416]

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Lunenburg Folk Art Festival, which brings together over 50 folk artists at the Lunenburg War Memorial Arena for art sales and auctions, is celebrating its 23^rd Anniversary on July 31, 2001; and

Whereas the Lunenburg Folk Art Festival is a growing event that draws many visitors to the colourful Town of Lunenburg thanks to its many volunteers who help to organize and run the event, including the Lunenburg Heritage Society and the Rotary Club of Lunenburg; and

Whereas at their recent AGM, the Lunenburg Heritage Society board of directors recognized the entire organizing committee of the Lunenburg Folk Art Festival's 23^rd annual event as Volunteer of the Year;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulates the Lunenburg Folk Art Festival as an immensely popular venue for folk artists and recognizes the hard work and dedication of the more than 50 volunteers who make this event such a success.

RESOLUTION NO. 1546

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas 16-year-old Lunenburg native and Park View Education Centre student, Maximilian Cooper-Flint, is a self taught musician who began playing guitar in Grade 7; and

Whereas Max Cooper-Flint entered his song, Morning Lark, in CBC Mainstreet's School of Rock competition, being chosen as one of six finalists through online voting on March 24^th; and

Whereas on March 30^th, Max performed his song to a panel of judges who considered the performance and song writing ability with an ear for musicality, originality, accessibility and ultimately awarded him the top spot in the competition;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly congratulate Max Cooper-Flint, of Lunenburg, for winning CBC Mainstreet's School of Rock competition and wish him success in all of his future musical ventures.

[Page 2417]

RESOLUTION NO. 1547

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the New Germany Rural High School's 10 member social justice group is an active student group continually engaged in fundraising activities; and

Whereas this year's causes have been varied, from collecting 50 pounds of pencils for a school in the Dominican Republic, donating household items to a family that lost its home in a fire, making donations to the New Germany Area Food Bank and contributing to Japanese tsunami relief efforts; and

Whereas the social justice group not only focuses on fundraising but also on awareness projects around bullying and homophobia;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly commends the New Germany Rural High School social justice group for their contributions to their community and around the world.

RESOLUTION NO. 1548

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Halifax and Southwestern Railway Museum, which moved to Lunenburg from Bridgewater in 2003, features an extensive history on train travel along the South Shore of Nova Scotia with a meticulous eye for detail; and

Whereas the facility features a scale model railway that highlights major locations along a section of the line beginning at French Village and ending in Liverpool, reflecting the historical appearance of Liverpool as it looked in 1921, Lunenburg as it was in 1939 and Bridgewater as it appeared in 1959; and

Whereas curator Duane Porter will share historical recollections of the rail line for three days in mid-May as the Maritime Federation of Model Rail Roaders holds its 2011 convention in Lunenburg, with a public train show being held at the museum on May 14^th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.;

[Page 2418]

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the historical significance of train travel along the South Shore of Nova Scotia and commend curator Duane Porter for his attention to historical detail at the Halifax and Southwestern Railway Museum in Lunenburg.

RESOLUTION NO. 1549

By: Ms. Pam Birdsall « » (Lunenburg)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas ALS Nova Scotia is an organization designed to help fund research to find a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gherig's Disease, as well as to assist in the provision of care for those suffering from ALS; and

Whereas last year the first annual South Shore Walk for ALS raised almost $8,000 towards ALS Nova Scotia in its inaugural year; and

Whereas the second annual South Shore Walk for ALS, which aims to raise $12,000 this year, will take place in Lunenburg, on June 11^th, with registration starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Lunenburg Curling Club and a free barbecue and prize draws to follow;

Therefore be it resolved that this House of Assembly recognize the second annual South Shore Walk for ALS and wish them success in their fundraising efforts.

RESOLUTION NO. 1550

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad « » (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas the Astor Theatre of Liverpool, Queens County, has held a cultural presence in the community for over 100 years; and

Whereas Atlantic Progress Magazine's seventh annual readers' poll, called Best of the East: 2011, recently named the Astor Theatre as runner-up for Best Cultural Space; and

Whereas Atlantic Progress Magazine is a business magazine founded to promote wealth creation through business growth;

Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate the Astor Theatre on being named by Atlantic Progress Magazine as runner-up for Best Cultural Space in the Best of the East: 2011 readers' poll.

[Page 2419]

RESOLUTION NO. 1551

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad « » (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas volunteers are an important part of every community and should be recognized for their hard work and constant efforts; and

Whereas each year Queens Manor, in Liverpool, selects one volunteer for outstanding volunteer activities; and

Whereas this year Barbara Smith, a resident at Queens Manor, received the 2011 Queens Manor Volunteer of the Year Award for her contributions to Queens Manor over the past 10 years;

Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Barbara Smith of Queens Manor, Liverpool, on having been recognized by her community for all of her volunteer efforts.

RESOLUTION NO. 1552

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad « » (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas Queens County is home to numerous artists, artisans, and craftspeople who work and create, using a variety of media and materials; and

Whereas quilters Bev Crouse and Patricia Paul have joined forces to create an original quilt pattern they have named "Twist and Twirl"; and

Whereas Bev Crouse and Patricia Paul submitted their pattern to The Quilt Pattern Magazine, which has resulted in it being published and appearing on the front page of this on-line publication;

Therefore be it resolved that the House of Assembly recognize and congratulate Bev Crouse and Patricia Paul on the publication of their original quilt pattern, "Twist and Twirl," in The Quilt Pattern Magazine.

RESOLUTION NO. 1553

[Page 2420]

By: Ms. Vicki Conrad « » (Queens)

I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

Whereas William "Bill" Cox has spent 47 years volunteering with the Royal Canadian Legion in Liverpool, Queens County, has been a member of the Masonic Lodge for 44 years, been on the board of the Queens Memorial Arena, and volunteered with the Queens Branch of the Arthritis Society; and

Whereas volunteers are the heart and soul of our communities, and Bill has been selected to represent Queens County at the Provincial Volunteer Ceremony this year; and

Whereas Bill Cox continues to be involved with all aspects of his community on a volunteer basis and it is wonderful to recognize all of his efforts;

Therefore be it resolved that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly recognize and congratulate William "Bill" Cox of Liverpool, Queens County, on having been recognized by his community for all of his volunteer efforts.